Thessalonians Words Challenge is a combination of Bible Study and creativity. The idea is to use 31 words to take you through the books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians using the Bible study devotions you will find on this page as catalysts to responding with whatever creative practice you choose - art journaling, collage, photography, poetry, creative writing, Bible journaling, etc. I have a deep desire to see people go deeper into God's Word and to learn how to study it for themselves. I've set Thessalonians Words apart from my other Word challenges because it offers an opportunity to do just that. Take these two relatively small books of the Bible and read them, study it then with the study aides I've included on my site, and then meditate on them with creative practice. In the menu above you will find a Bible Study Tips & Techniques page which was developed during the original Thessalonians Words Challenge. Use those techniques to learn new skills or refresh ones you may already have, but maybe you don't use as often as you like. You'll find that many of the techniques use passages from Thessalonians as examples. Dig into these books and enjoy both the time in God's Word and responding creatively.
Day 1:Faith
May God in His mercy lead us through these times; above all may He lead us to Himself."
Months later Paul sends Timothy back to Thessalonica to see how these young believers are faring. I Thessalonians is Paul's response to the church after hearing Timothy's report. And it all starts with faith.
The word faith, pistis (S4102) in Greek, is used 13 times in the two letters to the Thessalonians; 8 times in the first letter, and 5 times in the second. Faith refers to belief, trust, confidence, conviction of the truth. In the New Testament, faith is mainly used to refer to belief in the Gospel message: The good news that God provided a way for man to be freed from the penalty of sin through Jesus Christ.
Reading through these two letters and the instances in which Paul uses the word faith, I have come to two conclusions. 1. Faith is active and visible. And 2. Faith is like a muscle. Let's look a bit deeper at each of these.
Faith is active and visible.
Paul begins both letters expressing that his prayers are full of thanksgiving to God for the faith the Thessalonians have. He hears from Timothy that their faith has stood up against the trials and suffering they continually face (1 TH 3:1-8). In fact their faith is enabling them to stand firm in the midst of those trials, and as a result "the Lord's message rang out" from them and was known everywhere (1 TH 1:8). Their faith was visible, it was evident and visible in their works and in their labors of love (1 TH 1:3). To Paul, one's faith is proven genuine by the work or deeds one does as a result of their faith. We may even wonder, as a result of this, if a hidden faith is even true faith at all.Faith is like a muscle.
Day 2: Hope
"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.4 For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."
- Their work produced by faith,
- Their labor prompted by love,
- Their endurance inspired by hope.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:3-9
The Thessalonians turned to the living and true God and received a living hope in Christ Jesus.
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:1-5
Day 3: Gospel
- Not simply with words
- But also with power
- With the Holy Spirit
- And with deep conviction
"For the gospel to flourish people must share their own lives." ~John Piper
Day 4: Spirit
"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14
Day 5: Lord
- The church is established in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1TH 1:1; 2 TH 1:2
- Hope is found in the Lord. 1 TH 1:3
- His people are to imitate the Lord. 1 TH 1:6
- Jesus, the Lord, is Savior. 1 TH 1:10; 5:9
- The Lord is the substance of the Gospel message. 1 TH 1:8; 2:8; 3:2; 2 TH 1:8; 3:8
- The Lord enables us to love (1 TH 3:12); to grow in holiness (1 TH 3:13; 5:23), to live in pleasing ways to God (1TH 4:1-2).
- The Lord strengthens our hearts and encourages us (1 TH 3:13; 2 TH 3:16-17
- The Lord will punish those who are in sin. 1 TH 4:6, 2 TH 1:8
- The Lord is faithful. 1 TH 5:24; 2 TH 3:3
- The Lord is the Lord of peace. 2TH 3:16
- The Lord's name will be glorified in His people when He returns. 2 TH 1:12, 2:14 He is coming again! We will dig into this more on Sunday.
Jesus is Lord!
