Podcasts about first thessalonians

If we want to be people God blesses, we must embrace and embody the characteristics described by Pail in First Thessalonians. Paul was writing to a church he had only spent about a month with, yet during that short time, he discipled them in a tremendous way. My prayer is that what we are studying will be more than information for you. It must become life-changing wisdom. Scripture tells us plainly how this church lived, what they believed, and what they were preparing for. So let's look at this passage together so we can learn from the church God loves.

Description The session highlights the importance of being God-centered in life and prayer, introducing a sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount. It discusses the Beatitudes as a recipe for happiness, emphasizing mercy, right choices, and pure thoughts.Vijay encourages genuine relationships with God over seeking human approval, illustrating the dangers of hypocrisy. Ultimately, it promotes living for God and finding fulfillment in His recognition. ##GodCentered #Happiness #Beatitudes #Prayer #GenuineRelationship" Q&A What is the focus of today's sermon? Today's sermon will focus on our motives regarding giving and prayer, as taught by Jesus. What does First Thessalonians 2:4 emphasize about our actions? It emphasizes that we should aim to please God rather than people, as He tests our motives. What are some key ingredients for a happy life according to Jesus? Key ingredients include being merciful, seeking righteousness, being a peacemaker, and having a pure heart. What does Jesus mean when he says that God rewards those who seek Him in secret? Jesus emphasizes that God's rewards are not material trophies but a deeper relationship with Him, highlighting the relational aspect of being seen by God. What warning does Jesus give about practicing piety? Jesus warns that practicing piety to impress others can lead to hypocrisy, where the focus shifts from genuine relationship with God to seeking human approval. How does Jesus illustrate the concept of hypocrisy through the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector? In the parable, the Pharisee's self-righteousness contrasts with the tax collector's humility, showing that true righteousness comes from recognizing one's need for God's mercy.  

BOOK 3 FIRST THESSALONIANS 5 The Chronological New Testament

BOOK 6 FIRST THESSALONIANS 4 The Chronological New Testament

BOOK 5 FIRST THESSALONIANS 3 The Chronological New Testament

First Thessalonians 4:3 declares, “God's will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.” How challenging it is to pursue holiness in our world.Tune in to hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll discuss the spiral toward sexual promiscuity, the consequences in the aftermath, and the steps toward freedom from bondage. God calls believers to pursue holiness because He has our good at heart. Renew your commitment to sexual purity today!

BOOK 4 FIRST THESSALONIANS 2 The New Testament in Chronological Order

First Thessalonians 4:3 declares, “God's will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.” How challenging it is to pursue holiness in our world.Tune in to hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll discuss the spiral toward sexual promiscuity, the consequences in the aftermath, and the steps toward freedom from bondage. God calls believers to pursue holiness because He has our good at heart. Renew your commitment to sexual purity today!

BOOK 3 FIRST THESSALONIANS 1 The Chronological New Testament

First Thessalonians 4:3 declares, “God's will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.” How challenging it is to pursue holiness in our world.Tune in to hear Pastor Chuck Swindoll discuss the spiral toward sexual promiscuity, the consequences in the aftermath, and the steps toward freedom from bondage. God calls believers to pursue holiness because He has our good at heart. Renew your commitment to sexual purity today!

In this session Steve introduces the apostle Paul's letters to the Thessalonians. - [28 minutes]

The sermon centers on the transformative power of surrendering one's life to God, rooted in the biblical principle that humility precedes divine blessing and pride leads to destruction. Drawing from First Thessalonians 5:16–18, it emphasizes that gratitude is not merely an emotion but a deliberate act of obedience, even in painful circumstances, as a response to God's sovereignty. The message deepens through a study of Proverbs and James, revealing pride as the root of all sin and the primary obstacle to spiritual vitality, while humility and submission to God's will open the door to His grace and protection. The preacher illustrates how pride manifests in self-reliance, resistance to God's direction, and relational strife, and calls listeners to examine their hearts, release control, and trust God with every area of life—including relationships, finances, and future plans. Ultimately, the sermon urges a life of dependence on God, where personal ambition yields to divine purpose, and true fulfillment is found not in self-fulfillment but in surrender to the Lord's will.

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning. Nope, wrong way. There we go. My name is Spencer. I am one of the pastors here. We are beginning the year with a series on New Testament prayers. So just the first four weeks, we're going to look at. When you read the New Testament, you're going to see in various points where it's not teaching, it's. It's not application, it's not correction, but it's actually just there's a prayer. And we're going to look at a few of these over the next few weeks with the goal of encouraging us to pray, which is a discipline that we as Christians need to continue to grow and especially as we start out a new year. Then we'll jump into second Samuel and we're done with this to finish out first and second Samuel. So we're going to be in first Thessalonians 5, 23, 24. Last week, Chet took us to Ephesians 1, and we got to look at a prayer that calls God's people to delight in worship in God and his glory, to know him. And this week we get to see another aspect of what God desires for his people.So I am getting closer to 40. Yeah. Which means getting closer to the age where you start going to the doctor more because you get to discover all the ways that your body is trying to kill you. You just. When you're younger, most folks, the only doctor that you have is whoever you see at urgent care. But when you get older, you, like, have your own doctor. And then you start having a team of specialists, which I've gotten a head start on already. I realized I had entered a new phase of life when I started bragging about how good my specialist was. But this, this is what happens, because the older you get, like, statistically, when you're younger, your car is more likely to kill you. When you get older, your heart is more likely to kill you. So you, if you want to live, if you want to thrive, you want to flourish bodily, you've got to actually go to the doctor more regularly. And our older folks know this. How many of you of our older folks this that? A big topic of conversation that shows up every time that y' all get together is doctor visits, right? It. It's, it's. That's a reality. And we should consider our health seriously. We should go to the doctor. We should be healthy. We should do all of those things. We should take our health deadly serious. It matters.Paul in, in. In First Timothy 4, he makes the point that for a while, bodily training is of some Value. So he starts that statement with saying, yes, you should. You should take care of your body. There's some value there. But he continues and says, godliness is of value in every way as it holds promise for the present life and also the life to come.> For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:8, ESV)So it makes the case, yes, bodily training is of value, but you should train for godliness. As serious as we take our physical health, the question is, how serious are we taking our spiritual health? And more specifically, how serious are we taking sin in our lives? And that's the subject matter for this prayer today. This is a prayer of sanctification. It's very brief, but I'm encouraged that we get to look at this this morning and hopefully we will see a prayer that calls us to grow in being more like Christ, the process of sanctification. So let me pray for us, and then we will walk through this together.Heavenly Father, I pray that you might help us consider the reality of our sin in ways that we may not have or are not. That takes you going to work in our hearts in a way that compels us to be the people that you've called us to be. So God, I pray that you'd speak to us and that we would respond. In Jesus name, Amen.All right, so first Thessalonians 5, 23, 24.> Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24, ESV)All right, so this is a prayer. It's a benediction, a blessing, a prayer that he prays over this church in Thessalonica. So before we jump into this prayer that comes at the end of First Thessalonians, I want to give a little bit of context for this letter that Paul wrote to this church in Thessalonica. So Thessalonica is a city in Greece, still is a major city in Greece, and at the time in ancient Greece was a major city that Paul traveled to. In Acts 17, he plants this church. It begins, it grows, and then there's some persecution and suffering that happens, and the God takes him elsewhere. And one of the things that Paul does in his ministry as he starts churches all over Asia Minor, Asia Minor in Europe, is he ministers to them from a distance. And some of that we get in these letters that God has inspired through him, teaching truth to these Thessalonians.So when you read First Thessalonians, there's a major theme that shows up over and over again. And that is the encouragement that Christ will return, that Jesus is coming back. That's a, that's a big part of this letter. And that's important for Christians to remember that Jesus is actually coming back. If you were here this time last year in January, we were finishing a five month journey through the book of Revelation. And one of the helpful things that we gathered from that is this regular reminder that the end is coming, that Jesus will come, he will make all things new, that we need that encouragement, especially when life is very difficult.Over the past couple of weeks we've had sickness, various forms of sickness flow through our house, which has been loads of fun, you guys, but we had the flu. Now we've got some type of infection. And one of my kids who was going through seven days of fever ridden flu in the middle of it, she just was so tired of it. She just was like, I'm, I'm so, I've just, I want to be well. And I just had to say, hey, listen, I know the flu stinks. Waking up every day feeling like this is rotten, it's awful. But there's a day coming in just a few days, you're going to wake up and you're going to finally feel better. And she just needed that little bit of encouragement to pick her head up and realize, okay, no, this is hard, but I'm going to be okay at the end of this. And the New Testament does this over and over again. It picks up our gaze a bit and says, Jesus is coming. He's going to make all things new. And that's the big theme that runs throughout this letter. And towards the end of him really pressing this upon this church, he prays this blessing over them. May the God of peace sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.As, as Jesus is going to come, he says now, may the God of peace, which pause for a moment. Isaac Hill and I were, we were discussing this this week and he just made a really good point. He says it's so helpful that he, he could have chosen any attribute to emphasize here about God. But he says, may the God of peace. It doesn't say may the God of wrath. He says, may the God of peace, which is a picture of God the Father who makes peace with us. We once were lost, dead in our sin, enemies of God. But through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity to become friends of God because he makes peace with Us and we live in peace with God, says, may the God of peace sanctify you completely. May sanctify you. So that is the prayer of sanctification. So let me take a moment and define sanctification, okay? Because it's important for us to not miss this sanctify, which is the verb form here, or sanctification, which is the noun form, the state of being. Sanctified comes from the Latin word sanctus, which means holy. And the original language, which is the Greek here it's hagios. So this is the process of becoming holy as God is holy.When you read the Old Testament and the Old Testament law, in Leviticus 11, it says, Be holy as I am holy. But we get the fullest picture of what sanctification is in the New Testament.> For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44, ESV)So if I had to define sanctification for us this side of the New Testament. And sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus Christ through repenting of sin and obeying him. Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus through repenting of sin and obeying him. Which means that for the life of the Christian, this is one of the most important aspects of our faith. It is becoming more like Jesus taking sin seriously, repenting and obeying him. That this should mark our lives.Every now and then I'll be meeting with somebody and they'll, they'll ask some version of. I'm just trying to figure out like what, what is God's will for my life? I just want to know what God's will is for me. And when they say that, I have to have some self control because an intrusive thought comes in. Because first Thessalonians 4, 3 is the, the one verse that captures that idea. The bet, like the most explicit in the Scriptures, 1st Thessalonians 4. 3 says, for this is the will of God, your sanctification.> For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality. (1 Thessalonians 4:3, ESV)And every time someone, I know what they're saying. It's not that the will of God is just narrow to sanctification. They're asking about how do I think about this job or how do I think about this decision. I just wonder what the will of God is. In the back of my head, I'm like, it's your sanctification. No, put that away. You're talking about something else. But that is a big part of the will of God for us is that we would be more like Him. That's one of God's grand desires for us, is that we would be more and more like him. That's a big part of our faith. And in the context of First Thessalonians 4, when he continues, for this is the will of God, your sanctification. He starts to name what is one of, probably one of the bigger sins in that church and in that city at the time. He says that you had abstained from sexual immorality. And he goes on to explain that further. But you broaden that out to the rest of the New Testament and you see that God desires His people to take sin seriously. I want you to hear that He. He wants his people to take our sin seriously.> And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24, ESV)Galatians chapter 5, verse 24 says, and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. That he references the horrific, violent, brutal murder of Christ pulls that imagery to mind. And he says, all of that violence you should reserve for your flesh, that you should murder, destroy, end the desires of your flesh.> Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4, ESV)Romans chapter 2, verse 4 says, or do you presume on the riches of his kindness in forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? It's this idea that gets throws up over again. We do not presume upon the kindness of God. The kindness of God and His patience and his forbearance is meant to lead us to repentance, to the turning away of sin to crucifying the flesh. You see this over and over and over again in the New Testament as it calls us to take our sin seriously.So we should, as Christians, consider our sin seriously. That we should consider all the ways in which we sin. We should live a life that is one of walking in the light, that is one of confession, confessing our sin to the Lord and confessing it to other Christians as we walk in the light together. That we should be in the process of sanctification, reading our Bibles and reading His Word and knowing God and His Word and knowing his holiness, and as we read His Word, realizing and reflecting upon all the ways in which we sin against God. That we should grow in this type of holiness. That we should grow in the difficult work of identifying patterns in our life that need to be changed and changing those patterns. We should identify habits, we should consider what we watch. We should consider the things that we scroll through. We should consider the things that we fantasize about, the things we think about that in all these ways and more, we should consider our sanctification seriously. We should be serious about our repentance as we plead for God to sanctify us. We should have this type of Prayer, pleading for God.And think about how thorough Paul is here. He says, now, may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. And he says, and may your whole spirit so that word, the word for completely and the word for hold there in the original language are the same. And I, and I, I think, completely captures some of this. I do like what the NIV says. The NIV says, may he sanctify you through and through. May he sanctify you through and through thoroughly. And then he goes on to picture this. Your whole spirit, your whole soul and body be kept blameless. Now, I, I, I don't think what Paul's doing there is dividing the self into three different parts, body, soul, spirit. I don't think that's what he's doing. He's not doing three clean divisions of who we are. I think what Paul's getting at here is he's saying all of you, and this is what the scriptures do sometimes and just capturing all of who we are. This is your thoughts, your actions, your immaterial self, your spiritual self, your material self, your body, every aspect of may God sanctify you completely. And this should be our desire.Let me address an aspect of sanctification that I think our church, specifically we need to receive this and understand this. Well, I'm going to say something, and for some of us that's going to be quite jarring. But just stay with me. You should desire. We should desire to please God in our sanctification. Now let me qualify for a moment when it comes to the work of justification, faith in Jesus Christ. When he converts us, we go from old to new, dead to alive. We're born again before Christ. You cannot please God. I think it's important, because we say this sometimes, is that we cannot please God with our good works. We cannot please God. We cannot earn our favor, earn favor before. We cannot earn our status before Him. And it's like, yes and amen. We absolutely should remember that, that we cannot please God in earning our place before him. So have that locked in our brain when he makes us new and brings us to a new life in Christ. In our sanctification, we should want to please God. We should want to please Him. And the New Testament captures this over and over again.> But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. (1 Thessalonians 2:4, ESV)I'll just give you a couple of ways it captures this in First, Thessalonians 2, 4, it says, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak not to please man, but to please God, who tests our hearts in Colossians 1 a prayer, he says, and so from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.> And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9–10, ESV)So when it comes to the work of sanctification, the work of becoming more like Christ, the repenting of sin and obeying him, that we should want to please God, that is for our joy, for our flourishing, for our good, and we have to kind of separate those two parts of our brain that we will never please God to be saved. But in Christ, when he puts the Holy Spirit within us, that work that is flowing in us when we lean into this, it is pleasing to God. Every deliberate choice to kill sin and to honor God is a choice to depend upon his power and not our own. Every time we decide to know, I want to grow in this, I want to be holy as God is holy. It pleases him, it's pleases him. When we confess Jesus is better than everything else and we live that out. When we have temptation that comes to us and presents, send us and we just say, no, I want Jesus, I believe that he's better than everything else. And therefore I'm going to desire, I'm going to choose, I'm going to follow Christ here. It's pleasing. And we should remember that language because I think sometimes we get so much in the language of I don't have to please God, I have to please God, I have to please God. And we blur the lines a bit till we get to a little bit of Romans 6 where we're presuming upon the grace of God and that's not a place where we need to be as Christians, we should desire to grow in sanctification.We should take our spiritual health seriously as like more seriously than we do even our physical health, as I said earlier, with all the time and energy that we take to think about our physical health, to think about our overall financial well being, our overall success in life, all that ever different aspects of our life which we should consider and pray for, we have a lot of energy that's directed in that. And then some of us, we have little energy that's directed in seeking the Lord, asking Him to sanctify us. I mean, consider our prayers. Consider what you pray for on a regular basis. Do you pray for, for physical health? Do you pray for financial success? Do you pray for a lot of good Things that you should absolutely pray for. God never grows tired of hearing those prayers. You should. We should grow and we should pray. We should do all of that. But do we pray for that with more zeal, more passion, more earnestness, more consistency than we do in praying and considering our own sin? That's something we should reckon with and we should consider.I mean, think about the psalmist, how the psalmist pray. Go to Psalm 139. It says, Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.> Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23–24, ESV)When is the last time that we prayed like that? That on our face before the Lord? We're saying, God, would you search me? Would you know my heart? Try me, expose me, help me see. I don't want these grievous ways to have victory in my life. I want you to lead me in the way of everlasting. When is the last time that we prayed passionately, consistently, fervently like that?Consider how David prays in Psalm 51 after he. He sins against Bathsheba and Uriah, which we'll read about in Second Samuel, coming up. And he has this prayer of repentance. He says in verse seven, purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean. Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.> Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7, ESV)When is the last time on your face before the Lord? You said, God, purge me. Purge me of the sin. Purge me like hyssop. Cleanse me. Remove this. I want to be holy as you are holy. I want to be whiter than snow. I don't want to be a slave to my sin. Would you purge me of this? When is the last time that we fervently prayed like this? This is the type of intensity that God desires of his people that we might pray like this, y'. All. We will. We currently do. And we will probably, with the size of our church, always have someone who is battling cancer, who is battling disease. And this church, we respond by consistently and passionately pleading with the Lord on behalf of our church family to heal. And we're not going to stop doing that. But with that type of intensity that we're asking for physical healing, do we do that with spiritual healing, with becoming more like Christ, with repenting of sin and becoming more like him. Do we pray like this? Because we should.We should consider all the ways in which we are plagued by sin and praying. We should pray earnestly. God so tired of the sexual sin that's bound up within me. I'm so tired of stumbling and falling with actions and with thoughts. God, would you purge me? Would you cleanse me? Would you remove it? I don't want to sin against you when the temptation comes. I want to believe that you're better. Would you cleanse me of this? God, would you purge me of a dishonest tongue? Because I don't know what happens at work. My boss talks and it gets me stressed out and I tell half truths. I'm hanging out with my friends and they're telling all kinds of stories and I feel like I gotta tell a story and then I embellish upon it. And then all of a sudden I just. I don't want this anymore. I want to speak truthfully. God, would you purge me of a dishonest tongue? Would you cleanse me of the heartless apathy that has plagued me in this season? I feel so spiritually dry and distant. And I don't want it. God, I want to. I want a fervor for you. I don't want to be so apathetic. God, would you cleanse me of this? God, would you purge me of the greed within me? Because every time I get a raise, all I can think about is the next thing I want to buy that. All I can think about is more and more. I don't want that. God, would you purge me of my greed? Would you cleanse me of my faithless anxiety that I'm so tired of being so fearful of everything else but you? But God, I want to fear you. Above all, I want to try. I don't want to live in a persistent, consistent state of anxiety. God, would you purge me of the petty rivalries that I create in my own heart with people that don't even know that I'm mad at them and the gossip that flows out of me and the slander that flows out of me? I don't want this anymore. Would you cleanse me of this desire to seek substances for my pain? I'm tired of just wanting the next drink. I'm tired of getting THC in my system. I just. I don't want. Would you cleanse me of my faithless anxiety, my faithless idolatry? And on and on and on and all the ways that we should consider, all the ways in which we sin against God? When is the last time that we got on our face and prayed with that type of zeal? That's what God desires of his people, to pray and say, God, peace, sanctify me. Sanctify my whole spirit, my whole, every part of me. Keep me blameless until the coming of Jesus Christ.John Owen, the Puritan pastor from centuries ago, and his work, Mortification of Sin and Mortification of Sin, which mortification just means putting to death of a thing. He impacts this idea of mortifying sin in the flesh. He says to mortify means to put any living thing to death. To kill a man or any other living thing is to take away the principle of all its strength, vigor and power so that it cannot act or exert or put forth any proper actings of its own. He goes on to say, it is the constant duty of believers to render a death blow to the deeds of the flesh that they may not have life and strength to bring forth their destructive influence. Boy, oh boy, when have we prayed that God would remove the strength, the vigor, the power, the destructive influence, the life, all of it from our sin? I just want you to remove the destructive influence of this sin in my life. God, would you do it? You put the spirit in me. It's alive and it worked in me. Would you empower me to put this to death? This is the pursuit of the Christian life. This is what God desires of his people. How often are we praying for our sanctification like this.And push this even further. How often are we praying these type of prayers for one another? How often are we praying? Because look at this, this is Paul praying for them. He's praying for their sanctification. And how often are we doing that with one another? Because sanctification is not a solo sport, it's team sport. We have a Western American individualistic mindset that my sin is my business. The Bible says, no, it is not your business. You belong to a community. No, your sin is not just your business. This is how we love one another.Well, I was watching over the holiday season, I was watching a movie called the Long Walk, which is an adaptation of a Stephen King novel. And it's about a dystopian future after an American civil war where there's a totalitarian regime in place. And they, they have a contest and a lottery for that contest. They take young men from all 50 states and they put them in the Long Walk, which is a death march, which is quite the movie to watch over the holidays. But I was really looking forward to seeing this movie and a death march, if you don't know what that is historically, it's where you tell people to walk. And every person that stops walking is shot. And the last person standing, last person walking, the end wins. The contest. And one of the things I appreciate about this story is that the main character, he arrives and he. He decides, I'm going to team up with some of these other guys and we're going to walk together. And they. They team up and they walk together. There's another guy that shows up, and his strategy is to walk alone. And he. His whole strategy is to discourage everyone else who's walking. And for a few