Building A BridgeFebruary 17, 2015 |
 Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. —1 Thessalonians 1:8  Read: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 James Michener’s Centennial is a fictional account of the history and settlement of the American West. Through the eyes of a French-Canadian trader named Pasquinel, Michener converges the stories of the Arapaho of the Great Plains and the European-based community of St. Louis. As this rugged adventurer moves between the growing clutter of the city and the wide-open spaces of the plains, he becomes a bridge between two drastically different worlds. Followers of Christ also have the opportunity to build bridges between two very different worlds—those who know and follow Jesus and those who do not know Him. Early Christians in Thessalonica had been building bridges to their idol-worshiping culture, so Paul said of them, “For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place” (1 Thess. 1:8). The bridge they were building had two components: the “word of the Lord” and the example of their faith. It was clear to everyone that they had “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (v.9). As God declares Himself to those around us by His Word and through our lives, we can become a bridge to those who do not yet know the love of Christ.—Bill Crowder Father, help us live in such a way that others will want to know about Your Son. May we not merely try to do what’s “right” but instead live as people forgiven and loved by You. Live the gospel, and others will listen. INSIGHT: In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul says that the greatest things are faith, hope, and love (v.13). In today’s passage, he commends the people of the church in Thessalonica for exhibiting these very traits. They work in faith and labor in love while hoping in Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 1:3). |
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