"A Faith that Flourishes in the Fire"

Pastor Phil is continuing our series, "The Edge of Eternity." In this teaching we will learn how the Thessalonians dealt with persecution and affliction, and how their faith thrived despite these challenges. Our scripture verses are 1 Thessalonians chapter 3, verses 1 - 13.  One thing that immediately jumps out when studying the Thessalonian church is that despite the fact that they were living godly, obedient lives, they faced intense persecution. Let's look at some of the realities the church in Thessalonian faced on a regular basis. The Reality of Fire - In this world we will face hardships and difficulties. There are 3 categories of hardships that followers of Jesus face in this world today. 1) Faith-based - facing opposition because of our faith and allegiance to Jesus Christ. 2) Evil-induced - facing hardships brought on by other people's wicked and evil choices. 3) Seemingly-random - facing difficulties that have no explanation - things like illness, accidents, economic downturns, pandemics, etc. The Victory of Faith - Check out these words of hope from Jesus, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John chapter 16, verse 33) The Destiny of Followers - God reminds us that as long as we live on this earth we need to strive to grow in our faith and walk with Jesus Christ. His will for our lives is for each one of us to finish our training in Christ and finish the race in victory.