I Thessalonians - Week 7

Sunday, February 14, 2021

  1. In the sermon, Jason said “To build effective Gospel bridges, those inside the Church must maintain proper lives before those outside the Church.” Why is maintenance so important for a bridge? How does that apply to our lives and especially our Gospel witness? 

  2. Read I Thessalonians 4:9-12 and notice the 4 ways we maintain proper lives. 

  3. Paul talks about the first way to maintain a proper life in vs 9-10. What kind of love is Paul talking about here? 

    • How does this kind of love help us live proper lives before those outside the church?

    • What does this kind of love look like in your life? In UBC? 

  4. Why, in scripture, is our love for each other so intrinsically connected to our love for God? (I John 4:19-21, John 13:34-35, etc.) 

  5. Verse 11 tells us the second way to maintain a proper life - by living a quiet life. 

    • What does that mean? 

    • How do we actually do that? (Be specific & practical) 

  6. How do things like social media, pandemics, racial tension, etc. play into this challenge to live a quiet life? 

  7. The third way to maintain a proper life before outsiders is to “mind your own business.” (vs 11) If you’re being really honest, is this one hard for you? 

  8. How can we balance “loving each other”, “bearing one another’s burdens”, and “not meddling into each other’s business”? They require us to be involved with each other - but what are the differences between loving and meddling? 

  9. The fourth way to maintain a proper life is to work hard to provide for yourself and your loved ones (vs 11-12). Why would laziness, slothfulness, carelessness, or a lack of provision for your family be so detrimental to our witness? 

  10. Looking at all 4 of these ways to maintain proper lives, which seems hardest to you? Rank them in order from easiest to hardest. 

    • Love other believers.

    • Live a quiet life.

    • Mind your own business.

    • Work hard to provide for yourself and loved ones. 

  11. Is there a step you need to take to get accountability on any of these? How can your group help you?

Phil Wing