Know Where You Really Live

Sunday, September 6, 2026
Jojo Ma

Weekly Bulletin | Song Lyrics | Nicene Creed

1 Thessalonians 1:1

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

We want to know our spiritual address, our true home, where our hearts should reside, and that is “in” the Lord. Being “in God” is the most important place we can be.

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

Acts 17:1-3 1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

He wrote them to instruct them and encourage them, reminding them to pursue a steadfast faith and a living hope – until the Lord returns.

I. A Shared Ministry
II. A Grounded Identity
III. A Blessed Christianity

I. A Shared Ministry
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy…

There can be no true growth and spiritual flourishing if you try to live the Christian life apart from others.

II. A Grounded Identity
1…To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…

This pagan city, Thessalonica, rejected them, but God had received them. They were “in God”. They had His provision, His protection, His love.

You are “in” God the Father, you are “in” the Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t let the world define you or tell you where you live. Remember your spiritual address, remember your gospel identity --- live from the deep roots of “Christ in me, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27).

1…To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Know where you really live; know Who lives in you --- and be rooted, be grounded in this identity.

III. A Blessed Christianity
1…Grace to you and peace.

It is always grace and mercy first because we are always undeserving and never earning.

St. Augustine: “You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

If you want relief and peace and joy, you have to first experience God’s grace and trust Jesus to save you.

I. A Shared Ministry
II. A Grounded Identity
III. A Blessed Christianity

You will feel the pressures of life this coming week. You will feel the temptations of life this coming week. So, remember where you live. You are in Christ and Christ is in you. Live from this unchanging reality.