We are so accustomed to hearing about love- God's love, our love for each other, love in general-that we can easily dismiss it with, "Oh, yes. I know all about love already!" It can become commonplace, even boring, to us. The truth is, however, that it is not only the motivating factor in God's redemption of us, it is also the motivating factor of our entire lives, both in the body of Christ and outside it.

In 1 Thess. 3, Paul exhorts the believers to an experience of "overflowing and abounding in love". Sounds amazing, doesn't it? Most of us don't live in that place, however, or haven't in a long time.

So where does that kind of experience come from? And what happens once we have it? This week we'll examine the practicalities of experiencing that overwhelming sense of God's love, and what happens when we can drink of that love daily.

What does it look like to pass on the message of the Gospel? Each one of us is invited to participate in God's Kingdom coming here and now - entrusted with the message of the hope, beauty and power of Jesus Christ. In this passage, Paul models for us how to pass it on with integrity and power.

Two words to remember from Thessalonians 1:9-2:4 are affirmation and authenticity. In 2:1-4 the Apostle assures them of the authenticity of the ones who have taught them about Jesus, even under trials.

Two words to remember from vv 1:9-2:4 are affirmation and authenticity. In 1:9-10 Paul affirms their strong commitment to live out what he taught them, even under trials.