Wednesday - September 21, 2016

Woodlawn Family Bible Study
WEDNESDAY

BIBLE READING:  1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

 I love to read the letters of the New Testament. That is exactly what they are, letters. As with any letter, they have some basic components that make make them letters. First, there is the salutation, where the person or party written to is addressed. Next you have the body of the letter, which addresses the concerns the person is writing about. Finally, you have the benediction, which come at the end of each letter to close it out. 

 Some of the best parts of each letter lie in the salutations, where the author will brag on the party he is addressing. For instance, notice what Paul says about the church at Thessalonica: “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all that believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything” (1Thessalonians 1:6-8). Their faith was so strong that not even Paul could say any more about it. 

 I wonder what Paul would say if he wrote a letter to me that was to be read by all the churches around me? Would my faith be praised or rebuked? Something to think about, because like it or not, it is being read already.

Application: Read 2 Corinthians 3:2 and ponder how your letter reads. 

 Prayer Request

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