Hidden in My Heart

"The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season." (Psalm 145:15; NKJV)

Concerning Your Faith

Gerry Sandusky spoke for us yesterday during our Sunday evening worship period. He spoke from 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13. Here are some notes I took on his lesson.

We need to get our faith right!

1. Our faith can be overcome (3:1-5)

2. Faith overjoyed (3:6-10)

"I can't thank God enough for what your faith does to me."

3. Ongoing process (3:11-12)

4. Outcome of faith (3:13)

The destination is more important than the mode of travel...

Jason Cicero

Not as Pleasing Men, But God

Gerry Sandusky spoke for us yesterday during our Sunday morning worship period. He spoke from 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20. Here are some notes I took on his lesson.

The Gospel of God in Our Lives - Motive (2:1-8)

The Gospel of God in Our Lives - Manner (2:9-12)

Our Attitude - Right (2:13-14)

Our Attitude - Wrong (2:15-16)

Satan has torn the bridges down; we need to be busy building them back (2:17-20)

Jason Cicero

The Nature of the First Century Church

Gerry Sandusky spoke for us yesterday during our Sunday morning class period. He spoke from 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10. Here are some notes I took on his lesson.

Thanking God (1:1-3)

Working Faith - foundationally converted - it all depends on the hearts of the people

Labor of Love - family oriented - motivated by good will toward people

Patience of Hope - future motivated - we are going somewhere else

The "Motor - Vation" of our lives - faith, hope and love.

Election of God (1:4-6)

The gospel came, they became followers, they received the word.

What energizes and fuels the church? The Gospel!

Sounding Out the Word of the Lord (1:6-8)

Followers - of a great King

Examples - others

Sounding Out - the Gospel

Turning to God (1:9-10)

We are not waiting to die; we are waiting on the Lord!

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

"Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God..." (Psalm 146:5; NKJV)

Sunday Morning Starters

Gerry Sandusky

Studies in I & II Thessalonians

October 17th-20th

Mark your calendars for this upcoming special series on I & II with Gerry Sandusky.
Complete list of lessons:

• Sunday
  • 9am class: “The Nature of the 1st Century Church”
  • 10am worship: “Not as Pleasing Men, But God”
  • 5pm worship: “Concerning Your Faith”
• Monday
  • 7pm: “This Is The Will of God”
• Tuesday
  • 7pm: “This May Be the Last Day”
• Wednesday
  • 7pm: “There’s a Great Day Coming ”

What They Became

According to 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10, the Thessalonians that believed and obeyed the gospel changed.

They became...

1. Followers of the Apostles (1:6)

2. Followers of the Lord (1:6)

3. Examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe (1:7)

4. Sounders of the word of the Lord (1:8)

5. Faithful to God (1:8)

6. Servants of the true and living God (1:9)

7. Waiters on the Son (1:10)

Jason Cicero

How the Gospel Came to Thessalonica

"For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake" (1 Thessalonians 1:5; NKJV).

1. In Word - the gospel was preached (see Acts 17:1-4)

2. In Power - "universally, inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth" (Thayer's).

3. In the Holy Spirit - the Spirit convicts (see John 16:8-11).

"And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas" (Acts 17:4; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

A Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians

"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God" (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4; NKJV).

Paul, Silas and Timothy gave thanks to God for the Thessalonians in prayer as they called to their remembrance the Thessalonians...

1. Work of Faith - "you turned to God from idols" (1 THESS 1:9)

2. Labor of Love - "to serve the living and true God" (1 THESS 1:9)

3. Patience of Hope - "to wait for His Son from heaven" (1 THESS 1:10)

Jason Cicero

The Church of the Thessalonians

"Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 1:1-2; NKJV).

1 Thessalonians was written around 52 AD to a church in Thessalonica. An ekklesia is a group of called out people. The church in Thessalonica had been called out of the world by the gospel of Jesus Christ: "...to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:14; NKJV). Paul, Silas, and Timothy "reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ'" (Acts 17:2-3; NKJV). Those who comprised the church in Thessalonica heard Christ preached, they believed, and they obeyed the gospel. They came "out of the darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9; NKJV).

The Christians in Thessalonica received grace and peace from their Father in Heaven and their Lord Jesus through this epistle that was written to them. Those who answer the call and come out of the darkness into His light will receive the same. Let us be His church and receive His blessings!

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

"But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." (Genesis 50:20; NKJV)

Sunday Morning Starters

Encourage, don’t just wait to be encouraged.

Pray, don’t just pass the time during prayers.

Sing, don’t just pronounce words.

Partake, don’t just eat the emblems.

Give, don’t just pass the plate.

Listen, don’t just look up front.

Read, don’t just turn the pages.

Practice an active, not a passive religion.

Jason Moore

Live in the Light of His Coming!

The letters to the Thessalonians encourage us to live our lives in the light of His coming.

When we come to understand the doctrine of the second coming of Christ it will bless us with the following...

1. Assurance for the Future

2. Encouragement in Evangelism

3. Walking in the Lord

4. Comfort in the Loss of Christian Loved Ones

5. Stability in a World that is Unsure of Itself

"For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him" (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10; NKJV).

Live in the constant expectation of His coming!

Jason Cicero

The Gospel and the Local Church

"...we preached to you the gospel of God" (1 Thessalonians 2:9; NKJV).

The letters to the Thessalonians discuss the relationship between the gospel and a local church.

Remember these two things as you read these short epistles:

1. The gospel creates the church; the church spreads the gospel.

2. The gospel shapes the church; the church seeks to live lives worthy of the gospel.

"...to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:14; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

The Death, Resurrection, and Second Coming of Christ

Christ has died...He is risen...He is coming again!

In Thessalonians, these three supreme doctrines do the following...

1. Prompt Evangelism!

2. Promote Holiness!

3. Deepen Fellowship!

4. Inform Worship!

5. Inspire Hope!

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

The Message of Thessalonians

The two letters to the Thessalonians focus on two great themes:

1.The 2nd Coming of Christ (Prophetical)
2.The Ministry of the Local Church (Practical)

The message of the letters: Christ is coming - Be ready!

"For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2; NKJV).

Jason Cicero

1 & 2 Thessalonians

"Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica..." (Acts 17:1; NKJV).

Shortly after the planting of the church in Thessalonica, the Spirit led Paul to write them a letter (1 Thessalonians). After hearing of their reaction to the first letter, the Spirit led Paul to write them a second letter (2 Thessalonians). The letters to the Thessalonians communicate to us five great lessons.

1. Thessalonians tells us how a local church came into being.

2. What the Apostle taught it.

3. What were its strengths and weaknesses.

4. It’s doctrinal and moral problems.

5. How it was spreading the gospel.

Jason Cicero

Hidden in My Heart

Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so. (Genesis 1:11; NKJV)

Sunday Morning Starters

“14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 15 The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. 16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” (Proverbs 14:14-16).

Three good rules to apply to your listening:

1. Keep working. The backslider’s bucket is filled too early, but a good man is not content until he’s digested what he’s heard.

2. Watch your step. Don’t leave your bible study to the preacher. The simple believe every word—check it for yourself.

3. Check your pulse. Don’t hasten to put the worst construction on what is said. You have no right to disagree until you’ve first understood what is said.

Get Wisdom. She’ll help your hearing.

Jason Moore