Praying for Growth in Abounding Love

1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

1 Thessalonians 3:13

Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.

12 And may the Lord make you
increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,

13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
with all His saints.
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1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,

3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love,

and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,
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1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body
be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. NKJV

Incommunicable Attributes of God

Omnipotence Omniscience Omnipresence Eternality Sovereignty Transcendence Immutability Self-Existence

Communicable Attributes of God flow from His Holiness and Love.

Holiness

Righteousness Justice Wrath Truthfulness

Love

Grace

Mercy Forgiveness Goodness Patience Kindness Generosity Steadfast Faithfulness Sacrificial Giving Gentleness Peace
Hope
Joy

LOVE is the MOTIVATION for us to do the right things,
in the right ways,

for the right reasons, at the right times.

LOVE moves us to think and feel outside of ourselves and MOTIVATES us to link our lives up to others
to make disciples
and
to help others.

LOVE is that which motivates us
to practice the SPIRITUAL DISCIPLES.

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Ephesians 4:11-16

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ,

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a perfect man,
to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro

and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men,
in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things
into Him who is the head — Christ —

16 from whom the whole body,
joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working
by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body
for
the edifying of itself
in

LOVE.

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Paul's Spiritual "To Do" List

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

And we urge you, brethren,
to recognize those who labor among you,

and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,

13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.
Be at peace among yourselves.

14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak,
be patient with all.

15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good
both for yourselves and for all.

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing,

18 in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

19 Do not quench the Spirit.
20 Do not despise prophecies.
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

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