Pastor Chuck Swindoll, a very well respected minister, once said that 1 Thessalonians is the perfect place for every new believer to begin. When I heard that, I thought, “That’s interesting.” I’ve always told people they should start with John. And it was almost like he was reading my mind because he said, “Now, you might think that the Gospel of John would be the best place to start.” And I thought, “I do think that.” And then he went on to say, John’s amazing, but 1 Thessalonians really is a primer. It covers nearly every significant major doctrinal area in a very clear way. And it was written to new believers by someone who himself at one point would have said I never thought I would be a believer.
So, he does a really good job of giving a crash course on what you need to know before you go on this whole faith journey thing. Because at one point they were pagans, didn’t know anything about Jesus, but then when they came to know him and had their lives changed by him, he then wrote to inform them and help their faith to grow up. So, this would be a great chance to get your feet wet and to figure some things out. But if you are not a new believer, if you’re not a believer who’s known Jesus for a long time, let me just say, don’t write this off and go, “Oh, well I already know a lot of this stuff.” Because let me just tell you, I’ve been a Christian and a pastor for many years, but God has so radically changed my life even to this day, prepping to once again communicate on these verses. I just had my heart gripped and transformed by looking at these verses.
Ultimately, this is a letter for a church. It was written to a specific church. We’ll talk about where they were at in the world and what was going on in their lives, but it makes sense in a church. Many of you are sitting in a church small group or in a living room going through this with people from your church. I’m sitting communicating this to you in my church, and one of our church buildings that we lead, Fresh Life Church. And I wish the attendance would have been a little better today. Obviously, it’s just you and me here today, but it really is a very exciting thing because it was rewarding for me many years ago, as a pastor to take my church through these verses. And we saw so much growth and salvation, and God really filled our heart with a great sense of boldness as we went through this material and it continues to be a blessing.
The 40 Days Through the Book series is designed to help you actively engage with God’s Word. Each study encourages you to read through selected books in the New Testament at least once during the course of the study. As you do, you will gain:
- An understanding of the background and culture of the book or letter
- Insights into key passages that you might have overlooked before
- Clear takeaways that you can apply today to your life
In this study, bestselling author and pastor Levi Lusko guides you through these letters from Paul, revealing what the apostle’s words meant to his original readers and how they apply to you today. You will be encouraged to learn both the content and the context of the letters and then apply the message to your daily life.
Join Levi on a journey through Paul’s words to the Thessalonians that will encourage you to stay grounded, remain faithful, and keep being diligent as you wait for Jesus’ return.
This study guide includes:
- Individual access to six streaming video sessions
- Personal study between sessions
- 40-day reading plan through 1 & 2 Thessalonians
- Leader’s Guide
Levi Lusko is the founder and lead pastor of Fresh Life Church located in Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, and Utah. He is the bestselling author of Through the Eyes of a Lion, Swipe Right, and I Declare War. Levi also travels the world speaking about Jesus. He and his wife, Jennie, have one son, Lennox, and four daughters: Alivia, Daisy, Clover, and Lenya, who is in heaven.