Thinking through Thessalonians! - Day 1 - 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

This letter is from Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

We are writing to the church in Thessalonica, to you who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

May God give you grace and peace.

2 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. 3 As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

4 We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. 5 For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. 6 So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. 7 As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece—throughout both Macedonia and Achaia.

8 And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, 9 for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. 10 And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

Terrie's Comments:

After the Thessalonians heard the good news they took action.  They turned away from idols in their lives... they didn't just cut back or spend more time with God than with their idols, they turned away from them.  They realized that serving the one true God meant serving Him only.  They were living in the Hope of Jesus Christ coming back and to their heavenly home.  

They also couldn't stop talking about this hope.  They were excited about the good news of Jesus Christ who saved them from the "terrors" of the coming judgement.  They talked so much about it that Paul didn't have to say anything because people were telling him about the Thessalonians and the good news before Paul could open his mouth.  These people were changed... inside and outside... They were looking forward to the second coming of Jesus Christ and everyone around them knew it!

So what does my faith look like?  Am I so excited about the second coming of Christ and everything he has done for me that those around me hear about it?  Do people even notice that I am a follower of Jesus Christ?  Do I display that hope in my life?

This past Sunday in my Sunday school class I brought a box of chocolates to class.  We were talking about God caring about what you are like on the inside (your thoughts, feelings etc) just as much as what you are like on the outside (your actions).  A chocolate needs to taste good on the inside and the outside to be delicious.  If a chocolate doesn't taste good on the inside then it isn't enjoyable to eat... if a chocolate doesn't taste good on the outside then it isn't enjoyable to eat.  For a chocolate to be delicious and truly enjoyed it needs to be good on the inside and the outside.  God cares that our insides are transformed so our outsides are an overflow of what is going on in our hearts and minds.  God wants to refine us on the inside so we are delicious and attractive to the world around us inside and out.




Tori's Comments:

"We always thank God for you and pray for you constantly." Do I pray like this? 

"ringing out from you to people everywhere" The word of God is infectious. It should be spreading. Do I notice that in my own life? 

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 12 - Ephesians 4:17-24

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Terrie's Comments: 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  

In verse 22 I love the vivid image that pops into my head of "Throwing off" your old sinful nature and your old way of life... which is corrupted.  Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  then "Put on" your new nature created to be like God, righteous and holy.  There are two actions that we are called to do... Throw off and then Put on!  We need to do it.  We need to surrender our thoughts and our attitudes so they can be fully renewed.  

It is my hope that you are spending time in God's word everyday.  It is a great way to renew your mind each day and continue to Put on your new nature so you become more and more like Jesus everyday!

Tori's Comments:

Merry Christmas!!! AHHH!

The kind of renewal in this passage isn't mixing old with the new or adding some Christian qualities to your life but a complete overhaul by the Spirit. 

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 74 - 2 Corinthians 8:16-24

16 But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have. 17 Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you. 18 We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News. 19 He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.

20 We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. 21 We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.

22 We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. 23 If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. 24 So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified.

Terrie's Comments:

The thing that stands out over and over again in Paul's writing is how much he shows honor to those around him and how much he encourages others to to do the same.  I am pretty sure that none of these men were perfect and could have been picked apart because they are human beings but Paul demonstrates what unity in the body of Christ is supposed to look like practically by the way he writes to the churches he is shepherding!  In North America our world is quick to criticize the bad and slow to bring honor to the good in people.  We could learn a few things from Paul about how to honor our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Perhaps if we can learn to honor each other for the sake of Jesus Christ then it would be true that they would know we are Christians by our love and our love would draw them in.


Tori's Comments:

It's interesting that he puts so much thought into how he is perceived: not because he cares about people's opinion of him, but more because he wants to assure other believers and glorify God.


Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 73 - 2 Corinthians 8:10-15

10 Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. 11 Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. 12 Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. 13 Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. 14 Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. 15 As the Scriptures say,

“Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over,
    and those who gathered only a little had enough.”

Tori's Comments:

I find my passions fluctuate regularly, which can be very harmful when it comes to zeal for God. We need to continue to be eager, dig into the Word, pursue God. 

This is actually something I was curious about, how to be wary of laziness in church if some people are giving everything they have. But this makes sense.

Terrie's Comments:

There are different seasons of life we go through and different seasons in ministry that we go through.  At times we will be in need of help and at other times we will have more than enough and will be able to help others with our abundance.  This is part of the way the Body of Christ is suppose to operate.  

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 72 - 2 Corinthians 8:1-9

Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.
3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.
6 So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. 7 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.
8 I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.
9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

Terrie's Comments:

The part that stands out to me is that "they are being tested by many trials".  I don't think this is a test that is meant to be passed or failed but it would be similar to things in our everyday lives that put our faith to the test.  Our faith either grows day by day or it can be weakened depending if we choose to come into agreement with God's word or question it.  I would have to say that I have the most peace and joy in my life when I choose to agree with God's word and walk by faith.

Tori's Comments:

We are blinded to our troubles when focused on the love and joy we have been given by God!! 🎉

They gave more than they can afford. Whoa. Can't say I've ever been there, but I need to be.

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!