It’s amazing, when you think about it, what God has done to prepare us to be what He wants us to be in this life and to allow us to experience what He has in store for us in the next one.
God is calling us heavenward – not only to be with Him in eternity, but also to be men and women of God that have a heavenly lifestyle here and now.
As Paul would say, “may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you” as you go through this study.
Day 1: A Model Church
Read 1 Thessalonians 1
— their work was produced by _________
— their labor was prompted by _________
— their endurance was inspired by ______
How do these motivations affect your work, labor, and endurance?
b. When the Gospel came to the Thessalonians, it came with what (1:5)?
This characterized those who brought the Gospel and those who received it. This is obviously what is lacking in unmotivated, uneventful, unproductive lives.
c. Examine your motivation. Pray for God to give you motivation that is worthy of Him.
Paul’s relationship with the Thessalonians, a great model for us, was characterized by:
What do you think that means?
b. Sharing not only the gospel, but their lives as well (2:8). What do you get from the statement “you had become so dear to us” that you can apply to your relationships?
c. Encouraging, comforting, and urging one another (2:10 – 11).
— to do what?
— how are these three words different?
— why would superficial relationships not be able to do this?
d. Examine your relationships in light of this model. See how you can apply these characteristics to have intense relationships instead of superficial ones. That surely would be lives worthy of God.
Since God loves unconditionally, nothing in our life is more worthy of Him than our unconditional love for others. Their love was characterized by:
a. Intense longing for each other (3:6 and 2:17). What do you think that means and does that characterize your relationships?
b. Genuine thankfulness for each other (3:9). Do you think that way about your relationships?
c. Devoted to praying for one another (3:10 – 13). “Night and day, praying earnestly” (3:10). How is that kind of prayer both a cause and an effect of a deep relationship?
d. Examine your relationships and see how you can apply these characteristics. Having your love increase and overflow would surely be a life worthy of God.
Day 4: Pleasing God
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
a. Paul said that they were already living a life that pleases God (4:1). He just wanted them to do so ____________ and _____________.
b. God’s will for us is to be ___________. (4:3). He did not call us to be ______________, but to live a ___________ life (4:7).
c. God also wants your daily life to win the respect of others, even nonchristians (4:11 – 12). What do you think that means for you personally?
d. As you look at the standard described here, meditate about how you will apply it as you live a life worthy of God.
a. The idleness that happened among the Christians in Thessalonica seems to have been caused by the misunderstanding about when Jesus was coming back. What are some causes for idleness today?
b. How were they to treat the ones who were idle?
c. How do you feel about the challenge given in verse 13 to never tire of doing what is right? (See also Galatians 6:9.)
d. It’s obvious that a Christian who perseveres in God’s will is living a life that is pleasing to God and worthy of His calling. Pray about that today. May that characterize your life in Christ!
