As we jump back into chapter 2, the suspense has been building. No Babylonian wise-men can interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dream. As such, they’re all slated to be executed. But Daniel and his 3 teenage friends have prayed to the one true God and He has heard their prayers and miraculously given Daniel insight into the dream of a tyrant. As Daniel reveals the meaning of the dream to the most powerful man on earth, we get some crucial take-home truths as modern day followers of Jesus. Firstly, unlike the Babylonian gods, our God is the sovereign One. He knows all things and can do all things. Secondly, we see that faithfulness to God is always rewarded, either in this life or the one to come. Lastly, we can’t miss that this was written to encourage God’s people in exile. You may feel like you’re losing in life right now, but if you’re in Christ, the story ends with you winning with King Jesus. That reality ought to be a life-giving wind in our sails as we journey through life!

The Problem of Evil - Guest Pastor, Joe Dillon 05.08.22 by New Life of Asheville

Daniel - A God of Dreams and Destinies - Jonathan Jones, Connections Pastor 05.01.22 by New Life of Asheville

Daniel is an exciting book that has it all: adventure, suspense, thrill, dreams, visions, heroes and villains. And yet, through all the excitement, the central theme of God’s sovereignty in all circumstances shines through in such a hopeful and encouraging way. Chapter 1 teaches us to embrace where God has us, regardless of circumstance. We learn to live convictionally and biblically in the face of cultures that despise people who do so. And, we learn the importance of seeking God’s favor by following His ways. Most importantly, this book will teach us that Daniel is a foreshadowing of the greater Daniel. The one who would come, suffer unjustly, and give His life as a ransom to rescue all who are enslaved to sin, guilt and shame.

Easter! The day 2.4 billion people around the world celebrate the most extraordinary event in human history. The last couple of years have been riddled with fear, anxiety, disease, wars and a heightened awareness of our own mortality. And yet, there’s an event in history that points our hearts to hope in this life and the one to come. Easter invites us to investigate the events and evidence of that day, while inviting us to experience resurrection of the heart in our own lives. The resurrection of Jesus is about freeing you to have real life in Him. Easter matters. Jesus is alive!

We finish up this letter with a series of super practical exhortations for believers. Rejoicing, praying and living in a posture of thankfulness are all key marks of someone who is walking with Jesus and being led by the Spirit. Living this way prevents us from quenching the work of the Spirit in us. Paul finishes this flurry of commands with a beautiful & hopeful reminder that it is God who accomplishes these things in us. It’s our job to walk with Him, & His job to produce fruit within us.

As Paul begins to close this dynamic little letter, he does so with a series of commands for how the Thessalonian church should live out their faith in community with one another. How they view and respond to their spiritual leaders is important. How the leaders lead and serve is critical. There ought to be a beautiful and loving symbiotic relationship between church leaders and the church body. Paul also teaches them what practical love toward one another looks like in the body. Pursuing peace, correcting the idle, encouraging the fainthearted, helping the weak, refusing revenge and seeking to do good to those in your local family of faith. This type of family isn’t easy. But it’s healthy, it’s beautiful, and most importantly, it’s a picture of Christ to the world around us.

Death and final judgment aren’t some of the most popular topics on first dates, in church, or really anywhere in our world. And yet, Paul argues that in order to really live fully and rightly, we can only do so with our eyes focused on that final day when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead. On that day, a new kingdom will be established where all things are made new and right. For the believer, this is incredible news. Our King is coming! Our rescue is certain! So let’s encourage each other to live in light of these realities.

Last week, we saw what it looks like to love one another well in the family of God. This week we see how to comfort and encourage one another, specifically about believers we know who have died. That is the context in which Paul encourages the Thessalonian believers with a few key details about Jesus’ return and the resurrection of believers.

Last week, we saw that the primary purpose of our lives is to please God. We please Him by becoming more and more like Jesus (sanctification), which begins with pursuing purity in our sexual lives. Paul continues that train of thought, and extends sanctification to how well we love one another in the family of God. He then gives us 3 practical ways to love one another well: live quiet lives, mind our own business, and work hard. By loving each other in these ways, we display a winsome picture of Jesus and His Kingdom to the watching world around us.