Past Week’s ReviewTIMOTHY WAS SENT TO THE THESSALONIANS TO “ESTABLISH and encourage you in your faith” (v.2). The Thessalonians’ faith is a key focus in 1 Thessalonians 3: “your faith” is repeated five times (1 Thess 3:2, 5, 6, 7, 10). A key action towards our faith is “establish” (stērizō). Stērizō means “to cause someone to become stronger in the sense of more firm and unchanging in attitude or belief ”9. Our faith is established in three ways. We establish ourselves in our faith. The primary building block in establishing our faith is the Word of God: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). The object of faith is God. Faith in God grows out of knowing God. Who God is, is represented by what God says. How do we trust in God? By trusting in His Word, where He has revealed Himself. So, devoting time and effort to get into and grow in the Word of God is a critical necessity. We establish one another’s faith. Faith building is a community endeavour, as Paul said to the Roman Christians: “that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine” (Rom 1:12). We do this “through the encouragement of the Scriptures” (Rom 15:4) and by sharing our personal faith journey. God establishes us in our faith. Trials and suffering are key divine means in this: “After” we “have suffered for a little while”, God will “restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish” us (1 Pet 5:10). How will God answer our prayer, “Lord, increase my faith” (Lk 17:5)?