We tend to operate with a “mind your own business” mentality, even in the Church. But as fellow members of the Body of Christ, we can’t afford to mind our own business. We’re called to something much greater and more loving than that. And that’s where Paul is taking us today. Church discipline is necessary for a truly Christian community, so we need to learn how to do it biblically. Today’s short passage lays out three aspects of biblical church discipline. It must be consistent, clear, and compassionate.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 - "Praying Together"
When we fail to pray and ask for prayer, we leave God out of life’s equations. As Christians, we must acknowledge our dependence on God through prayer. In today’s passage, we see Paul prayerfully acknowledging this dependence in two ways. He requests prayer for the multiplication of his ministry, and he prays for the maturity of believers.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 - "Standing Firm"
We find ourselves on shifting sand when we forget the truth about God. The truth is... God’s love and grace are solid ground, so we can stand firm in this Christian life. In today’s passage Paul lays out these two realities for believers, so that we can know that we have solid footing: 1. We are LOVED by God; and 2. He gives grace for today, tomorrow, and the rest of eternity.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 - "Looking Forward"
Too many of us minimize biblical teachings on the end times. We see that there are many different interpretations and so that becomes our reason for setting it aside. But understanding future events affects how we live in the present, so we need to better understand what God has promised about the future. Like Paul, we must do two things in the church: confront false teaching and confirm biblical teaching concerning the end times.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 - "Praying With Purpose"
What we see in these two verses will help us have a better perspective on how to pray for one another, especially in the current situation we are living through. Praying with purpose for one another will help us persevere. It will also help us point each other to the hope in Christ’s return and how we can live lives that point to His glory in the meantime. In our passage, Paul gives us a great template for how, what, and why to pray with purpose.
2 Thessalonians 1:1-10 - "The Importance of Perseverance"
Christians have what it takes to persevere, but we must learn to see our circumstances in light of our relationship with Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:11-28 - "Learning To Walk"
This Christian walk isn’t easy, so let’s lean in and learn together. In today’s passage, we see two aspects of our Christian walk that go hand-in-hand: our walk with Christ and our walk with other Christians. We can’t learn how to walk with Christ unless we are walking with other Christians, and we can’t walk with other Christians as we should unless we are all walking with Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 - "Living With Hope"
An unclear hope is not much help to anyone. We need to better understand what Scripture says about our future as Christians so that we can wait well. Christ calls us to live hopefully, so we need to know what we’re hoping for in Christ. In today’s passage, Paul explains what we can expect in terms of a future hope, and how we should express our hopefulness in the way we presently live.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - "Grieving With Hope"
Without God, the reality of death leads to despair. But God’s promise of life leads to hope, so we can face death without despairing.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 - "We Can Do Better, In Christ"
Paul reminds us that we can always do better in Christ, and so we must keep growing in love and holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit. Until we die as Christians (or Jesus comes back to get us), we can all get better and better at reflecting the character of God, and relating to others with the love of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 - "Staying Spiritually Connected"
Spiritual connectedness requires prayer, so let's be praying for each other! Paul models two types of loving and encouraging prayers we can share with one another to keep us spiritually connected: (1) prayers of gratitude and (2) prayers for growth.
1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:8 - "Absence And The Heart"
As Christians, we must intentionally cultivate our faith AND our friendships in the Church, because we all need faithful friends. In our passage, Paul reveals the importance of having friends who will be faithful to us and faithful to Christ.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-16 - "More Than Words"
Today’s passage calls us to live and love in a way that commends our faith to others. Christ calls us to relay the gospel fearlessly and faultlessly so that others will respond faithfully.
1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 - "Give Thanks For God's People"
God’s people reveal God’s grace, so then let’s give thanks for God’s people! In our passage, Paul gives thanks for the works and the witness of God’s people in Thessalonica. Both of these aspects of the Thessalonian church revealed God’s grace.
1 Thessalonians 1:1 - "Grace & Peace"
Paul reminds his fellow believers (including us) that God gives us grace and peace in Christ. Those two terms together are a virtual summary statement of all that we have received by trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. And the order is important, since our peace is a result of God’s grace.
Genesis 11:10-12:4 - "A Is For Abram"
God uses unlikely people armed with unconditional promises, and so we can accept our weakness and find comfort in His grace. In today’s passage, we are going to look at how God chooses an unlikely Patriarch and provides him nothing but a promise, which turns out to be more than enough.
Genesis 10:1-11:9 - "B Is For Babel"
What we learn from our ancient ancestors is that God’s Plan is always better than our plans, so we must trust Him. In today’s passage, we see how the human family advocates for a “Plan B”, but how God ultimately accomplishes His “Plan A.”
1 Peter 1:3-5 - "Our Living Hope" (Easter 2020)
If Jesus is alive, we can live with hope. But Christian hope is not wishful thinking. It is a firm conviction about the future. In today’s passage, Peter makes it clear that our hope in Christ is both solid and secure.
Genesis 9:1-29 - "God's Promises, Our Peace"
God makes promises so that we can have peace. But confusion about His promises robs us of the supernatural peace that we have access to through faith in Christ. Today’s passage highlights two of God’s promises. The first part is all about God’s promise to Noah, and the second part looks forward to God’s promise to Abraham.
Genesis 6:11-8:22 - "The Flood"
The Bible does not leave room for us to separate God’s just judgment from His merciful salvation. Judgment and salvation are linked. Therefore, we can rely on God’s mercy even as we encounter His judgments.
