Good Morning!
Woo Hoo! We’ve reached the halfway mark in our study. Give yourself a pat on the back. Excellent job!
“Finally then, brothers, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received from us how you must walk and please God – as you are doing — do so even more.” 1 Thessalonians 4:1 (emphasis mine)
The lesson on Day 1 focused on the bolded words in the verse above. We investigated 16 instances in scripture that used this phrase and considered the concept of abounding in a positive and negative manner.
On Day 2, we studied a Greek compound word, Theodidaktoi, believed to have been created by Paul which when translated means “God-taught.” Paul acknowledged that the Thessalonians were taught by God in how to love one another and commended them for their actions. They bore the fruit of the Spirit which showed evidence of their true faith.
Our lesson on Day 3 sought to remind us to carry the reputation of Christ well. The scripture we zeroed in on was 1 Thessalonians 4:11,12.
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”
The Thessalonians’ confusion over death and their expectation of Christ’s imminent return was the focus of our lesson on Day 4. We studied the nuances of “those who have fallen asleep” and the “dead” in the New Testament. The lesson concluded with a brief look at grief and the feeling of hopelessness. Beth Moore exhorted us as believers to remember the words of Hebrews 10:23.
“Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful.”
Our week concluded with the lesson on Day 5. We considered end time events and the origin of the word, “rapture” and “parousia.” We also compared and contrasted 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 with Exodus 19:16-20 to see what differences and resemblances we could find.
Questions to Consider
- Do I want to reflect God more and more? What am I willing to do without in order for my faith to grow more and more?
- Do I rely on the Holy Spirit to guide, counsel, and teach me or do I rely on my own understanding?
- Have I ever learned a biblical truth from God Himself without help from any other source?
- Do I carry the reputation of Christ well? Do I need to make changes or adjustments in my life?
- Do I fear death?
- How do I handle grief?
- Do I expect Christ’s coming? If so, how does that expectation change my perspective and my daily faith journey?
Start Week 5 lessons this week.
You’re awesome!!
Blessings,
Mimi
