P Mike Applying the Word

Today we start reading 2 Thessalonians for the month. Along with Amos from the OT minor prophets. Come read with us. I suggest reading the introduction for the books in the MacArthur study Bible. It will give good background for the historical context. It will help give you the setting for the books. At some point it would also be good to try to read straight through 1 & 2 Thessalonians to see how the books fit together. May God give us wisdom and understanding into “Who He is” and “What He has Done” and “what He will do in the future!” In the comments below maybe you can all give one observational question from your first readings?

Is the Sovereign Sleeping?  Mark 4:35-41 Three _________ of this event that should provoke us to _______ the Lord in di ffi cult times! I.  The ___________ Setting (35-37) II.  The ___________Sovereign (38-39) III.  The ___________Students (40-41) Conclusion The __________ Situation

A Special Message from Pastor Stephen Samec Discipleship Meets Social Distancing: A New Testament Case Study in Distance Discipleship We are living in unique days, to say the least. Most local churches across the States are not gathering together in person for corporate worship and exposition and prayer and evangelism and baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We find ourselves forced to consider how we should operate as an un-gathered body of believers.  Believers are responding to this in different ways: sadness, relief (“Finally, a legitimate reason to skip church!”), confusion (“I’m not really sure what I should do), apathy (“Meh, who cares?”), and many others. I do admit that the current quarantine advisements from the White House have provided me with some much-overdue time with my family. I am, however, concerned about the destructive impact this could have on the church. What should be our perspective on the local church right now? What is our responsibility toward bel

WIN - What’s important Now!?!?! So my wife and I are watching 20/20.  They had this ‘expert’ on to counsel people who are struggling with worry.  They said they wanted to help people not be worried and panic.  So this guy starts talking about how to help people with their thoughts.  He said, “I actually have an acronym to help, “WIN.” What’s important now. We have to focus on what’s important now. Those things we can control like our breathing and our thoughts.”   Beloved, there is absolutely no hope in the world’s counsel here!  Because friends, we really control NOTHING!  We are the creation. The irony of the person’s statement is breathing can be stopped by a little micro-sized virus! Also, often our thoughts are not even controlled by ourselves. The news and the show itself actually was pouring fear producing thoughts and concerning statistics into our minds continually.  The more I watched, the more I knew I had to speak truth to my heart and the world filled wi

Embracing the Coronavirus For we have been consumed by Your anger And by Your wrath we have been dismayed. You have placed our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your presence. For all our days have declined in Your fury; We have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years,Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90: 7–12  The coronavirus is officially a pandemic .  What does this mean?   An official definition is given by the World Health Organization (WHO):  ...an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people.   As of March 2020, 125,000 people have be

Thessalonians Introduced Paul had established the church in  Thessalonica  as recorded in Acts 17:1-10.  The church was made up of  a sm all group of Jewish converts  and also  some Gentiles who believed.  The b eginning of the church brought a  strong backlash from t he rejecting Jews in the area.  They stirred up the city and the mob was on the verge of having some of the new convert s killed for proclaiming Jesus as King (17:5-9).  The evil rejecting Jews even followed P aul and missionaries to Berea.  They caused Paul to flee Berea (Acts 17:13-14). T his letter is written to a young fledgling church plant. Paul sent Timothy to check on them because he was concerned over their condition  in light of the opposition they immediately  faced (1 Thessalonians 3:1-2 ).  I n the letter, Paul expressed  his gratitude for Timothy’s report upon his return from visiting them (1 Thessalonians 3:6-10). The letter appears to be an encour agement letter. Expressing Paul’s  gratitude