Wed June 24

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the word Lord.

Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18—This We Declare

Optional Reading

1 Cor 15:50-54

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

Jesus will return.
We don’t know when.
When He comes, His church will be with Him forever.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

When will Jesus return?
What reunions will happen connected to His return?
What relief will come with Jesus’s return?

Notes

(See Saturday for authors. Today’s notes are from a commentary on 1 Thessalonians by Mark Howell.)

Paul introduces the subject of the Lord’s return with these simple words [in v. 16]. No advance warning, no heads-up, and no notice given. With a shout, a voice, and a trumpet, the Lord will come. …

The promise of Christ’s coming is to be a source of encouragement for God’s people. In this passage Paul reveals two reasons why Christians should be hopeful as they anticipate this event: Christ’s return will bring a reunion, and Christ’s return will bring relief. …

When Jesus comes for His church, at least three reunions will occur. First, the bodies of the dead in Christ will be reunited with their spirits … Second, those who are alive when Christ returns will be united with Him (1 John 3:2). Finally, in one magnificent gathering, both those who were alive at Christ’s coming and those who were dead will be reunited in the presence of the Lord. … This promise of a coming reunion should give every believer a present hope.

The truth of Christ’s coming … also brings the promise of deliverance. Life was difficult for the Christians in Thessalonica. Their faith in Christ resulted in severe persecution and intense hardship. Christ’s return would bring them the relief they longed for. Even the presence of severe hardship and intense suffering could not steal their joy or diminish their hope. They could live with the anticipation of that day when Christ would judge their enemies and deliver them from their suffering (2 Thess 2:6–8).

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 98b, 111d

Prayer

Pray "come, Lord Jesus."
Pray for change in you from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.