Living in the Last Days: A Study of Paul’s Letter to the Thessalonians.
Feeling overwhelmed by life right now? You’re not alone. When everything feels uncertain, we often worry about what’s next. But what if it’s possible to regain perspective and live with purpose? Are living in the last days? How do we live in the Last Days? How do we make a difference in uncertain times. Let’s dig into Paul’s letters to the Church at Thessalonica and learn to live by faith, stand firm, make a difference, and face the future with courage instead of fear.
Living in the Last Days Waiting Well – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
Are we living in the last days? Yes. And every day we are one day closer to Jesus’ return. So how do we live in the last days? We live our lives according to God’s Will and trust God to do His sanctifying work in us.
LIVE OAK CONNECTION POINT: If serving is your next step please head to our Serving Interest Form (Sign Up & Events >> App and Website). As Tammy said in the Welcome we still need people to step in to serve our Kids on Sunday mornings! Maybe that is you?!?
Also don’t forget about our Prayer Gathering coming Monday, March 2 at 7pm.
DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- Which Olympic sport do you think you’d have the best chance in?
- What would be an Olympic sport you would add or create?
- If you were going to leave the world one piece of advice before you died, what would you say?
- READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28.
Spend some time SOAPing this passage. You can either spend time SOAPing individually and documenting for a several minutes and then spend time sharing with each -OR- SOAP in real time with each other.Either way make as many observations as you can.
OBSERVATIONS: What are the things that stand out to you about this passage?How would you summarize this passage in one sentence?What does this passage tell me about who God is? What does this passage tell me about who I am?What specific actions is this passage telling us to take?What promises of God do you see in this passage?What questions does this passage raise? What verses might be confusing?
- READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. What are the 3 things that are God’s will for us that we are told to do?
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16 “REJOICE always”
What does it mean? Why do you think it is important? What does it look like for you to put these into practice practically in your life?
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “PRAY continually”
What does it mean? Why do you think it is important? What does it look like for you to put these into practice practically in your life?
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “GIVE THANKS in all circumstances”
What does it mean? Why do you think it is important? What does it look like for you to put these into practice practically in your life?
- How do these three commands—rejoice, pray, thank—interconnect to strengthen our faith?
- READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:19. What do you think it means to “quench the Spirit”?
- READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:23. What would it look like for this prayer to be answered in your life? What do you think it would look like?
- READ: 1 Thessalonians 5:24. We have this promise that God “will do it” in response to the prayer prayed in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. How have you seen God do it in the past in your life?
- What else stood out from this week’s sermon?
APPLICATION:
What is your big takeaway from this passage and this week’s sermon? Be specific.
NEXT STEPS:
Everyone has a next step to apply what we’ve learned. What’s your next step?Be specific.
MEMORY VERSE: *Challenge yourself or your group to commit this verse to memory:
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”
PRAYER:Encourage your group to pray this prayer often in 2026 & use to close your group time.
A 2026 Prayer for MORE: Ephesians 3:14-21
“Heavenly Father, Help me to engage with you MORE. Work in me to make me MORE like you. Use me to help MORE people know you. Make my story about your glory! Amen.”
Scripture References:
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28; Matthew 5:39, 44; Romans 12:17-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Romans 12:1-2; John 15:9-13; Romans 15:13