Day 6: Model
When Jesus began His ministry on earth, He came at a time when the leading religious group for God's people, the Pharisees, had made following God about a very long list of behaviors. These behaviors were supposed to be reflections of a holy life. Instead they became a grueling list of 613 laws that everyone was supposed to follow. They created a way of life that was impossible to live up to and so it became a burden to the people, and a way of "lording over" the people to the Pharisees. The laws became mere outward behaviors that lost connection with the heart.
Jesus enters the scene inviting others into His way of life with the simple words, "Follow me". He was not simply asking people to come along with Him, but to be devoted to Him and to learn and imitate His way of life. Jesus modeled the Father's way of life in the midst of everyday life. His followers watched how He lived and interacted with people. Many of His teachings and lessons took place as they were going about life, using everyday things like farming and children to teach them the ways of the Kingdom. He described His way of life this way:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”Follow Me, Learn from Me.
Paul then took up his ministry with the same mindset. He followed the example of Christ's teachings and life, and then modeled it for the people who ministered with him, and to those he taught as he planted churches all over. He shared his life with the people he shared the gospel with as he says in the Thessalonian letters (1 TH 1:5; 2:8). A theme in many of his letters.
"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1
"Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church." 1 Corinthians 4:15-17
"Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do." Philippians 3:17
Paul commends the church at Thessalonica because they are imitating Christ's life seen in the way Paul and his disciples live among them, and then they are modeling it to those they live among.
"You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere." 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8Not only that, but Paul says they are modeling it to other churches throughout the regions of Macedonia and Achaia as well. For a church to be a model, it must have leaders and individuals in it who are living out the ways of Christ. There are some important reasons here for God's call on us to live out our faith in the midst of a Christian community. We need leaders and others in our lives who will show us what living a holy life looks like. We need to be intimately and frequently involved with people who are modeling, imitating, following Christ, and living as examples of His life. And the church needs us - each one of us - to be those who are living out the ways of Christ as best we can. We are each a little bit ahead of someone else and can lead and teach with our lives. And then together, we are all needed to help build up our churches to show Christ to the world.
In the midst of the pain and suffering, the tension and frustration, the overwhelm of sickness and death we face in our current situations today, we need to show others who Jesus is. We all need to know His compassion, love, hope and joy. We can extend His kindness, His willingness to serve and help others. We cam to offer others His gifts of compassion, love, mercy, grace, and peace. Every issue and situation seems to cause more division and arguments right now. Jesus came to break down barriers and to bring peace. We are called to imitate Him.
Wherever you are on your journey of faith -just beginning or having walked with Christ for a long time - you are further along in the journey than someone else. I pray that we will all find God's grace as we strive to imitate Christ to those around us. Strive to be His model to someone else in your life.
Day 7: Coming
- They turned to God from idols. The expression of their faith.
- They serve the living and true God. The expression of their love.
- They wait for His Son from heaven. The source of their hope.
- God's Son.
- Whom He raised from the dead.
- Whose name is Jesus (which means savior)
- Who will rescue us from the coming wrath.
"This is at first sight surprising, since 'serving' is active, while 'waiting'is passive. In Christian terms 'serving' is getting busy for Christ on earth, while 'waiting' is looking for Christ to come from heaven.Yet these two are not incompatible. On the contrary, each balances the other. On the one hand, however hard we work and serve, there are limits to what we can accomplish. We can only improve society; we cannot perfect it. For that we have to wait for Christ to come. Only then will he secure the final triumph of God's reign of justice and peace. On the other hand, although we look expectantly for Christ, we have no liberty to wait in idleness, with arms folded and eyes closed, indifferent to the needs of the world around us. Instead, we must work even while we wait, for we are called to serve the living and true God."
Day 8: Love
We first come upon the word love in verse 3 of chapter 1 in the first letter, where it is combined with faith and hope. Faith, hope and love are often called the three most eminent Christian virtues. All three are evidence of one's salvation in Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit in their life. Ten times these three virtues are listed together in the New testament letters: Romans 2:3-5; 1 Corinthians 13:13; Galatians 5:5-6; Colossians 1:5; I Thessalonians 1:3 and 5:8; Hebrews 6:10-12 and 10:22-24; 1 Peter 1:3-8 and 1:21-22.