days, it works. He gets in the head of a few other guys, they stop walking, they're killed, and he just keeps walking. And that works for one, two, three days. But about day four, day five, and day six, when there's only about 10 people left, the guys who've been walking together are still walking together. And there are times where it's in the middle of the night, and one of them is literally sleepwalking. He's asleep and he's walking. He's slowing down, and his friend grabs him and carries him every step of the way. So they endure as they go up steep inclines, and people are starting to fall off. One by one, they encourage each other together. And these five are walking together. By day five or six, the guy who's been walking alone begins to go insane. Name? He begins to lose his mind. He has this desire. He's freaking out where he wants a team, he wants people to walk with him. He feels all types of disorientation. Then he finally stops walking and he dies. And as I'm watching that, I'm like, that is such a picture of why we need each other so much. That sin is serious. This life is serious. There's a lot on the line, and we should walk together. We're not designed to walk alone. We're designed to walk together. That means we should care about each other enough to care about each other's sin and sanctification.When is the last time that you. You reached out to someone in your group and asked them, would you be praying for me? I'm struggling right now with temptation. I've been struggling with sin. But would you pray for me? When's the last time that you've reached out to someone in your group, someone you're walking with, inviting them in? When's the last time that you spoke honestly about the reality of the sin that you're struggling through? When's the last. At a time, at a care night, as we're talking to each other in group, that you were real and honest and didn't give polished stories of your reality even further? When is the last Time that you cared enough about someone else that you're walking with to go out of your way to ask them tough questions. Do you know their sin? You've walked with them for a year, a few years, you know what's happening. When was the last time that you went on your way to ask them difficult questions, to reach out and say, hey, I know it's been hard lately, but I'm praying for you. And you're on your face pleading and praying, may God sanctify him completely. May he sanctify her completely. May you help this brother or sister, crucify this desire, and may they have victory. When have you been praying like this and caring about someone else that you walk with? This is what we're called to. This is sanctification in the church of Jesus Christ. This is what part of the reason he's given us one another, that we might walk together in this battle with sin.Let me close with this. In verse 24, he says, he who calls you is faithful. He will surely do it. The good news of God's sanctifying work is that God is the One at work within us. God is the one at work with us. He will surely do it. It is he that will keep us blameless. The God who calls us into faith carries us through to completion and works within us every step of the way. And if you belong to Jesus Christ, he will surely do it. And that is encouraging. And some of us need to be reminded of that today. Some of you need to be reminded of this because some of us have been trying to sanctify our worldly minds by our own effort, by our own strength. And we're neglecting this opportunity to run to the Lord in prayer, pleading with him, relying upon Him. Search me, know me, purge me, cleanse me, sanctify me by his power and not our own.Some of us need to hear this this morning because some of you are deeply discouraged right now. You've been stumbling and stumbling and stumbling and I want you to hear so clearly this morning. He is at work within you and he will surely do it. That as you lean into the reality of spirit filled dependence upon him to crucify the desires of the flesh. Yes, we know biblically we're never going to be perfect. We know that. We know we're never going to arrive there. We know that we're broken, sinful, corrupt to the core. We get that. And also the Spirit at work within us will mold us and shape us in the image of Christ. And whatever you're facing right Now God is at work. If you belong to him, he will surely do it.Some of us have neglected. Though hear this. Some of us have neglected the power of God coming to bear on our lives because we have not taken sin seriously enough. And it is time for us to start taking some sin seriously. The beginning of this year. Some of you need to start taking sin seriously. You need to start praying for God to search you, to know you, to purge you, to cleanse you. Some of you have neglected the power of God to destroy the patterns of sin in your life, be it for reasons of apathy, distraction, indulgence, indifference, unbelief. But all of those we got to put at the foot of the cross and we got to plead for God to change us. But if we belong to Christ, we have to start taking this seriously. And for some of you, some of you have only depended upon your own self. And this morning, it is time for you to depend upon the Lord to actually see him as Lord and ruler of your life, taking over every aspect of your life, including the things that you've held most dear to you, so that he might change you and conform you into his image. And beautiful, wonderful ways to bring about the change that God wants for you because there is a man or a woman that he has made you to be that is growing in Christ likeness. But you cannot take those steps to flourish and grow into his image until you start taking sin seriously. But if you woo, if you, if you, if you take the leap of faith, if you walk in the light, if you start talking to other Christians, if you do the tough work of sanctification, you will change. He will surely do it.This is how we're going to close this morning. It's going to be a little bit different. We're going to take communion here in a moment. So let me go ahead and introduce communion now as we prepare for the table. On the night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread and he broke it. And he said, this is my body that was broken for you. And he took the cup. This is the cup of the new covenant. This is my blood that was shed for you, that as often as you eat and drink this, you proclaim my death until I return.> For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23–26, ESV)So the table is a reminder that our sin cost the blood of God and that God and His abundant mercy and kindness gives us Jesus Christ. That covers our sin. So typically, we take a few moments and we consider our sin and we consider our Savior and then we come to the table. But that's not what we're going to do this morning. We're going to do something a little bit different. I'm going to ask Matt to come up and Matt is going to sing a song over us. So right now we're going to pray. We're going to pray. The song captures Psalm 139, Search me and his kindness leads us to repentance in Romans 2. And we're going to pray. We're not coming to the table. We're going to sit and we're going to pray. And we're going to ask the Lord to sanctify us. We're going to ask the Lord to expose us, to search us, to know us, to find the grievous ways within us. And we're going to sit in silence as he sings and ministers to us, as he sings over us. We're going to consider our sin. And I hope right now that the Holy Spirit begins to prod and worship. I hope he starts giving you action steps when you leave here today that you start having conversations. We got a care night this week in our community groups. I hope that you come prepared to bear burdens with one another there. But we're going to do the work right now where God's going to work in our heart. So don't come to the table. We're going to pray. And when he's done singing the song, then he'll invite us to the table. But right now, sit and pray before the Lord in silence. And may the Lord go to work in our hearts.

