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Wide Awake and Ready! Week Two

1 Thessalonians

May 5, 2019 • Pastor Luke Dailey

Luke’s Sermon Meditation for Sunday, May 5th: “I Thessalonians 1:6-10

"A life that testifies"

It was Francis of Assisi that said "preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words." This phrase has been quoted over and over again throughout the centuries. Though it is a popular quote, it doesn't hold merit. The term preach means to boldly proclaim. That means that words are necessary. The gospel MUST be preached! God has given us His Word and we are to use our words to proclaim His. 

However, the heart of the quote by Francis of Assisi is powerful. He was calling his audience to not just say theological correct statements, but to actually live the gospel out. Obviously, this has to happen. If we have a gospel that is simply head knowledge, then it never transformed our hearts, and that's the goal of the gospel. 

Paul states this about the believers in Thessalonica: 
"For the word of the Lord rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out. Therefore, we don’t need to say anything, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." 
If the gospel has set us free our mouths will report it and our lives will reveal it.

See you Sunday!
Pastor Luke

Growth Group Discussion Guide
Week of May 5th

Q: Which of your parents are you most like? As the years go by, do you find yourself becoming more and more like your parents? Is this a good thing? Why or why not?

READ FIRST: I Thessalonians 1:6-10

Q: In what ways do you suppose the Christians in Thessolonica imitated Paul, Silas, and the Lord?

Q: Without the benefit of cell phones or social media, the believers in Thessolonica became “an example to all the believers in Greece.” How do you think the word spread?

Q: The literal word used in verse 8 means “to reverberate.” As folks were talking about the impact of the Thessalonian’s new found faith, what do you think might have been said? What would folks say about your faith?

Q: What were the three markers of their faith that caught the attention of others in the city? (Read verses 9 & 10) How do each of these reveal their maturity in Christ?

Wide Awake and Ready! Week 7

June 9, 2019 • Pastor Steve Pope

Growth Group Discussion Guide Week of June 9th Q: What bit of “good news” have you received lately? READ FIRST: I Thessalonians 3:6-13 Q: The good news included both their “faith and love.” Why were both important in order for this to be “good news?” Q: What does Paul mean when he says, “For now we live?” What does this reveal about the apostle’s heart? Q: In a time of harassment and persecution, what would it mean to “stand firm in the Lord?” How does “standing firm in the Lord” look today? Q: Paul prayed earnestly that the Lord might cause them to increase and overflow in love for one another “just as we do for you.” How would our church family look and act differently if this prayer were answered at Centerpoint? Q: Paul prays that God might make our hearts “blameless in holiness before our God at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” What might change in your life if this prayer were fully answered today? Sermon Devotional Wide Awake and Ready! Stand Your Ground! I Thessalonians 3:6-13 I always fill my coffee cup too full at Starbucks. When I add my usual dose of half-n-half, I judge the mixture of coffee and cream by it’s color. Then, when I pop the lid back on my beverage, a puddle forms around my cup. I’m the guy you see cleaning up his own mess with napkins from the dispenser. I guess it’s possible to have too much of a good thing after all. Is it possible to have too much love for God and people? Paul prays for the disciples in Thessalonica that their love would continually increase and overflow for God, the church, and everyone! The love of God is so powerful it even produces lives that are holy and blameless before God and people. We can so thoroughly overflow with love for God and others, that our love splashes onto those around us. When it comes to loving God, we can never have too much. See you Sunday! Pastor Steve

Wide Awake and Ready! Week 6

June 2, 2019 • Pastor Steve Pope

Wide Awake and Ready! I Thessalonians 2:17-3:5 It’s 9am Sunday morning, and after a long work-week, the sunshine arouses us from slumber. Before coffee, we look at one another across the pile of pillows and ask, “want to go to church this morning? I’m pretty tired.” With this confession, our decision is made. Another Sunday morning sabbatical from worship. If we wait until a sleepy Sunday morning to decide the day’s worship priorities, rest will be our foregone conclusion. Sleep it is! The great apostle desired to be with the Body of Christ “eagerly” and with “great desire.” (v. 17) If a way could be made to be with the church “face to face,” wild horses couldn’t drag him away. If we wait until Sunday morning to make our decision concerning worship attendance, the discussion will be submitted to the Tempter (3:5). The conviction of the importance of gathering with the church body for worship is an act of intense spiritual warfare! (2:18) A song written by Keith Green in the 70’s is more poignant today than ever before. Green wrote, “The world is sleeping in the dark, which the church just can’t fight, ‘cause it’s asleep in the light . . . Jesus rose from the dead, and you - you can’t even get out of bed!” Choose today to make worship an unbreakable commitment. If you don’t make this commitment today, the Tempter will lead you another direction on Sunday morning. Can’t wait to see you all! Pastor Steve

Wide Awake and Ready! - Week 5

May 26, 2019 • Pastor Luke Dailey