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Read: 1 Thessalonians
Listen: 1 Thessalonians

Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:18

Paul spent a short stint in Thessalonica during his second missionary journey. This is when the church in Thessalonica was born. Later on, Paul writes a series of letters, including what we know as 1 Thessalonians, to encourage and uplift this young Jesus community. This band of believers was strong in the Lord but needed encouragement and instruction about core matters of faith. Throughout this letter, Paul anchors their hope in Christ and his return and further reminds them of how they are to live holy and pure lives—radically countercultural lives.

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians instructs us how to have an unshakable faith. As we learned throughout this sermon series, an unshakable faith doesn’t mean a trouble-free life. Rather, amid uncertainty, pressure and temptation, we can stand firm in who God is and the gospel message. We discover that an unshakable faith can greatly influence our families and communities as others see us live out faith in Jesus in hard times. We are called to be contributors in the church, be open to correction and be for each other. We learn that unshakable faith includes a gospel-centered life that brings freedom of purpose and to love well. We see that God calls us to holy lives that are set apart from our culture, including in our sexuality. Unshakable faith also gives us hope in grief because of the sure return of Jesus and our eternity with him.

TODAY: (Re)read 1 Thessalonians with a highlighter or pen, and mark up phrases or words that stand out to you. This exercise should take about fifteen minutes. As you read, reflect on the markers of an unshakable life and ask God for the grace to become that sort of person. If you missed any sermons in this series, you can watch them HERE.

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Read Nehemiah 8. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Focus on the public reading of God’s Word. Consider how Jesus taught and fulfilled God’s Word (Luke 4:16-21).