Teen Bible Study week 8: So, what are we trying to live then?

Last week we learned about the Joy that Paul gets from hearing how his friends are thriving in their world. We learned about the amazing effect that the Thessalonians living out their faith has had in their city and world. And the week before that we learned how the Thessalonians were placed at a crossroads of a culture that didn’t like their message. I want to encourage you to live your faith in your world. This week I want us to think about how our faith affects us and how we live.

What you will need

1. Bible
2. Pen and Paper

Before you do this reading, try to imagine you that you don’t understand the old Testament, you don’t know anything about the Laws God gave to Moses, and although you believe in Jesus and are learning about him, your culture has no appreciation for who or what Jesus is.


Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12.

1. When you think of Instructions for living as a Christian, what would you say?
2. What things do you think would be hardest for people your age to change when they become Christians?
3. How important is Love in the Christian life? Explain your answer.

An important thing to remember is that these letters were not written to us, they were written to a people at a particular time. These people were building a new culture while still living in a completely different one. And although the lessons that they needed to learn can do a lot of good in our world, Paul was not writing to us.

Back then, the biggest problem for the city (and for the Greek culture in general) was sexual immorality. While reading this focus on the Immorality, this is written to a particular people for their own issues.

In your opinion, what issue do you think Paul would write to our cultures about? (What would be our biggest immorality) Explain why.

So many laws in the Old and New Testament come from the same issue, an absence of Love. Jesus commanded us to Love God and Love others as ourselves. Its Clear Jesus and God want us to be better.

In verse 6 it talks about how God will punish (NIV) people who take advantage of others. This doesn’t mean smite, send to hell or destroy. It means allow them to live with the consequences of what they have done. It means not saving them from what they have chosen to do.

Read 4:9-12

Paul ends this section by calling for Love and more Love on top of that. God wants us to Love each other and God. You could say that is why God lets us live with the consequences of our actions. Only when we see a world that lacks Love, do we start to seek change.

Paul wants this Love and way of life to echo through their city.

How can you best show Love in your world?

Let’s Pray to God.

Remember you don’t need any perfect words, just be honest, start with Dear God and end with Amen. You are allowed to ask questions, God answers prayer, but not always how want expect/want.