Rev. Eric Landry - June 16, 2019
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Hungry - Powerful appetites can be as dangerous as they are good. This Sunday, we tackle one of the most powerful appetites of all: the hunger for intimacy. In a letter filled with thanksgiving, Paul makes an unexpected turn in chapter four to talk about sex. Thessalonica, like Austin, was a cosmopolitan city where any sexual need could be met. In the midst of such an environment, Paul exhorts the Christians to live in anticipation of Jesus’ return—to live as those who have already been sanctified by the work of Christ. His message is both bracing and gracious, marking us as those who have been rescued not just from a culture of corruption but also from the corruption of our own hearts. Join us this Sunday for frank discussion about sex and the Christian life.
From Series: "Waiting for Jesus"
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.