1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Picture this: You’re at a professional football game. There are thousands of people in the stands, all cheering as if their shouts are actually willing their team to victory. Now think about your faith. How many believers do you know who put that same passion and intensity into their relationship with Jesus?
In his letter to the church at Thessalonica, the apostle Paul rejoiced in the young congregation’s passion for telling the world about Christ. Because the city was a busy seaport, he knew that the church there had the ear of the whole world. Travelers would hear the gospel and then take it back to their own communities.
By saying that the word of the Lord had “sounded forth” from the church (1 Thess. 1:8), Paul painted a powerful word picture. In Greek, this verb refers to a sound that projects like a trumpet blast or thunder. So, Paul was praising the Thessalonians for being living megaphones proclaiming Christ.
As followers of Jesus, we have the responsibility of sharing who He is and what He has done. Shout it from the rooftops! Fill entire stadiums with the thunder of your praise! Don’t just show the people around you who your favorite sports team is. Make sure they know who your Savior is, too.
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