We explore Advent as "WAIT Training" - celebrating Jesus' first coming while anticipating His return. Living between two gardens, in the "now and not yet," presents unique challenges, especially when joy feels just out of reach.Joy is more than a feeling. Kay Warren defines it as "the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things."Scripture reveals Jesus as a man of great joy. People wanted Him at their parties. Children ran to Him. He came "feasting and drinking," fully engaged with life. We find joy by staying close to Jesus and abiding in His ways (John 15:10-11).We must also choose joy. James 1:2-4 calls us to "consider it pure joy" when facing trials. First Thessalonians 5:16-18 exhorts us to "rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances." Corrie Ten Boom gave thanks for fleas in a concentration camp, discovering later that those very fleas kept guards away, allowing Bible readings to continue.Sometimes we avoid joy because of its vulnerability. Nicole Zasowski reminds us that protecting ourselves through pessimism or cynicism doesn't remove the sting of potential loss - it only robs us of hope and delight. Gratitude spoken out loud helps us tolerate joy's vulnerability.We don't get exemptions from suffering, but God's grace meets us in every circumstance. As we practice this WAIT training, remember: our faithfulness in waiting matters less than God's faithfulness in coming. His Spirit offers joy right now, and our joy will be complete when Jesus returns.URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 Thess 4-5; 3 Tim 1-3 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible podcast for November 29th, 2025! In today's episode, Hunter invites us to journey together through 1 Thessalonians and 2 Timothy, unpacking themes of hope, resilience, and faithful living. As we continue our daily walk through Scripture, we're encouraged to let the Bible point us to the living Word—Jesus Christ—and to warm our hearts at the fire of His love. Hunter reflects on Paul's letters, urging us not to give in to spiritual escapism but to stay engaged in the work God has called us to do. You'll hear reminders about living quiet, purposeful lives, loving others well, and embracing the responsibilities we have as believers in a broken world. Today's episode closes with heartfelt prayers, a reaffirmation of our mission as God's people, and a gentle nudge to keep going—even when the journey gets tough. Whether you're seeking encouragement, practical wisdom, or simply a companion on your spiritual path, this episode offers a grounded space to reflect, pray, and remember: you are deeply loved. TODAY'S DEVOTION: Don't check out—engage with the work God has given you. Sometimes, when life gets challenging or overwhelming, we might be tempted to step back, to spiritually "check out," looking for an escape from the world's troubles. In today's reading from First Thessalonians and Second Timothy, we hear about believers in the early church who were being rattled by false teachers predicting an imminent end—telling them to abandon the daily work and wait passively for Jesus' return. History shows that this impulse toward apocalyptic escapism isn't new. But what does God actually call us to do in these moments? The apostle Paul urges us not to be idle, not to sell out or check out, but to roll up our sleeves and step forward into the calling God has placed on our lives. Yes, Jesus is coming back. Yes, the end is near. But until that day arrives, we have a purpose—a responsibility to proclaim the message of reconciliation, to invite the world to come back to God. There are people, all around us, waiting to hear, waiting to see, waiting to be set free. Paul encourages the Thessalonians, and us, to continue in love and acts of kindness, not just within the church, but as a witness in the world. He reminds us not to grow weary in doing good, not to seek justification for escapism, but to live fully the life God is calling us to. Whether it's through caring for those in need, showing respect to spiritual leaders, or living out the truth of Scripture, we are called to pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace—engaging, not withdrawing. Let the mark that distinguishes us be this: that we are people who engage. That we are a full expression of the love of God. That our lives, our families, and our communities are rooted in God's joy and strength, manifesting his kingdom here and now, even as we look ahead to his return. That's a prayer for my own soul. That's a prayer for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's a prayer for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28; 1 Thess 1-3 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to another episode of the Daily Radio Bible! On this November 28th edition, Hunter warmly invites us to journey together through the Scriptures on day 333 of the Bible reading plan. In today's episode, we find encouragement in the powerful resurrection account from Matthew 28 and receive wisdom and comfort through the first three chapters of First Thessalonians. Hunter guides us through these impactful passages, highlighting the hope, love, and joy found in Christ, and closes with heartfelt prayers for overflowing love, strength, and gratitude. Whether you're gathering around God's Word for insight, comfort, or daily encouragement, this episode is a reminder that you are not alone—God is with you, and you are deeply loved. So grab your Bible, find a quiet spot, and join Hunter for a time of reflection, prayer, and gratitude on this beautiful day. TODAY'S DEVOTION: Grow and overflow in love. That's the prayer that is being prayed over us today in 1 Thessalonians. "May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow." That's the kind of heart God is seeking to cultivate in us: a heart blazing with his abundant love, pouring out not just for some but for all. And the result of this overflowing love is that we are made strong, blameless, and holy, able to stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again. But how do we get there? Hunter reminds us: it's only by our union with Christ. It is his life in us—the Living Word—who alone can grow that kind of heart. He alone can strengthen us, make us blameless and holy, because he is the source of such love and the one who holds the words of life. That's who you are now: strong, blameless, holy, because you are found in Christ. So live into that reality today. Agree with it. Say amen to it. Let your heart rise into his love. Let this prayer echo in your own soul, for your family, for your loved ones, and for all who cross your path: that God's love would grow and overflow, making hearts strong, blameless, and holy, all by the power and presence of Christ dwelling within us. Let's let this prayer shape the way we see ourselves and one another. May gratitude fill our days, may the joy of the Lord be our strength, and may we never forget this: you are loved. That's the prayer for my soul, for my family, and for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Remembering With Gratitude, with Rev. Dr. Steven Koski. Series: Love Takes Flight A Spacious Christianity, First Presbyterian Church of Bend, Oregon. Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1.1-2.Curious about life, legacy, and what really matters? Join us this Sunday—online or in-person—for an inspiring message and a welcoming community. We'd love to have you with us, wherever you are on your journey.Join us each Sunday, 10AM at bendfp.org, or 11AM KTVZ-CW Channel 612/12 in Bend.  Subscribe/Follow, and click the bell for alerts.At First Presbyterian, you will meet people at many different places theologically and spiritually. And we love it that way. We want to be a place where our diversity brings us together and where conversation takes us all deeper in our understanding of God.We call this kind of faith “Spacious Christianity.” We don't ask anyone to sign creeds or statements of belief. The life of faith is about a way of being in the world and a faith that shows itself in love.Thank you for your support of the mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Bend. Visit https://bendfp.org/giving/ for more information.Keywords:Fred Rogers, National Press Club, silence, gratitude, legacy, Tuesdays with Maury, ALS, love, faith, First Thessalonians, community of faith, adversity, cloud of witnesses, Barbara Brown Taylor, generosity., presbyterian, church, online worship, bend, oregonFeaturing:Rev. Dr. Steven Koski, Rev. Sharon Edwards, Becca Ellis, Brave of Heart, GuestsSupport the show

