A Higher Call: Called to Holiness

Text: 1 Thessalonians 3:11-4:8

Being called to holiness means that followers of Jesus are called to be set apart for God, separate from sin and evil. The basis for this calling is that God Himself is holy, and those who have been changed by Him are thus called to be the same. Holiness should describe and define how we live in every area of our lives. While it involves far more than how we behave sexually, how we behave sexually is a significant part of holiness. Though many in the Church would rather ignore or dismiss the topic of “sex,” the truth is that we do so to our own harm. Few things have hindered and hurt individual lives and the Church as a whole like that of compromise regarding God’s plan and purpose for sex. God has not left us without instruction, direction, and exhortations on how we can walk in holiness and glorify Him through our sexuality. We invite you to listen today to consider how you can honor God by walking in holiness.

A Higher Call: Called to Encourage

Text: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

Encouragement is something that we all long for and need. While the topic does not tend to be exciting or glamorous, encouragement is vital to our health as Christians and one that we must intentionally embrace in our lives. Our calling as followers of Jesus in this fallen world is to come alongside one another, to lift up one another, and to refresh one another in the Lord and in the truth of His Word. What we see in today’s text is a beautiful picture of the mutual encouragement that is experienced in the body of Christ when we are in community with one another. We invite you to listen today to be both encouraged and exhorted in fulfilling this wonderful calling.

A Higher Call: Called to Walk Worthy

Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20

All followers of Jesus are citizens of heaven, which means this world is a temporary dwelling place that we occupy until the Lord calls us to our true home. However, this doesn’t mean that we wait until heaven to truly live for Jesus. In fact, the promise of our future home should have a significant bearing on how we live presently. God calls us to fix our hearts and minds on Him and live today in light of what He has declared for our tomorrow. As citizens of heaven, we are like travelers who are here for a temporary season and an eternal reason, and one day we will be forever with the Lord. As we continue our Higher Call in Christ, today we discover that this higher call is a call to walk worthy of the One who saves us. We invite you to listen today to discover the four wonderful encouragements that will help you fulfill this call.

A Higher Call: Called to Witness

Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

The letters of 1 & 2 Thessalonians were written to a group of young Christians who were finding much opposition and conflict in the world. As they loved Jesus and lived for Him, they found that the culture was increasingly hostile to the name of Christ. God led Paul to pen these words to give encouragement and hope through the return of Christ, but this promised future had radical implications for how they lived in the present. All throughout these letters, Paul clearly explains how the reality of heaven should impact our reality here on earth. As you listen to this message, we pray that the Lord will lift your eyes above the temporary here and now to focus your attention completely on Him, so that you live faithfully for Him today.