RESOUND

SUMMER SERIES DISCUSSION GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

1 Thessalonians is the earliest of the Pauline epistles and was written with Silas and Timothy to the church in Thessalonica. We know from Acts 17 that this was a church that Paul and his cohort started by preaching in the synagogues but were then run out of town after a ruckus was started. Paul and the crew leave in the middle of the night and head to Berea. He writes this letter to the church, which he loved, to continue encouraging them as they resound the message of the gospel. 

The gospel message wasn’t supposed to be a personal endeavor but rather something that would go out from us to the world. It rings outs, goes forth, echoes, resounds and it does this as the followers of Christ lead holy lives in devotion to God and His Kingdom.  

Over the summer we will be able to journey with Paul and the Thessalonians through this letter. This discussion guide is meant to be a helpful tool for our church this summer, no matter where we are. You’ll be able to see the passage that we will be studying beforehand and prepare in advance for what the Lord will say, through His servants, on Sunday morning. This will give you a chance to partner with the Holy Spirit throughout the week. You may also use the discussion guide afterwards in your Life Group, with your family at home or on the road, with your neighborhood, or by yourself, in partnership with the Trinity. We pray you’ll be blessed, challenged, and encouraged throughout the summer.  

May your life resound the message of Christ! 

  • Week 1: June 22 – 1 Thessalonians 1  

    Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

    The letter opens with a welcome to the church of the Thessalonians and begins the way all letters began in the Ancient Near East. The welcome is followed by giving thanks. Here Paul tells us a reason he is thankful for the church in Thessalonica: The Lord’s message rings out from them to everyone everywhere. It is resounding throughout the whole world! How do our lives reflect this truth? How can we resound the message of the Kingdom into a world that desperately needs redemption and purpose? 

    1. How did the gospel come to the Thessalonians? 

    2. What was the way in which the Thessalonians learned to practice the gospel? 

    3. What situations did the church welcome the gospel in (v6)? 

    4. Why is it important that the examples Paul uses are both positive and negative (joys and sufferings)? 

    5. How does Paul know that the Thessalonians are being true to the message of the gospel? 

    6. What does Jesus rescue us from? 

    7. Is that rescue story something that we want other people to experience and understand? 

    8. How can the message of the gospel resound in our lives to the lives of those around us? 

  • Week 2: June 29 - 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16  

    Read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

    As Paul continues in his thanksgiving portion of the letter, he uses the phrase “as you know” and “you know” repeatedly. He is connecting his relationship with the church he started and their understanding of the gospel to his situation. This situation has been going around the Roman colonies and word continues to get out about the gospel that Paul is telling. In Acts 17 we see that the Jews revolt and eventually the Gentiles throw Paul and Silas (both called apostles in 1 Thess 2:6) out of the city.  This message has included suffering at every turn and also includes it for the Thessalonians.  

    1. What were the results that Paul says their visit came with? 

    2. Why were Paul and Silas willing to share the gospel even though it came with suffering at each new church stop? 

    3. Who were Paul and Silas trying to please when it came to sharing the gospel? 

    4. What would be the difference in a gospel that is aiming to please people and a gospel that is trying to please God? 

    5. How did the Thessalonians receive the message of gospel? Who did they think it was from? 

    6. What can cause someone to believe a message is from God? 

    7. What happened to the Thessalonians after they shared the gospel with their neighbors? 

    8. Who did they suffer from? 

    9. Does it hurt more to be persecuted by those close to you or by those who don’t know you? 

    10. What keeps you from sharing the gospel in the midst of potential persecution? 

    11. What would your life look like if you made every effort to resound the message of the gospel? 

  • Week 3: July 6 - 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13  

    Paul desires to see the Thessalonians, to be with them, who were so encouraging to him when he was with them in person. He can’t stand not being there and wants to know what the resounding message is that is coming out from the church. It turns out that the message is discipleship - deep, formational discipleship. The Thessalonian church stands firm in their faith and continues to grow deeper and deeper. Discipleship is taking root, and it resounds in their lives and throughout the lives around them. Paul wants to continue to encourage them and supply what is lacking, showing us that discipleship is never quite finished as we press on to the future that we long for! 

