Thrive.Church Weekly Message

[2 Thessalonians 2:1-3] Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. [2] Don't be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don't believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. [3] Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed--the one who brings destruction. 

Keep your eyes on Jesus and don't be ________________ of what's ________________.

[2 Thessalonians 2:4] He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 

Anything that declares ________________ on God is _______________________.

[2 Thessalonians 2:7] For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.

The devil wants us to be more focused on ______________ than we are focused on ________________.

[1 John 2:22-23 ESV] Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. [23] No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

Jesus is going to ________________.

[2 Thessalonians 2:8-10] Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. [9] This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. [10] He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.

There is ________________ in the name of Jesus.

[Acts 4:12] There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."

[James 5:13-16] Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. [14] Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. [16] Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

God still __________________________

[Hebrews 13:8] Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

[2 Timothy 4:18] Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom.

God is more concerned about __________________________

[Matthew 10:28] "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

[Luke 10:19-20] Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. [20] But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

God wants me to _________________________________

[Hebrews 11:6] And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

James 5:17-18 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

1. Faith begins with a _________________________________

[Romans 10:17] So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

[1 Kings 17:1] Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

2. Faith continues when you _________________ to what He said.

[1 Kings 18:43-44] Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

[Galatians 6:9] So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

3. Faith goes from a _______________________ to a grand finale.

[1 Kings 18:45-46] And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. [46] Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.

[Zechariah 4:10a] Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin,

The ______________________ is the point!

Promise - Process - Payoff - Perspective

[James 5:19-20] My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

It's all about _________________________________

We will all meet ________________ one day.

[1 Thessalonians 5:9-11] For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. [10] Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. [11] So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

God's goal is not to pour out His ________________ on us.

God is not ________________ at you.

[1 Thessalonians 4:13-18] And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. [14] For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. [15] We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. [16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. [17] Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. [18] So encourage each other with these words.

Your death here on ________________ is not the ________________.

[1 Corinthians 15:55-58] O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" [56] For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. [57] But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. [58] So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

We don't need to fear death when our ________________ is in Jesus.

[Hebrews 4:16] So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Jesus' _______________________ assures us that death was defeated.

[Ephesians 2:4-5]

 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)

[James 5:1-6] Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. [2] Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. [3] Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. [4] For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. [5] You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. [6] You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

Attitudes of a Giving Life

Don't ________________ it greedily but ________________ it wisely.

Don't ________________ it deceptively but ________________ it honestly.

Don't ________________ it selfishly but ________________ it generously.

[Luke 12:15] Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

[Proverbs 11:24-25] Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. [25] The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

[James 5:7-12] Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. [8] You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. [9] Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! [10] For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. [11] We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. [12] But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

4 Right Actions to Accompany our Right Attitude

Be ________________

________________

Be ________________

Show ________________.

[Colossians 2:2-3] I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. [3] In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

[1 Thessalonians 2:14] And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God's churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews.
 

When we become _________________ we stop becoming more like Jesus.
 

[1 Thessalonians 2:12] We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.
 

You can make a _________________ in this world.
 

[2 Peter 3:8-9] But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. [9] The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
 

God is never in a _________________.
 

[2 Thessalonians 3:13] As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
 

God wants us to be _________ making a difference for Him.
 

[Luke 19:11-14] The crowd was listening to everything Jesus said. And because he was nearing Jerusalem, he told them a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. [12] He said, “A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and then return. [13] Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ [14] But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’ 
 

We are to _________________ the land God has put us in.
 

We are here to _________________ God's Kingdom.
 

[1 Thessalonians 4:11-12] Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. [12] Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.
 

God wants us to be a _________________ to the people around us.
 

[1 Thessalonians 4:9-10] But we don't need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. [10] Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more.

[James 3:13-18] If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. [14] But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. [15] For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. [16] For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. [17] But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. [18] And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

3 Characteristics of Worldly Wisdom

It is ______________________. (1 Corinthians 1:20)

It is ______________________. (Titus 3:3-5)

It is ______________________. (John 8:44; Proverbs 4:7)

3 Categories of Godly Wisdom

It springs up from ______________________________________

[1 John 3:3] And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

[Proverbs 10:9] People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.

It acts with ______________________________________

[Philippians 2:1-5] Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

It is intent on serving ______________________________________

[Matthew 5:9, 16] God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. [16] In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

[James 1:5] If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

[Psalm 111:10 NET] To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. He will receive praise forever.

Knowledge comes from ____________. Wisdom comes from _______

We should always stand strong in the face of OPPOSITION.

[1 Thessalonians 1:6-10] So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord. [7] As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece--throughout both Macedonia and Achaia. [8] And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don't need to tell them about it, [9] for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. [10] And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven--Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

There is no fear of JUDGEMENT when our faith is in Jesus.

[Acts 1:9-11] After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. [10] As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. [11] "Men of Galilee," they said, "why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!"

Jesus gives us HOPE for tomorrow.

I have CONFIDENCE that Jesus is coming again.

[Mark 13:32-33] “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. [33] And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!

Do SOMETHING for the Kingdom of God while you wait for Jesus to come back!

[Acts 4:12] There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."

God is not only the God of TODAY, but He is the God of TOMORROW.

[James 3:1-12] Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. [2] Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. [3] We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. [4] And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. [5] In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. [6] And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. [7] People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, [8] but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. [9] Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. [10] And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! [11] Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? [12] Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.

[Psalm 141:3] Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.

The tongue is a _______________________.

The tongue is a _______________________.

The tongue is a _______________________.

The tongue has been a ______________ since the day we were born.

The tongue is ________________ untamable.

The tongue is __________________

3 Ways to Tame the Tongue

______________________

[James 1:19] You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

______________________

T – Is it _________________?

H – Is it _________________?

I – Is it _________________?

N – Is it _________________?

K – Is it _________________?

______________________

[Matthew 12:34] You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.

[2 Kings 4:1-2] One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, "My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the LORD. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves." [2] "What can I do to help you?" Elisha asked. "Tell me, what do you have in the house?" "Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil," she replied.

When you feel _________________, _________ ________, to God _________________,.

When you feel drained, _________________, on what you _________________,.

[2 Kings 4:3] And Elisha said, "Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.

When you feel drained, ask for _________________,.

[2 Kings 4:4-7] Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled." [5] So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. [6] Soon every container was full to the brim! "Bring me another jar," she said to one of her sons. "There aren't any more!" he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. [7] When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, "Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over."

When you feel drained, have _________________, that God will _________________, you.

When you feel drained, keep _________________,.

We can _________________, our blessings when we limit our _________________, and _________________, to God.

[Luke 6:38] Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full--pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

When you are _________________,, you are in a position to be _________________,.

[Ephesians 3:16] I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

Everyone has faith in _______________. True faith has an ___________ associated with it.

[2 Corinthians 5:7] For we live by faith, not by sight.

[Hebrews 11:6a] It is impossible to please God without faith.

Faith must be combined with ________________.

[James 2:14] What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?

[2 Corinthians 13:5] Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.

Faith that is ___________________

[James 2:15-16] Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, [16] and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

Dead faith produces leaves with no _________________

[James 2:17-18] So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. [18] Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

Faith that is dead is just __________________________.

[James 2:19-20] You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. [20] How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

Works without _______________

[Ephesians 2:8-9] God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Works without faith is just going through the ________________.

Faith that is ___________________

Faith that doesn't change my _________ won't change my ________.

True faith _________________ produces fruit.

[James 2:21] Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

[James 2:25] Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.

[James 2:26] Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.