Remember, Remind, Be Ready | 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

On Sunday, we considered Paul’s words to the Thessalonian church in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11.  The main idea was this:  Encouragement for Godly Living Leads to Readiness for Christ’s Coming  

In this passage Paul describes the Day of the Lord, the second coming of Jesus Christ.  On that day, there will be a return of Christ, a general resurrection, a rapture and a great reunion with Jesus our Lord and all God’s people.  

Paul also reminds us not to grieve as those with no hope. You will find some helpful resources on grief in the links below.  

Finally, Paul tells us how to get ready and stay ready for the return of our LORD which will come suddenly and unexpectedly. Stay awake and stay alert.  Fascination with the world can lull us to sleep. There are distractions everywhere we look or turn.  We live in a world filled with the Intoxicating effect of mesmerizing phone apps, games, Instagram, Tik Tok videos, and worse. Living soberly includes self-control, disciplining our desires, including our desire to be distracted.  Technological devices and apps are designed to provide temporary dopamine hits that keep us from focusing on the Coming Kingdom of God.  
Here’s an article that might help us refocus on the Word.

Let’s not forget that God has appointed us his ambassadors during this season of grace. Paul reminds us twice in this passage that our hope for salvation from the wrath of God is only in Christ who has lived, died, risen and is returning.  If we have died with Christ by faith, we will also live with Christ. “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.”

Christ has come, Christ has lived and died, Christ is coming again. So, encourage one another to live the good, godly, holy, loving and pure life.  
 
Keep growing in Christ, stay ready by remaining faithful. Share the gospel during this season of grace! 

Opportunities to Serve and Grow at High Pointe 
(For Opportunities to Serve at High Pointe, click HERE)  

Meaningful Membership Class | Sunday, March 2 | 1:15 PM to 4:30 PM
If you’re interested in learning more about High Pointe or pursuing membership with High Pointe, please mark your calendars Membership Class. This class will cover three main questions: What is the church and why should I join, what does High Pointe believe, and what do we expect of church members at High Pointe. Click here to register.

Women's Head Wear/Prayer Exchange Event | Saturday, March 8
Please join us at High Pointe on Saturday, March 8 from 3-6 PM for a prayer exchange! The purpose of this event is to provide an opportunity for women to get to know each other and pray for one another. Each attendee should bring a new, unused "head wear" item to exchange with another woman! Whoever’s item you end up with, that’ll be your prayer partner for the remainder of the year. This will also be a potluck event, so please bring an appetizer to share!
 
Life Classes | Sunday at 9:00 AM
Life Classes are meant to equip High Pointe for life as a Christian. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and join us. Childcare is available for ages 8 months through Pre-K. This session, we are offering the following classes from January 26 to May 25:

• Evangelizing through Mark: A class designed to equip you to share the gospel using just the book of Mark. Together, we’ll discover how simple Bible study can become a powerful tool for engaging coworkers, neighbors, and friends with the message of the gospel. 
• Discipling Through Ephesians: Together, we'll explore how the book of Ephesians provides a simple yet profound model for discipleship. We’ll discover the richness of our union with Christ and the beauty of our unity as His Church, equipping us to be and make more mature disciples of Christ. 
• Spanish Life Class | Los Atributos de Dios: La vida entera de una persona es afectada por quien adora.  Para adorar adecuadamente al Dios de la Biblia, debemos tener una comprensión correcta de Sus atributos.  Conocer Sus atributos de acuerdo con Su propia revelación en las Escrituras nos permitirá realmente conocer a Dios y comprender mejor las Escrituras. 
• Youth Life Class | The Pentateuch: We will follow the storyline of the first five books of the Old Testament. Students will discover God's plan for humanity as it unfolds through Abraham, Moses, and Israel. The aim of the class is to help teenagers learn how to read, study, and apply the first major section of their Bibles.
• Kid's Life Class (K-5th grade): This course will be for children K-5th grade, using The Gospel Project, a study that helps kids dive deep into the big story of the Bible as God's plan to rescue His people through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Sunday AM Preaching Schedule: Pray regularly for the ministry of the Word at High Pointe. Also, prepare for our gatherings by reading the sermon text, thinking it through, and asking questions about the text before Sunday. Here is our (tentative) preaching schedule designed to help you prepare for Sundays:   

• February 16 | 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 | Pastor Robert 
• February 23 | Luke 4:42-5:32 | Pastor Juan 

 
Begin praying as you prepare to gather with us this Sunday at 10:00 am.
 
Gospel Partner of the Month:  The International Mission Board of the SBC
The International Mission Board (IMB) exists to serve Southern Baptists in carrying out the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations.
 
With almost 47,000 churches cooperating to send missionaries through the IMB, we can support over 3,500 missionaries full-time in the international mission field. Take some time to work through the IMB website to learn more about how your regular giving through High Pointe is supporting Great Commission work worldwide.
 
On-Call Pastor
To better care for you, High Pointe, we have an “on-call” pastor available for emergencies after office hours and on weekends. To reach the on-call pastor, call 512-837-7725, extension 1.