    1. Why do you think Paul says that the Thessalonians are his glory and joy? What is it about the church that makes him feel that way? 

    2. Who does Paul send to find out about the faith of the Thessalonians? Why didn’t Paul go himself? 

    3. What makes Paul “really live” according to verse 8? 

    4. What do you think it means to stand firm? 

    5. Why would standing firm be important for this young church and why would it be important for us today? 

    6. Paul mentions supplying what is lacking in their faith. Do you think he mentions this as a good thing or a bad thing? 

    7. How does this help our understanding of the journey of discipleship? 

    8. How long should we continue in the discipleship journey? What makes this journey stop? 

    9. What would it look like for you to increase and overflow in discipleship and love? 

  • Week 4: July 13 - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8  

    After talking about the discipleship of the Thessalonian church, Paul turns his attention to how to live out this discipleship in a specific way, the way of holiness. It turns out that when we live holy lives, we please God. When we lead unholy lives, we don’t. And the good news is that God has given us His Holy Spirit so we can continue in the way of holiness.  

    1. What authority does Paul lean into at the beginning of our passage today? 

    2. What is God’s will according to Paul in this passage? 

    3. What does the word “sanctified” mean to you? 

    4. Whose body are we told to control and what type of control are we supposed to have over our body? 

    5. How are passionate lust and taking advantage of a brother or sister similar wrongs? 

    6. What does a holy life look like? 

    7. How does the Holy Spirit help us towards holiness? 

  • Week 5: July 20 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12  

    Paul continues to address things that he has heard about from Timothy’s report (chapter 3 v6). Here he tells the Thessalonians they are doing well in regard to love for one another but there is a minority among them who are not living out the brotherly and sisterly love very well. This correction for them is an encouragement for us to continue to love well and to help the community by leading quiet lives that focus on ourselves and not becoming a burden to others by what we say or do. 

    1. Who taught the Thessalonians to love one another? 

    2. How does Paul think they are doing in regard to loving one another? How/Where is it known that they love one another? 

    3. What does a quiet life look like? 

    4. How does minding your own business lead to the love of others? 

    5. What situations have you seen where someone not minding their own business has hurt a community? 

    6. What happens when a community loves one another well, how does the gospel resound around them? 

    7. How does your life look in regard to this passage? 

  • Week 6: July 27 - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; 2 Thess 2 

    This week seems to continue the theme of Paul addressing things that Timothy has brought back about the church and the questions they may have. Some of their friends have died and they didn’t necessarily expect that before the coming of the Lord. So, what are they supposed to do and what are they supposed to believe? Paul leans back into the teaching they already have and shows them how the belief in the coming of the Lord brings us hope and not fear. 

    1. What gives the Christian hope in the face of death of themselves and those around them? 

    2. Why do we believe in the resurrection of the dead? 

    3. How are the words about the coming of the Lord encouraging to you? 

    4. Have you seen the coming of the Lord used as a fear tactic instead of an encouraging doctrine? Why do you think that is? 

    5. How do we prepare ourselves as children of light? 

    6. What do we get instead of suffering wrath? 

    7. How can you see faith, hope, and love increase in your life? 

  • Week 7: Aug 3 - 1 Thessalonians 5:12 – 28  

    Paul’s concluding marks in this letter are some final instructions on Christian life and loving one another. What does it look like to live as the Church and how can they continue the journey that they have already started. He reminds the Thessalonians of the faithfulness of Christ and how God will sanctify them. It’s an uplifting ending to a letter written to a church Paul loves and has heard of how their love for one another resounds. 

    1. When you read verses 12-15, which of those encouragements stands out to you? 

    2. What does doing good for each other and everyone else look like for you in your current community? 

    3. How do these verses stand out against the current culture we live in? 

    4. How can you live a life that “rejoices always?” 

    5. What role does the Spirit play in the life of those who are in Christ? 

    6. In what ways do we quench the Spirit in our lives? 

    7. Who is the one who helps us in our sanctification? 

    8. How can you lean into the faithfulness of God and the promise of the Spirit this week? 

    9. How would the message of the gospel resound in your life to others because of this?