When Ben Fuller sings, "Making my Father proud looks a whole lot different now" in his new song "Proud," he is ripping pages out of my story and laying them bare. I spent a lot of energy trying to please earthly men. What I really want to know is how to please my Heavenly Father. Join me as we dive into a few ways we can please God. The question is, are we up for the challenge? In this week's episode, I discuss the following: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Consult an overview Read in context (read the whole letter) Listen to an audio version of the text Follow the cross-references Make observations Make a list Complete a word study Consult an outside resource Meditate on Scripture Compare and contrast How my personal story is reflected in the lyrics of Ben Fuller's song, "Proud" Walking in a way that is pleasing to God - 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Discovering what cannot please God - Romans 8:8 What walking in the flesh looks like - Romans 8:5-8 Our hope that we can ever walk in the Spirit - Romans 8:9-11 Consulting an overview of 1 Thessalonians to discover the theme of exhorting godly living Making observations of the text to meditate on or explore further Ask and urge - "1 & 2 Thessalonians Verse by Verse" by Grant Osborne - Amazon Paid Link Sanctification - GotQuestions.org Article God as "Avenger" The contrast between impurity and holiness The sex-saturated world in the time of the Thessalonians is not unlike our own - "Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Thessalonians" by Mark Howell - Amazon Paid Link How abstaining from sexual immorality carries with it the idea of distance -- don't even get close to it The Greek word for "avenger" - BibleHub.com - God is a justice giver and cares deeply about this subject John Stott, "Some Christians sow to the flesh every day and wonder why they do not reap holiness. Holiness is a harvest; whether we reap it or not depends almost entirely on what and where sow." Paul's illustration of slavery helps us understand - Romans 6:19 Practical steps to move toward holiness Love one another - 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 Aspire to quiet living - 1 Thessalonians 4:11 Mind your own affairs - 1 Thessalonians 4:11 Work with your hands - 1 Thessalonians 4:11 The bookends of "urge" and "do this more and more" - 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 10   Becoming a slave to righteous living is what pleases God and puts us on the path to greater holiness.   More Than a Song Playlist Additional Resources Lyrics - NewReleaseToday.com The story behind the song "Proud" by Ben Fuller - YouTubeVideo Weekly Challenge Read or listen to all of 1 Thessalonians. Study and interact with 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12. Make a note of things that jump out at you. Define words, compare and contrast, and follow cross-references. Meditate on the truths you uncover. And whatever you have to do, distance yourself from sexual immorality because we know that will make our Father proud.