[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][cs_element_layout_row _id=”5″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”6″ ][cs_element_image _id=”7″ ][cs_element_text _id=”8″ ][cs_element_line _id=”9″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][cs_element_layout_row _id=”10″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”11″ ][cs_element_image _id=”12″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”13″ ][cs_element_text _id=”14″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][cs_element_layout_row _id=”15″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”16″ ][x_gap size=”100px”][cs_element_text _id=”18″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”19″ ][cs_element_image _id=”20″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][cs_element_layout_row _id=”21″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”22″ ][x_gap size=”100px”][cs_element_text _id=”24″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”25″ ][cs_element_image _id=”26″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][cs_element_layout_row _id=”27″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”28″ ][x_gap size=”100px”][cs_element_text _id=”30″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”31″ ][cs_element_image _id=”32″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][cs_element_layout_row _id=”33″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”34″ ][cs_element_button _id=”35″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”36″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”37″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”38″ ][cs_element_content_area _id=”39″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”40″ ][cs_element_content_area _id=”41″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”42″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”43″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”44″ ][cs_element_text _id=”45″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][cs_element_layout_row _id=”46″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”47″ ][cs_element_video _id=”48″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”49″ ][cs_element_video _id=”50″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”51″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”52″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”53″ ][cs_element_content_area _id=”54″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][cs_element_layout_row _id=”55″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”56″ ][cs_element_content_area _id=”57″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”58″ ][cs_element_text _id=”59″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content][cs_content_seo]Bible Story

 Paul Gave Hope
Consider how your life would change if you knew the future—if you could accurately predict the weather or outcomes of baseball games. If you could know how your life is going to turn out, would you live today differently? In the bigger picture of God’s plan for the world, we do know the future. God reveals the outcome of His plan for humanity in His Word.
In the Book of 1 Thessalonians, Paul wrote about the future to encourage believers facing persecution. Their hope as believers then is the same as our hope as believers today. We look forward to a final resurrection, the return of Jesus, and the judgment of the world.
Around AD 50, the city of Thessalonica was filled with those who worshiped idols, Greek and Roman gods, and even the Roman emperor himself. So when Paul started a church there, he quickly faced persecution and was forced to flee the city. Even though he could not return, Paul still loved the young church and was concerned for them, so he sent Timothy to check on the believers.
Timothy reported back with good news—though the church was suffering from persecution, they were holding tightly to their faith. They did have some misunderstandings about Christianity, especially the return of Jesus, but they were working hard for the Lord. Paul wrote a letter to encourage the believers and to clear up misunderstandings about the future and what happens when Christians die.
Perhaps Paul’s greatest message was about the return of Jesus. On that day, Paul said, believers will be freed from their sufferings. On the Day of the Lord, Jesus will return for His people and judge the wicked. That’s a promise we can still claim today.
Paul’s letter gave believers hope. The hope we find in the Bible is stronger than just wanting something to happen; biblical hope is expecting with confidence because we know God is faithful and true.
The prophets in the Old Testament told about the Day of the Lord, a day when God would come to judge the world and save His people. Paul said that in the future, on the Day of the Lord, Jesus will return for His people and judge the wicked. Believers live with hope, knowing that Jesus will come again.
 

 
Paul Gave Hope
(1-2 Thessalonians)
The prophets in the Old Testament told about the Day of the Lord, a day when God would come to judge the world and save His people. Paul said that in the future, on the Day of the Lord, Jesus will return for His people and judge the wicked. Believers live with hope, knowing that Jesus will come again.
 

STORY POINT:

KEY VERSE:

BIG PICTUREQUESTION:

CLICK HERE To Watch the Story

Family Discussion Questions

Who knows when Jesus will return?
 How can we be ready for Jesus’ return?
 Why do believers have hope even when we feel sad about death?
Name a time following Jesus was hard for you.
 How does knowing Jesus will come back one day give you hope?
What makes you most excited about Jesus coming back?

Worship

Game Idea

Build a Tall Tower
 

 -Set out wooden blocks, cardboard blocks, or interlocking blocks.
-Guide children to work together to build a tower using all the blocks.
-When the tower falls down, encourage kids not to give up and keep building.

 
CONNECTION:
“You worked together! Building a tower with all the blocks was not easy to do, but you did not give up. In today’s Bible story, we will hear about the believers in Thessalonica. Following Jesus was not easy for them, but they did not give up. Listen to the Bible story to hear how Paul encouraged these believers.”[/cs_content_seo]