Day 20 - Advent 2020

I Thessalonians 5:12-24 (NIV)
Read by: Kathy Haug

Have you ever been in a situation where someone was bullying you or telling lies about you or threatening you? When it feels like your life is being scrutinized in these ways, things like personal integrity become suddenly very important. Confidence in what you believe about yourself and the world are needed to make it through. Today’s passage takes us to one of the early church communities, in Thessalonica, and these followers of Jesus were experiencing just that. They left behind the Greek gods and idols of their culture. They pledged allegiance to a new King—Jesus, and because of this they were being severely persecuted by Rome. Paul wrote this letter to the Thessalonians to encourage them, knowing that the cost of their faithfulness to Israel’s God was great, but that their hope in him was greater.

As we practice sitting in the tension of joyful expectancy, and painful waiting this Advent, we receive these words as an encouragement and a challenge.

----------REFLECT----------

1. What did you hear in the passage? Was there a word or phrase that stood out to you?

2. It’s easy to get distracted from the mission of the church and to forget that we have a hope that transcends the struggles of our world. Where in this passage did you find encouragement? Or challenge?

3. Take some time today to sit with the words of this passage. If there is something specific God has spoken to you, take some time to process that alone or with a friend.

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Living The Christian Year by Bobby Gross >>

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