Encouraging One Another: Living as Children of Light

Devotional

Day 1: Encouragement Is Rooted in Our Identity as Children of Light

To encourage one another is not just a suggestion but a command that flows from our very identity as children of light. We are not defined by the darkness or brokenness of this world, but by the reality that we belong to God, set apart to live in the light of Christ. This truth means that encouragement is not about flattery or shallow compliments, but about reminding each other of who we truly are in Christ and calling one another to live out that identity. When we see ourselves and our brothers and sisters as beloved, redeemed, and chosen, our words and actions can inspire hope and confidence, even in difficult times. [12:54]

1 Thessalonians 5:5 (ESV)
"For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness."

Reflection: Who in your life needs to be reminded today that they are a child of the light? How can you intentionally encourage them to live out their true identity in Christ?

Day 2: God’s Grace Clothes Us with His Armor

God’s grace is not just a distant theological concept; it is the unmerited gift that clothes us with His own armor—faith, love, and hope. We do not have to strive to earn this protection or put it on ourselves; it is already given to us because of who we are in Christ. This means that when we encourage one another, we are reminding each other of the resources God has already provided: faith that transforms, love that protects, and hope that anchors us. Encouragement, then, is helping each other stand firm in the grace that God has freely given, especially when life feels overwhelming or uncertain. [17:37]

1 Thessalonians 5:8 (ESV)
"But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to be reminded that God has already clothed you with faith, love, and hope? How can you encourage someone else with this truth today?

Day 3: Our Assured Hope in Christ Inspires Encouragement

The foundation of our encouragement is the assured hope we have in Christ’s return and the promise of salvation. We are not destined for wrath, but for life with Jesus—this is the hope that sustains us and gives us courage to face each day. When we encourage one another, we are not offering empty optimism, but pointing each other to the unshakeable hope that Jesus is coming again, that pain and brokenness will not have the final word, and that we will dwell with Him forever. This hope is what enables us to build each other up, even in seasons of waiting or suffering. [25:53]

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (ESV)
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."

Reflection: What is one specific way you can remind someone of the hope you share in Christ’s return, especially if they are struggling or discouraged?

Day 4: Gospel Doctrine Creates a Culture of Encouragement

A community that truly encourages one another is built on a foundation of gospel doctrine—knowing and loving God’s Word. Scripture is not just for personal growth, but is meant to shape a culture where encouragement is the norm, where we gather eager to build each other up in faith. As we prioritize reading, memorizing, and singing Scripture, we create rhythms that foster hope and endurance. Encouragement flows naturally when our hearts and minds are saturated with the truth of God’s promises, and we become a family that delights in seeing each other grow. [30:27]

Romans 15:4 (ESV)
"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Reflection: How can you incorporate Scripture into your daily or weekly routine in a way that helps you encourage others more intentionally?

Day 5: Intentional Community: Living Life Together to Encourage

Encouragement thrives in the context of intentional, authentic community. It is not enough to simply attend church or be part of a group; we are called to truly know one another, to share our lives, and to create space for encouragement to happen regularly. This might look like mentoring, serving together, sharing stories of God’s faithfulness, or simply being present in each other’s joys and struggles. When we make encouragement a rhythm—reaching out, affirming God’s work in others, and lovingly spurring one another on—we reflect the family of God as He intended. [37:53]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take this week to intentionally build deeper relationships in your church community, so that encouragement becomes a natural part of your life together?

Sermon Summary

As we enter this extended Advent season, we are reminded that Advent is not just about nostalgia, decorations, or even the anticipation of Christmas Day. Advent is about living in the tension between Jesus’ first coming and His promised return. In this in-between time, we are called to live as people who anticipate His return by embodying the life He has called us to—especially in how we relate to one another. This is why, over the next six weeks, we are focusing on the “One Another” commands of Scripture, beginning today with the call to encourage one another.

Encouragement is often misunderstood. It is not simply giving compliments or waiting for moments of deep emotion. True encouragement is about using our words and our lives to inspire, reassure, and energize others toward action and hope. It is about standing with one another, bringing comfort and support, and reminding each other of the truth of the gospel. This is not just a suggestion, but a command rooted in three foundational realities: our condition as children of light, the grace of God that clothes us in His armor, and our assured hope in Christ’s return.

We are children of the day, not of darkness. This is not something we strive to become, but a reality we are called to live out. God’s grace has already clothed us with faith, love, and hope—His own armor, not ours. We are not destined for wrath, but for salvation. This assurance frees us to live boldly, not in fear, but in anticipation of Christ’s return.

