What these afflicted saints need first is some encouragement. Paul continues in the rest of chapter 1 by encouraging the Thessalonians Christians with more evidences of grace. This church was known for imitating Christ and being holy. What about you? Are you faithfully imitating Christ? Are you living holy lives that are worthy of this kind of gratitude?

Affliction goes hand-in-hand with being a follower of Jesus Christ. When affliction comes, we shouldn’t be surprised, we shouldn’t despair, and we shouldn’t be afraid. Rather, we should be joyful and endure with all hope because the Lord gives hope to his people. 1 Thessalonians was written to a young church that was experiencing much affliction. In this sermon, we look at how Paul encouraged the suffering church and reminded them of God’s grace and love for them.

After surveying Genesis 1-5 it is obvious that God is supreme over all that He has made. But this supremacy is not something to be terrified of. In fact, it ought to lead the Christian to heartfelt joy and thanksgiving. By looking back over these chapters with this thought in mind, we can fuel our delight in God and thus increase our worship of Him.

As Adam and Eve begin to fill the earth, they start to see the effects of their sin. Some of their kids love God and some hate Him. Some walk with God and some don’t listen to Him. Within one generation it becomes clear that there will be those who follow God and those who do not. Eventually, all who love God from every tribe, tongue and nation will be gathered into one new family

Death and abandonment. These seem like the end of the world, and they would be if it were not for the grace of God. Even on the worst of all days, there are glimmers of light and hope, all of which call on all of us to look and live.

Excellence is a highly neglected virtue in the church today. Christians have become far too content with mediocre living that produces low-quality results. This is not the kind of life that honours the Lord. If we are to live lives that are fully pleasing to God, we must restore this lost virtue and passionately pursue excellence for the glory of God.

We often think of Adam and Eve getting cursed by God after they fall into sin, yet the text is clear… only Satan and the ground get cursed. Still, our first parents were indeed punished by God in gender-specific ways that have stayed with us until today. This makes the finished work of Christ and His certain Return all the more amazing. He does what is needed to save us completely, and we are spared from the ruin Satan will endure forever. But it was not without cost. Jesus walks with a limp, as it were. A damaged heel, from stepping on the head of a dead snake.

Why do we blame other people for our sins? Why are we so ashamed of someone seeing certain parts of our lives? Shame and blame-shifting are universal human experiences that do not lead to good outcomes. In this sermon, we seek to understand their cause and how to live without them.