Jesus Calls the Dependable and Steadfast - 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

"What great selection skills Jesus had. Don't you think that's why he chose you?" Family Discussion:

• Can you name two or three adjectives that would describe your grip on God's word, and two or three adjectives that God would describe with you?
• How does a young Christian become steadfast and dependable?
• Why are people who have a steadfast grip on God's word so admirable?

Transcription:

00:06 You remember back in kindergarten when you would draw your hand on a piece of paper with a pen? Well today we're going to do that again, and then we're going to show you something really cool about that. But first I want to read from Second Thessalonians chapter 3, verse 1-5. It Paul says this in this amazing little book: "Finally, brethren, pray for us that the Word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified just as it did also with you and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men. For not all have faith, but the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. May the Lord direct our hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ."

01:14 Our theme for the day is steadfast, so solid, immovable, dependable, loyal, steadfast. If you could outline your hand on a piece of paper, kind of like we used to do once upon a time, and write one adjective on each finger and on your thumb to describe your grip on God's word, what would the adjectives be for you? How would God describe your lifestyle in following him? Would the indications be, wishy-washy, hypocritical, undependable? Or would they be courageous, focused, and strong? A while back, a hero of mine, a 17 year old friend of mine, made a super difficult decision to break up with his gorgeous girlfriend because he knew that she wasn't what she needed or he needed to be spiritually strong and the relationship wasn't leading to a godly future. It was good for both of them. My friend has done so many decisions like that. He steadfast. He's walked away from countless parties where alcohol and drugs showed up and he's even led some of his friends to Christ by being a solid example on the high school campus. Out on the Texas ranch or on an Ozark rural form where words are few and character is measured by the work you do and the way you walk your talk, the biggest compliment you can receive is when an old cowboy tells someone that he could turn his back on you and never give it a second thought. Jesus had hand-picked 11 guys that he knew he could leave with the high calling of telling the world about him when he left; although they had fallen in the past, he knew he could turn his back on them and they wouldn't let him down. What great selection skills he had. Don't you think that's why he chose you?

03:26 And here's the questions for today. Can you name two or three adjectives that would describe your grip on God's word, and two or three adjectives that God would describe with you? And then secondly: How does a young Christian become steadfast and dependable? And then thirdly: Why are people who have a steadfast grip on God's word so admirable? And the lifeline for today is this: as you make decisions and hard choices this week, describe those choices with an adjective that depicts your character as you decide which road you're going to take.