Would you consider yourself “mature” in the faith? I imagine most who will be hearing today’s message would probably lean towards the affirmative. After all, you might be able to rattle off ten-dollar theological terms and rarely miss a Sunday sermon. But, what if I told you the marks of maturity look much different than that?

On a quiet morning in a serene garden, we find the Almighty God kneeling in the dust. With tender and intentional care, He forms the dust into the shape of a man – stretching muscle over the sturdy skeleton, tracing blood vessels through his form, perhaps playing with his height a little before securing the feet. Then that Great God bends more gently, sweeping man’s hair away from his still lifeless eyes. He breathes deep of earth’s fresh air and exhales His own life into the man’s lungs. The man blinks the dust from his crusty eyes, and the first thing he sees, still inches from his own face, is the face of God.

It was intimacy we can hardly fathom. Face to face with the God of Creation.

Today’s passage makes it quite clear that the coming of Christ will be a great surprise, for no one knows the day or the hour. For the ungodly, there will be no means to escape the terror or the punishment of that day. Yet, for those who have experienced the grace of God in Jesus, this will be a joyous occasion - a happy day when wrongs will be made right and creation is once again restored.

There is a tenderness to many of God’s names that welcomes us into His presence. As we conclude our study over the next two weeks, the names are less tender, and they resound of the power of God. They show Him to be a shake-the-mountains, overflow-the-oceans, defeat-all-the-enemies God who is in charge. These are some of my favorite names for Him.

My little brother is a police officer. I love that man dearly, and I always have. But there have been seasons of our lives when he would not have been at the top of my emergency call list. College, for instance, was one of those times. However, now his number might actually be the first that I’d dial! Because I know he’s capable. He is strong. He can handle a crisis. I know he’s not going to stand behind me and duck if something goes awry. I need to know that the same is true of God. If I am going to relax in His sovereignty, I want to know that when the battle breaks out, He’s got it under control. Don’t you? These are the names that invite us to lean back in relief. These are the names that beckon us to take refuge in Him. These are the names that assure us that the One we’ve trusted isn’t just good; He is also able.

How often do you think about the Second Coming? Is it an encouragement to you to think about Christ's return? In today's passage, we read the Apostle Paul's words of encouragement to those in Thessalonica regarding "those who are asleep" and their "rise" at Christ’s coming.

We ended the last lesson on such a positive note, reflecting on the ways we’re being transformed into the very image of Christ Himself. I hope you felt the pleasure of the LORD Who Sanctifies you. I have struggled coming into this lesson because of our tendency to resist words like Lord and Master. In a culture that arches its back in protest of even the slightest infringement on our freedom, we associate masters with servitude, and we are inclined to refuse both. And yet, in the midst of all of our “freedom” and “independence,” we may still find that our shoulders ache under the yoke of bondage.

During the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt, as they yearned for freedom, Jehovah’s voice thundered from the burning bush: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). And so He is – Lord, Shepherd, Master. And the truth that might tempt us toward stubborn rebellion is the very truth that sets us free if we will but bow our knee.

Pleasing God is not some abstract concept. It is lived out in the everyday world among everyday people. In this sermon, we will explore that reality from Paul’s instruction to the Thessalonians.

Jehovah-Tsidkenu has imparted His righteousness to us through the atoning death of Christ. Jehovah-Shalom has secured our peace. He doesn’t stop there, though. The LORD our God is not interested only in our external standing before His majesty.

1. Read Romans 8:28-30. According to verse 29, into what are we being conformed?

2. Look back to Genesis 1:26. What was God’s original prototype for man?

Elohim’s purpose of creating man in His image remains to this day. Sin marred that image in us, but with the atoning death of Christ, we have been forgiven and cleansed. We now stand righteous before Him, and the LORD reaches down to reveal His image in us once again.

Reflecting on the five pillars of the reformation: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Soli Deo Gloria, Sola Christus.

Among Word of Faith teachers, we often hear the promises that God wants us to have everything - great home, great car, great bank account, etc and they'll often appeal to Proverbs 8:33-35, "Hear instruction and be wise,

and do not neglect it.

Blessed is the one who listens to me,

watching daily at my gates,

waiting beside my doors.

For whoever finds me finds life

and obtains favor from the Lord,"

But, what is this passage actually saying? What is the "wisdom" it refers to?