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.” That's First Thessalonians four, sixteen, and this is Something Good Radio. Well, the church in Thessalonica had been misinformed about the Second Coming of Christ, and had now grown concerned that their loved ones who had departed were no longer able to be saved.  Paul clearly and emphatically addressed those false teachings, and then, for good measure, he added some additional thoughts on the subject of Christ's second coming.  

“We also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God.” Well, the Apostle Paul wrote those words to the Thessalonians, a body of believers who had turned from idolatry and begun to worship the true and living God. Paul commended for their strong faith, and yet he also needed to point out a few areas of concern. 

Joel 1-4; Psalm 90; Proverbs 19:19-24; First Thessalonians 5

Joel 1-4; Psalm 90; Proverbs 19:19-24; First Thessalonians 5

Micah 5-7; Psalm 89; Proverbs 19:13-18; First Thessalonians 4

Micah 5-7; Psalm 89; Proverbs 19:13-18; First Thessalonians 4

Micah 1-4; Psalm 88:39-53; Proverbs 19:7-12; First Thessalonians 3

Micah 1-4; Psalm 88:39-53; Proverbs 19:7-12; First Thessalonians 3

Amos 5:4-9:15; Psalm 88:20-38; Proverbs 19:1-6; First Thessalonians 2

Amos 5:4-9:15; Psalm 88:20-38; Proverbs 19:1-6; First Thessalonians 2

Amos 1:1-5:3; Psalm 88:1-19; Proverbs 18:18-23; Colossians 4:2-18; First Thessalonians 1

Amos 1:1-5:3; Psalm 88:1-19; Proverbs 18:18-23; Colossians 4:2-18; First Thessalonians 1

Sunday September 14, 2025

The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the individual believer is often misunderstood, undervalued and consequently avoided. Yet without Him the Christian is powerless to live and grow in life and fruitfulness. Graciously our Lord has provided several Scriptures about the Spirit's work in us. And one of those Scriptures may surprise you to learn is First Thessalonians chapter five! Join us there today on Light on the Hill with pastor James Kaddis. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

Pastor James Kaddis is in a study of the end times called, “Living in the Last Days,” based in First and Second Thessalonians. Jesus is coming again, and God will judge this earth! But if you're a believer in Christ you have nothing to fear, because you're not appointed to wrath! That wonderful truth is front and center today as we look at First Thessalonians chapter five, and verses 8-28. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

It's becoming more clear as the days go by, that we are so so very close to the Lord's return! And today on Light on the Hill we're going to spend some time talking about how we're to live in light of the soon return of Jesus. Pastor James Kaddis says we're to remain awake, be alert, watch and be sober! That's the emphasis of his study based in First Thessalonians chapter five. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

We talk about it often as believers... Jesus loves us! And it's true. But did you realize that we are to love others, as God has loved us? Today on Light on the Hill we get right back to our study of First Thessalonians, and pastor James Kaddis will spotlight verses 9-13. Lately we've been discussing how to have a life that pleases God, and as we'll learn today, loving others is a big part of that life. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

If you want to know how to live, don't look to the world, but rather look to the Word. That's what we'll do today on Light on the Hill. Pastor James Kaddis is taking us through First Thessalonians right now, as part of our series, “Living in the Last Days.” And we're about to focus on chapter four. Here the apostle Paul describes the Believer's Walk. We'll learn through this study how to walk in a God-pleasing manner. We most certainly need encouragement in this area as we're bombarded with messages to go in the opposite direction in the world as we know it. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

How different are we than the world around us? Perhaps some changes are in order. Today's Light on the Hill can help us with that. We're currently making our way verse by verse though First Thessalonians. And in chapter four we're given encouraging instruction on how to be truly countercultural. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

As you scan the headlines, and really consider what's going on around the world… it becomes clear… Jesus is coming very soon! The signs are all around us. Does your life reflect that reality, or like many are you being lulled to sleep spiritually? Today on Light on the Hill pastor James Kaddis reveals the appropriate response to the soon return of Christ through a study of First Thessalonians three. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

Trials and persecution are a part of the Christian life. To some it's a surprise and to others a disappointment. But God can use the difficulty to expose and develop our faith. Pastor James Kaddis is making his way verse by verse through First Thessalonians. And we've come to chapter three where we learn about what encourages faith. One of those things is trials. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

With all that's been going on in the Middle East many have been wondering, are these the last days? It's becoming more and more clear to us that they are. But how should we be living in them? That's the question we'll pursue today through a study of First Thessalonians chapter two. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

Too often what is seen and heard about the church and the Christian life can give the wrong impression. So, what is the Church and the Christian to be about? We'll get some answers from First Thessalonians chapter one! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

We are just getting started in the book of First Thessalonians in a series we've titled, “Living in the Last Days.” And we'll inspired by the opening verses that our God has great things He wants to give His children and do in this world. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

Today we resume our new series Living in the Last Days, a series through the end times. Pastor James Kaddis will be introducing us to the epistle of First Thessalonians. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

Notes - https://www.generationword.com/notes/Epistles/05-First_Thessalonians.pdf

Have you ever felt like you've just plain run out of juice? The book you've been reading seems pointless halfway through. That new sofa or lawnmower or set of wheels was pretty exciting last month, but now you're not sure what the big deal was. Even your relationships feel lackluster.Human beings aren't like cell phones or toy robots. We can't rev up with a fresh set of batteries...we need other, more meaningful fuel to refill our tanks, and the energy we seek can't be found at any store.1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray continually.”One of the shortest verses in God's Word, the Bible, this pithy reminder was written by the Apostle Paul to believers in Thessalonica, an ancient city in what is now Northern Greece. These new converts to Christianity faced persecution, but Paul's colleague Timothy reported that they were persevering in the face of challenges.Paul's letter, recorded as the biblical book of First Thessalonians, is written to inspire renewed energy in these early followers of Jesus. They were looked down upon, their motives and actions were questioned, they sometimes struggled with doubt about the outcome of their faith — and Paul wisely encouraged them to keep on praying, just as the Lord wants us to do today.Let's pray.Heavenly Father, sometimes we feel exhausted by our struggles, and sometimes we feel alone. Remind us that the greatest power in the universe — You, our Creator God, are just a prayer away. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

Maybe like myself, you've had a dear friend or family member who has died and gone on to be with the Lord! While we grieve deeply and miss them dearly, we have a blessed hope to cling to! When a believer dies they're with Jesus and if we're a Christian we'll be reunited one day. Today on a Daily Walk we'll derive great encouragement from First Thessalonians chapter four. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

People today are devoted to all sorts of things… from sports, to entertainment, their job and even family. But today on Light on the Hill we'd like to encourage you to be devoted to the Lord. What does that look like? We're about to find out as we open First Thessalonians chapter five with pastor James Kaddis. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

As Christians, we talk a lot about knowing and discovering the will of God, and sometimes it might seem like an elusive target. But God wants us to know His will, and throughout Scripture He defines what it is for us. One such place is First Thessalonians. Part of our daily walk will include hardship. Let's see together where we can find comfort and peace even in hard times. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

You go to church and hear the preaching of the Word, perhaps attend a small group Bible study in the middle of the week, and have time alone in the Bible too! That's great, but we must not forget to apply what we receive! As James puts it, we're to be doers of the Word. The Thessalonians did that and it left Paul thankful! We'll be encouraged to receive, welcome and appropriate the Word into our lives today on a Daily Walk. Pastor John Randall is in First Thessalonians chapter two. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

What if the culture of our church could usher in an unprecedented outpouring of God's favor? In his compelling sermon, Pastor Jeff takes us on a journey through the essential elements that create a community blessed by God, focusing on the teachings from First Thessalonians. He emphasizes that true spiritual transformation begins with honoring our leaders and protecting the unity of the body of Christ, allowing us to minister to people from all walks of life. With unwavering passion, Pastor Jeff encourages us to embrace love and forgiveness over bitterness and resentment, teaching that our responses to others—especially in the face of conflict—reflect our relationship with Christ. He guides the church to actively participate in building this culture, reminding us of the profound link between unity and spiritual vitality. This message is a call to evaluate our hearts and relationships, fostering an environment where God's presence can thrive. Join us as we commit to cultivating a community that honors God and reflects His love. Experience the full richness of this transformative message by watching or listening to the sermon today—let's embrace the culture God favors! Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub

Pastor Jeff emphasizes the hope that the Gospel provides, particularly in the face of death. He shares the powerful story of Todd Beamer, who faced his own demise with unwavering faith and hope in eternal life with Christ. By unpacking Scripture from First Thessalonians, he encourages believers to grieve differently, trust confidently in Christ's resurrection, and live with expectancy for His return. Ultimately, Pastor Jeff urges everyone to embrace this living hope, as it fundamentally transforms how we navigate life's challenges and encourages us to share this hope relentlessly with others. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub