Continuing our study of 1st Thessalonians… Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 3:5-9 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith; I was afraid that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor had been in vain. But Timothy has just now come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love.
Continuing our study of 1st Thessalonians… Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 3:1-4 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we decided to be left alone in Athens; and we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that
Continuing our study of 1st Thessalonians… Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 2:17-20 As for us, brothers and sisters, when, for a short time, we were made orphans by being separated from you—in person, not in heart—we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face. For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again—but Satan blocked our way. For what is our hope or
Continuing our study of 1st Thessalonians… Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 2:13-16 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God
Continuing our study of 1st Thessalonians… Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 2:9-12 You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. As you know, we dealt with each one
Continuing our study of 1st Thessalonians… Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 2:5-8 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her
Continuing our study of 1st Thessalonians… Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 2:1-4 You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or
Continuing our study of 1st Thessalonians… Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 1:6-10 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia,
Continuing our study of 1st Thessalonians… Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 1:2-5 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of
Intro: Today begins a study of a Pauline letter. Since the first of February, we’ve looked at some of Jesus’ teachings and his approach to teaching. For the next few weeks, we’re going to use the First Letter to the Thessalonians as a way of reflecting on Paul’s interpretation of Jesus’ ministry — specifically how he applied this message to local congregations. Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus,