Paul ends his letter to the church with a prayer for them, and a call to prayer for him. He also reminds them that God is working to sanctify them, even as they wait. The act of sanctification is meant to affect our whole person: spirit, soul, and body. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28.

As Paul starts to close his letter to the church in Thessalonica he encourages them to be mindful of some healthy practices as a church. Be mindful of your leaders. Be mindful of your brothers and sisters. Be mindful of your own spiritual health. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

Not only had some in the Thessalonians church become preoccupied with setting their eyes to the clouds while neglecting their present reality and responsibility, others began to question if they had truly missed the second coming of Jesus Christ. Paul explains to them what the Day of the Lord will look like and how they had not missed it. In fact they had been given everything they need to recognize it when it does come. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Have you ever worried about what will happen to you when you die? Or maybe you worry about your friends and family that have passed away before you. Paul comes in and gives a word of encouragement to the Thessalonians church who were worried about this exact issue. Paul tells them that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential to the hope that they have for their future. Jesus was raised, and so will we. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Paul was concerned that the Thessalonian church was not going to "leave well". They had their eyes set on Jesus (which is a good thing), but some of them had started to neglect the responsibilities they had in this present world. 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

Paul turns his attention to practical matters of Christian living. In order to address the cultural issues of the day Paul mentions that the way the church family views sex is going to be different than the world around them. They are going to take a radically different approach. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

*The recording cuts out and comes back in toward the end of the sermon. There is a couple minutes that are missing from the sermon.

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Paul is finally getting a report back on how the Thessalonians church is doing, and he is pleased. Today we are going to talk about the anxiety that Paul suffered because of the uncertainty of this church, and how their standing strong in the faith was an encouragement to him.

Romans 10:3-4, 9-13

Today is a day about grief and loss. We can't be too quick to jump right into Sunday and miss the weight of this moment. Today it feels like sin and suffering will always prevail. How about we take a page from the Scriptures and fully lament our position and state. This is not the way it should be. Where is our hope? Sunday is coming, but today makes us appreciate the miracle of Sunday more deeply. Good Friday is when the weight of the world sought to crush our Savior.

Paul couldn't get himself to the city of Thessalonica. In the last section of Scripture he writes that Satan is actually hindering him. Something is stalling him out, but he is not satisfied. So, what does he do? He sends Timothy. Timothy could go where Paul could not. We will unpack that as well as the idea of encouraging those in our circle of influence. 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5