Have you had a refreshing weekend and are you ready for the blessings of a new week?  I hope so!  My hubby was off work this weekend (in camp ministry, weekends are often work days).  He has been working on the trim in the sun room so it is so much closer to being usable!

For the past month, our church elders have been giving their testimonies of how God has and is working in their lives.  The congregation has been encouraged to look deep and so last Sunday individuals took turns sharing.  It was a holy time, and I was suddenly struck by how our congregation was fulfilling 1 Thessalonians 1–talking about how God redeemed each life, and how God is working in our circumstances today; we were sounding forth our faith!

While I know that the congregation’s leaders had this planned even before we began this study of the Thessalonians, because of learning to pray God’s will in these chapters, I was able to recognize how God is working and give praise!  It was the highlight of my week!

Are you ready to look into chapter 3 with me?  I’m not a Bible Scholar or Theologian.  I’m a “home-schooled” student of God’s Word.  I used the ESV, NASV, Amplified Version and the study tools at Blueletterbible.com in my study of this chapter.

Let’s pray for understanding!  I can’t wait to learn how God spoke to you through this chapter!

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My Notes: (I really do study with a spiral notebook!)

vs.1 & 2– Therefore: because Paul and his Fellow apostles desired so strongly to see the Thessalonian church again. (This is a continuation of chapter 2)

Paul and Silas stayed in Athens so that Timothy could return to Thessalonica.

vs. 2 & 3– Purpose of Timothy’s visit:  1) To strengthen and encourage them in their faith 2) so that none of them would be disturbed (saino~disturbed, moved {the mind of one}, agitate, trouble, unsettle, be shaken) by “these afflictions” (that the apostles were encountering).  The whole chapter is really anchored in Paul’s concerns here.

vs.4– The apostles had tried to prepare them in advance, warning them that they (the apostles) would encounter persecution.  We know from from chapter 2 that the Thessalonian Church was also undergoing persecution from their countrymen.

vs. 5–Paul was concerned because Satan had prevented him from being with them (ch.2 verse 18), and would try to test them.  This reminds me of Jesus’s parable of the sower and the seed in Matthew 13.  Paul wanted to be sure that the gospel would not be choked out by worries and distractions, but that they would continue to grow in Christ and have spiritually fruitful lives.

vs. 6&7–Timothy returned to Paul with good news, which comforted and encouraged the apostles, despite their difficult circumstances.  What was this news: 1) The Thessalonian church was standing steadfast in their faith (unwavering in their trust in God), and 2) they missed the apostles as much as the apostles missed them! 🙂

vs.8–Their faithfulness made all the apostles had been through worth the cost.

vs.9– The apostles continued to give thanks for the Thessalonian church

vs.10– and continued to pray for them.  The opportunity to finish discipling them is Paul’s concern.

vs.11–Paul trusts God to bring them together again for this purpose,

vs.12&13– and then in the spirit of verses 2 & 3, Paul prays for them, that: 1) God will cause them to increase and overflow with love for one another and for all people, 2) so that HE may strengthen and establish their hearts to be without blame at the coming of Christ. 

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Personal thoughts:

I am struck by Paul’s concern that the Thessaonians have the opportunity to be discipled so that they can grow to maturity in Christ, and not be discouraged.  It is just killing him that he can’t get back to them.

I love the example Paul sets for us.  He expresses his concern, but then when there is nothing further he can personally do, he ultimately places the burden for producing growth in the Thessalonian church precisely where it belongs–square on the shoulders of God.  Not only that, but he prays specifically for them, believing that God will answer his prayers in time.

In camp ministry, every year we see many young people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and what He did for them on the cross.  It is amazing to be able to witness their salvation, but after camp is finished and they go home?  Then what?  It is an utmost priority to work and pray for opportunities to connect these young people to churches in their home towns so that they can be discipled, grow in love for all people, and become active members of the church body.

In our age, so many are trying to “do church” on their own because for whatever reason,  but Paul makes it clear that God created the Church Body to be a live, growing, interdependent entity.  We need God, but we also need one another–you need the Church AND the Church needs you.

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“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”  1 John 5:14-15

How can I use these observations to pray according to God’s will?

* vs.4 & 5– Pray that we (the Church) will be prepared for the difficulties that God knows we will encounter, and that our faith will never be shaken by trials.

* vs.10–Pray that we will be concerned for younger ** Christians and have opportunity to disciple/mentor them, give thanks to God for them, and pray for them!  **(younger in the length of time they have walked with Jesus and/or younger in their level of maturity~sometimes older Christians need to be discipled by someone more mature, though not necessarily older in age.)

*vs.12–Pray that God will cause all of us to increase and overflow with love for one another and for all people (Jesus said the world will know us by our love!)

*vs.2, 3, & 12– Pray that God will continue to strengthen, encourage, comfort, and establish our faith and our hearts to be without blame at the coming of Christ.  He can return any day!  In what condition will he find our hearts?  Let us stand firm in faith.  Let us live for Him, one day at a time.

How did God speak to you in this chapter?  

I invite you to join me every Monday to pray God’s will.  If you would like to be notified when a new post is ready, please subscribe to follow Growing Grace-Full, and you will receive an email when each post is available! ♥

1 Thessalonians, Chapter 1

1 Thessalonians, Chapter 2