Being an effective signpost and growing in brotherly love are things that we do and that we are called to do “more and more.” This plays out in the way we work and function in the world.

Paul reminds the Thessalonians that the core of life in Christ is pleasing God, and that they, like us, can often be derailed by the flesh. The call to please God is a call to true freedom through the power of the Holy Spirit.

A church shaped by love, community, holiness, and the anticipation of Christ’s return becomes a signpost pointing toward hope.

The deep affection of Paul for the Thessalonian church is evident through his commitment to them and concern for them. This love endures through hindrance and affliction.

Paul’s story, which serves as a model for us, is fueled by deep, self-giving love and produces a life of integrity and steadfastness in the midst of opposition.

The church at Thessalonica was held up as a model church because they followed Jesus with joy even in the midst of affliction. We are not called to be a perfect church until Jesus returns, but we should strive to be a model of faithfulness in the midst of a broken world.

When we have a certain future, we can live in a way that reflects that future. In the already and not-yet of the Kingdom of Heaven, the church is called to live as a signpost that points to the reality of that Kingdom. This happens through faith, love, and hope.

When Jesus said that we are to "love your neighbor as yourself," what if He meant anyone who might cross our path? Serving those around us is the way strangers become neighbors and neighbors become brothers and sisters in Christ.

If Jesus had a method of evangelism, it was to eat a meal with people who were far from God. If we are to apprentice after Him, we are called to use our tables as a space for people who are far from God to experience welcome into His family.

Jesus modeled the perfect balance of grace and truth; He was accepting of everyone without approving of everything. The Kingdom of God should be a place where people can find acceptance while being challenged to live differently in light of the grace of Jesus.