Our Resurrection Weekend services begin with our Good Friday Evening Gathering, March 29 at 7:00 pm, and conclude with our regular Sunday activities on Resurrection Sunday Morning, March 31!

1 Thessalonians square

Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

  • Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2. To whom is this written and how are they addressed?
  • What does the writer, Paul, directly state about his audience?
  • How does he refer to what he previously told them? How are they responding to it?
  • What are they specifically encouraged to “excel” in?

Prayerfully Meditate

  • Could this passage be addressed to anyone? Why or why not?
  • Why would it be important for Paul’s audience to “excel still more” in what he tells them they already do? What could be a natural result of not obeying this specific request?
  • Why do you think Paul included “just as you actually do walk”? How could this have been received differently if not included?
  • How important is it to know this instruction comes by the “authority of the Lord Jesus”? Should Paul’s instruction have been received the same if not with that authority?