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The Scriptorium

Everyday Good Works

We are responsible for one another's walk with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5 (4)

Pray Psalm 146.1, 2.
Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
While I live I will praise the LORD;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5.14, 15.

Reflect.
1. Warn, comfort, uphold, be patient, pursue: Do you see these verbs in place in your life?

2. How does Paul understand love for ourselves? 

Meditate.
Paul piles on the imperatives. We do not live the Christian life alone nor merely for ourselves. We are members of the Body of Christ, connected to one another and therefore needing one another for the health and growth of individuals and the Body alike.

We must be sure about the meaning of these verbs. What is it to exhortsomeone? To warn? What are the important skills that go into being able to comforta person in need? How do we uphold the weak? And are we always as patientas we need to be, or as disciplined in the pursuit of good works?

These are daily, continuous, “small stuff” acts of obedience; but they are precisely the place where the Kingdom of God comes to expression in the world. As we continue growing in our sanctification, we will be more alert to the opportunities all around us for nudging others along in the life of faith. And the combined efforts of innumerable nudges by millions of faithful believers can cause the earth to move under the feet of the world.

Prepare.
1. Define each of the six verbs in italics in the second paragraph above.

2. Now, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 = “Very present”, evaluate the state of those verbs in your life. How can you improve in each of these?

3. Self-love is valid to the extent that it encourages growth and goodness for those around us. Explain.

It is a common doctrine―that the welfare of our brethren should be the object of our concern. This is done by teaching, admonishing, correcting, and arousing; but, as the dispositions of men are various, it is not without good reason that the Apostle commands that believers accommodate themselves to this variety. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on 1 Thessalonians

Today, Lord, use me to encourage my fellow believers, and to show Jesus to all the people I meet. Help me especially to…

Pray Psalm 146.

Call upon the Lord to help those you know who are suffering, in need of direction, in danger of persecution, or are faltering in their walk with the Lord.

Sing to the Lord.
Psalm 146 (Hallelujah! What a Savior!: Man of Sorrows)
Praise the Lord, my soul, give praise! While I live, His Name I’ll raise! 
And exalt Him all my days –God forever reigns in Zion!

Trust we not in prince or man – no salvation’s in their hand; 
death shall take them, breath and plans – God forever reigns in Zion!

Blessed are they whose hope resides in the Lord, Christ at His side. 
By Him heav’n and earth abide – God forever reigns in Zion!

He is faithful evermore; He gives justice to the poor, 
feeds the hungry from His store – God forever reigns in Zion!

Jesus sets the pris’ner free, heals blind eyes that they may see, 
Lifts those burdened painfully –God forever reigns in Zion!

He the righteous loves the best; wand’rers in His grace are blessed;
Needy ones in Him find rest –God forever reigns in Zion!

But the wicked who defame His eternal blessèd Name, 
Them He brings to ruin and shame – God forever reigns in Zion!

T. M. Moore

Where do 1 and 2 Thessalonians fit in the unfolding of God’s covenant? Order our workbook, God’s Covenant, and find out how all Scripture fits within this redemptive framework (click here).

Forward today’s study to some friends, and challenge them to study with you through this series on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Each week’s lessons will be available as a free PDF download at the end of the week. Get a copy for yourself and send the link to the download to your friends. Plan to meet weekly to study Paul’s ministry and prepare for your own.


If you value Scriptorium as a free resource for your walk with the Lord, please consider supporting our work with your gifts and offerings. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button  at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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