Of the combination of faith and love, John Calvin said they were "the sum total of godliness". Love, as we saw with the word faith on our first day of the challenge, is a fruit of the Spirit, but also something we have a responsibility to nurture and grow. And so Paul prays that love will continually increase and grow in the lives of the Thessalonians (1 TH 3:12; 2 TH 1:3).
In fact, love is something that Paul repeatedly commends the Thessalonians for. It would appear that, based on the comments in Paul's letters, that they are a loving community that is known far and wide for how they love each other and love those outside of their community.
- Their love prompted their service. 1 TH 1:3
- Paul called their love "good news", the same word used for the gospel. 1 TH 3:6
- They were known for their brotherly love, not only in their church but to churches throughout Macedonia. 1 TH 4:9-10, 2 TH 1:3
Day 9: Believe
"But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13
Day 10: Joy
"For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy." 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20He speaks in a similar fashion to the church at Philippi:
"Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!" Philippians 4:1
Day 11: Suffering
- "In spite of severe suffering..." 1 TH 1:6
- "You suffered..." 1 TH 2:14
- "So that no one would be unsettled by these trials." 1 TH 3:3
- "We would be persecuted..." 1 TH 3:4
- "...In all the persecutions and trials you are enduring." 2 TH 1:4
- "...For which you are suffering." 2 TH 1:5
- "To you who are troubled." 2 TH 1:6
"So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain." 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5
“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” Acts 14:22
"Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:17
"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him." Philippians 1:29
"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 timothy 3:12
Suffering is a normal part of our lives as Christ-followers. But Paul does not leave it there. To Paul's theology, we can bear with the sufferings of this life because He is confident that God will use them in some way, for our good and for His glory. Our suffering is not meaningless. Look at a few more passages from Paul's letters that help us gain his perspective to view suffering in the light of God's purpose and glory.
"Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord." Acts 11:19-21. The suffering they faced in persecution led to the gospel being spread.
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5. Suffering helps our faith and our hope grow.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort...Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." 2 Corinthians 1:3-7,9. The sufferings we go through bring us comfort from God and help us know how to comfort others, and ultimately, they help us to rely more on God not ourselves.
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Here Paul helps us view our suffering in the light of God's kingdom and eternity. In suffering, there is so much more going on than what we are able to see.
Over the years of going through many trials, some worse than others, my husband and I developed a saying to help us remember that there was a greater purpose than the suffering we were experiencing. Whatever the trail was, we would say, "It's not about ______." Fill in the blank: the money, the sickness, the relational troubles, etc. We need to look beyond what is going on if we will be able to learn what God is trying to do in and through the trail and suffering. Paul did not say rejoice for the trial, but rejoice in the trial (Romans 5:3). Paul never made light of the trials and sufferings he or his followers faced, or that we face. They are real, they are hard, they cause distress and hardship. Paul just knew from His own experience and from the experiences of Christ, and from His knowledge of Scripture and the character and nature of God, that there is a greater purpose for them. Suffering can cause us to question God, to falter in our faith, and some even walk away from it as a result. But Paul urges us to gain a godly perspective of suffering and allow God to use it to grow our faith, to grow our trust in Him, and to let Him work through us to minister to others and to bring Him glory.
Day 12: Sanctified
Day 13: Please
Day 14: Live
"For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy live." 1 Thessalonians 4:7
"Pleasing God is the foundation on which Christian ethical behavior is built."
Day 15: Instruction
Without digging into the content of the instructions, let's notice instead a number of things about the nature of the instructions. First, the instructions are not from Paul alone, but rather from the Lord. One of the words Paul uses for instructions and commands is parangelias, which was more often used in his day for military instructions passed on from one in authority. Paul states throughout his letters that his message is "the word of God" ( TH 2:13), and that he speaks and instructs them "in the Lord" ( 1 TH 4:1, 2 TH 3:4,12), and that he gives instructions "by the authority of the Lord" (! TH 4:2).
