You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford churches of Christ.

The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11

More notes, lessons and resources can be found here: 

www.malcolmcox.org

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford churches of Christ.

The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11

More notes, lessons and resources can be found here: 

www.malcolmcox.org

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

1 Thessalonians Series 

We are making Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians our focus at the start of this year. What will we learn? Only the Spirit knows, but we shall explore the church in Thessalonica, the character and heart of the apostle Paul, and, most importantly, God himself. We are looking at a letter jam-packed with references to God, Father, Jesus, Christ, Lord and Holy Spirit - a total of 97 mentions in 89 verses. While it is true that we will learn practical aids to our Christian lives, we will, more significantly, learn a great deal about our Heavenly Father. 

This class is an introduction to the church in Thessalonica with information on its location, founding, economics and archaeology.

Subscribe to the Thames Valley podcast feed and YouTube channel to make sure you do not miss the daily devotionals based on 1 Thessalonians as well as the teaching classes.

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. 

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

God bless, Malcolm

You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford churches of Christ.

The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11

More notes, lessons and resources can be found here: 

www.malcolmcox.org

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford churches of Christ.

The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11

More notes, lessons and resources can be found here: 

www.malcolmcox.org

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

v1 Greeting - personal; God-focus; grace & peace
v2 - thankful for all; prayerful
v3 - hard work for God inspired by Jesus
v4 - family relationships; 28 times - ‘brothers’
v5 - God changed you dramatically
v6 - Accepted suffering; joy from the Spirit
‘If Christ wore a crown of thorns, why should His followers expect only a crown of roses?’ Martin Luther
v7 - modelled Christianity to other Christians
v8 - their reputation is connected to God’s work
v9 - turned to serve God
v10 - Trust in God revealed by patient service

God
We find 15 references to the Godhead in the 10 verses of chapter 1 and 97 mentions in all 89 verse of the letter.
He gives grace and peace, and joy despite suffering which inspires their work for Him such that it inspire others.

Turn to serve, v9
Repentance is a lifestyle and a radical one at that. Turn from: desire to be comfortable; compromise; fear; laziness; sins, halfheartedness; guilt; shame
"It would be like asking people in a modern city to give up using motor cars, computers and telephones.”  N.T. Wright.
Turn to: God; hope, love, faith, exploration of the Spirit’s desires, listening to God, risk, adventure, stretch, the new

Discussion

1. God-focussed
What does it mean to be God-focussed?
What resources will help you to be God-focussed this year?

2. Turning to serve
Turning away: Do you have something to turn away from in order to serve God? If you are struggling with this, what resources do you have to help you?
Turning towards: What opportunities has God given you to serve one another and the lost? What will help you to serve in faith, love and endurance this year?

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. 

“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) 

God bless, Malcolm

You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford churches of Christ.

The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11

More notes, lessons and resources can be found here: 

www.malcolmcox.org

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

1. Encouraging
παρακαλέω   parakaleō   109x  
to call for, invite to come, send for, Acts 28:20; to call upon, exhort, admonish, persuade, Lk. 3:18; Acts 2:40; 11:23; to beg, beseech, entreat, implore, Mt. 8:5, 31; 18:29; Mk. 1:40; to animate, encourage, comfort, console, Mt. 2:18; 5:4; 2 Cor. 1:4, 6; pass. to be cheered, comforted, Lk. 16:25; Acts 20:12; 2 Cor. 7:13 → ask; comfort; exhort; implore; summon.
“And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.” (Luke 3:18 NIV11)

• Inspire courage

2. Comforting
 παραμυθέομαι   paramytheomai   4x  
to exercise a gentle influence by words; to soothe, comfort, console, Jn. 11:19, 31; 1 Thess. 5:14; to cheer, exhort, 1 Thess. 2:12
“And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NIV11)

• Convey compassion

3. Urging
μαρτύρομαι   martyromai   5x  
to call to witness; intrans. to make a solemn affirmation or declaration, Acts 20:26; 26:22; Gal. 5:3; to make a solemn appeal, Eph. 4:17; 1 Thess. 2:12
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” (Ephesians 4:17 NIV11)

• Take action

Conclusion

Why not sign up for the church history module: https://www.aimukandireland.com/course/church-history

Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. 

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). 

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). 

Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. 

Keep calm and carry on teaching.

God bless, Malcolm

You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford churches of Christ.

The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11

More notes, lessons and resources can be found here: 

www.malcolmcox.org

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford churches of Christ.

The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11

More notes, lessons and resources can be found here: 

www.malcolmcox.org

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm