1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 — NEW BOOK!!!

READ THIS: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

1 Paul, Silas and Timothy,  To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:  Grace and peace to you. 2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

Welcome to 1 Thessalonians!!! You can figure out two things by the name of this letter alone: it is written to the Thessalonians (people from a place called Thessalonica), and it is the first of two letters written by Paul to these people! Thessalonica was a city built near two major Roman roads, so it soon became a wealthy trade center in Europe. Paul had come to visit Thessalonica during his journeys, and after he left them, he sent one of his closest partners in ministry, Timothy, to give him a report on how things were going there. Timothy's report is a part of this letter, and we will read about it soon, but Timothy also came back to Paul asking questions on the church's behalf... That's where this letter kicks off!

This first verse shows us an awesome part about Paul's ministry: he loved to work with others! Here, Paul mentions Silas and Timothy, two of his most trusted partners that he traveled with. We are often quick to call these letters "Paul's letters," but Paul was always humble enough to recognize that his ministry would be nothing without his friends and (most importantly) Jesus!

Paul writes that he can't seem to forget about Thessalonica! He prays for them constantly and remembers their good works that came from the result of their faith in Jesus. How cool is that?! Paul has been all over the world, dealt all sorts of trouble, and met all kinds of people, yet he can't get out of his head the amazing faith and actions of the Thessalonians. So what made their actions and faith so special? Paul writes that their works are the result of their love, their endurance is a result of their hope, and that both their love and hope come from Jesus. When we ask Jesus to fill us with His love and His hope, it changes us and leaves a mark on those around us... even faithful people like Paul, Silas, and Timothy!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Who are people in your life that you can team up with to do ministry? Why do you think God has given you those people?

2. Why do you think love and hope are so important to how we act as Christians? Why must our love and hope come from Jesus and not something else?

TRY THIS:
 
Paul was great about encouraging others, especially those he did ministry with... and now it's your turn! Go back to question 1, and take some time today to thank those people for being your partners in ministry.



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