We are to live as a community that is empowered by God’s Spirit. Informational truth in itself will not change your life but the Spirit will. What does it mean to be empowered by the Spirit? How do we sometimes rely on informational truth alone?

Joy in suffering is from the Spirit. Is the joy you experience because of the ease of your life circumstances, or is it because of the Spirit working in you even through hard circumstances? How do we express joy in suffering if we don’t really suffer?

God’s Word emanates out from the Thessalonian church to everyone around them. How is your living an example or not an example of God’s Word to others? How might you be experiencing the rejection and opposition that comes with obeying God’s Word?

What are some practical characteristics of a community that lives with a future hope? How does this relate to a life of repentance?

What we love the most is where we find our hearts, identity, and allegiance. What were you thinking when Robby asked, “What is it that you love the most and would you give it up for Christ?”? When are you most susceptible to losing sight of your future hope?

Paul’s motivation for courage and boldness in the face of great struggle comes from a deep personal connection to God and settled confidence in who he is. In what circumstances have you been tempted to think that God is against you? How does Paul’s story of persecution and his fear of God (instead of fear of man) encourage you? What truths from Scripture can you preach to yourself when God feels distant to cultivate boldness and courage?

Bill describes how years ago a friend noticed unhealthy patterns in his life and challenged him. Who do you have in your life who is capable of doing this for you? Why is this so important? What actions do you need to take to ensure that you have enough accountability in your life?

Paul demonstrates that we will not be free of the need for approval and able to be used by God powerfully as an agent of change in others’ lives until we get straight that we are approved by God. How is beating ourselves up over past mistakes and sin contrary to the gospel and a hindrance to loving others? In what other ways might your need for approval be preventing you from speaking truth to someone? What steps can you take or truth do you need to believe to move away from fear of man and toward freedom and fear of God?

GROUP: Read 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 together and discuss Paul’s description of how he treated the people of Thessalonica while he was with them. How can this be instructive for us in how to treat our neighbors and those around us?

Paul recognized life change among the Thessalonians as evidence of an open and receptive posture toward God's Word. What is an example of how being open to biblical truth has resulted in life change for you? Would you describe your posture toward God’s Word currently as stagnant or receptive? What evidence do you have?

Although the persecution we face as Christians today in our culture looks different than that suffered by almost all believers throughout history, it is still true that followers of Christ will suffer for his sake. How have you witnessed or experienced suffering as a result of orienting your life around the truth of Scripture? When have you been faced with a decision to stand with the Scriptures even though it may have meant negative consequences? How did (or will you) respond?

Read Romans 5:8-10. Accepting the idea of God's wrath is difficult for some believers. The root of God's anger is his holiness because it's been violated. How have you historically thought about God's righteous anger? Why is acknowledging God’s anger critical to understanding the gospel? How does that impact you personally?

The Thessalonians were an encouragement to Paul and to other believers everywhere. How we live affects other people as an encouragement or discouragement. What is your reaction to the thought that your life is no longer yours but God’s? Matt mentioned many areas that principle affects: kids, job, marriage, future, attitude, reputation, education, money, time, etc. In what area and in what practical way do you need to respond to that truth?

There is a crucible experience in every season of our lives. When we turn to God in its midst and we choose to trust him in spite of our experience, we are never the same. What is a crucible experience you have been through in the past that turned you in a new direction and strengthened your faith? How might you be in one now, and what decisions do you need to make to respond well and establish your faith?

When an old sin or temptation whispers the lies of its comfort to us apart from the reality of its consequences, we have to decide in that moment if we will believe the promise of Jesus or the promise of sin. Every time we choose the promise of Jesus, our faith is strengthened. How have you experienced this? What are the lies, the old ways, that most consistently whisper to you? What are practical ways that you choose Jesus?

Who in your life is responsible for you in a way that you would you consider them “God’s coworker” (as Paul considered Timothy for the Thessalonians)? In what ways do they speak into your life to strengthen your faith, encourage you, and keep you from being shaken?

Have you grown up with or believed the transactional view of salvation? How does it compare to the ongoing and repentant faith that Paul is talking about in the Bible? Why is it important to trust in a person, Jesus, rather than in an event?

Matt mentioned three ways that we do not remain strong: we get discouraged (expectations don’t come through for us), distracted (chasing the world and immediate gratification), and overcome by sin (we like to dabble but Satan likes to dominate). Which of these do you struggle with the most and why?

If it is in the category of being overcome by sin, where are you dabbling and thinking that you are in control? Where can you instill boundaries and discipline in this area?

For whom do you earnestly pray like Paul does for his people—that you have invested in and felt so burdened by that you don’t have to remember to pray for them? If no one comes to mind, why do you think that is?

The local church fills in gaps for us. Matt identified two gaps in our congregations: a Bible knowledge problem (not growing in knowledge of the Scriptures) and a conduct problem (e.g., letting our children be in charge of our home, cavalier and dismissive attitude toward alcohol, unkindness in marriage, redefining sexuality, etc.). How are these gaps related? Which do you see as a gap in your own life? What steps are you taking to put yourself in a position to be served by the local church in a way that fills those gaps?

We should be depleting ourselves to let God fill us back up. Are you looking for ways to deplete yourself to care for others? In what ways might you be hoarding good things or friendships and serving yourself?

We need to love other people outside the church, speaking into the culture and loving them while not affirming sin or beliefs that are untrue. How are you already loving others outside the church? What has been the most challenging part of doing this?

Ask yourself, “Am I living to please God in all areas of my life?” Which area first comes to mind as an area where you might not be pleasing God? (e.g. in marriage, parenting, thought life, relating to others, expressing myself, communication, work life)

If we are to obey by controlling our bodies, what are specific boundaries you have set up to purposefully discipline yourself in sexual purity? What are areas where additional boundaries would be beneficial?