Practically, we encourage one another by reminding each other of the gospel, building each other up in faith, and living out the hope we share. This requires intentionality: prioritizing gospel doctrine, making space in our rhythms for encouragement, and truly doing life together. Encouragement is not just a Sunday activity, but a daily practice—reaching out, sharing stories, and being present in each other’s lives. It is only by knowing one another deeply that we can encourage one another meaningfully.

Let us be a community where encouragement is woven into our culture, where we are eager to gather, to rejoice, to weep, and to build each other up. In doing so, we reflect the upside-down kingdom of God and bear witness to the world of the hope we have in Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. Encouragement flows from our identity in Christ We are called to encourage because we are already children of light, not striving to become something we are not. Living out this identity means letting the reality of our redemption shape how we see and treat one another. Encouragement is not an add-on, but a natural outflow of who we are in Christ. [12:54]
2. God’s grace equips us to encourage We do not encourage from our own resources, but from the armor God has already given us—faith, love, and hope. This grace is unearned and unmerited, and it enables us to stand firm and to build others up, even when we feel inadequate. Our encouragement is effective because it is rooted in what God has done, not what we can muster. [17:37]
3. Assured hope fuels persistent encouragement Our hope is not wishful thinking, but the certainty of Christ’s return and the promise of a redeemed world. This hope allows us to encourage one another not just in good times, but especially in seasons of pain, loss, or uncertainty. We remind each other that our story ends in glory, not despair, and this shared hope sustains us. [25:53]
4. Intentional rhythms create a culture of encouragement Encouragement does not happen by accident; it requires deliberate space and practice. Whether through sharing stories, praise reports, or simply reaching out, we must build encouragement into our daily and weekly rhythms. This intentionality transforms our community from a collection of individuals into a true family. [33:05]
5. Deep encouragement requires deep relationships To encourage well, we must know each other well. This means investing time, sharing life, and being vulnerable. Only then can our words and actions truly meet the needs of others, moving beyond surface-level niceties to genuine, life-giving support. [35:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:56] - What is Advent?
[01:49] - Why We’re Starting Advent Early
[02:28] - Living in Anticipation of Christ’s Return
[03:08] - The “One Another” Series Overview
[03:45] - Six Ways to Build Community
[04:00] - Encouragement: More Than Compliments
[06:09] - Encouragement Beyond Deep Emotion
[08:05] - What Encouragement Really Means
[09:17] - Three Foundations for Encouragement
[10:02] - Our Identity: Children of Light
[15:26] - God’s Grace and the Armor We Wear
[20:31] - Living Ready for Christ’s Return
[25:53] - Our Assured Hope in Christ
[26:49] - How Do We Encourage One Another?
[30:00] - Prioritizing Gospel Doctrine
[31:38] - Making Space for Encouragement
[33:05] - The Challenge: Intentional Encouragement
[35:24] - Encouragement Through Deep Relationships
[36:50] - Upcoming Opportunities to Encourage
[37:53] - Living as the Family of God
[38:18] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Thessalonians 5:5-11 (ESV) — 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.
6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night.
8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
9 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.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Observation Questions

According to 1 Thessalonians 5:5, what does Paul say is already true about the identity of believers?
In verse 8, what are the pieces of “armor” that Paul says believers have, and what do they represent?
What is the reason Paul gives in verses 9-10 for why believers can live with hope and not fear?
The sermon says encouragement is more than just giving compliments. What are some ways the pastor described true encouragement? ([08:38])

Interpretation Questions

The passage says believers are “children of light” and “children of the day.” What does it mean to live out this identity, rather than striving to become something we are not? ([12:54])
The pastor emphasized that the “armor” we wear—faith, love, and hope—is given by God’s grace, not something we earn. How does this change the way we approach encouraging others, especially when we feel inadequate? ([17:37])
The hope described in this passage is not wishful thinking, but a certainty about Christ’s return. How does this kind of hope affect the way we encourage each other during difficult times? ([25:53])
The sermon talked about encouragement requiring intentionality and deep relationships. Why is it important to know each other well in order to encourage each other well? ([35:24])

