Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Good Morning! 

 

The new unit for this week is  Unit 23, Sanctifying Grace  

 

Focus Scripture for the Week:  

 

1 Thessalonians 5:23

 

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely.

 

Today's Scriptures:  1  Thessalonians 4:1-8  

 

Today's Discussion:  

 

-- in the scripture for today, Paul gives instruction about how we are called to live "a holy life".  We have talked about how some of the words surrounding this concept are scary -- "moving on to perfection", "holy life", "a sanctified life" -- words that seem intimidating and impossible to attain.  But this shouldn't discourage us or beat us down.  Yes, we should know that God's standards are pretty high, and the world's standards are pretty low.  But as we grow in our faith, and as we endeavor to encounter Jesus each day through prayer and reading, it becomes a standard that is closer than we think. 

 

-- this is where what we studied earlier -- the idea of means of grace (reading scripture, hearing preaching, communion, fasting and prayer) -- those are ways that God's grace is given to us to help us meet his standards.  These are the ways that we tap into God's sanctifying grace.

 

-- While this passage regards sexual immorality -- promiscuity was particularly rampant in the day that Paul wrote this -- there is more to a holy life than this.  One of the things that John Wesley particularly preached was that moving on to perfection didn't just involved those things we shouldn't do, but should also include those things that we should do.  Keep an eye out for that.

 

Question for Sunday:   

 

-- as we have continued on this study, do you have a feeling that you have tapped into God's grace through the various means of grace?  Can you point to a specific example of where you have been strengthened by that grace?

 

Today's prayer request:    Someone in need of Christ

 

Think of someone at your work place that you know is not a Christian, or perhaps a Christian but who has fallen away, and pray for them to tune into the way that God is calling them, and for God to use you in helping them find their way to God.  

 

Today's class member prayer: 

 

Megan Douglas 

 

Have a great day.

 

Jay