Object: A popcorn popper and some popcorn.

Good morning, boys and girls. I brought along with me one of my very favorite snacks today. How many of you like popcorn? (Let them answer.) Don't you love to sit down at night and munch on some hot popcorn while you are watching TV or working a puzzle? (Let them answer.) Popcorn is one of my all-time favorites.

I also like to watch popcorn pop. You put the kernels of corn in a popper, turn it on, and watch them explode and fill the popper. It doesn't take long for them to grow and increase from a few tiny seeds to a full dish of something delicious.

Saint Paul knew some people in a town called Thessalonica who were like popcorn. He used to tell people all over the world about the way these people grew in their love for one another. That meant …