Some dogs have patience because they’ve learned to trust their owner to give them a reward for good behavior. Others will go out seeking treats on their own, maybe in the trashcan, or under the table. Ultimately, they may get what they want, but they’ll likely make a mess and get themselves in trouble. As Pastor Mark illustrated, God wants us to be patient and attentive to Him. We can have confidence that He’ll reward us. Don’t waste your energy and resources seeking out that reward in this life. Just like the dogs, you’re only going to end up making a mess and regretting your decisions.

We are so good at complaining. Think back over the last year and the decisions that have been made for you – like wearing a mask, being forced to homeschool your children, or staying home so much of the time. We’ve gotten used to many of these things, but even as restrictions lift, we easily find new sources of strife to fill our conversations and social media posts. Our lives should look different as believers. As Pastor Mark will point out in today’s message, it’s not that we need to seek out suffering or persecution, but when it inevitably comes, we can face it with joy through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The pandemic has brought out the worst in many of us. Instead of it being a time of uniting around a common purpose, it became an extremely politically charged matter. People have grown more and more divided over even the smallest issues, allowing hatred to grow in their hearts towards anyone that sees things differently than them. Pastor Mark challenges us as believers to be beacons of peace and hope to the world. We don’t need to pick fights over petty issues, but instead, we need to focus our energy on sharing the love of Christ.

Many churches have established a culture of perceived perfection. If you want to come in, you need to look the part. Often this involves the clothes you wear - for men, if you don’t have a suit jacket and tie or for the ladies, a dress, then you’ll stand out like a sore thumb. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with dressing up, but this can be harmful in the church when it creates an environment that makes the broken feel unwelcome. As Pastor Mark will explain in this message, one of the Church’s chief functions is to be a spiritual hospital or shelter for those who have been beaten up by sin and are in need of help.

Pastors are part of God’s design for His Church. He leads men to dedicate their lives to caring for and shepherding other believers, on top of sharing the Gospel with those who are lost. But sometimes we put way too much of our own responsibility as believers on the shoulders of these servants. As Pastor Mark will point out in this teaching, the Church in Thessalonica was doing very well when Paul wrote them this letter and all without a pastor in place. It wasn’t the absence of a pastor that enabled them to do so well, it was the presence of the Holy Spirit in their midst and their submission to Him.

Is your life characterized by hope and calm or by fear and bitterness? Those attitudes come from two very different sources. What does it tell the world about Christ when you claim to have faith in Him, but at the same time you’re moping around or acting out in anger because you’re afraid of what’s to come? Pastor Mark will remind us that in Christ we have no reason to fear anything. Even death itself is not a real threat. It’s not that we enjoy illness, persecution, or loss, but the hope we have in our eternal Savior can outweigh the burdens this world constantly tries to heap on our shoulders.

Most of us wouldn’t look back over the pandemic as a time of “soaring to new heights.” Especially in the early days, when so much was unknown and we weren’t supposed to even leave our houses, many people found themselves at an all-time low – filled with fear, anxiety, and frustration. In this message, Pastor Mark will challenge us to take on a different perspective. As followers of Christ, we can look at every trial and challenge as an opportunity to lean into God and grow in patience and faith. He alone can offer us lasting peace and joy as we face the storms that this life throws at us.

With more than a year of living during a pandemic behind us, most of us could say we’ve learned some things. Many of the big changes it brought about in our lives have taken on a kind of normalcy, but do you remember what a shock they were to your system and way of life? Many of us didn’t know what to do with all of the change – it was overwhelming. Today, Pastor Mark will encourage us to see all of the change we’ve experienced as an opportunity. Even as we settle back into our new routines and things get a little closer to normal, be careful not to let yourself become complacent in your faith.

Thessalonica was a thriving city in Paul’s day. It would have been an epicenter of technology, trade, religious and ethnic diversity, and of course, you could find all manners of sin in this city. As Pastor Mark will point out in this message, the Thessalonians who came to faith in Christ embraced this new religion and the hope and joy it brought, but they were resistant to the laws and wanted to cling to some of their old practices. In this letter, Paul persistently reminds the believers that Jesus would be returning soon – any minute – and that it was vital that they live righteous lives with purpose and conviction.

The amount of persecution we face for being Christians in our culture is minimal. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t facing pressure to compromise. We are often pressured to look past certain sins or ignore a few select parts of Scripture that don’t seem to align with modern science. If we do that, then we can love Jesus – as long as that Jesus fits the box they’ve created. In this message, Pastor Mark will challenge us to stand firm in our faith. You don’t have to shove anything down anyone’s throat, but when they ask you if you really believe those things about the Bible – don’t be afraid to stand up and say yes.