One of the things that I most appreciate about Christmas is that it forces us to stop and to focus on one of the most amazing things about our God. He is the God who is near. That’s what the word “Emmanuel” means – God with us. We often take for granted just how amazing […]
Today we conclude our series through 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and we’re ending on a note that is unique to this series. Taken as a whole, the general tone of these letters has been warm and encouraging. Paul wrote to give this young church clarity and comfort. But in this closing section, there is a […]
Over the course of this series, we’ve spent a great deal of time talking about the Thessalonians and the challenges they were facing. But in order to understand the passage in front of us this morning, we need to turn our attention to Paul and his circumstances. As it turns out, he was facing some […]
Our text this morning is widely considered to be the most challenging passage in all of the Apostle Paul’s letters. But, if I could encourage you, many of us are coming into this text with an advantage. Raise your hand if you were with us while we walked through the book of Daniel at the […]
This morning, we’re going to be talking about the church, and I think it might be worth stopping to define what I mean by “church” before we go any further. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
We’re going to take a break from our series through 1 & 2 Thessalonians because today is an enormously important day. Today we are going to celebrate the Lord’s Supper for the first time since March 2! I’m thankful for a number of things today, but first and foremost on that list is this: I […]
Our passage this morning could really be considered “Part 2” of our passage from last week. In both passages, Paul is “filling up what is lacking” in the Thessalonian’s understanding of the day of the Lord. Last week, he addressed their fears and concerns regarding their Christian loved ones who had already passed away. This […]
I was able to tune in online last week and to listen along with you as Ryan unpacked the first half of chapter 4. He did an excellent job, and he reminded us that the second half of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians – the half that we are working through right now – was […]
Before this series began, I studied my way through 1 and 2 Thessalonians and began to draft a preaching calendar. I confess that, as I initially prepared that calendar, I looked at this passage and wondered “What am I going to say about this?” At first glance, this passage is pretty straightforward. He missed the […]
I mentioned last week that the church in Thessalonica was a young church. We don’t know exactly how long Paul was able to minister to them before being chased out of town, but it was likely no more than six months. Can you imagine if you had only been a Christian for six months when, […]