It is proof that you belong to Him and is a tool to develop your Christian faith!

2 Thessalonians 1:4-5, Acts 17:1

The Thessalonians are suffering greatly because of their Christian profession. Paul writes, “…we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; These verses are by no means easy to understand. Cf 2 Peter 3:15-16. But that’s what we are going to attempt in this study; how Christians think about times of suffering and persecution...

Recorded live at Ballymacashon Church, Killinchy, Co.Down, Northern Ireland BT24 6RN

Read the NOTES HERE.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2nd Thessalonians 1:1-5

Paul must write again to the Thessalonians. Since sending his first letter, he has received further reports about the local church at Thessalonica. It came with good news and bad. The good news was that the congregation there were continuing to grow in their faith and trust in God and in their love for Him and for one another, a cause for thanksgiving indeed. But there was a downside to the life of the church. There was cause for concern as far as doctrine and the Christian Life – the behaviour of the local saints, was concerned. This related to two particular issues:-

• The doctrine of the Lord’s return and the end times.
• The importance of working for one’s living.

Read the NOTES HERE.

Recorded LIVE at Ballymacashon.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Acts 17:1-10a

We are moving on from 1st Thessalonians to 2nd Thessalonians, - but before we do, it might be a good idea to reprise this episode from 2021, where we learn about Paul's visit to Thessalonica, the establishment of the local church there, and the reaction it provoked. This is important, because the opposition and persecution and suffering that began at that time continued, and that's what Paul deals with in 2nd Thessalonians chapter one.

So, listen to this 'old gold retold' before you begin to learn about the book of 2nd Thessalonians.

And you can read the NOTES HERE.

Oh, and for the record, - this episode was recorded at Templepatrick Reformed Church, Carnage Road, Templepatrick, Northern Ireland, and is used here with their very kind permission.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.