Here is a wonderful picture of the future:

… we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him…

1 Thess 4:14

That’s an amazing hope - that as surely as Jesus himself rose from the dead, so he’ll raise those who are in him!

Christians are set apart to live lives pleasing to God, through faith in Jesus. Paul applies this in the back half of his first Letter to Thessalonians. He gets personal as he applies this to everyday life, sex and work. This week we’ll hear the call to pursue sexual purity and flee sexual temptation, pursue peace and productivity and flee sloth. We are set apart to please God in all of life, what does that look like for you?

‘For now we really live!’ (1 Thess 3.8a)

What’s life about for you? And why? Or more specifically, as you look ahead to next week, what’s next week going to be about for you? It will contain different things for each of us. And in the sermon we hear what life is about for the Apostle Paul. We see what shapes each day for him and why. And my prayer is that what we hear from God’s word will shape the coming week for each of us.

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

1 Thess 2.13

What an incredible truth this is. The word we get to speak to one another, the word we get to share with our community is no mere human word, it is the word of God! And when it is spoken, God’s mighty spirit is at work. And when he is at work great things happen – faith, love, hope happen!

11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

It’s a great book that talks about living holy lives, under pressure, what love looks like, and the future of hope of Jesus’ imminent return.

Friends - we all need them but be careful they can lead you astray or to good.

The tongue has the power of life and death.

And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21

It’s been great to kick off our mini-series in Proverbs and be encouraged to put our heart’s deepest trust in God and his grace, to live truly wise lives! One of the keys with wisdom is that it’s got to be worked out in community rather than in isolation.

Dine with lady wisdom...

About how Jesus changes things in the great news of the gospel contained in a few simple verses from Galatians