Encouragement

Is faith a gift or a choice? Is it something God does in us or something we do for God? The answer is, “Yes!” Faith is a mixture of all that and more. It’s a partnership with God as we enter into relationship for our good and the good of the community and the world around us. We have the choice every day to live by our faith, to be shaped by our faith, and to submit all our actions and relationships to the measure of faith. In this worship series, we’ll examine what it means to be people who choose faith.

Verse 3 of 2 Thessalonians 1 (NRSV) says “We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.”

These few verses give us some quick pointers on identifying saints. The Thessalonians are worried, apparently, and needed some reassurance. Paul responds to their concerns by affirming them in glowing terms. Today we remember and give thanks for those who’ve been encouragers on our individual and corporate journeys of faith.