Reading Time: 4 minutes
This section on the return of Christ (beginning in 1 Thessalonians 4:13) is one of the longest in the New Testament. Evidently some of the believers felt as if those who had died before the return of Jesus would miss out on his second coming. Paul was writing to correct that fallacious thinking.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Ask Christians if they believe in Jesus’ second coming, and most will say yes. But if we believe in the return of Christ, we must dare to ask, “So what?” The second coming deserves more than a passing nod. In practical terms, how does our expectation of Christ’s return shape our lives?
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Why did the church in Thessalonica so badly need encouragement?
Reading Time: 3 minutes
It’s been said that the Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon. . . . One thing hindering the Thessalonian believers from enduring the race was confusion about the end times and return of Christ. Confusion about the future caused them uncertainty in the present.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
On their wedding day, does a couple fully understand what it means to pledge their love “for better or worse . . .”? When parents welcome a new baby, do they realize what that child will cost—not only in dollars, but in sleepless nights, hard conversations, and trips to the emergency room? . . .
Reading Time: 2 minutes
In this passage, Paul talked about trials and temptations. Look specifically at 1 Thessalonians 3:3-5; what trials was the church facing? What temptations?
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Christianity is not for the lazy. . . . The apostle Paul did not labor to achieve salvation; he labored because he had salvation.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
How do you view the church? Unbelievers mock it or view it as a relic . . . Consumer Christians treat the church like a retail store . . . Celebrity-focused believers view the church as an entertainment venue . . .
Reading Time: 2 minutes
How many observations you can make about the relationship between Paul and the church in Thessalonica?