A Ministry Pleasing to God - Paul has written a church he loved, but had to leave suddenly, a letter full of praise and thanksgiving to God. In 2:1, he asks the Thessalonians to remember his ministry among them. He does this because he is going to continue to exercise that ministry, albeit from a long distance. So, he is grounding the church in what they already know about Paul in order to receive the word of God from him via this letter. This gives us a glimpse into the kind of ministry Paul conducted. As we explore the contours of that ministry, we can see how ministry in our own church should work. Join us this Sunday as we consider the kind of ministry that is pleasing to God.
This week, we begin a new summer sermon series in the book of First Thessalonians: “Waiting for Jesus.” Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica tackles big questions that all of us still wrestle with today, some 2000 years after this letter was first written: How can we exist in a culture that does not understand or share our faith? How can we live with one foot in the kingdom of God and the other foot firmly planted in a world in which our desires are at war with one another? How can we long for the return of Jesus when so many other things of this world occupy our thoughts morning, noon, and night? Join us this week, as we consider Paul’s introduction (1 These 1:1-10) and his gratitude for the work of God in the life of this church he loves.
