Podcasts about thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 If you boil it down, a church with “the right stuff” believes the right message and behaves in the right manner. Its members live compelling lives, like the early church in Thessalonica. Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 1 with Pastor Chuck Swindoll. Learn from one of Paul's earliest epistles to a local church. Does your church have the right stuff? Find encouragement and insight for you and your church.

1 Thessalonians 1:1–10 If you boil it down, a church with “the right stuff” believes the right message and behaves in the right manner. Its members live compelling lives, like the early church in Thessalonica. Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 1 with Pastor Chuck Swindoll. Learn from one of Paul's earliest epistles to a local church. Does your church have the right stuff? Find encouragement and insight for you and your church.

This pious and beautiful maiden lived in a village near Thessalonica. One day a Janissary, come to collect taxes, laid eyes on her and was struck by lust. When she refused his advances, the wicked official brought her before the judge in Thessalonica and, using other soldiers as false witnesses, said that she had agreed to marry him and to convert to Islam. To all these claims Kyranna replied, 'I am a Christian, and I have no bridegroom but Christ, to whom I have offered my maidenhood as a dowry. Him I love and for Him I am ready to shed my blood! That is my answer; expect no other from me.' Having said this, she 'enclosed herself in silence' (Synaxarion) and would testify no more. She was cast into prison, where she was tormented and finally beaten to death by her jailer. When she died, a divine Light surrounded her and illumined the entire prison. When news of the miracle spread, the shamed Turkish officials handed over her body to Christians, who laid it to rest outside the city.

He was born to a wealthy, noble family in Thessalonica around 347. Filled more and more with a yearning for God, he abandoned his worldly possessions and traveled to Egypt, living for five years as a monk at Sketis. From there he went to Palestine, where he lived for another five years in a cave in the Jordan desert. Suffering from a severe ailment, he was forced to move to Jerusalem; there he was suddenly and completely cured following a vision on Golgotha, in which he saw the Good Thief come down from the cross to lead him to Christ, who gave the Cross into his keeping.   Porphyrius took up the trade of a shoemaker in Jerusalem to provide for his few needs. His humility and charity became so well-known that the Bishop of Jerusalem ordained him to the priesthood at the age of forty-five, and made him Stavrophylax, keeper of the True Cross of the Savior — thus fulfilling Porphyrius' vision on Golgotha. Three years later, much against his will, he was elected Bishop of Gaza.   Throughout his episcopate he was persecuted by the pagans who still dominated the life of that city — though he was able to convert many of them by his own example of holiness, and by the many miracles that were wrought through his intercessions. Once, when the city was suffering from a long drought, the Saint gathered the city's Christians (who numbered no more than 280), told them to fast, and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning, as the Bishop and his entire flock went in procession through the city it began to rain. At this, 127 pagans were converted. When the pagans' violent attacks continued, Porphyrius appealed to the Emperor Arcadius for an edict closing of the pagan temples in Gaza. With the support of St John Chrysostom the edict was issued. When the Imperial representatives entered Gaza, accompanied by Bishop Porphyrius bearing the Cross, the statue of Aphrodite in the city's main temple shattered into pieces. Eight temples were destroyed, and a Church was built on the site of the largest. Hundreds of pagans embraced the Faith and, after instruction, were baptized by the Saint.   After twenty-five years as bishop, during which he had seen his see transformed from a small flock of beleaguered Christians into a Christian territory, Saint Porphyrius reposed in peace in 420.

Daily Dose of Hope February 25, 2026   Scripture:  2 Corinthians 8   Prayer to the Divine Tutor from St Clement of Alexandria (150–215):   Be kind to Your little children, Lord; that is what we ask of You as their Tutor, You the Father, Israel's guide; Son, yes, but Father as well. Grant that by doing what You told us to do, we may achieve a faithful likeness to the Image and, as far as is possible for us, may find in You a good God and a lenient Judge.   May we all live in the peace that comes from You. May we journey towards Your city, sailing through the waters of sin untouched by the waves, borne tranquilly along by the Holy Spirit, Your Wisdom beyond all telling. Night and day until the last day of all, may our praises give You thanks, our thanksgiving and praise to You: You who alone are both Father and Son, Son and Father, the Son who is our Tutor and our Teacher, together with the Holy Spirit.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently walking through Paul's letters.  We are working our way through our fifth pastoral letter, 2 Corinthians. Today's reading is 2 Corinthians 8.  There is significant need among the believers in Jerusalem and Paul is imploring the churches in Macedonia and Greece to give, not out of obligation but truly out of love for their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Those in Jerusalem were Jewish believers who the Gentile Corinthians had never met. This offering would not have been part of a tithe, but rather over and beyond their normal giving, in order to help those who needed it. While the Macedonian churches were located in a fairly wealthy and prosperous area, that doesn't mean all the churches were affluent. There were some among them who were wealthy but many more were just working class or poor. And yet, Paul is calling them to give anyway. He has called all the Macedonian churches to give; this includes Corinth but also Philippi and Thessalonica. He is asking the Corinthians church to finish up their previous collection, keeping in mind the extreme need in Jerusalem. This is not a command, by any means, but rather encouragement to do what is right. Giving does not come naturally to human beings. We seem to have this need to keep things for ourselves. We tend toward selfishness over sacrifice. Generosity is something that God nurtures in our hearts. Jesus taught often about being generous. Think about Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The beauty in the Scripture is that it demonstrates that when we invest in the things of God, our heart will be pulled in that direction as well.  We start by giving sacrificially and God changes our heart. What's been your experience with giving? Do you tithe? If you don't, then what keeps you from giving on that level? Have you ever given above and beyond the tithe, as Paul was encouraging the Corinthians to do? What motivated that giving?  How has God blessed your giving? Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

The Gospel is disruptive. It always has been and always will be. In fact, in Thessalonica, it's introduction to the city caused a riot. It's detractors accused Christians of turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6), not understanding that the Gospel frees us to see clearly and live peacefully in accordance to God's original intent. Maybe it's not that the Gospel makes things upsidedown, but that it corrects and turns it right-side up? But if one lives their life in a gargage heap, you normalize the stench and putrid food, and can't imagine what it's like to live in the peaceful countryside. By what right do Christians have to say we're living according to God's intent? By what authority can we say that's true? And by what empowerment can disciples strive to live that way? That's the focus of our talk today on Church for Normies! ▶️ Nate's Message on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/ytp4e3df

February 15, 2026 - Sunday AM Bible Class In this episode we study 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9, exploring how the apostle Paul shifts from defending his ministry to instructing the church about generous giving. Neal situates these chapters in the broader context of the letter, contrasts the wealthy church at Corinth (Achaia) with the poor but generous Macedonian churches (Philippi, Berea, Thessalonica), and explains the urgent need: support for the impoverished saints in Jerusalem. Topics covered include: the relationship between grace and giving, examples of eager and sacrificial generosity from the Macedonians, the spiritual qualities reinforced by giving (faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness, and love), and the practical call to complete pledged gifts rather than leaving needs unmet. Paul's emphasis that giving should come from the heart — willingly, cheerfully, and sacrificially — is highlighted, along with his insistence on accountability in handling contributions. The episode uses practical illustrations from modern disaster relief and congregational stewardship to show how voluntary, faith-driven giving differs from forced redistribution. The speaker references related texts (Matthew 6; Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 16; Titus 3) and points to the ministry roles of Titus and a well-known brother who accompanied Paul to ensure transparency and trust in the offering. Listeners are invited to examine their own hearts toward giving and to grow in the grace that produces generous, joyful stewardship.   Duration 44:26

Andy shares insight from 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 as we continue looking at the books of the New Testament that Paul wrote. Today, Andy looks at the faith of the believers in the church at Thessalonica. Today's Music: Act Justly Love Mercy Walk Humbly, I Know a Name, O For a Thousand Tongurs, and Goodbye Yesterday

Paul is writing that he is thankful for the church at Thessalonica and their response to the Word of God.  He tells them that other churches suffer persecution as well.  And that source of persecution is really about faith.

Paul sends Timothy to check on the church in Thessalonica.  He also wanted to tell them that the reality of affliction was part of the curriculum.  He rejoiced to hear that they were growing in their faith.

Do we even understand real persecution in these United States? How discouraged would we become if we suffered just a fraction of the trials facing the church in Thessalonica? - Thank you for joining us. Please submit any questions or requests to: Pastor Matt's email: mgrimm@cstoneepc.com Thadd's email: thadd@truth316.com Planted intro/outro: Straight Through by Groove Bakery | https://groovebakery.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ 

Send a textIn this podcast Paul has concern for the new converts in Thessalonica. He is concerned because false enemies were invading there church for 6 years and he wanted to go clear up the false confusion. He tells them about his past which opens the door to teach them about how to discern the will of God. Listen to get some tips on how to soundly follow God. Support the show

Acts 27 And when it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. 2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. 4 And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. 5 And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. 6 There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone. 8 Coasting along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. 9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. 12 And because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing both southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. The Storm at Sea 13 Now when the south wind blew gently, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to the shore. 14 But soon a tempestuous wind, called the northeaster, struck down from the land. 15 And when the ship was caught and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 Running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we managed with difficulty to secure the ship's boat. 17 After hoisting it up, they used supports to undergird the ship. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and thus they were driven along. 18 Since we were violently storm-tossed, they began the next day to jettison the cargo. 19 And on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. 21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. 22 Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, 24 and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25 So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. 26 But we must run aground on some island.” 27 When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. 28 So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms.[d] A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.29 And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. 30 And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go. 33 As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” 35 And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. 36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37 (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. The Shipwreck 39 Now when it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, on which they planned if possible to run the ship ashore. 40 So they cast off the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that tied the rudders. Then hoisting the foresail to the wind they made for the beach. 41 But striking a reef, they ran the vessel aground. The bow stuck and remained immovable, and the stern was being broken up by the surf. 42 The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, 44 and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.

