Message Notes and Group Study Guide

Date: September 21-22, 2024
Speaker: Mike Chilcoat
Series: Live This Day
Message: #3 - With Strength
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Scripture

¹⁷ But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. ¹⁸ For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. ¹⁹ 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? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

Chapter 3
¹ So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. ² 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, ³ so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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.

⁶ But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. ⁷ Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. ⁸ For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. ⁹ How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? ¹⁰ Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹² May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³ May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. —1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13 (NIV)

Notes

Study Guide

Step One: Icebreaker (Optional)
What might be some of your personal strengths? (For a fun exercise, consider going around the room to let the group identify a strength for each person.)

Step Two: Open
Ask someone in your group to pray to open your time together. Ask another person to read 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13.

Step Three: Discuss

What stood out to you the most in this weekend’s teaching? What was challenging, encouraging, or confusing to you?
Our study through 1 Thessalonians is causing us to consider how we ought to “live this day” in light of the certainty of Jesus’ return. Consider 2:19-20. What does Paul wish to present Christ when he comes? How does Paul’s pursuit compare with your own?
Reflect on 2:18 and 3:5. What do we learn about Satan’s tactics? What seems to be his objective?
Paul writes that he sent Timothy to “strengthen and encourage” the church in their faith. Consider this entire passage. What might be the outward evidence of having a strong faith?
How can we go about strengthening our own faith today?
We see here that it’s necessary to strengthen our faith because of the certainty of trials and persecution. Has there been a trial in your own life that challenged your faith? What did you learn from that season?
Paul’s desire is to visit the church and to “supply what is lacking” in their faith. Is it possible to have both a strong faith and a faith that is lacking? What might he mean by this? Do you see an area of your own faith that might be lacking?

Step Four: Close in Prayer
Ask someone in your group to close in prayer, focusing on specific requests for people to find and follow Jesus.