Unexplainable Love
1 Thessalonians 3:1-13
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
We are moving into a series on 1 Thessalonians where Paul’s basic purpose was to encourage followers of Jesus to live ‘unstoppable’ lives in anticipation of the Lord’s return. Last week we looked at Spirit, and this week the focus is on Love for each other and those around us.
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflect:
Experience:
If a 12 year old were to walk up and ask you, “Why is love such a big deal for Christians?”, what would you say?
Read 1 Thessalonians 3:1-4:
Paul was clearly concerned most for their “Faith” in the trials they were facing. WHy do trials shake our faith? What are we “believing God for” that gets shaken when trials come?
Verse 3b and 4 say that we are destined for persecution! When God could just as easily just end the trial, or redirect us to avoid it, or just slay the persecutors… why are we “destined” for persecution?
Read 3:5,6
Verse 5 talks about “your faith and love”, echoing Galatians 5:6 where Paul talks about faith working itself out in love. What’s that about— what is it about the source and character of our faith that makes love the evidence that you actually have Spirit-empowered faith?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and 1 John 4:7-21. What is it about godly love that makes it so distinct from human love within an atheistic mindset /worldview?
Read 3:10-13
This was Paul’s prayer for suffering believers he cared deeply about! What do you think he meant by “supply what is lacking in your faith” in verse 10?
In verse 12 he talks about love overflowing, and then in verse 13 he talks about being “blameless and holy”! Isn’t it unloving to challenge someone with holiness? Isn’t it possible they might feel offended, unloved? What’s happening there— why does Paul pray for holiness in light of the fact that Jesus is coming back to reign?
Respond:
Mark closed the message with the reminder that Jesus is coming back, whether we are ready or not! Spend some time asking God to search your hearts to guide you in His love to live holy lives, and ask Him to give you eyes to see people around you through HIS eyes as people who need Jesus!
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