Faith, Hope, Love
TEACHING TEXT
1 Thessalonians 1:1-3
Paul, Silas and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace to you.
We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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This Sunday, Pastor Paul started our sermon series in First Thessalonians. This series is about how the Thessalonian Church practiced their faith while under intense persecution by their community.
Thessalonica was a lot like Billings. Similar population, similar proximity to major trade routes, a hub for regional culture. It was in this backdrop that the Apostle Paul planted a church while on his second missionary journey. After teaching a few weeks in the city, the church began to receive threats from civil and religious leaders. In the middle of the night they pressured Paul out of the city and away from the newly formed church. The new converts were left to face a hostile city all alone... or were they?
Fast forward and we're reading a letter that Paul writes them. He greets the church, prays for them, and thanks God for their example in Thessalonica and beyond into the surrounding region. Instead of a church in ruins, we find a church that is growing in their faith and loving one another. The Gospel had taken hold among them and was withstanding the 'cancel culture' of the city around them.
Work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope. The Thessalonian church is a powerful example to us as we practice our own counter-cultural faith.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Read Scripture:
Read 1 Thessalonians 1-5, one chapter each day Monday-Friday
Notice the major themes of faith, love, and hope.
Memorize Scripture:
Together we are memorizing 1 Thessalonians 5:8
Here are a few wallpapers for this series.
Here's a helpful guide we put together for memorizing Scripture: https://faithe.org/memorize/
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Questions:
1) What is one word or phrase that they Holy Spirit highlighted for you during this teaching? Why?
Journal your thoughts and/or share this with someone else.
2) Think about a time when you responded with love to hate or threats from someone?
How did you see your faith grow? In what ways was it challenging to love them? Why did you respond the way you did?
Without 'naming names', share this with someone else.
3) Think about a time when you didn't respond well to hate or threats from someone?
- Ask God to change your heart
- Ask for forgiveness and then pray for the other person
- Extend peace to the other person, even if it won't be reciprocated
Prayer:
God, give me grace to accept the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Amen.
