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"For students to become active characters in God's prevailing Story creating a community committed to live by faith, be known by love, and be a voice of hope to all through the message of Jesus Christ."

Looking Back to Live Today

In today's world of emerging ideas, innovations, and intellectual insights, placing a finger on the essence of spiritual growth can be a daunting task. It seems that everyone has developed the perfect formula to finding faith. But amidst all the various opinions, could it be that the ingredients to find relationship with the Creator of all things lie not in what is spoken today, but in what has already been spoken in the past? It is our belief that the key to living a flourishing life in Lord are through the simple components of faith, love, and hope as evidenced by the Thessalonian church.

In 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10, Paul describes the Thessalonian church in this way: "We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy give by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, who he raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."

The Thessalonian church was a model to all believers in the first century, and it should continue to be model for all centuries. The Thessalonians' faith in God had become known everywhere, and their growth and impact on the city was evidenced through radical conversions. Paul describes the impact of the church when he says, "They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." Such a declaration should be the desire of every congregation striving to follow Jesus.

What's amazing about the Thessalonian church is not so much what is written about the church, but what is not written. There is not a definitive growth strategy that is laid out for others to follow. There is not a seven-step process promising success. Paul doesn't tell us anything about their structure, their methods, their systems, or their programs. All Paul speaks about is the essence of the church. In 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3, Paul says, "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in your Lord Jesus Christ."

The transformation and movement of the Thessalonian church was fueled by faith, love, and hope. These were their spiritual ingredients to experiencing and serving the Lord. And with faith, love, and hope flourishing, lives were continually transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ. If this was the case in the first century, why should it stop being the case today?

At DRL we have become convinced that the key to awakening lives to the ongoing Story of God and joining in it lies within the power of these three spiritual essences. We're so sure of this that we have established our ministry mission around them: to live by faith, be known by love, and a voice of hope to all through the message of Jesus Christ. We choose to look back in order to live today and surge into the future.