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Read: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Listen: 1 Thessalonians 1

The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it. 1 Thessalonians 1:8

The Apostle Paul successfully starts a church in Thessalonica. Even though his time there is short and he is driven from the town, a group of Jesus followers is established. It appears it is not long before news of this church spreads across a wide region. Even though they didn’t have much experience with Jesus, word spread about their deep faith in Jesus. It spreads in a world with no TikTok, no internet and only primitive forms of communication (mostly word of mouth). All through the region, people know about the Thessalonians’ faith in Jesus and how they placed their faith and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.

The truth is, we will all be known for something. The only question is, “What do you want to be known for?” Whether we realize it or not, we influence those around us. People see us, hear us and ultimately imitate us. This is true for both extroverts and introverts. Because people imitate us, we have opportunities to point people to Jesus. This week, we’ll discover practices that increase our spiritual influence and can lead people to Christ.

TODAY: Think seriously about the question, “Who am I influencing?” Think about areas where you have influence—family, work and community. Identify one relationship and one step you can take this week to be more intentional about spiritually influencing this relationship. Write that step in your journal and ask God to help you take action this week.

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Read Hosea 9-10. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Note how Israel is described as a fruitful but rebellious vine. Consider how Jesus is the true and faithful vine and grows good fruit in his people (John 15:1-5).