Jesus: Consultant or King?In Acts 17, Paul went to Thessalonica and declared “Jesus is King”. It wasn't just spiritual language, but was was a bold claim that challenged every other authority of that time. Today we have to look at the invisible kings on the throne of our hearts— comfort, approval, success, security. Jesus isn't meant to be a consultant in your life. He's King, and he's worth it.---Join us for service online or in-person in Grand Rapids every Sunday at 9AM & 10:45AM.Decided to follow Jesus? We would love to help you figure out what's next! Let us know at https://bit.ly/TLC-i-decided Stay Connected!Website: http://localchurchgr.orgFacebook: http://facebook.com/localchurchgrInstagram: http://instagram.com/localchurchgrWeekly Email Newsletter: https://bit.ly/trendingatTLCVisit & What to Expect: http://localchurchgr.org/expectEvents: http://my.localchurchgr.org/eventsIf you would like to support The Local Church GR's ministry and help us continue reaching people in the Grand Rapids area, click here: https://localchurchgr.org/give Need prayer? Please let us know! https://localchurchgr.org/care

Pastor Lance's study through 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, focuses on effective leadership, emphasizing the importance of boldness and integrity. He shares about Paul's ministry in Philippi and Thessalonica, the opposition they encountered, and the miraculous outcomes of their faith. We celebrate leadership growth, ordaining and welcoming new pastors, emphasizing God's faithfulness and the impact of authentic ministry.

In verses 1-3 of chapter 3, the apostle Paul expresses his great concern for the faith of the new believers in Thessalonica because of their suffering. Paul reminds them that believers in Jesus are “destined” for such suffering.

Lessons from Thessalonica and Berea—-may we know our why and study His Word more.

Sue German looks at our next book in our 2026 series on the books of the Bible that were written by Paul. She looks at some of the history and background to this letter that Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica. Today's Music: Trust In God, Death Was Arrested, Love On the Line, and You Are My Strength

