You’re invited to join us as we continue our deep dive into First Thessalonians on Sunday, October 9th at 1pm. We’ll be meeting in Third Church’s Sunday School and online. As we discovered at our last meeting in September, this letter from Paul to the Thessalonians is like a case study in building a church. He gives us an account of the time, the place, and the inhabitants of Thessalonica. He talks about the religious climate and culture, and how the new followers of Christ suffered at the hands of their own people.
At this meeting we will be looking at First Thessalonians chapters two and three. In these chapters Paul heavily cites the message and how it was received. Chapter two talks specifically about the manner in which he preached. He makes it clear that his goal was not to impress the people from a human standpoint. He didn’t try to flatter them or hide his true motives. “We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts,” he says in verse four.
This approach was hugely successful. As Paul says in concluding the second chapter, “indeed, you are our glory and joy.” He’s saying that the people who had heard the message and truly taken it to heart were the crowning jewels of his missionary work. The most important building blocks of the early church, and indeed any church, were the people who received the Christ message and committed to practicing it in their lives.
In chapter three we hear more about the report Timothy brought back to Paul. The fact that the church at Thessalonica had not succumbed to the massive persecution that existed at the time was proof that these people were committed to living out their newfound faith. This was hugely encouraging to Paul and his companions.
There is so much we can learn from the example of Paul and the church at Thessalonica. We hope you’ll come be a part of Group Bible Study as we learn how to put the wisdom of the Bible to practical use in our lives today. Keep reading below for instructions on how to join our meeting remotely:
Remote Attendence
To join our Bible Study Google hangout, make sure you have a Google+ account, and add Third Church to one of your Google+ circles. Once you have done this, send your name, email, and Google+ account to ThirdChurchOffice@juno.com with the subject line “Bible Study Hangout″ and we’ll send you further instructions on how to join. If you have any issues getting set up, we’re here to help! Call us at (212) 838-1870 or email ThirdChurchOffice@juno.com.
To join Bible Study on the conference phone, use the dial in number and access code below:
Dial in Number: (605) 562-3140
Access Code: 398620
I look forward to this bible study. I attend a Catholic adult bible study Thursday nights in ms. My husband is a christian Minister from the Netherlands with a master’s of divinity from u. Of tx. Austin. I miss talking to christian scientists and hearing the bible study ideas. Thanks! Ark