1. Hope in His Choice 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5

2. DISCUSSION GUIDE Joseph Smith

3. DISCUSSION GUIDE

4. Hope – In the New Testament the Greek word “hope” actually means “to anticipate, expect, or have confidence in.”

5. DISCUSSION GUIDE Great is Thy Faithfulness Refrain: Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

6. DISCUSSION GUIDE Refrain Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Refrain Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

7. DISCUSSION GUIDE Alas and Did My Savior Bleed Alas! and did my Savior bleed? And did my Sov’reign die! Would He devote that sacred head For sinners such as I? Was it for crimes that I have done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree! Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut its glories in, When God, the mighty maker, died For man the creature's sin.

8. DISCUSSION GUIDE Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears; Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. But drops of tears can ne'er repay The debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give myself away 'Tis all that I can do.

9. DISCUSSION GUIDE Jesus Paid It All I can hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small; Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.” Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Lord, now indeed I find Thy power and Thine alone, Can change the leper's spots And melt the heart of stone.

10. DISCUSSION GUIDE Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. And when before the throne I stand in Him complete, “Jesus died my soul to save,” My lips shall still repeat Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. He washed it white as snow.

11. DISCUSSION GUIDE Fairest Lord Jesus Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature, Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor, Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown. Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands, Robed in the blooming garb of spring; Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

12. DISCUSSION GUIDE Fair is the sunshine, Fairer still the moonlight, And all the twinkling starry host; Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer Than all the angels heaven can boast. Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations! Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, Now and forever more be Thine.

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14. 1.Complete the following about the background of 1 Thessalonians. a. Author – Paul (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:18 b. Recipients – The Christians in Thessalonica c. Date – AD 51 d. Purpose 1. To express thankfulness for what God was doing 2. To defend Himself against slander 3. To encourage them to be steadfast 4. To address doctrinal questions concerning end times 5. To address questions dealing with the “Day of the Lord” 6. To address certain issues in the church e. Theme – The return of the Lord The ministry of the local church until He comes

15. DISCUSSION GUIDE 2. How does Paul establish credibility in (1 Thessalonians 1:1)? He is writing on behalf of the Lord and wishing them grace and peace.

16. DISCUSSION GUIDE 3. Today how do we establish credibility and identity using social media?

17. DISCUSSION GUIDE 4. What do we know about Paul’s traveling companions? a.(Acts 16:1-4)Timothy’s mother was a believer but his father was a Greek b.(Acts 17:13-14)Silas and Timothy were Paul’s helpers on his missionary journey c.(1 Timothy 4:12)Timothy was a young man

18. DISCUSSION GUIDE 5. In (1 Thessalonians 1:2) Paul mentions that as an expression of thankfulness they constantly pray for them. When you are thankful for someone does it lead you to pray for them?

19. DISCUSSION GUIDE 6. What characteristics does Paul mention that the Thessalonians possess (v. 3)? a. Walk of faith b. Labor of love c. Endurance of hope d. Rooted in the Lord

20. DISCUSSION GUIDE 7. Would someone recognize these characteristics in your life?

21. DISCUSSION GUIDE 8. How should knowing that God has chosen you increase your hope in life? (v. 4)

22. DISCUSSION GUIDE 9. How does the Holy Spirit work to bring salvation? (v. 5) The Holy Spirit convicts and draws people to faith in Christ.

23. DISCUSSION GUIDE 10.Can others identify you as a Christ-follower and an authentic believer? How can your life be even a better example of Christ?

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25. Vision statements for some Fortune 500 companies: Amazon – “To be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.” Harley Davidson – “To fulfill dreams through the experiences of motorcycling.” Hilton – “To fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” CVS Caremark – “To improve the quality of human life.” Kraft Foods – “To make today delicious.” Toys’R’Us – “To put joy in kids’ hearts and a smile on parents’ faces.”