Title: Excel in Love Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 FCF: We often struggle loving other believers by putting them above our own desires. Prop: Because God desires us to be holy in our love for other believers, we must excel in love by putting the mission of the church before ourselves. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. In a moment we'll read from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week we finished up Paul's first set of instructions for the church of Thessalonica. The last two chapters revolve around the will of God for His church which is for them to be holy…different… pure. The first way Paul teaches them to be holy is in their sexual ethic. Today, Paul will move on to another way that the church can be holy. Although the topic of mutual Christian love is not a new topic, some of the particular applications Paul has in mind for showing love to the church may be surprising. Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Lord of heaven, You are loving and merciful. You have carved out of the death of sin a people for Your own. You have turned wretches into royalty. And You have taught us to love one another. I pray that You would be among us today and teach us anew what it means to love one another. That we would be unlike any other group or organization on earth in that we truly love one another. Teach us these things from Your word we pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Love is not only full of benevolence but beneficence. Love which enlarges the heart never straitens the hand.” Thomas Watson “Love not merely does seek that which does not belong to it; it is prepared to give up for the sake of others even what it is entitled to.” C.K. Barrett “Love for the brethren is far more than an agreeable society whose views are the same.” A.W. Pink “Christian love is not the victim of our emotions but the servant of our will.” John R. W. Stott Keep these ideas in your mind as we look to the text this morning. I.) God desires His children to be holy in our love for one another, so we must excel in love for other believers. a. [Slide 3] 9 - Now concerning love of the brothers, i. Paul makes a clear subject break here. ii. In chapter 3 Paul's benediction hoped for them to abound in love toward one another and for all people. iii. As we said before, the benediction was really a foreshadowing of Paul's teaching he would express in the next two chapters. iv. We also know that this must be somehow related to being holy or set apart or different. v. So, it is good for us to conclude that all of this is interconnected. b. [Slide 4] you have no need for anyone to write to you, i. In a somewhat unexpected turn, Paul introduces the subject matter and then immediately commends them. ii. This shouldn't be too much of a shock though. Paul has already commended them for their love for one another in chapter 1 and it was part of Timothy's report about them in chapter 3. iii. But once again, Paul refuses to praise them directly for their good works. iv. According to Paul, what is the reason that they do not have to be written to concerning love for other believers? c. [Slide 5] for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another, i. Paul no doubt makes reference to Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, who prophesied about a day when the Spirit of God would write the law of God on the hearts of His people. ii. In that day, the prophets said, a person would not have to be taught the Lord's law by anyone because God would put in on their hearts. iii. Paul firmly believes that this has already been fulfilled in the coming of Christ and the granting of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. iv. In a sense then, the kingdom of God has come. It isn't here fully and completely – but many end-times-predictions from the Old Testament have come true since Christ's birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension. v. Part of that is this spiritual teaching of God's law for those who have received the Holy Spirit. vi. Now Paul says that he doesn't need to write to them, in the sense that he doesn't need to inform them of what they should do, because God has already impressed this upon them at their conversion. vii. John the apostle essentially says this, but in another way – he says, “If a man says he loves God but hates his brother he is a liar.” viii. Being a believer assumes the reality of a genuine love for other believers. ix. But how does Paul know that they have been taught these things by God? d. [Slide 6] 10 - for indeed you do practice it toward all the brothers who are in all Macedonia. i. And here is the perfect balance between faith and works. ii. God's gift of Faith unites us to Christ and all the covenant benefits of His atonement. iii. We do not need to work to earn these covenantal promises because it was a covenant made between God the Father and His Son. iv. However, one thing we know must be true… is that works must follow genuine faith. v. This is what justifies us before men and before one another. vi. In this way, Paul knows that God has gifted these Thessalonians the knowledge of His love and he knows that they are genuine believers because he sees them practice this love toward all the believers… even those who are not from their city. vii. So, since the Thessalonians don't need to be taught anything… Since God taught them to love one another already… Since they are doing it… viii. Paul is done… Right? e. [Slide 7] But we urge you, brothers, to excel still more, i. There is a brand of Christianity that teaches that we are able to live sinlessly and perfectly in this life if we achieve a certain spiritual maturity. ii. Paul's words here seem to indicate that the life of a believer never stops maturing. iii. If they are doing well. If they are an example for everyone to follow. If Paul commends them and doesn't need to teach them about loving each other… iv. But still wants them to do better. To excel. To abound at loving others… v. We can reasonably conclude that we will always be striving to live more and more like Christ. vi. From there it isn't too far of a leap for us to conclude that we will not reach perfection in this life. vii. But we do look forward to the day when Christ will present us faultless before the throne of God. f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Paul begins this next section teaching on other relationships besides those of an intimate nature. Specifically, those relationships inside the church. God's desire is for us to be holy, different, pure, and set apart in how we treat others who claim the name of Christ. Paul's application is somewhat stunted by the fact that he doesn't actually need to teach them to do this. First, because they have been taught this by God Himself, and second because they are currently practicing loving one another. Of course, Paul, having a pastor's heart, always sees room for growth in himself and in the hearts of those in his charge. And so, he commands them to excel all the more in love. To abound in love toward believers. A command we should heed too. Transition: [Slide 9 (blank)] But how exactly does Paul expect them to excel in loving other believers. Well, Paul has a few commands he will give to ensure that this will happen. II.) God desires His children to be holy in our love for one another, so we must have a good reputation with outsiders and provide for our own needs. a. [Slide 10] 11 - and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life i. Paul's benediction at the end of chapter 3 helps us to determine what he intends with this next point. ii. In the benediction he asked that the Lord would cause their love for one another and for all men to abound all the more. iii. And, of course, he has already opened the topic of love for their fellow Christian brothers and sisters, and has commended them and commanded them to excel in this area. iv. So, we can make a reasonable guess that this has to do with the cardinal Christian virtue of love. v. However, until verse 12, we don't get a lot of clarity on how exactly these three commands are about love or to whom the love is directed. vi. So, although it is a bit unconventional, let me unpack verse 12 first, before we get to verse 11. b. [Slide 11] 12 - so that you will walk properly toward outsiders and not be in any need. i. Paul presents two results or purposes for the commands he issues in verse 11. ii. The first purpose is that they would walk properly toward outsiders. 1. What exactly is an outsider? 2. Paul is talking about those outside the church. Those Thessalonians who are not believers, perhaps even those Thessalonians who are afflicting them. 3. But in spite of this affliction and opposition from outsiders, Paul sets his aim on the church walking or living properly toward them. Paul desires that they have a good reputation among unbelievers in the city of Thessalonica. 4. Although Paul's topic is certainly focusing on loving other believers, having a good reputation with unbelievers would be one way to excel in their love for all men. In that the church is not a nuisance but contributes to society in a profitable way. 5. Of course, having a good reputation with outsiders is also an act of love toward other believers. 6. Even if only a few of them are found to have difficult or volatile relationships with unbelievers in Thessalonica, this will reflect poorly on all who wear Christ's name and may incur repercussions on the entire church. 7. It will also have a negative impact on the church's gospel witness. 8. So, one result of the three commands Paul will give will be to keep a good reputation of the church to unbelievers, as a way of love for Christians and non-Christians alike. iii. The second purpose that they obey the commands from verse 11 is that they not be in any need. 1. The word need refers to anything that is necessary to live that is lacking. 2. This basically would be Paul hoping that if they obey the commands from verse 11, they would not experience any poverty or be destitute. 3. This would certainly show love toward their fellow believers in that they are not a financial burden to them. 4. The early church is frequently seen giving sacrificially and cheerfully to alleviate poverty among their own members. By providing for yourself, if you are able, you lessen the financial burden on the whole body. This is brotherly love. iv. So now that we know what the results of following these commands would be and how that would contribute to their love excelling primarily toward other believers and even some to outsiders… v. All that remains is to connect the commands to the expected results. vi. So, what is Paul's first command or exhortation to the Thessalonian church that will lead to a good reputation with outsiders and not being in any need? c. [Slide 12] 11 - and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life i. This is somewhat of a paradoxical expression on Paul's part. ii. To have ambition to be quiet seems counter to each other. Like whisper screaming or hard water. These are expressions that make sense, but on the surface seem contrary to each other. iii. So, Paul commands them to have as their cherished goal, their prize, their ambition… to lead a quiet life. iv. What could Paul mean by a quiet life? 1. Well certainly he doesn't mean that they should blend in and pretend to be like everyone else. That is the opposite of being holy. And he has already said that God's plan is for them to be holy. To be different. To be set apart. 2. He can't mean that they should stay silent in that they do not talk about Jesus or share the gospel with their friends and neighbors. Paul doesn't have the authority to usurp Christ's command to make disciples. In fact, Paul already commended them in chapter 1 for the report that the Word of the Lord was going forth from them to all of Macedonia and Achaia. 3. Paul must mean for the Thessalonians to live a life free from commotion, conflict, or disruption. In Romans Paul says, “insofar as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” They must live a life of peace and order. 4. But what is prompting this command? 5. In the second letter to the Thessalonians Paul will bring up a certain group of church members who were going about causing public commotions, stirring up conflicts, and generally disrupting the peace. 6. They were also meddling in other believer's affairs and gossiping, and of course they had time to do all this because they had stopped working and were mooching off the church for their needs. 7. He calls them idle busybodies. 8. Here, we have the precursor to those stronger words in 2 Thessalonians. 9. Paul is commanding the church to be a peaceful, quiet, and orderly people. v. So how would fulfilling this command accomplish the goals of having a good reputation with outsiders and make sure they are not in need? 1. It is almost impossible to have a good reputation with outsiders when you are constantly causing public commotions, disruptions, or conflicts. a. This command would even forbid them from retaliating or fighting back against those outsiders who seek to afflict them. b. Positively it also means for them to strive for peace with outsiders… even if they do not become believers. c. And even within the church - fighting, squabbling, or being contentious toward other believers, would inevitably cause the reputation of the church to be tarnished with outsiders. d. Paul's exhortation is for them to deny themselves retribution or revolution, both in the city of Thessalonica and within the Thessalonian church. e. That they instead lead a peaceful and orderly life. 2. And leading a quiet life inevitably leads to a stable way of providing for yourself. a. Going around causing public commotions, disruptions, or conflicts takes time and energy. b. And if you have a job that you work at to provide for yourself, the time and energy necessary for these ornery tasks – is simply not available. c. Being ambitious for a quiet life leads to simple things like earning a paycheck and taking care of your own needs. d. [Slide 13] and attend to your own business i. What does this expression mean? 1. Ironically this Greek idiom is very similar to our idiom of similar wording. 2. Mind your own business. 3. Although in English it does inherit a sharper meaning than Paul probably intends. 4. Again, reflecting on the small group of idle busybodies within the church, Paul calls on all of them to keep themselves from gossip, nosiness, dissension, stirring up strife, and generally causing problems. 5. Instead, they are to mind their own business. Stay in their lane. And be busy with things that actually concern them. ii. So how does this command produce the results of a good reputation before outsiders and that they are not in need? 1. In one sense, this seems more obviously connected to the first result. Having a good reputation with outsiders is not being a busy body and putting your nose and your opinions in matters that aren't really of your concern. a. This could include both matters in the church and outside the church. b. Outsiders would look on a busy body within the church as well as a busy body in the city, with the same level of contempt. 2. They would not only think negatively about that person not minding their own business, but also it would reflect poorly on the whole church and the gospel of Christ. iii. However, this command is easily related to making sure their needs are met as well. 1. What does someone need if they are going to be a busy body? 2. They need time. a. Time to poke into things they don't belong in. b. Time to spread rumors. c. Time to gossip. d. Time to stir up strife. e. Time to cause dissension. 3. If someone doesn't have time to do these things because they are too busy focusing on the things they have to do, then they won't have to worry about being involved in things that do not concern them. 4. What is one way to make sure that you don't have time for being a busy body? 5. If you worked to provide for yourself. iv. This is certainly where Paul goes with the next command and we should note that idleness and being a busy body go hand in hand. 1. In I Timothy 5 Paul makes this casual connection between idleness and being a busy body. And some proverbs come close to saying this too by informing a person who pursues empty things that they must be satisfied with poverty. 2. One sure fire way to be in need, is to be busy about other people's business. e. [Slide 14] and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, i. As we've already discussed, in 2 Thessalonians Paul will deal with certain individuals in the church who were not only busybodies, causing problems and sticking their nose where it didn't belong, but they were also willingly unemployed even though they were able to work. ii. We'll address the reasons for why they were doing that when we get to 2 Thessalonians. iii. But one point we do need to mention from 2 Thessalonians, is that not only were these idle busybodies not working – they were being supported by the church. iv. Paul's command here is that everyone in the church, who is able, work with their hands. v. The results of this are twofold. vi. First, if they work with their hands they will have a good reputation with outsiders. 1. Most likely, the vast majority of the Thessalonian church were artisan workers. 2. And although having one of these jobs and working with your hands would not garner much respect from outsiders, certainly being a laze-a-bout and a mooch would be viewed poorly by outsiders. 3. This could potentially damage not only the church's reputation but even the gospel. 4. If I were a wealthy outsider, why would I want to be part of a community where my money was going to support people, who although they could work, chose not to? vii. Second, if they work with their hands, they will not be in need. 1. There is a great impact on the church when some or many of its members cannot, or will not, earn a living for themselves. 2. The Roman empire had no welfare system in place for those out of work or unable to earn a living. 3. It was generally viewed as the family's responsibility to care for those who could not care for themselves. 4. And if your family was unable, there were few if any other options besides relying on the charity of others. 5. The church, however, did have a system in place to care for its own in poverty or suffering trial. 6. Through the sacrificial and benevolent giving of the church, the poor among them would not be left destitute. 7. We see this not only in local assemblies but even churches hundreds of miles away, sending relief to churches experiencing financial hardship. 