Second, it's good to note once again, that Paul wants them to obey these instructions for holy living because of the desire to please the Lord (1 TH 4:1). Paul gives these instructions to help believers live in order to please the Lord, and thus he has some pretty strong instructions to the church in how to live with fellow believers who are not living by the Lord's instructions:
"For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit." 1 TH 4:7-8
"In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us." 2 TH 3:6
"Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed." 2 TH 3:14
Finally, we must take note that living to please the Lord is a progressive thing, we do not come into faith in Christ and then automatically live a completely holy life. Paul urges the Thessalonians to live as he instructs "more and more"(1 TH 4:1, 4:10, 2 TH 1:3). Even in his instructions about those who reject his instructions, his desire is that they "may feel ashamed" (2 TH 3:14) and urges them not to "regard them as an enemy, but warn them as a fellow believer" (2 TH 4:15). His desire is always for reconciliation to the Lord, first and foremost. His instructions are for the good of the believer, for the good of the community, and for the glory of the Lord.
Day 16: Asleep
Day 17: Day
For the day of the Lord is near;
it will come like destruction from the Almighty.
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved." Joel 1:15; 2:31-32
for the day of the Lord!
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?
That day will be darkness, not light.
It will be as though a man fled from a lion
only to meet a bear,
as though he entered his house
and rested his hand on the wall
only to have a snake bite him.
Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light—
pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?" Amos 5:18-20
Day 18: Night
Day 19: Died
Now at the beginning of verse 10 it say 'He'. Many of the other translations say "Who", which really helps the flow, because in the Greek verse 10 is not a new sentence but a continuation of verse 9. So we can read it as, "...through Jesus Christ, who died...". So what does Paul say about Jesus Christ in verse 10? That He died. Who did He die for? Us, those who are children of the day/light. Remember the 'for' here is used as 'on behalf of'' or 'in place of''. Jesus Christ died on behalf of us, in our place. Why? We have to look past the parenthetical statement, which we'll come back to, for the answer. He died 'so that' we may live. How may we live? Together with Him. This is a statement of eternity. We will not suffer wrath instead we will complete our salvation, living together with Him forever. The parenthetic statement, 'whether we are awake or asleep' refers to the topic he has covered in previous passages. So whether the children of the day are awake (alive) or asleep (dead) when Christ returns, they will all live together with Him forever. Salvation - past, present, and future - is a gift of God provided through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
Day 20: Each Other
Day 21: Pray
Day 22: Thank
In another letter from Paul, he also combines rejoicing, thanksgiving and prayer.
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7
We are best able to rejoice when we are able to see with eyes of gratitude. When we are thankful for who God is and for all that He has done for us through Jesus Christ. Rejoicing and thanksgiving then naturally lead us to going to the Father in prayer. A lifestyle of continual rejoicing and thanksgiving then means a lifestyle of continual prayer.
Prayer reminds us that we are not alone. It reminds us that we cannot do life alone, it helps place us in continual dependence on God. Thankfulness and joy flow from a growing trust in God and belief that He cares for us and provides for us.
Through constant prayer we are better able to have the mind of Christ, to see things as He does, and thus be able to rejoice and give thanks in all things. Prayer with thanksgiving helps us focus on what we have in Christ, and leads us to rejoice in Him.
Thanksgiving, rejoicing and prayer are so intimately connected that they constantly work together: thanksgiving in prayer results in joy; rejoicing stirs up thankfulness and moves us to pray; prayer brings both thanksgiving and joyfulness as we talk to and depend on the Father.
It all brings us to the end of this passage in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19: "for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." A lifestyle of continual rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving is motivated in us because it is God's will for us. But we are not left to go it alone, for it is God's will for us in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ provides us with the ability and the power through His Spirit. The more we grow in Christ's likeness, the more we are able to grow in rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving.
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