1 and 2 Thessalonians Week 2

The first week of our bible study was great! I was glad to see that everyone in the class was involved in asking questions and discussion. I am really looking forward to this week's class.

Last week we studied Acts 17- the founding of the church in Thessalonica. We also learned about the city of Thessalonica, and its history. This week we are diving into chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians! The first few verses are packed with meaning for the church, so we will really focus on the first five verses in class.

If you are following along online here are some links that will help you to read 1 Thessalonians 1:

1) http://www.easyenglish.info/bible-commentary/1thess-lbw.htm

and http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/5201.htm

I posted the Enduring Word Commentary last week, but I have found both to be helpful.

In verse four Paul says that he knew that God chose the people of Thessalonica. How do we know that God chose us?

(Hint: The answer is simple- if we have faith, we know that God chose us.)

2) Watch the video on praying for others, and answer the questions below it.





In verse two Paul thanked God in his prayers for the Thessalonian church. According to the video how does it make others feel when we pray for them?

How do you feel when you pray for others?

Why should we pray for others?

3)In verse 5 of 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul mentions the power of God's Word. Look at the hymn found in the link below. (This is hymn 222 in the Lutheran Worship hymnal.)

http://musicanet.org/robokopp/hymn/howblest.htm

Where does the Word come from?

How are we blessed by it?

Post any thoughts, comments, or questions below. Let's get the discussion going!

Two Of A Kind

Mt. Olive's playgroup for toddlers from 18 to 36 mos will begin meeting on Tuesday, September 30 or Wednesday, October 1. This group, which will complete six years in January, gives toddlers and their caregivers an opportunity for supervised play and an easing into a preschool situation. The class meets from 9:30 to 11:00. For more information, or to enroll your child, call the church office or Doreen Hietsch @ 724-652-4327.

1 and 2 Thessalonians Bible Study

In addition to using this blog as a way to post events for Mount Olive; I am also using this site as a resource for the adult bible study on 1 and 2 Thessalonians. I will post things on here throughout the class to help those who want to dig a little deeper into scripture. These resources will not be critical to the Sunday class. They are open to everyone, and they might be especially useful to those who would like to attend more than one Bible study on Sunday, but since everything happens at once, are forced to attend one or the other.

I will post links that are relevant to the text of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, as well as, links that are relevant to our discussion.

Here are a few places that I found helpful to introducing yourself to 1 and 2 Thessalonians:

http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/5201.htm -Provides a solid introduction to the cast of Paul's missionary team in Thessalonica.

http://www.biblestudy.org/maps/pauls-secd-journey-map.html - This is a nice map of Paul's second missionary journey. Here you can follow his route to and from Thessalonica.

http://www.bibleplaces.com/thessalonica.htm -Archaeology is not my forte, but it's fun to look at pictures! This shows some of the remains of Thessalonica under modern day Thessaloniki in Greece.

Feel free to post any question or thoughts that you would like to share!

Mops (From the Mentor's Point of View)

If you are unfamiliar with MOPS, I want to tell you that I would have given my eye teeth to have had a group such as this to turn to when I was a young mother! What I have observed as a mentor mom are a group of moms, trying to be the best moms that they know how to be (not unlike most of us, right?) BUT (and here's where the good part comes in) with the support, love, shared knowledge, and prayers of other young mothers in the same boat.

A typical MOPS meeting brings moms together for a SIT-DOWN (!) breakfast, shared ideas, knowledge from "experts", cooperative activities, laughter, tears, opportunities to lead and follow, mutual understanding, and PRAYERS...ALL while loving Grandmas entertain and care for the preschoolers in another room.

Give away my eye teeth for this? You betcha! In this day and age when families are remote, neighbors are unseen, and the world just keeps on turnin', it's a blessing to have a group and a place where young moms can be refreshed, renewed and reminded that they are not alone.

As a congregation, we need to support, promote, and encourage the M.O.P.S. Program at Mt. Olive.

Submitted by Doreen Hietsch, M.O.P.S Mentor Mom

Will You Leave Behind a Blessing or a Curse?

This fall, in a new adult Sunday School class, we will discuss some issues with transferring family wealth and differentiate this process from estate planning.

We know that we can’t take it with us but the wealth that we leave behind could be the best thing or the worst thing that can ever happen to our loved ones.

We will use the book "Splitting Heirs" by Ron Blue, a Christian financial advisor. The book is sometimes humorous, often moving and always crystal clear. Ron explains why it is important to make these decisions now instead of forcing your heirs to do it later. Using practical tips, tools, charts and worksheets he will help us:

--- Leave an inheritance that helps our heirs without spoiling them.

--- Communicate our desires the right way , at the right time.

--- Navigate the legal and tax issues surrounding our estate.

--- Decide which charities or ministries to support, and how to tell if they will be worthy stewards of our hard earned wealth.

Even if our nest egg is small, it can have a huge impact on the next generation. All it takes is a little planning and a real appreciation for the resources that God has put in our care.