8. Paul's command then, is to lessen the burden on the church so they can care for the truly destitute because those who can work, do, and provide for their own needs. viii. And, of course, Paul reveals once again that these commands are not new. They have commanded these things or things like these commands before when they were with them. ix. Following these three commands is the path to having a good reputation with outsiders and not having needs among the congregation. This will be one way that they can excel in love toward other believers and it is also a way they could show love to outsiders too. f. [Slide 15] Summary of the Point: Paul's point endures from the early verses of chapter 4. God's desire is that His people be different. That they be pure. That they be holy. One way they can be holy is by having a good reputation with unbelievers and having as few members in need as possible. These effects will cause their love for one another to excel and even love toward unbelievers to be fostered. But the path to these effects is through the commands to live a peaceful and quiet life, attending to your own business and caring for your own needs. So, we too must seek to have a good reputation with outsiders and not be in need. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that informs and corrects our beliefs and shapes and guides our lifestyles? Broad Concepts of Faith and Practice: [Slide 16] God is not merely concerned that His people be different in their sexual ethic. He is concerned that they be different in all their relationships. And specifically, in their relationship with one another. The Second Person of the Godhead said that the world will know that we are His disciples by our love for other believers. This command is connected to our role of being salt and light in the world. Paul then gives two results that will facilitate more love for believers and help to accomplish the mission of the church. First, that we have a good reputation with outsiders and second that we provide for our own needs. We can accomplish all this through leading a peaceful and orderly life, minding our own business, and working to provide for our own needs. Of course, this leads us to much more specific applications for our daily 21st century lives. 1.) [Slide 17] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God's will is for us to be holy in our love toward other believers. a. The church is not a social club. It is not a homeschool group. It is not a hang out. b. The church is a supernaturally created and sustained body of believers who have undergone the miracle of salvation and are continuing to undergo the miracle of progressive conformity to Jesus Christ the Second person of the Godhead. c. This conformity is propelled by the third person of the Godhead, The Holy Spirit. And is superintended by the first person of the Godhead, God The Father. d. Because the church is completely different from every other human organization, group, society, or culture – we should expect the way the church loves each other would also be… different. e. What we see in this passage in particular is a commitment to love the church body enough to deny selfish and fleshly impulses which might negatively impact the mission of the church. f. If the church as a whole is financially desperate, it inhibits the church's ability to execute its mission. g. If the church as a whole is disrespected and despised by outsiders due to non-gospel related practices, the church's ability to execute its mission is… inhibited. h. Any other group in the world, we might easily part ways over preferences or passions. But the body of Christ must be put ahead of both. To love other believers is to be willing to forgo preferences and passions in order to remain united and focused on the mission. i. This is what it means to be holy in our love toward the church. j. But this passage is quite heavy on things we are commanded to do. The first of these is… 2.) [Slide 18] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must excel in love for one another by living a peaceful and orderly life. a. In our culture, in a nation born from revolution, we have a common and mostly harmless affinity toward fighting for change. b. We don't like being told what to do. We don't like being pushed around. And we certainly know that we can always revolt or retreat if things don't go the way we think it should. c. I don't think this passage is telling us that we must disengage from politics. I don't think this passage is telling us that we cannot be involved in the government of our nation. I don't think this passage is telling us to never disagree with government or even church leadership. d. But I do think Paul is insisting that Christians think long and hard about what impact their actions may have on the mission of the church. e. How could we show greater love to the church? f. Is picking a fight over every social issue really helping the church stay on mission? g. Is causing commotion, stirring up fights, or disrupting the peace really contributing to the gospel going out? h. Is constantly raising armies against leadership for their decisions really promoting a gospel of God's love and peace? i. Obviously, there are times to draw the line. The apostles knew this. That is why when the chief priests told them to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, they REPECTFULLY declined. j. But did you notice what they submitted to while declining to follow the command? They submitted to being punished for it. k. This is the way we live a peaceful and quiet life. l. We don't seek out commotion, disruption, or stirring up trouble. In fact, we make it our ambition… to be peaceful and orderly. We are only roused from this by egregious decisions that go against the clear commands of God. m. This is true in the civil sphere and it is true in the church too. n. But some Christians are always ready to fight. Some Christians are always ready to go to war and die on hills that are 1 foot high. o. This is detrimental to the mission of the church. And ultimately, it is unloving to the body of Christ. We have made it more difficult for our brothers and sisters because of our willingness to always go to war. 3.) [Slide 19] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must excel in love for one another by minding our own business. a. My oh my this is a big one. b. Curiosity is a powerful thing, isn't it? c. We desire to be in the know. And not because we can do anything to help. Just because we want to know the juicy details. d. Knowledge is like a badge of honor. We wear it with pride. e. “Oh you haven't heard about that? I've known for months.” f. Busybodies. Quiet whispers in the corner passing information one revelation at a time. g. Nosiness asking questions about things that they can't do anything to help. h. My friends, in the church and in the civil square – do yourself and the church a favor – and mind your own business. i. Before you ask for details, or give details away, do some asking of yourself. j. “Do I really need to know this?” k. “If I discover what is going on, am I the right person to help?” l. “Does this actually concern me?” m. “Does this benefit the mission of the church if I know about this?” n. “Does this information need to be shared to other people?” o. “Is this person I'm about to share this information with in a position to do something about it?” p. “Am I sharing this information to be a help or just to pass it along?” q. “In sharing this information, am I violating the will of God for my life to be holy?” r. “Would it really be the end of the world if I remained ignorant on this issue?” s. “How does my knowing this or telling this show love to the body of Christ as a whole?” t. These are just a few examples of things you can ask yourself before you get involved in something that isn't your business. 4.) [Slide 20] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must excel in love for one another by working. a. Man was made to work. b. God put Adam in the garden and tasked him with cultivating and keeping it. c. In the New Kingdom we will reign with Christ, exercising dominion over the New earth. d. Paul famously says in 2 Thessalonians that if you do not work, then you do not eat. e. This is the standard God has set for His people. We should not be mooches. We should not be living off of what others provide when we could provide for ourselves. f. In our society the government does have social programs to help those who are destitute. g. But there are actually three layers of government that God has created to help keep sin in check and promote the kingdom work. h. The family, the church, and civil government. i. We are told in the scriptures that if a man doesn't provide for his family, he is worse than an unbeliever – because even wicked fathers know how to give good gifts to their children. j. The church both by example and command are to care for one another in our needs. k. I say this to encourage us to understand that just because the government has programs to help with financially destitute people – we ought to see that as a pretty bad thing. l. What it means is that families have failed to care for their own. It also means that churches have either failed to care for their own members or that many who are destitute are not believers. m. You should work to earn a living to care for your needs and the needs of your family. n. You should work to earn a living to care for your needs and the needs of other believers who are suffering hardship. o. You should work to earn a living to care for you own needs and to generously and selflessly give to the mission of the church. p. Our church has a benevolent fund that we use to help those in need. We have two homes we use to help those who are in need of shelter – which frequently require maintenance and upkeep. q. And all of these things are sustained by sacrificial and selfless giving of time, money, and energy by… well… you. r. In fact, everything we do here is sustained and supported by your sacrificial and selfless giving. s. We have 31 families in our church that are members. Our budget for 2026, not including our mission fund or our benevolent fund, is set to $151,032. A budget that is not extravagant by any means. We aren't supporting large programs and doing big mailers or anything like that. t. That means that each family would need to give $4,872 this year for us to make budget. That is around $400 a month or about $94 a week. u. Of course, some would be able to give more than this and others less. v. But… when you drop $10 in the plate every couple weeks, when you could financially afford more… that is going to put undue pressure on other members here to make up for it. And it isn't being overly loving to your brothers and sisters to do that. w. For those who are members here- you know me. You know that I never talk about money. somewhat of a conflict of interest to do so – since it is by your selfless and sacrificial giving… that I am paid. x. But occasionally we get to things like this in the scripture, and in those times, I must make the appeal for you to consider your love for other believers. y. Our church, our missionaries, our benevolence cannot continue without your sacrificial giving. Giving borne from working with your hands to make sure you are not in need, your family is not in need, and that you can generously give to the work of the church. z. So, work hard, earn a living, so that you can show love to your brothers and sisters and further the mission of the church with your sacrificial gifts. 5.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must excel in love for one another by having a good reputation with unbelievers. a. The necessary caveat here is of course that unbelievers will generally hate us because we follow Christ and call the lifestyles they cherish… sin. b. They will despise us because we consider it loving to call them to repentance and to trust Christ and follow Him to the forsaking of all other gods. c. That being said – it is not loving to the church nor is it helpful to its mission when we tarnish the reputation of the church for non-gospel or mission related reasons. d. If they are already going to despise us for our gospel mission, the worst thing we could do is give them more to despise us for because we are infighting, stirring up trouble, fleecing each other, being lazy, or otherwise not contributing positively to society. e. Instead, we should be hard workers, living quiet lives, and seeing to our own affairs and not meddling. f. We are not of the world, but are certainly still in it. Therefore, we must love the church, its mission, and its impact on the world by having a good reputation with the unbelieving world. g. Let us only be despised because of the gospel we preach. h. Which leads to the comfort of this passage… 6.) [Slide 22] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” We are a light and testimony to the world when we love one another. a. Paul's vision is clear. b. The church should be a bastion of love, mercy, kindness, selflessness, care, protection, honor, and grace. c. Yet so often… churches fail this in every point. d. Churches are run like businesses. They are managed like social clubs. They are governed like democracies. e. If they are salt and light – they have lost their savor and hid their light under a bushel. f. Jesus threatens in Revelation to take the lampstands away from churches which fail to keep the mission of the church intact. g. And that threat is true for all local assemblies today too. h. Churches close up every year. In one respect we can mourn this. But studies have been done and books have been written to give insight to the common reasons that churches die. i. And you know what it boils down to? j. Sin. A lack of holiness. That local assembly has lost the mission. k. Paul's words of warning here are to help the Thessalonians love each other and be the church that God desires. l. CBC, we must be this kind of church too. We must be a testimony and light to the world. And one of the primary ways we do that is when we excel in our love for one another. m. To love one another then – we cannot be selfishly motivated or give in to whatever we feel like doing. We must put the mission and reputation of the church – even ahead of our own desires. 7.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The church is made of people who are different. We were made this way. Remade… this way. a. The church is a group of people who were dead in their sins. We were slaves to our lusts. We were children of our father the devil. We belonged to the line of the serpent. We were born as inheritors of the sin of Adam. b. We didn't know God. We didn't want God. We didn't need God. c. We did not become sinners because we sinned… but began sinning because we were already sinners. d. Then God washed us with the water of regeneration. He opened our eyes and gave us new hearts. At that moment we saw, for the first time, what we had never sought. The truth of His holiness, our wretchedness, and the sacrificial substitution of Christ to die for our sin and remake us into something holy… something that progressively looks more and more like Him. e. And the love with which He loved us… has now been taught to us so we can love each other in the same sacrificial and selfless way. f. When the church… is the church… even unbelievers have to recognize that something is different about us. g. If you sense the call of God on your heart now… to join this thing called the church. To be His child. To forsake your sin and follow Him… Then I'd recommend you stop an Elder before you leave and tell them. We'd be happy to show you how to follow Jesus. [Slide 24 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the reformer John Bradford. Holy, righteous, and wise one. Mighty, terrible, and fearful Lord God. Judge of all and governor of all the world. Patient and gracious Father, whose eyes are upon our ways... Wash us from our wickedness and pour out your Holy Spirit upon us. Take from us our hard hearts, our stony hearts, our unrepentant hearts, our distrusting and doubtful hearts. Take our carnal, our secure, our idle and foolish hearts. Take away our impure, arrogant, envious, impatient, covetous hearts. Give us new hearts instead: soft hearts, faithful hearts, merciful hearts. Obedient, pure, holy hearts. True, simple, lowly, and penitent hearts. Give us hearts to fear and trust you forever. Write your law in our hearts, graft it in our minds. Grant us a spirit of prayer and make us diligent and happy in what you give us to do. Take our souls and bodies into custody forever. Take our lives and all that we have, and give us whatever you know we need. Guide us always as your children, so our lives and our deaths will praise you through Jesus Christ. We pray for ourselves, but also for others-those in exile or in prison, in misery or heaviness, in poverty or sickness. If it is your will, send your holy word and faith among us in this place and this country once again. Turn the hearts of those who speak against us. Have mercy on our families and fellow believers, our neighbors and those whose lives you have linked to ours. And for those here gathered in your holy name, grant your blessing and Holy Spirit to dwell in us and set us apart. Keep us as your children, today and forever. Keep us from all evil for your glory, our good, and for the good of the church. Strengthen those who stand, so they do not fall. Lift up those who have fallen, and keep us from falling, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and only Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, and to whom be all praise and honor, now and forever, Amen. Benediction: To you who are debtors to mercy alone And free from the terrors of the law. Walk in the light, as he is in the light, so that the blood of Jesus, God's Son, purifies you from all sin. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Send a textWe trace how Cyril and Methodius turned language into a path to the altar, shaping a people through Scripture, liturgy, and courageous unity. From Thessalonica to Rome, their trials, papal vindication, and lasting legacy offer a model for mission today.• early life in Thessalonica and family faith• studies in Constantinople and intellectual formation• mission to the Khazars as preparation for greater work• call to Moravia and pastoral strategy rooted in unity• creation of the Glagolitic alphabet for Scripture and liturgy• opposition from German clergy and synodal trials• vindication in Rome under Pope Adrian II• Cyril's monastic vows and holy death in Rome• Methodius as archbishop and persevering leadership• imprisonment, political pressure, and faithful endurance• translation of the liturgy into Slavonic and its impact• legacy of Eucharistic unity across Slavic landsTake the next step today, explore our Catholic bookstore, discover compelling stories of the saints, Eucharistic miracles, Marian apparitions, and so much more, always faithful to the magisteriumVisit journeys of faith today where every resource points you toward your ultimate pilgrimage, union with GodBe sure to click the link in the description for special news itemSaints Cyril and Methodius Items at Journeys of Faith ShopOpen by Steve Bailey Support the showDownload Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-app Journeys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts Please consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith we are actively increasing our reach and we are seeing good results for visitors under 40! Help us Grow! ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here The Goal is Heaven Click Here...

