Love Increasing

Fellowship – Snacks or a Meal (10 minutes with snacks; longer, obviously, if there is a meal).

Gathering Time (5-10 minutes). In pairs or groups of three, have participants answer, “Think of someone in your life who showed strong faith in difficult times. What do you remember most about their example, and how did it affect you?”

Group Dialogue (Approximately 30 minutes). II Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12.

• Who wrote this letter, and to whom was it written? [Paul, Silvanus (Silas), and Timothy wrote it to the church in Thessalonica (v.1)].
• Paul says, “Your faith is growing abundantly.” That is one mark of a saint, growing faith. How can we ensure that our faith is growing? Study and exercise, simple as that. Paul commends them for spending time studying their faith—in Sunday school or small groups—reading devotionally and academically, asking questions and testing themselves, and pushing the limits of knowledge and experience in a way that breathes new life and sustenance into their souls. “We give thanks to God,” writes Paul, “because your faith is growing abundantly.” (Nov. 2 Preaching Note)
• How can you tell if someone’s faith is growing? How does love for one another grow in a church or small group?
• The Thessalonians are praised for standing firm during persecution. How have you or your church been called to stand firm? How did your faith grow through that?
• Paul prays that the church will be "worthy of God's calling." What might that look like today?
• Verse 12 speaks about Jesus being glorified in us, and us in him. What does that look like in everyday life? How might this change how we approach our work, relationships, or witness?
• All Saints Sunday invites us to remember those who have gone before us in the faith. How do their lives help us know what it means to be “worthy of God’s call”? What would you want future generations to remember about your own life of faith?

Prayer (10 minutes). Share prayer requests and respond appropriately.

Sending Forth (2 minutes). End with the following prayer, a similar prayer, or the Lord’s Prayer:

Gracious God, we give You thanks for the faithful saints who stood firm in their time and taught us what it means to follow You. Help us to hold fast to the faith they passed on and to live lives that glorify Jesus Christ. Strengthen us by Your grace to walk the path they helped pave. Amen.

Discipleship Ministries staff created this small group resource with assistance from AI tools.

Rev. Motoe Yamada Foor, Executive Director of Stakeholder Relationships, served in local churches for twenty years. She has a wealth of experience at a variety of organizational levels of The United Methodist Church as well as in ecumenical organizations such as the World Council of Churches (WCC). She also enjoys serving as a coach to help people and churches grow.