Staying in the Word

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1Thessalonians, Chapter Five, Lesson Three

GOD'S GIFT OF EXCELLENCE 1Thessalonians 5:12-18 Print this Bible Study

STIMULATE

** From our study together last week, "When life gets difficult, when we feel like failures because of our
battles with sin, what encouragement could there be to lift our hearts to the rejoicing attitude which we have been called to live out each day?"

1Thessalonians 5:9

1) We are not destined for wrath! Praise the Lord!
2) We are destined to obtain salvation!

** Do we have this kind of encouraging impact upon our brothers and sisters in Christ? How can we grow in this area of our life, to excel still more, for the building up of the body of Christ?

We learned two effective steps: Remember - Ephesians 5:7-10

1) Walk as children of the light.

2) Try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

Did any of you have an occasion to encourage and build up a brother or sister in the Lord this past week? Were you able to apply what we had learned?

MOTIVATE

** Over the next two weeks we will observe the apostle Paul as he gives the Thessalonians (and us as well) twenty rapid fire exhortations. These exhortations prove to be "God's Gift of Excellence" which enables us to walk in a manner worthy of our Lord. Jesus set the standard in Matthew 5:48 when He said, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." And Paul supported that statement in his first letter to the Corinthians by saying, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1Corinthians 10:31)

These exhortations provide for us the practical instruction we need if we hope to employ "God's Gift of Excellence" to our lives. This week we will learn the first twelve of those exhortations. Let's read our passage together as we tune our hearts to the authority of God's precious word.

Read passage (V.12-14) (V.15-18)

Opening Prayer

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