Even the most honorable church leaders will have their motives questioned by some congregants. How does Paul handle this very circumstance in Thessalonica?  - Thank you for joining us. Please submit any questions or requests to: Pastor Matt's email: mgrimm@cstoneepc.com Thadd's email: thadd@truth316.com Planted intro/outro: Straight Through by Groove Bakery | https://groovebakery.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ 

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video. Our text today is 1 Corinthians 4:17. Some people talk a good game. Timothy lived one. Paul had a big problem in Corinth—a proud, divided church drifting from the way of Christ. So he doesn't just write another paragraph. He doesn't send a rebuke. He sends a person. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. — 1 Corinthians 4:17 Timothy wasn't a random choice. He was the right man, in the right moment, with the right life. History of Timothy: Paul met him in Lystra as a young man known for sincere faith (Acts 16:1–2). He was raised by a godly mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5). Paul invited him into ministry early (Acts 16:1–3). Timothy proved faithful through suffering, travel, pressure, and conflict (Phil. 2:19–22). Paul trusted him so deeply that he sent him to tough churches—Philippi, Thessalonica, Ephesus… and now Corinth (1 Thess. 3:1–2). So why send him? Because Timothy didn't just know Paul's teaching—he knew Paul's ways. He lived the gospel Paul preached. Timothy is who Paul would be if Paul were standing in the room. The Corinthians didn't need more clarity. They needed more example. A humble one. A faithful one. A consistent one. A fellow worth following. We all need examples like Timothy… and we're all called to become examples like Timothy. Not perfect. Just faithful. Steady. Growing. Becoming the kind of person who makes it easier for others to follow Jesus. Be a fellow worth following. And here's the truth: You can be. Not by being impressive. Not by being flawless. But by walking closely with Christ until your life naturally points others toward Him. God can shape you into the kind of person others look to for strength, courage, and clarity. The kind of person who lifts prayer burdens, speaks truth gently, and carries the presence of Christ into every space. You don't need a platform. You don't need a title. You just need a faithful life. Let God form you into a fellow worth following. DO THIS: Choose one area of your life where you want to grow into someone "worth following." Invite God to shape you—and someone you trust to sharpen you. ASK THIS: Why did Paul trust Timothy so deeply? What qualities in Timothy do I need to grow in? Does my life help others follow Christ more clearly? PRAY THIS: Lord, form in me the kind of life others can follow. Make me faithful, steady, humble, and true—like Timothy. Shape me into a fellow worth following. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Lead Me to the Cross"

Send a textThis podcast goes over Paul giving an example of what he and his companions went through to not only get to Thessalonica but also the pain and suffering Paul experienced being run out of the city so quickly. He wanted the Thessalonians to know he had experienced whatever they might encounter in their future. It was obvious that false teachers and false leaders would invade this thriving church. Paul's wanted them to be prepared so they would keep their fiery faith strong. Listen to hear what Paul says to them. Support the show

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS Matthew 7:16 By their FRUIT you will RECOGNIZE THEM. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? (NIV) Matthew 7:20 Thus, by their FRUIT you will RECOGINE THEM. (NIV) Matthew 12:33 “Make a tree good and its FRUIT will be good, or make a tree bad and its  fruit will be bad, for a tree is RECOGNIZED by its FRUIT. (NIV) 1 Timothy 4:15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that EVERYONE MAY SEE YOUR PROGRESS. (NIV) 1. GROW IN LIVING BY THE TRUTH  1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (NIV)  1A. GROW IN TRUTH BY RECOGNIZING FALSE TEACHERS 1 Timothy 4:2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (NIV)  2 Timothy 4:3–4 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (NIV)   2 Corinthians 11:13–15 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (NIV) Jude 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (NIV)  1 Timothy 6:3–5 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. (NIV)  1B. TEST THEIR DOCTRINE AGAINST SCRIPTURE  Acts 17:11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and EXAMINED the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (NIV)   1C. GROW IN TRUTH BY LIVING BY GOD’s WORD 1 Timothy 4:3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. (NIV)  Mark 7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that. (NIV)  1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and DOCTRINE closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (NIV)  A. WORK-BASED SALVATION B. HYPER-GRACE C. UNIVERSALISM D. DENIAL OF CHRIST’S DIVINITY OR HUMANITY E. SPEAKING IN TONGUES AS A REQUIREMENT FOR SALVATION F. EXTRA-BIBLICAL REVELATION G. FOLLOW YOUR HEART  H. CHRISTIANS DON’T SUFFER  I. THERE’S NO SPIRITUAL ENEMY  2. GROW IN GODLINESS  2A. GROWING IN THANKSGIVING  1 Timothy 4:4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, (NIV)  2B. GROWING IN THE WORD OF GOD AND PRAYER 1 Timothy 4:5-6 because it is consecrated by the WORD OF GOD AND PRAYER. 6 If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, NOURISHED on the truths of the faith and of THE GOOD TEACHING THAT YOU HAVE FOLLOWED. (NIV)  2C. GROWING IN TRAINING YOURSELF TO BE GODLY  1 Timothy 4:7-8 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (NIV) 3. GROW IN MAKING DISCIPLES  1 Timothy 4:6 If you POINT THESE THINGS OUT to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. (NIV) 1 Timothy 4:11Command and teach these things. (NIV)  4. GROW IN BEING A LEADER BY SETTING AN EXAMPLE  1 Timothy 4:12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but SET AN EXAMPLE for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (NIV)  5. GROW IN YOUR DEVOTION TO CHURCH 1 Timothy 4:13 Until I come, DEVOTE yourself to the PUBLIC reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. (NIV). 6. GROW IN YOUR GIFTS 1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. (NIV)  7. GROW IN YOUR FAITHFULNESS 1 Timothy 4:15 Be DILIGENT in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. (NIV) 

As Paul proclaims Christ in Thessalonica and Berea, we see two very different responses to the same Word. This passage challenges us to examine our own hearts—whether we resist God's truth or receive it with readiness, humility, and faith.Time:MorningMinister:Rev. T. R. KernTexts:Acts 17:1–15Series:Acts: The Church on Fire

Paul was afraid for the young church he had been forced to leave in the city of Thessalonica. They were three weeks old and facing severe suffering for their choice to follow Christ. Paul's great concern, and the reason he sent Timothy to the people, was that in the midst of their trials they would have been tempted to abandon the faith. Wonder of wonders, that our passage this week is filled with Paul's thankfulness to God, that the young and seemingly ill-equipped church has not faded, but flourished in faith, love, and hope. Their faith became a model throughout the surrounding region and beyond. How can such a thing be possible? This church shouldn't have survived, let alone become a model to imitate. Human wisdom says this is very unlikely, if not impossible. The answer is they are a people chosen by a God who loves them. For this reason alone, the gospel they received was not simply words, but power, with the Holy Spirit, and conviction. What great power is bestowed upon those the Lord loves and has chosen? A power grounded in the reception and conviction of the word– power that results in a people of faith, love, and hope in Jesus, sharing in the glory of his suffering.

