The book of 1 Thessalonians is a wonderful book of encouragement that Paul wrote to the one year-old church in Thessalonica around AD 50-51 . This young church was established through only a few weeks of ministry from Paul during his journeys (Acts 17), but had grown in only a year into a strong and outward facing church that was proclaiming the gospel and living a very visible Christian example. Paul’s letter from Corinth to Thessalonica therefore seeks to encourage these new Christians in their faith, to teach them important truths of faith and living the Christian life, and to answer questions that the Thessalonian believers had.
A big theme in this letter is the idea that Jesus is going to return and that this should make a difference in your life and the way you live. At the end of each chapter in 1 Thessalonians there is some reference to Jesus’ return, and this series is therefore titled ‘Living in the Light of Jesus’ Return’.