1 Thessalonians 1

Key Point(s) 1.  Pray for each other 2.  Follow people that follow Jesus 3.  Persevere in following Jesus through difficulty 4.  Faithfulness produces character

Summary 

• Written to the Thessalonians from Paul, Silas and Timothy
• The writers pray for the people they are writing to
• The gospel came in power through the direction of the Holy Spirit
• The writer’s encourage the audience to continue doing what they do well
• The writer’s were men of good models for the audience to follow
• The audience chose to imitate the writers(follow Jesus) at the cost of severe persecution
• The audience persevered in their relationship with Jesus through difficult circumstances
• The audience became testimonies to God’s grace and mercy
• People noticed a transformation in the lives of the Thessalonians

Reflective Discussion Questions

1.  How often do you thank God for faithful believers He’s placed in our life?

2.  Why is it important to encourage faithful followers of Jesus? How would your life change if people you encouraged you to continue doing the good things that are part of your lifestyle?(v3)

3.  What does it mean to encourage someone honestly?  How do you encourage someone honestly?  

4.  Why encourage people to keep doing what they do well?  Will a person grow more if you point out what they are doing wrong?

5.  Why do the Thessalonians do all of these “good things”?(v3-4)

6.  Why does Paul say, “You know what kind of men we were among you for your benefit”?(v5)

7.  Why is it important to Paul that people knew he was imitating the Lord?

8.  How does your lifestyle direct people to imitate the Lord?

9.  What process did the Thessalonians have to go through in order to be an example for other believers?(v3-4, 6)

10.  Do you choose to live out your faith in difficult circumstances? How can a person remain joyful in the midst of persecution?(v6)

11.  Do the decisions you make show people that you are trusting God more?  How do you create a habit/lifestyle of turning to God?

12.  How does waiting on Jesus affect how you live in the present?

Individual Challenge: Ask God to reveal a person that you can follow and one person you can lead.

Draw a picture of what your life would look like if you lived out the challenge.

Draw a picture of what our church would look like if everyone in our congregation was living out the challenge.