Send us a textThis podcast will introduce the book of Thessalonians. Paul was redirected to this area with a vision call by God and the Thessalonians ended up being on fire Christians spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ like wildfire. Listen to hear about this amazing bunch who kept their future in Christ in focus at all times. Support the show

Paul, Silas & Timothy are grateful for the Thessalonians.  They bring the Gospel and start preaching in Thessalonica.

On the Road Again | Week 5 |  Ken Miller--On this second missionary trip, Paul and Barnabas part ways and Paul travels with Timothy and Silas. While in Corinth, Paul writes his two letters to the believers in Thessalonica. On this trip, Paul begins to experience increasing hostility to his message and ends up in prison in Philippi.--Notes

Send us a textPhilippians 4:14-20Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.Support the show

Preaching Point: As wonderful as gift-giving and receiving are within a Christian community, we must pursue real contentment by looking beyond our circumstances and seeking the strength of Christ, which enables us to remain genuinely content in every situation.Text: Philippians 4:10-20 (ESV) 10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

In this sermon, we begin a new series through the book of 1 Thessalonians. Paul is thankful for the work of Christ in the believers in Thessalonica as he remembers them. Over verses 1-3 of chapter 1 we learn much about discipling young believers, the work of the Lord in His church, and the steadfast hope we have in Christ. May you be blessed by the preaching of the Word!

As we begin a new series in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, we will hear how the church in Thessalonica had quite the rough and rushed beginning. This was no well-planned church plant or carefully executed evangelistic strategy. Those who brought the gospel to them were quite literally a 'band on the run'. But they were a band with a song to sing– with a purpose and a message. Wherever they went they proclaimed the gospel of Christ. And despite the rough and rushed introduction to Jesus the gospel they received gospel came "not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit with full conviction." Only the gospel of God could establish a church in such circumstances and produce the fruit that we will hear of in the coming weeks. May the same word and power of the gospel be at work in us today by the Holy Spirit and produce the same fruit and full conviction.

Paul and Silas preach the gospel in Thessalonica, and some are converted, but the Jewish leaders round up a mob to drive them out. The Bereans like what Paul has to say, but want to double-check the scriptures. And they finally end up in Athens to bring the gospel to the city of philosophers. Have a listen. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation Philip Melanchthon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes Face to Face: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms by Chad Bird More from the hosts: Daniel Emery Price Erick Sorenson

In this message, Pastor Noel explores Acts 17, following Paul's journey through Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens. He highlights a central tension for modern believers: the discipline of keeping one eye on the Word of God and the other on the World. By examining Paul's varying approaches—from intellectual reasoning in the synagogues to repurposing cultural philosophy in the Areopagus. Subscribe to AfterWords on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Download a copy of the Exodus JournalVisit us online: rivchurch.comFollow us on InstagramSend us feedback: podcast@rivchurch.comSubscribe to AfterWords on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Visit us online: rivchurch.comFollow us on InstagramSend us feedback: podcast@rivchurch.com

In the fourth session of our Return of Christ Conference, Pastor Maiola calls us to develop a ready faith - a faith that actively prepares for the return of Jesus Christ rather than passively waiting or becoming distracted by speculation. He reminds believers that the purpose of end-times teaching is not curiosity about signs, but transformation of life. Paul's instruction to the church in Thessalonica makes clear that readiness for Christ's return is expressed through obedience, sanctification, and faithful living.   Readiness is not found in staring into the sky, abandoning responsibilities, or disengaging from the world, but in faithfully obeying Christ in everyday life. Maiola emphasizes that true faith produces real fruit. Salvation is not merely intellectual belief or simply praying the sinner's prayer, but a life-altering trust in Jesus that leads to repentance, growth, and obedience. Sanctification is God's will for every believer - a joyful process of becoming more like Christ as we prepare to meet Him.   As we wait for the Lord's return, we are encouraged to live as a bride eagerly preparing for her Bridegroom—marked by holiness, love, faithfulness, and mission. As believers fix their hope on Christ's return, they are called to live awake, obedient, and ready, echoing the prayer of the early church: "Come, Lord Jesus."

We take a break from Genesis because of severe winter weather. Rob shares a devotion rooted in 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, 4:9-12. As we sat snowed-into our homes, we were asked to consider - "what is God calling you to?" What does it mean for each of us to "live a quiet life?" In the same way Paul encouraged the Christians at Thessalonica, we are encouraged to remain faithful to the call of Christ.

(1 Thessalonians 2:1-20) - In this chapter Paul denies several of the accusations brought against him by his opponents, and - he shares the truth about the positive and righteous ways he conducted his ministry in Thessalonica. - A separate chart is provided showing each charge and Paul's answer in this chapter. - [44 minutes]

