1 Thessalonians

God has saved us into a new family, and he’s growing us in love together. He’s growing us in love for the older siblings he’s placed in leadership over us. He’s growing us in love for the younger siblings in our church who need different forms of wise and patient love. And he’s faithful to finish the good work of love and holiness he’s started in his church. In this talk, Philip wraps up our series in 1 Thessalonians, reminding us how our faithful Father is at work in us to grow us as children of the light.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS

How we think about the future changes how we act now. So how would it change your life if you really, truly, deeply believed that Jesus was going to return soon? In this talk, our guest speaker David Cook helps us to think through the Christian life, the end of the world, and everything in between in this passage.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS

Holiness is a topic that can seem archaic or self-righteous. But in this passage Paul says that it’s essential to life in Christ. He tells the Thessalonian church to be holy, because they are holy. The test-case he uses for their holiness is their attitude to sex, and how much their attitudes about sex have been formed by the sex-obsessed society around them. This is a hard word today, as we all struggle in the same way, but God is a good Father who wants the best for his children: to live in the light of holiness.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS

“And now we truly live.” We all have different things that would make us speak like this. But Paul said it when he was thinking about this baby church standing firm in the faith.Their faith was what making his life abound. And when he thinks about it, he bursts into prayer, asking God himself to bring them together, and for God himself to be making their love and faith abound, “so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS

What do you have to do to be a Christian? Nothing. What kind of person do you have to be? The joy and glory of someone else: of Jesus Christ, and of his apostle Paul. Paul was burdened for these Thessalonian infants in the faith, longing to hear about their faith, as they lived in affliction. This talk was given by our gospel partner Keith Birchley, who has been teaching the faith at universities in Papua New Guinea with his wife Marion for the past 2 1/2 years.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS

When the word of the gospel came to Thessalonica, people were divided. Some accepted the word, and became the first Christian church. Because of the faith and love of those people, they became Paul’s joy and crown. But others rejected the gospel, and persecuted the church. Because of their unbelief and hatred, Paul says that God’s wrath has come upon them. Jesus is the only one who can deliver us from the wrath to come, and for all those who stand against him and his gospel, they’re standing in the pitch-black reality of that judgement.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS

When Paul remembers his life with the Thessalonians, he uses many images of family, with incredibly tender words. “We were like infants among you,” “we were like mothers to you,” and “we were like fathers to you.” In the face of Christ, God woke us up to his love, and to the family of the light.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS

Have you ever bought something that wasn’t “authentic”? As we begin our series through the first letter to the Thessalonians, we hear of Paul’s encouragement from hearing about the church, and his encouragement to the church. He encourages them in the hallmarks of authentic Christianity: work produced by faith, labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the true and living God.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS