BACKGROUND
Paul’s first epistles. Earliest writing of the New Testament
Paul was forced out of Thessalonica by the Jewish leaders there after he established the church in the city.
Paul sent Timothy back to check up on them. Timothy’s report was positive.
Complimentary in tone, rather than corrective.
Major theme: Being prepared for the Second Coming of Christ
ICEBREAKER
Who is a teacher that has had an impact on your life? How did they impact you?
TRANSITION
We are a church of teachers. We are all called to teach in some way in this church. We teach as missionaries, ministers, and in sacrament meeting talks. You will more than likely be called more than once to teach in some capacity at church, a primary class perhaps, Sunday school, gospel doctrine, or seminary. And for most, you will teach in some manner within the walls of your own home as President Nelson has shifted us to a home centered, church supported focus, as a parent, or a spouse. More now than ever we need to strive to become powerful teachers. That is one of the reasons I started these videos, was to give help to teachers and parents in the church who are feeling a bit overwhelmed with the responsibility of teaching the scriptures to their families or others. With my experience as a teacher, I felt I could help a little. Well Paul has some help for teachers here in 1 Thessalonians. He’s going to give you some great suggestions on how to become a more effective teacher of the gospel.
SEARCH
Make a label on the title page of 1 Thessalonians. Labeled: How to be a great gospel teacher
Using the following verses, make a list of techniques that you find for teaching the gospel more effectively.
1 Thess 1:2
1 Thess 1:3-4, 6-9
1 Thess 1:5
1 Thess 2:2
1 Thess 2:3
1 Thess 2:4-6
1 Thess 2:7-8
1 Thess 2:9
1 Thess 2:10
1 Thess 2:11-12
1 Thess 2:19-20
1 Thess 3:2-3
1 Thess 3:8-10
1:2 They pray for their students
1:3-4 They praise their students
1:5 They teach with the power of the Spirit.
2:2 They teach with boldness.
2:3 They teach with sincerity
2:4-6 They don’t seek popularity
2:7-8 They are gentle and love their students
2:10 They aren’t hypocrites
2:11-12 They challenge their students to live worthily
2:19-20 They find joy in their student’s righteousness
3:2-3 They seek to help their students
3:8-10 They increase their students faith
APPLY
Q: What’s your plan?
Pick at least one to work on
CONCLUSION
Remember that teaching is one of the most important callings you will ever have in this life, and I’m not just talking about formal teaching callings in the church. We are all called to be teachers as disciples of Christ I know that it can seem overwhelming at times, and you will most likely very often feel inadequate. You will most certainly have lessons that you feel didn’t go very well. But if you struggle as a teacher, you are not a failure. You will certainly have students that don’t seem to be responding to your message, does that mean you are a failure. No, think about Jesus, how many people rejected Him? And he was the greatest teacher to ever live. And God has provided means of help for you.The Holy Ghost can help you, God can help you through prayer, you can turn to loving leaders, spouses, and friends. Don’t forget that God has called you and just like President Monson used to say “Whom God calls, God qualifies”.
ICEBREAKER
Do a mock relaxation exercise. Play some soft music, turn out the lights, tell them to breathe deeply.
After 2-3 minutes, slowly pull out an air horn and blow it
After they have calmed down ask: What event in the Plan of salvation is going to be kind of like that.
Hint: Turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:1-7 for some help.
Q: What is the event?
A: The Second Coming. That’s “the day of the Lord” that Paul is talking about in vs. 2.
Cross Reference
2 Nephi 28:21
A couple words stand out to me in that verse, pacify, lull, carefully. To get a baby to sleep you might give them a pacifier, or sing them a lullaby, and you will be very careful not to startle or wake them up.
Q: What two metaphors does Paul use to describe what the Second Coming will be like for some?
A thief in the night. A thief in the night sneaks up on you without you knowing. They come when you are vulnerable. In your sleep. That’s like the second coming. For many it will come out of nowhere. A total shock. Like the air horn.
He also compares it to a woman in labor, that’s what travail means. A woman doesn’t know exactly when the child will come. At some point, the labor pains hit and the baby is coming, and you can’t do anything to stop it. That’s like the second coming as well.
Q: The members of the Church are different though. They will not be “asleep”. He gives those kind of people a name. What are they according to those verses?
A: The children of Light, the children of the Day. That’s who we want to be.
Make a label at the top of the page that looks like this: How to be a Child of Light/How to be prepared for the Second Coming.
GAME
Instructions:
Divide into teams
I’ll give you the first letter of every word in a phrase from the scriptures
Be the first person to raise your hand and identify the phrase
Everybody should mark the phrase in their scriptures
1 point to the team with the person who found it first
Most points wins!
The answers to the following clues are in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
T N M G B A D H B I A M
Answer: 4:6 that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter
L O A
Answer: 4:9 love one another
W W Y O H
Answer: 4:11 Work with your own hands
A F F
Answer: 4:3 Abstain from fornication
P G
Answer: 4:1 Please God
Moving on to Chapter 5, verses 8-28
A F A A O E
Answer: 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil
E O A
Answer 5:11 Edify one another. Build each other up, teach each other, help each other
P W C
Answer 5:17 Pray without ceasing
B A P A Y
Answer 5:13 Be at peace among yourselves
H F T W I G
Answer 5:21 Hold fast that which is good
Q N T S
Answer 5:19 Quench not the Spirit. Be sure not to ignore the promptings of the Holy Ghost, don’t listen to music, or watch movies, or read books, that cause the Spirit to leave
R E
Answer 5:16 Rejoice evermore, so be happy
B P T A M
Answer 5:14 Be patient toward all men
I E G T
Answer 5:18 In everything give thanks
S T W
Answer 5:14 Support the weak
D N P
Answer 5:20 Despise not prophesyings
E F T W I G
Answer 5:15 Ever follow that which is good
CONCLUSION
And now you can look back over your scriptures and see all the things that you can do to become a child of light. A disciple that is fully awake. And if you are a child of light, the second coming will not startle you. That great and terrible day will not come as a thief in the night for you. It will be a great day for you, not a terrible one.
2 THESSALONIANS
Some of the members in Thessalonica were being taught by others that the Second coming had already happened, that Jesus had already returned. Some of these false teachers apparently had gone so far as to create fake letters supposedly from the apostles teaching those false doctrines.
Paul’s Response: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
That falling away is what we know as the Great Apostasy. The Second Coming was not imminent in Paul’s day. The Apostasy needed to come first. And it has. That’s why we needed Joseph Smith and the Restoration. If you ever trying to explain to somebody the necessity of the Restoration with biblical precedent, these are some great verses to be ready to share.
COUNTERFEITING STORY
"There was a man who worked for the United States Treasury Department. His job was investigating cases where counterfeit money was involved. He was so good at what he did that all it took was a quick look at a bill and he could tell if it was genuine or counterfeit. One evening at a press conference following his breaking up of a major counterfeit ring, one of the reporters directed this statement to him :”You must spend a lot of time studying counterfeit bills to recognize them so easily.”His reply to this was “No, I don’t ever study counterfeit bills. I spend my time studying genuine bills; then the imperfection is easy to recognize. Elder David E. Sorensen, CES Fireside for Young Adults March 6, 2005 Brigham Young University
SEARCH
Q: 2 Thessalonians has a lot of “counterfeiting” words in it? Can you find them? I’ll give you the verses. But look for any word or phrase that suggests deceit.
2:2
2:3
2:7
2:9
2:10
2:11
ANSWERS:
2:2. Shaken in mind, troubled
2:3 deceive you
2:7 mystery of iniquity
2:9 signs and lying wonders
2:10 deceivableness of unrighteousness
2:11 strong delusion, believe a lie
HOW NOT TO BE DECEIVED
2:10 Love the truth.
2:15 Hold fast to the traditions which ye have been taught.
3:4 Follow the prophet
3:6 withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks disorderly, however 3:15 adds "yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother”
3:13 Be not weary in well doing.
CONCLUSION
I promise you that if you do these things, you will not be deceived. You will see through the counterfeits, the deceivableness of unrighteousness, the lies, and the strong delusions. You will see things as they really are.
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