Daily Dose of Hope January 19, 2026   Scripture: I Thessalonians 5   Prayer:  A prayer from Martin Luther King, Jr... Thou Eternal God, out of whose absolute power and infinite intelligence the whole universe has come into being, we humbly confess that we have not loved thee with our hearts, souls and minds, and we have not loved our neighbors as Christ loved us. We have all too often lived by our own selfish impulses rather than by the life of sacrificial love as revealed by Christ. We often give in order to receive. We love our friends and hate our enemies. We go the first mile but dare not travel the second. We forgive but dare not forget. And so as we look within ourselves, we are confronted with the appalling fact that the history of our lives is the history of an eternal revolt against you. But thou, O God, have mercy upon us. Forgive us for what we could have been but failed to be. Give us the intelligence to know your will. Give us the courage to do your will. Give us the devotion to love your will. In the name and spirit of Jesus, we pray. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that goes along with the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently journeying through Paul's letters.  Right now, we are walking through I Thessalonians.   Today, we read I Thessalonians 5.   Paul is focusing on the end times not to scare people or bully people into accepting Jesus.  Rather, these words were intended to provide comfort to his congregations.  He is reiterating some of Jesus' teaching here – how the Lord's return will come like a thief in the night.  Paul doesn't quote the Gospels directly but we can see here in this letter, that Jesus' teaching was part of Paul's teaching.    Paul tells them to be alert and sober.  This would have been in contrast to many in the area.  Dionysus, the god of wine, was worshiped in Thessalonica, and his late night parties were known for being wild and crazy events.  The Thessalonians, then, needed to reject those false gods to serve the living God.  In doing so, they will be children of the light/day, awake, alert, watchful.   Jesus' return and their identity as people of the light/day are intended to be words of encouragement to them.  They have nothing to fear when the Lord comes but will actually excel even more.  There is much to be excited for and they are to encourage one another with this hope.   This is fascinating to me.  We don't typically encourage each other by remembering that Jesus will return.  Unfortunately, popular media and Hollywood have made people, even Christians, afraid of Jesus' return.  And we have nothing to be scared of!  For the Thessalonians, this was the ultimate hope.  It was a reminder that this world, and the persecutions and hardships they faced, were temporary.  But they would eventually be with Jesus forever.   Does this give you hope?  Why or why not?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville Be Careful How You Hear (2) How to Understand the Message  Introduction: Last week we looked at the emphasis Jesus placed on hearing. He accused the multitudes of having the same dullness and hard heart as their forefathers in Isaiah's time. However, it is a peculiar rebuke considering the sermon was merely 5 stories without any mention of explanations or applications. Therefore, in this lesson we will explore the method of of the Master Teacher. Jesus used a method that is uncommon today but was common in the first century.  Consider Luke 2:46-47 when Jesus at age 12 was in the temple. “After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” The text reflects the method of teaching and learning. The scribes are questioning Jesus; they are not simply giving him information. It is not a one-way street. Jesus is listening and asking, but the teachers are also asking Jesus questions. They are testing his knowledge and his desire to learn. Why continue a conversation if he loses interest? Therefore, to understand Jesus and the biblical message, we must understand Jesus' method of teaching, a method that is usually unfamiliar to the modern reader.    Understanding Begins with How Jesus Taught There are many messages in the Parable of the Sower. One of those messages is how aggressive our minds must be in order to learn. Television and other types of media have caused us to be lazy listeners. It is noteworthy that Jesus refers to the secrets/mysteries of the kingdom. When we read a mystery book or watch a mystery movie, what happens? The joy of the mystery is trying to see the clues given in the story in order to find the answer to the mystery. That is what Jesus has done in telling parables, not just the Sower, but 9 parables, five to the multitudes and four more to those who came in the house wanting answers. Add the parables up, meditate on them, and we come to a very good picture of what Jesus has planned for his kingdom. Therefore, this sermon of parables was used by Jesus to engage dull minds in discovering a secret. Isn't that in many ways the whole method in scripture? There are always embedded messages. Why did God rest on the seventh day? What is marriage about? Why do we read an elaborate story of the Exodus? Mysteries and secrets are echoed time and again and God is urging us to work at discovering the answer. We should say to ourselves, “Wow! How exciting! The God and Creator of the universe is bringing us into an eternal reality show. Want to play?  Consider Mark 4:13, “And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?'” Obviously, it was not impossible to understand the parable without Jesus giving an explanation. Challenging, yes, but not impossible. Jesus gave them clues: this is a parable about the coming kingdom (of which the Jews had the wrong belief) and it is a parable about “hearing.” The only other ingredient needed was a knowledge of farming—seed responds differently to different soils and that's the way the kingdom of God is! That's not rocket science, but it does need careful meditation.  The point is, the possibility of understanding was present in the parable. One of the themes of Mark's account is the dullness of the apostles and the Jews in general. However, though Jesus gives a mild rebuke to the disciples in the house, he commends them for asking in order to learn and condemns the multitude for not pursuing an answer. With the above knowledge, “why did Jesus speak to them in parables?” Did he expect the multitude to understand? No way! Not even the apostles understood. In fact, at the moment Jesus does not intend for the multitude to understand: “but for those outside everything is in parables, so that they may indeed see but not perceive, hear but not understand…” (Mark 4:11-12). He is looking for people who desire to know and learn; people who will come and ask and pursue the greatest offer made to mankind, the Kingdom!—“to you it is given to know, but to those outside it is not given!”  Therefore, Jesus purposely does not make everything perfectly understandable to every person on every point.  Does that surprise you? We would be appalled if a preacher today gave a sermon of five parables without explanation! The expectation was and is that each person would bring their brain to the study and go into discovery mode and draw conclusions from what they heard and then ask questions and seek answers. Jesus was testing their hearts, testing their desire for the Kingdom of God! Consider some examples; Example: Exodus 3:6 “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Jesus strongly rebuked the Sadducees for not understanding the resurrection based on this verse. Listen to his words, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?” (Mark 12:24). And in Matthew's account, “Have you not read what was said to you by God?” (22:31). Example: Matthew 22:41-46 Jesus asked the Jews a question they could not answer. Why didn't the Master Teacher go beyond the question and give them the answer? We would never have left the conversation at that point! When Jesus went away after the question, there would have been two kinds of soil left behind. Some would have been so predisposed to the Messiah being a mere human, they wouldn't have cared. They had already made up their minds. But others would not have been able to get the question off their minds and they would have gone to the scriptures to find the answer. It is these latter people who would be saved and who Jesus was interested in saving. Therefore, the message for us is critical—we need to learn aggressive listening, not simply with a sermon, but primarily with our own personal study. Jesus' Expectation of Aggressive Listening, Mark 4:21-25 This is Jesus' immediate followup to the interpretation of the parable of the Sower. Do you understand verses 21-23? This is such an interesting few verses because we easily skip them in favor of the simplicity of Jesus' explanation of the parable in the previous verses. But is Jesus finished with his explanation? Obviously not. He is giving the final explanation point on the message of the parables. The purpose of the parable is to bring everything that is hidden to light. In the Lord's Kingdom everything that is secret must be revealed. Nothing will be hidden any longer. Therefore, in the parable what is hidden that is being brought to light? It is the hearts of men and women! When Jesus preached his word throughout the entirety of scripture, it became a lamp. And the purpose of a lamp is to reveal and expose all that is in the room. When Jesus again repeats the words, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” we are able to get the primary message of the parable. The parable illustrates exactly what happened after Jesus preached it. Some went away without a thought of what Jesus said (wayside ground). Some had a measure of belief, but never pursued any further so that they became “rooted” in Jesus' teachings (stoney ground). Others believed, but allowed the other desires and cares in their life to take precedence over the pursuit of the kingdom (thorny ground). And those who came into the house and asked for more and put following Jesus and bearing fruit the priority in their lives are the good ground. Do you see it? Jesus has exposed hearts—all of our hearts. And of the four types of soil/hearts only one is good. With this we can conclude that Jesus' is not trying to keep people from being saved by giving the parables, he is weeding out people who do not have the heart he desires. Therefore, consider what Jesus is doing—and I would say is always doing in his preaching and in the biblical text—he is testing us as hearers and revealing our hearts! Just think how much God has revealed in his word. But how often have we looked briefly just like the multitudes and just shrugged it off because it did not immediately peak our interest or we did not immediately understand. There are eternal consequences to dismissing biblical truths that do not interest us or we do not understand. Verse 24 “Pay attention to what you hear.” Jesus is the teacher and the Holy Spirit revealed everything in our Bibles. Pay attention to what you hear! If we don't, we have failed the test, and even what we have will be taken away from us. Jesus Destroys Our Excuses, Luke 11:5-13 The context is Jesus teaching the apostles how to pray. We read it easily; we read it simply, but we miss the point!  The parable: God is not like a friend who does not want to be bothered by another friend seeking bread at midnight. The friend gives the bread, but only because his neighbor won't stop banging on the door!  God is different. He loves people who ask, seek, and knock. And to those who do, it will be given, they will find, and the door will be opened. What kind of Father do you think God is! He is ready to give! Oh goody, we say. I can ask God for “things,” the things I've always wanted. That's not what Jesus is talking about. Verse 13 “…how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Jesus just took away all our excuses. “It's too hard! It's too deep! I'm not a scholar!” Sorry, that doesn't work. Jesus just gave us two keys to understand even the most obscure of his teachings. The best Bible student always asks questions while reading. Don't just read and don't just listen. Ask questions—that's what a seeker does. If you are not asking questions and desiring a fuller understanding, then you are not seeking. God rewards seekers—that is the promise Jesus gives in his application of the parable.  Most importantly, when you have the desire of a seeker, nothing in scripture becomes too “deep” or too hard for you. Two reasons: Jesus just made a promise to us that if we ask, seek, and knock, he will give abundantly to us. Therefore, the seeker is not trusting his or her own mental intelligence, but trusting God. Further, to convince ourselves that there are parts of scripture “too hard” for us, is to indict God. We are accusing God of not delivering his word in an understandable way. Is this not the the main point of the parable? There is nothing wrong with the seed! It is the ground that is the problem! We simply cannot buy into the idea that there are books of the Bible that are just too deep, too hard to understand. [Harrison is a new Christian, but nothing is too deep for Harrison. David and I can teach him anything and everything that is in a text. Harrison doesn't know that something in the Bible is too hard—and so he asks, seeks, and knocks, and the result is he always understands. And when he understands, he asks for more.  A hungry person eats differently than a person who has filled themselves with cake, pie, and deserts. Conclusion: The Bereans (Acts 17:11) are the perfect example of proper connection between teacher and listener. Paul preached a message to them that they had never heard before in spite of their knowledge of the scriptures. Their response is what made them more noble than the Jews in Thessalonica. Those Jews immediately rejected preaching that was new and different. But the Bereans searched the scripture. That is what Luke is commending and that is what God is commending when he inspired Luke to record those words.  Berry Kercheville The post Be Careful How You Hear (2): How To Understand The Message appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

