Sunday, April 26, 2020 - 10:15 AM
Covid Worship Week Six—Sunday, April 26
Preparatory content
Read through 2 Th 1:1-12
2 Thessalonians 1 New International Version (NIV)
Paul, Silas and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Worship service
View the worship service on YouTube
Align time
Connect with your group for discussion of our text together.
Questions to probe our text and live it:
- Welcome! What is helping you through this time of lay-offs, cabin fever, illness, and planning challenges? Has there been a Bible verse or priority that guides you?
- You probably have heard that Ohio is re-opening for business May 1, but schools will not reopen this academic year. As a result, this summer’s VBS has been cancelled at Grace. We still have no word when large group meetings including worship services may return. When we know something, you’ll know something. Watch the GCC Facebook page, group emails, and www.hhgcc.org
- Work together and make a list of “sure things” in life.
- Re-read 2 Thess 1:1-12.
- What sure things does our passage add to your list? Do these additions give you more questions or give you more encouragement?
- Read through these verses one more time, looking at Paul’s example as a faith coach. What kinds of things does he do that we could do to encourage each other’s growth? Anyone specifically come to mind that you could “coach up?”
- Our three “This will happen” summary points for 2 Thess 1:1-12 are:
- God himself will guide you to maturity—and that’s really powerful.
- Jesus will be glorified—and that’s really good.
- You will be part of something incredible—and that’s really forever.
Which one encourages you? Amazes you?
- Complete this sentence with as many things as you like: “When this COVID shelter in place order is done I’m going to ….”
- Please share your prayer requests for the group.
- Before you pray together think on the lyrics of this song as you view “Come, O Sinner.”
- Pray together and include prayer for our leaders as they make difficult decisions about how much we should return to normal and how soon with the coronavirus still active. Pray too, for those you know without Christ as savior.
- Any updates to pass along? Any opportunities to help others? Any changes in employment or your personal finances?
- Thanks for the great job you are doing to encourage others by phone calls and acts of service. Thanks, too, for your faithfulness in giving and praying for each other.
