Life Groups // Winter 2023 // Week 6

Posted February 17, 2023 — Lincoln Berean

Children of Light // 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

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Introduction

This week Paul continues the topic of the return of Jesus and encourages the Thessalonians not to speculate on the day or time, but to be sober and alert, living as children of light. He ends this passage with another challenge to encourage one another and build each other up.

To think through the main ideas in the sermon and prepare for your discussion together, we invite you to look over all the questions on the following pages and write your thoughts down before you meet with your group. Due to preferences over a wide range of groups, we do not expect you will cover every question each week.

Warm Up (Suggested time: 30 min)

1. If you like to read, who is one of your favorite authors?

2. Which event in the Life of Christ would you have liked to have been present at?

Getting Started

Transition into group discussion.  

1) Open group discussion with prayer. Here are a few potential prayer items: 

a. For the Spirit of God to lead you in truth 

b. For the fruit of the Spirit to be cultivated in your lives 

c. For grace to hear and apply what the Spirit says to you

2) Choose someone to read the passage aloud for the group.

Study Questions (Suggested time: 40 min)

1) What is is a concept, idea or theme that has stuck with you from this past weekend’s sermon?

2) In the first few verses of this passage (vv. 1-3) Paul again refers to the return of the Lord Jesus with another encouragement to not speculate as to when it will be. It will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night upon unbelievers. In verses 4-6 he indicates that for the children of light (believers), it will not be unexpected and then commands them to be alert and sober. What does it look like to be alert and sober (self-controlled) as we live our lives each day?

3) If you knew Jesus was coming back in 1 week, how would it change the way you are living your life for the next 7 days? (Seek to think about this in a way that stirs up love in your heart, not pressure)

4) In verse 8 Paul returns to the ideas of faith, love and hope in describing the Thessalonians as children of light. Recognizing that our life with God starts and continues with faith—simple trust in God, as you think about what it means to move through the world as a child of light, consider the chart on the next page.  After filling out the chart for yourself, talk to God about your answers. Consider what you are willing to share with your Life Group.

Circle a number on the sliding scale next to each concept.

1 = “You find it easy to trust God with this.”

5 = “You really struggle letting go of control for this.”

God, I surrender to you, I relinquish my right to, and I trust you with:

5) The final verse of our passage has Paul challenging the Thessalonians to encourage one another and build each other up. Of your answers above, which are you willing to share with your Life Group, so that they can pray for you and encourage you in your walk with Jesus?

Personal Spiritual Exercises

Just like physical exercises help strengthen and stretch our bodies for healthy living, these spiritual exercises are meant to move us spiritually in ways that may be new so we might experience inner growth. Since God longs for us to experience Him with our whole selves—mind, body, spirit—we invite you along each week to strengthen your souls with suggestions and prompts. Next week in Life Group, take a few moments to share how the Lord may have used this exercise in your life.

Prayer Focus: Paul commands us again to encourage each other and build each other up. Each day this week pray for a different person in your Life Group. Ask God to reveal to you how to pray for each person. Consider taking it one step further and after praying for that individual, send them a short text and let them know you prayed for them. (It will be encouraging to them!)

Scripture Focus: How does a child of light move through the world? Children of light is a regular image of the Apostle Paul. Over the course of this week, read Ephesians 5:8-16 several times, noticing the similarities to 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. As you read, listen for which verses the Holy Spirit may be pointing out to you.

Prayer (Suggested time: 20 min)

A significant part of “coming together” is being open and honest with our lives. Sitting in a group of people for prayer may be new or it may be familiar to you. If you would rather not pray aloud when it is your turn, feel free to pray silently and then say “Amen” aloud signaling the next person in the group to pray. Whether or not you choose to verbalize your prayer, everyone is a participant in sharing this time before God together.

Take a few moments to prepare a prayer request. What did the message, working through the above questions or the discussion cause you to notice about your own relationship with Jesus? Would you be willing to share your prayer request with the group?