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A Life of Impact
Manage episode 281485285 series 2682562
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1 Thessalonians 1:1-5 “Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 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. For we know, brothers and sistersloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction
A Life of Impact
Verse one talks about "work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope.” The work, labor, and endurance comes from faith, love, and hope. The first set of words (work, labor, endurance) are words of effort, but the second set (faith, love, and hope) come from a different place. They come from the Holy Spirit. They come from a surrendered life. It’s not effort first. We don’t labor for love but labor FROM love. We don’t work for faith we work FROM faith. The author Paul is trying to rearrange our natural order of thinking it’s up to us again. He knows when we start with God and a focus on him the other things will be in their right place. When we properly value God we’ll properly value everything else. They all come from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do you ever catch yourself living like you need to work for love than from love? Do you feel like you have to do something for God instead of knowing if you follow God he will put things before you to do?
In verse 5 Paul says, “our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.” When did you first experience what felt like the power of the Holy Spirit? Share an experience early in your faith where you experience this good news in a powerful way.
In verse 6 Paul says, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord.” The mark of a disciple (learner) is they imitate Christ. The question to ask yourself is, “Do I have a life worth imitating?” Remembering people don’t need perfect examples but living examples. Who has set a good example for you as a person of faith worth imitating?
What have you been given in the faith to pass on to others? What is something God has put in you that you want to see in others?
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