If you are living in sexual sin, Robby gave some practical steps for moving forward. Which of these steps have you already taken? What do you need to do next?

1. Come under God’s authority instead of your own by recognizing your need for purity.
2. Understand that it is Jesus, not your behavior, who saves and justifies.
3. Confess your sin, repent (do the opposite of your sin), and follow his Word.
4. Seek out and understand that you have help from the Holy Spirit and the church. You can find more information on how the church can help here.

What is something you have heard from culture recently that made sense to your natural instincts/desires but was actually contrary to Scripture? How did you initially respond to it?

We are to show our love by actually doing things that show love and care. Why is it tempting to believe that just talking or “posting” about something is showing love? How can you tangibly show love this week? When is a time where you were shown love rather than just heard it or read about it?

In what ways is it a struggle for you to live a quiet life? What obstacles stand in the way of engaging in “small life things”?

Where is it most difficult for you to mind your own business in our culture of affluence—social media, phone, politics, the economy, health, news, or something else? Where might you be overly concerned with something that is not your responsibility?

Read Psalm 131. What does it look like for you to be in the moment and to rest? How can you move towards that in your everyday life? What is one thing you can put energy into so that you will put less energy into concerning yourself with things you can’t do anything about?

God never promised fulfillment through work; we work to have enough money to live and to be a blessing to others so that we have a platform for the gospel. In what ways are you seeking fulfillment through your work? How does that affect your relationships with people and your relationship with God?

What does it mean to grieve with hope? Do you have any examples from your life or someone close to you who grieved with hope?

We are so afraid of being alone with our own thoughts that we distract and numb ourselves with our world, phones, and people. What can you do differently to cut out distractions and let yourself think about deeper realities? Where do you most often turn to numb your thoughts?

What are the kind of thoughts you try to avoid thinking about? Why do you think we avoid thinking deeply about those things?

How might you be leaning into your devices and earthly desires and not leaning into God to find comfort, life, strength, and hope in him? What does that specifically look like in some of your circumstances to lean into God instead of something else?

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8. We either walk in the dark (asleep, drunk) or in the light (awake, sober). What does it mean to live “awake” and “sober”? If you would say you walk in the light, what does that look like for you?

What are some life-altering decisions you have made in your life to stand in contrast to others and truly follow Jesus? In what ways might you need to count the cost and do something contrary to “the herd”?

If our confidence is ultimately in the One who created and redeemed us, we won’t collapse under the weight of temptations and judgment from others. What is your initial response to insults, criticism, rejection, etc.? Why do we tend to be fragile in this way? How can you build confidence in your identity in Christ?

Some practical ways of living in the light can be looked at through our core values, listed below. Which of the following do you struggle with the most and why?

• Biblically oriented: Put yourself under the authority of Scripture and obey
• Relationally connected: Talk about what is going well and not well—challenge each other on hard things and encourage one another in truth.
• Courageously generous: Recognize all the resources you have were given to you by God.
• Ministry focused: Let God love other people through you.
• Culturally engaged: Share your life and story; invest in others and intersect your life with culture.
• Prayerfully dependent: Spend time alone with God, hearing from him for what to do and where he is leading, and learn the mind of God through surrendered dependence.

Who in your life is working hard alongside you and giving you spiritual guidance? How can you show them wholehearted love and respect? Who are you in spiritual leadership over?

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:14. Paul gives us three diseases and their prescriptions for the church body to care for one another (listed below). When thinking of each of these, in what situation might you need to give a different “prescription” for someone’s “disease”? In what ways have you done this well? In what ways have others done this for you?

Always keep in mind your concerns versus your responsibilities. We are not responsible for setting things right and doling out justice by correcting people—we are responsible for pursuing good. What offenses are you carrying around that you need to let go of and accept that they are not your responsibility? How can you move towards freedom to pursue good instead of being crushed by the weight of others who have done wrong to you?

Where in your life do you have the opportunity to lean into a trial and let God work out patience, endurance, and growth in you?

In what ways do you live a lifestyle of independence instead of dependence on God for everything? Has there been a time in your life where you felt more dependent on him? If so, what has changed?

There is a way in which we can live that either diminishes God’s work in our lives or accelerates it. How are you yielding to him and what he wants to say and do through you? In what areas are you living contrary to Scripture?

We need a new, invigorated understanding of the authority of Scripture. How are you orienting your life around the authority of Scripture? What disciplines do you have in place in your life to become more biblically literate?

The decisions you might think are freeing will end up enslaving you—we are deceived into thinking the sin will fulfill us, that we are entitled to it, or that it will bring us freedom but it does not. Are you hiding sin and letting evil dwell in you? Who are you going to tell?

We often section off portions of our life where we think it’s justified to be “partially holy” when in fact God’s desire is for us to be completely holy. What areas of your life have you roped off to be partially holy?

When we think holiness is based on our own power, we are in one of two categories: discouraged or determined. Based on the explanation of each during teaching, which side do tend you fall? What is one step you can take to move towards God’s power?

In our church, it is easy to become “prescription writers”, seeing our need and thinking there is a quick fix with a program, instead of leaning into God’s power first. How have you found yourself doing this or thinking this way? What is the alternative to being a “prescription writer”?

We can think of our responsibility and God’s power using the analogy of a sailboat: God is the power of the wind, which is always working, but we are responsible for turning our sails towards the wind to catch the wind. God is always working and our job is to turn towards what he is doing. How are you going to turn towards the wind this week? How have you seen this happen in your own life already?

As God exposes and reveals sin in your life, how are you moving towards faith and repentance? Who is it in your life that you confess and repent with? Who knows everything about you?