Application Questions

The pastor challenged the church to make encouragement a regular rhythm, not just a Sunday activity. What is one practical way you could intentionally encourage someone in your life this week? ([33:05])
Think about your current relationships in the church or your small group. Are there people you know only on a surface level? What is one step you could take to get to know someone more deeply so you can encourage them in a meaningful way? ([35:24])
The sermon said that encouragement is rooted in our identity as children of light, not something we have to “work up.” Is there an area of your life where you struggle to believe this identity? How might that affect your ability to encourage others? ([12:54])
The pastor gave examples of encouragement that go beyond compliments—like sharing a meal, sending a text, or reminding someone of God’s love. Which of these feels most natural to you, and which feels most challenging? Why? ([24:18])
The sermon mentioned that encouragement sometimes means lovingly pushing someone to take action or get out of a rut. Can you think of a time when someone encouraged you in this way? How did it feel, and how did it help you? ([34:20])
The pastor talked about building a “gospel culture” where encouragement is woven into the fabric of the community. What is one change you would like to see in our group or church to help make this a reality? ([29:14])
Our hope in Christ’s return is meant to fuel persistent encouragement, even in hard seasons. Is there someone in your life who is going through a difficult time right now? How could you remind them of the hope we have in Christ this week? ([25:53])

Sermon Clips

When we, as the body of Christ, as the community of believers, as the family of God, when we are called, we are commanded to encourage one another, this is what I'm talking about. So I picked today's passage as we go into this one another series, because I see three truths that it reminds us of when it comes to this command. The command to encourage one another is based on our condition, it's based on God's grace, and it's based on our assured hope. [00:09:21] (31 seconds) #EncourageBecauseOfCondition

So live it out. Live it out with the understanding that God has not destined you for wrath. No, God has destined you for salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ alone. He's not destined you and I to be held down by the messiness or the brokenness of this world. No, instead, He's destined us to be redeemed. He's promised so much more for all of us. [00:14:48] (22 seconds) #GraceClothesUs

So another way to understand it is that we've already got the armor on. We're already wearing it. We've already been given this armor. We're not putting it on. He's already put it on us. The armor we wear as the children of light is something that we have received by God's grace and by God's mercy. Something that has been given to us. It's an unmerited gift from God. His grace has put this on us. [00:17:16] (25 seconds) #HopeInChrist

And I think there's something important. As I was reading this passage here, something really, really struck me. And this may be very obvious to many of you, but hear me out. I think it's important to reiterate. The armor that we're putting on, it's not ours. It's God's armor. It's his. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 11 describes this armor as well. It says, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. It's God's armor. [00:17:41] (27 seconds) #EncourageBecauseOfHope

We know without a shadow of a doubt, Jesus is coming back. But our call is, you know, we don't know when it's going to happen. Our call is to continue to live our life, but we live our life in anticipation of Jesus' return, not fear of it. We are called to live our life as a child of the light because we are not children of the darkness. We are called to live our lives knowing that we are not destined for wrath. We are destined for glory. [00:22:49] (28 seconds) #GospelDoctrineMatters

God's grace gives me the confidence in his steadfast love so that I know that no matter how many times I fail and sin and trip up and fall on my faith, he is a faithful and just God and when I come to him and I say, God, I confess my sins to you, he is faithful and just and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. [00:24:18] (19 seconds) #EncourageWithAction

See, by God's grace, the labors of love that you give and the labors of love that you receive, that's what protects us. That is our breastplate. And then by God's grace, and this is the third point that I've talked about, by God's grace, he's given us a helmet of hope, an assured hope. Hope in the assurance that Jesus is coming back again. Hope in the knowledge that Jesus died so you and I will not have to. [00:25:24] (34 seconds)

``Hope in the knowledge that Jesus not only died, but he resurrected from the dead and that tomb is empty. Hope in the assurance that one day Jesus will return and he will bring with him a new heaven and a new earth, a place where we're going to gather together, we're going to Shabbat with God, we're going to dwell in his presence and there's going to be no more pain, no more tears, no more confusion, no more hurt, no more cancer, no more dementia, no more brokenness. [00:25:58] (32 seconds)

Looking at today's passage and I picked it on purpose but looking at today's passage, we encourage each other primarily by reminding each other, reminding one another of the gospel, of the good news, of Jesus' redemptive work, reminding each other of that. We encourage each other in our faith and we build each other up in our common hope of the coming kingdom of God. [00:27:04] (24 seconds)

See, God intends us to encourage one another and he intends us and he commands us to encourage each other because of our condition, children of the light. He commands it because of his grace. He commands it because of our assured hope and we do this by clinging on to sound gospel doctrine that creates a gospel culture, a kingdom mindset. [00:37:18] (23 seconds)

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