Approved Workmen episodes:

• May 25, 2020Passionate for Purity (Part 2) - 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

  I wanted to slow down here just for a bit as we think through some

  principles of sanctification together as a church. Some of our favorite

  studies together over the years have been on the attributes of God

  and salvation and sanctification. It’s just where we live and so it’s

  always good to go back and consider these truths again.

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• May 18, 2020Passionate for Purity - 1st Thessalonians 4:1-2

  Passionate for Purity

  Take your Bibles and turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 4. We arrive at a

  transition in the letter this week. Paul has been dealing with all kinds of

  encouragements so far. It’s been very personal. We’ve gotten to see how God

  worked in birthing this church. We’ve gotten to see how the missionaries

  thought and how they served. We’ve been challenged and blessed on so many

  fronts through this study.

  Now there’s a transition in the letter. Paul begins to dive in with some

  very specific pastoral instructions now. Thus far there’s been little in

  the way of direct commandments and instructions. It has been largely

  biographical—here’s what we went through (autobiography), here’s what you

  went through (biography). Some historical situations in the missionary

  journey and sending Timothy.

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• May 11, 2020Leaving Burdens Before the Lord - 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

  Grab your Bibles and turn to 1 Thessalonians 3. We will finish out this

  chapter this week. We will slow it down and only cover three verses. But

  these three verses serve as a timely reminder for us.

  This is a short, pastoral prayer.

  Paul has referred to his prayer life already, but now he actually prays. He

  just writes it down. His intercession is: “uncomplicated, but profound.”1

  It is God-centered, it is spiritual in content, it is focused on others,

  and it is an acknowledgment of total reliance upon the Lord.

  Paul has a big, positive view of God’s trustworthiness to get the job done.

  He can do what we can’t. Exclusive confidence. It’s going to bless us as we

  consider how to deal with the burdens we are bearing in life right now.

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• May 04, 2020Steady Faith: An Undervalued Assets - 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10

  Take your Bibles and turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 3. Make your way over

  to 1 Thessalonians 3. We are continuing in this same vein as Paul continues

  to write about his thinking and approach to this church.

  We’ve been learning so much about how the gospel and the word of God works

  to save and sanctify us. We have had a window into what characterizes a

  faithful church as we see Paul write not only instructions to this church,

  but also sharing how he thinks and how he operates in ministry.

  The past couple of weeks have really honed in on the interdependence of the

  Christian life.

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• April 26, 2020The Spiritual Loss Prevention Team

  This morning I invite you to grab your Bible and turn with me to 1

  Thessalonians 3:1-5. Last week we looked at the Return on Investment from

  making disciples. This week we pick up where we left off—Paul’s stream of

  consciousness continues right through the chapter break.

  What’s on his mind today is Loss Prevention.

  Loss Prevention. If you aren’t familiar with the concept it is what it

  says. It’s a team as part of an organization that identifies, what are the

  preventable losses we might face and then let’s prevent them.

  Today we find a spiritual loss prevention team.

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• April 20, 2020The ROI From Making Disciples

  This morning I invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to 1

  Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 2. We will Lord willing finish up this

  chapter together. It feels good to say turn to 1 Thessalonians again—it’s

  been six weeks since we were here last. I want to pick up where we left off

  and hit the ground running.

  As we’ve said, this is such a timely study for us. How God established a

  new church and began to strengthen the ministry. We have been awed at the

  power of God in that place. And we’ve gotten a behind-the-scenes look at

  what drives a ministry.

  The sharing of life. The boldness. The love. The investment.

  As we get started here, I want to remind you that our backdrop here for

  this letter is a church that was founded by missionaries. Missions is

  essential to God’s plan for advancing his kingdom on earth.

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• March 22, 2020Psalm 46 -Standing Firm Amid Uncertainty

  Well in a rather short period of time, things in the world around us have

  change rapidly. And things that you have grown a custom to you as a way of

  life or even been able to bank on have been jeopardized. Suddenly there is

  a long list of what if‘s without very many answers insight. What if this

  goes on for the next year? What if I lose my job over this? What if this

  paves the way for government to play an even bigger role in the lives of

  its citizens? And the list goes on and on.

  And this is good for us.

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• March 08, 2020Thank God for the Ministry of the Word - 1 Thessalonians 2:13-16

  Paul Gives 2 Reactions to the Ministry of the Word (2:13-16)

  1. Expresses gratitude for the reception of the Word (13-14)

  2. Provides altitude for the rejection of the Word (15-16)

  Most of the sermon will be on the first point. It’s content deserves our

  greatest attention.

  1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 (ESV)—13And we also thank God constantly for

  this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us,

  you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the

  word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers,

  became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in

  Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as

  they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the

  prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by

  16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be

  saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has

  come upon them at last!”

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• March 04, 2020The Integrity Behind Fruitful Ministry - Part 3

  Ministry is about God. Ministry is about God. Ministry is about God.

  Priests… serve God and others. A go-between. Worship through service.

  For Paul it starts with the Lord Jesus.

  Sacrificial service…

  No one has greater love than that he lay down his life for his friends.

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• February 23, 2020The Integrity Behind Fruitful Ministry - Part 2

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