Daily Dose of Hope January 13, 2026   Scripture: I Thessalonians 1   Prayer:  Heavenly Father, We come before you today with a sense of gratefulness.  You are a God who loves us despite all our faults.  You provide for us despite our selfishness.  You answer our prayers despite our impatience.  Lord, we are so thankful and rejoice in your Holy and perfect name.  Forgive us for the times in which we fall short and we know they are many.  Lord Jesus, how we want to do better.  Help us see others through your eyes.  We so need you.  More of you and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently on a journey through the letters of Paul, working through them in chronological order.  We just completed Paul's letter to the Galatians yesterday and today, we begin I Thessalonians.   Let's talk a little bit about Paul's letter to the church at Thessalonica.  There are some scholars who actually think this letter may have predated Galatians, but the general consensus is that Galatians was written in 49-50 and I Thessalonians was written around 50-51.  They were certainly close together, but the letters are very different.  While Galatians is critical in nature (in response to false teachers who were trying to corrupt the Gospel), I Thessalonians is an encouraging letter in which Paul teaches about living Godly lives during difficult persecution.  I Thessalonians was also written during Paul's second missionary journey.   We get the backstory of this letter in Acts 17.  Paul and Silas have gone to Thessalonica, preach the Gospel, and pretty quickly there is a strong Christian community there.  But the Christians there are accused of defying the emperor by saying they believe in another king, Jesus (refer to Acts 17:7).  Paul and Silas end up leaving the city because of the ruckus.  In this first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul is trying to reconnect.  He's heard from Timothy that the Thessalonian church is doing well, despite the continued persecution.  The letter is actually from Paul, Silas, and Timothy, as they are together in Corinth and have this urge to keep the Thessalonians encouraged.    Let's look at the letter itself in chapter 1.  It was normal in an ancient letter to include some kind of prayer for the recipient after the greeting. The authors state that they continually thank God for all the people in the church, and that they remember them before God because of their work produced through faith and love and their endurance inspired by hope in Jesus.   I am most intrigued by the line "endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."  Endurance is the ability to keep going, to persevere, in the face of difficulty and suffering. We don't know exactly what kind of persecution the Thessalonian Christians were facing but it must have been pretty bad. And Paul was worried about them. They were new believers-how would they withstand these hardships? Would their faith crumble or strengthen? Apparently, they remained strong and steadfast, despite their limited experience in the faith.   This idea of endurance through hardship becomes a virtue in the early church. Here is the important part: their endurance was not a result of some kind of internal emotional strength or resolve but was a result of their hope in Jesus. Their hope was rooted in the second coming of Jesus, which will become a theme throughout this letter.   Think about your own life. How would you rate your endurance in the face of hardship? While we don't face the same kind of persecution as the Thessalonian church, we still deal with other challenges. How is your faith grounded in the hope of Christ?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Episode Synopsis:About the time Paul began his second missionary journey, a serious famine swept through Palestine–greatly impacting the Jerusalem church.  Those who lived in the region knew how serious such things could be and so they prepared for it–stockpiling grain, spices, and animal feed, etc.  But as soon as a church was organized in Jerusalem–after Pentecost–Jewish Christians found themselves cut off from the synagogue and its well-established relief system.  Now on their own, the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were apparently suffering horribly and were in desperate need of relief–specifically funds to buy food and supplies locally.Tensions between Jewish Christians and recent Gentile converts to Christianity were apparent from the moment the gospel spread into Gentile regions–as indicated during the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15).  At that council, the church renounced the Judaizers and affirmed that God had blessed Paul's efforts to take the gospel into Gentile regions–which began in earnest after the Macedonian vision (Acts 16:9).  Paul planted churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, and Corinth.  While these new churches aided and encouraged each other, Paul understood that if the Gentile churches–who had means–took an offering for the Jerusalem church, it would go a great way toward helping fellow Christians in genuine need.  It would also de-escalate the worry and anxiety that Jews felt toward Gentiles who were until quite recently godless pagans and often persecutors of the Jewish people.When Paul arrived in Macedonia, he tells us that there was some unspecified serious trouble and that he would strive to get things cleared up before he traveled south to Corinth.  Despite the troubles in the churches in Macedonia, they had taken up a surprisingly generous offering for the Jerusalem church–so much so that it was a major sacrifice, even beyond their means, which Paul describes as an act of grace.  Now he gets word from Titus that the Corinthians (who had been collecting a similar offering for a year) and had not followed through with their collection.  As a congregation they were far better off materially than the Macedonians, but were so distracted by divisions, the subterfuge of false apostles and other matters, the offering had not been finalized.  In chapters 8-9 of 2 Corinthians, Paul addresses this matter head-on.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Have you ever wondered what happens to believers who die before Jesus returns? In this episode of Seek Go Create, Tim Winders takes us back to A.D. 51 and the fragile, young church in Thessalonica—grappling with grief, hope, and burning questions about the end times. Discover why Paul's first letter to this community still brings comfort and practical wisdom for living with purpose under pressure today. If you're curious about hope in the face of confusion and how the earliest Christians found encouragement, this is an episode you won't want to miss."Paul isn't giving them a timeline, he's giving them hope and calling them to live accordingly." - Tim WindersAccess all show and episode resources HEREEpisode Resources:NT90 Hub – This is the central website for the 90-day New Testament reading plan, with downloadable, printable plans, background information, and links to all episodes and resources.Episode Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Context00:16 Welcome to Seek Go Create00:38 Reading Plan and Background01:23 Introduction to First Thessalonians03:18 Historical and Cultural Context04:23 Paul's Message to the Thessalonians05:40 Living with Hope and Encouragement06:20 Practical Advice for Believers06:41 The Day of the Lord07:22 Reading and Reflection Tips07:51 Conclusion and Next StepsResources for Leaders from Tim Winders & SGC:

Hello Friends! I love to hear from you! Please send me a text message by clicking on this link! Blessings to You!In this episode, Dr. Jori discusses with her listeners one of Paul's prayers for the believers in Thessalonica that God would count them worthy of their calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power in them.  Scripture References: Romans 10:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-2; Acts 9, 22, 26; 1 Timothy 1:12-14; Acts 16, Acts 17:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-8; Romans 5:8 Scripture translation used is the NASB “Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 1971, 1995, 2020 (only use the last year corresponding to the edition quoted) by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org”CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S NEW PODCAST- The First Love ProjectHere is the video introducing the podcast on You Tube-https://youtu.be/PhFY1moDDms FIND DR. JORI ON OTHER PLATFORMS https://linktr.ee/drjorishafferCHECK OUT THE DWELL AUDIO BIBLE APP:Click this link for my unique referral code.  I use this frequently. Such a wonderful audio bible app. https://dwellapp.io/aff?ref=jorishafferBIBLE STUDY TOOLS DR. JORI USES:Note: These contain  Amazon affiliate links, meaning I get a commission, at no extra cost to you,  if you decide to make a purchase through my links.Here is a link to some of my favorite bible study tools on Amazon:https://geni.us/cHtrfEMr. Pen Bible Journaling Kitshttps://lvnta.com/lv_PTrHSCogbRim4yhEDnhttps://lvnta.com/lv_mkaMOuGe6m4oHR88uqhttps://lvnta.com/lv_dgvsxOc99t663A628z  BOOKS OF BIBLE COLOR CHARTI made this chart as a helpful tool for grouping the collections of books or letters  in the Holy Bible.  The colors in the different sections are the ones that I use in my journals.  Books of Bible Chart (color) (4).pdf - Google Drive    LOOKING TO RETAIN MORE OF WHAT YOUR PASTOR IS TEACHING?              CHECK OUT DR. JORI'S SERMON REFLECTION JOURNALS! Sermon Notes, Reflections and Applications Journal/Notebooks by Dr. Jori. Click the links below to be directed to amazon.com for purchase. Or search “Dr. Jori Shaffer” on Amazon to bring these up.  https://amzn.to/418LfRshttps://amzn.to/41862EyHere is a brief YouTube video that tells about the Journal/Notebooks as well:https://youtu.be/aXpQNYUEzds   Email: awordforthisday@gmail.comPodcast website:  https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com Support the show

How did the Holy Spirit guide the Apostle Paul to Macedonia where people were waiting to hear the gospel? Listen to this message continuing the background of the Epistle to the Thessalonian believers. Follow Paul's travels to Thessalonica where Paul taught from the Word of God about the Messiah for several weeks. Hear how the unbelieving Jews roughed up Jason where Paul and Silas were staying.

Acts 17:1-15

Join in at the beginning of a study of the Epistle of 1 Thessalonians written by the Apostle Paul. Find out the time it was written. See that Paul had visited Thessalonica earlier and wanted to go back to encourage them by teaching more of the Word of God. Learn the difference between being a believer in Christ and becoming a disciple of His. See the conditions Christ laid down for His disciples and be challenged in your own life to decide daily in order to grow spiritually.

She was born to a pious, noble and very wealthy family in Thessalonica. When both her parents died while she was an adolescent, Anysia consecrated herself to Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom. She cast off all her jewels and fine clothing, dressing herself as a commoner. She freed all her many slaves, giving each of them a generous sum of money to establish themselves. She gave away all of her inheritance, which included large estates. Thenceforth she spent her days visiting the sick, helping widows and orphans, and, especially, aiding Christians suffering under persecution. She would visit those in prison, bringing them food and water and tending their wounds. All the time not devoted to aiding the poor or oppressed she spent in prayer in a small cell. One of her prayers was that she, like those that she helped, would be granted the crown of martyrdom.   One day, while she was walking to church, an imperial soldier accosted her and roughly questioned her. When she plainly declared herself a Christian, the soldier seized her and dragged her to a temple of the idols, where he commanded her to make sacrifice. In response, she only spat in his face. The enraged soldier drew his sword and thrust it into her side, slaying her. Some pious Christians took her body and buried it outside the city. When the persecutions had ended, a church was built in her honor at the place of her burial.

St. Paul encourages the Thessalonians to continue in good works without growing tired. Those who do not listen to St. Paul's instruction must be warned as brothers, in order that their shame might lead to repentance and renewed faith. Before St. Paul finishes, he signs his letter with his own hand and blesses the Thessalonians with the peace and grace of the Lord.  Rev. Ryan Ogrodowicz, pastor at Grace Lutheran Church and School in Brenham, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Thessalonians 3:13-18.  To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit gracebrenham.org.  “Yearning for the Day of Christ's Returning” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that studies St. Paul's two epistles to the Thessalonians. Although Paul's time in Thessalonica was brief, he had great affection for the Christians there. His two letters to the Thessalonians show us the joy that God gives us together in the Church and encourage us to live faithfully in expectation of Jesus' coming on the Last Day.  Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org