Bold Love, Quiet Life

GETTING STARTED

Don’t you love to belong? There’s nothing like being a part of a group of friends with shared experiences and common goals. While I love to belong, I am still often reluctant to step out and join new groups because of insecurities and fear. The thing that has made the difference every time for me in these environments is the people who have loved and welcomed me.

  • In what ways can we encourage other believers?
  • How do we create a welcoming environment for those who may currently feel like outsiders?

READ THE WORD: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 (ESV)

9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. What had God taught the Thessalonians?
  2. What were Paul’s urgent requests for the Thessalonians (vss. 10-11)? What can we conclude about these requests and their proximity in the text?
  3. What is the ultimate goal of this quiet life?
  4. What do you think it means to “walk properly before outsiders”?
  5. How can you love boldly and live quietly today?

RESPOND TO GOD

Keep your heads down and your hearts open. Paul is preaching us a whole sermon in this one text. Keep your heads down, saints, pray continually, and focus on the task at hand. More than that, Paul actually says to love the people at hand. “Love the saints, saints! And, mind your own business!” he says. By loving the saints and aspiring to live a quiet life, we may walk properly before outsiders. Oh the joys that will come when those outsiders see us walking properly, relying on no one but Christ himself, and understand the goodness and grace of Christ!

  • Thank God for loving you with an unstopping, never-giving-up, always and forever kind of love.
  • Ask God to show you ways today to love the saints more and more.