An audio lesson or sermon from various contributors
Episodes
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
Wednesday Jan 25, 2023
How to support people when they
suffer, 1 Thess 2:13-20
Introduction, vv13
• Consequences of accepting
• Accepting opens the door for God’s power to work
• What happens?
• Our world gets disturbed!
• What do we do when that happens?
1. How to handle suffering, vv13-16
• ‘You suffered’ Why?
• QUESTION: Why do we suffer? Teens, why do you suffer bullying, gossip, violence, injustice?
A. Fallen world
• Justice and what is right not always valued
• If Jesus suffered, so will his followers
• If justice matters to you, become a Christian
• Work for justice with the only one who truly understands what is just - with his strength
and power, wisdom
• Work with the one who will see justice done - confidence is his commitment to justice
since made greatest sacrifice for justice
B. Some prefer darkness
• “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light
because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19 NIV11)
C. How we grow
• “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance
finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2–4
NIV11)
• Theme: 1:6; 2:2, 9, 14; 3:3, 4, 7
• QUESTION: close eyes. Your area of greatest suffering. Surrender it to God. Trust you can
cope and God will bring good out of it.
2. How to handle it when people we love suffer, vv17-20
• This example reveals how our community should respond to suffering
A. We feel their pain
• Empathy
• Because of love
• Not guilt, duty or desire to ‘rescue’ to make ourselves feel better
B. We make significant efforts
• Resourceful - sent Timothy
• Check they want help - they wanted to see Paul (3:6)
C. We trust God
• He is more powerful than Satan
• He will right the wrongs (v16 - God’s wrath at the right time)
• QUESTION: close eyes. Someone suffering you love. One thing you can do this week to
connect with them in their suffering.
Conclusion, vv19-20
• Relationships more important than anything.
• Motivated by the love of Jesus: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let
us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer
and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame,
and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such
opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1–3
NIV11)
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Monday Jan 23, 2023
You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings
accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford
churches of Christ.
The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives
worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour
prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1
Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11
More notes, lessons and resources can be found here:
www.malcolmcox.org
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
Sunday Jan 22, 2023
Sunday Jan 22, 2023
You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings
accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford
churches of Christ.
The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives
worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour
prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1
Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11
More notes, lessons and resources can be found here:
www.malcolmcox.org
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
Saturday Jan 21, 2023
Saturday Jan 21, 2023
You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings
accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford
churches of Christ.
The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives
worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour
prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1
Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11
More notes, lessons and resources can be found here:
www.malcolmcox.org
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
Friday Jan 20, 2023
Friday Jan 20, 2023
You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings
accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford
churches of Christ.
The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives
worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour
prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1
Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11
More notes, lessons and resources can be found here:
www.malcolmcox.org
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
Thursday Jan 19, 2023
You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings
accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford
churches of Christ.
The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives
worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour
prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1
Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11
More notes, lessons and resources can be found here:
www.malcolmcox.org
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
1. What God’s messengers are like inside, internally, their motives - and how
you can tell, vv2-7
A. Suffering, v2
Acts 16 - stripped, beaten with rods, severely flogged, prison, feet in stocks.
Yet bold in speaking
Why do that if likely to receive same treatment?
B. Motives, v3
Not tricky
If he had tricked them they would know by now
C. Flattery, v5
No greed
Does not get you beaten up
Authority from suffering and sacrifice for no personal gain. Apply to
leadership, of course, but also to how we treat one another because this is
an issue of Christ-likeness.
“The hallmark of well-entrenched greed, then, is a willingness to use people
to serve our love for money, rather than the use of money to serve our love
for people.” Glittering Vices, Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung
“When we process our leadership by our character, the quality of the
outcomes will be measured by a thriving culture where people are valued
and not used, where the leader is respected and not feared, where a leader
is trusted and not doubted, where the moral authority of the leader’s life
makes others glad to cooperate and achieve, where grace underwrites the
administration of the employee handbook, and where the leader’s example
stimulates those he serves to live and lead as the leader lives and leads.”
Redefining Leadership Joseph M. Stowell
2. What God’s messengers are like with people, externally, their actions -
and how you can tell, vv7-12
A. Child
QUESTION: In what way could an adult like Paul be a ‘child’ among the
Thessalonians?
Invisible
Not a ‘hero’
Dependant
B. Nursing mother
QUESTION: In what way could an man like Paul be a ‘nursing mother’
among the Thessalonians?
Skin-close
Bird keeping chicks warm
Feeding
C. Father
QUESTION: In what way could an person like Paul be a ‘father’ among the
Thessalonians?
Taking initiative by
Encouraging
Comforting
Urging
QUESTION: What would these look like?
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your
labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord
Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3
Encouraging - put courage in - FAITH
Comforting - companionable compassion - LOVE
Urging - take action - ENDURANCE
"He exhorted them like a sports coach telling his team how to win; he
encouraged them like a friend strengthening someone facing a daunting
task; he testified to them like a witness in a court of law." N. T. Wright, The
NT for Everyone
Conclusion
A wonderful model for us to imitate in reaching out to those who do not know
God....
‘The true missionary is not someone specialised in the delivery of the
message but someone whose whole being, completely committed to a
message which demands all, is communicated to his hearers.’ Best, Tyndale
Commentary
You've found an upload from the Thames Valley churches of Christ. Thank
you for watching this video. If you'd like to know more go to
www.thamesvalley.church where you'll find news, information, resources and
much more.
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
Wednesday Jan 18, 2023
You have found a daily devotional podcast on 1 Thessalonians. These recordings
accompany the teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford
churches of Christ.
The brief devotionals are aimed at encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives
worthy of God” 1 Thessalonians 2:12
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour
prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1
Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11
More notes, lessons and resources can be found here:
www.malcolmcox.org
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:28 NIV11)
God bless, Malcolm