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2 Timothy 2

2/22/2013

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2 Timothy 2:1-7 "Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus.  You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses.  Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.  Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.  And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules.  And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor.  Think about what I am saying.  The Lord will help you understand all these things."

 Paul is reminding Timothy to use God’s word and what the Spirit has put on his heart to share with people the importance of knowing God.  We shouldn’t test people with any other standard than God’s word when it comes to teaching how to live a Christian life.

*Warren Wiersbe writes, “The ministry is not something we get for ourselves and keep to ourselves.  We are stewards of the spiritual treasure God has given us.  It is our responsibility to guard the deposit and then invest it in the lives of others.  They, in turn, are to share the word with the next generation of believers.”

 Paul is teaching that faithfulness is vital to teaching the truth of Jesus Christ.  And here are three great examples to show this:  A Soldier.  An Athlete.  A hardworking Farmer.


  First The Soldier. The soldier shows that there will be spiritual warfare and that their lives need to be focused on one thing and that is what Jesus did.  verse 4 says, “Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officers who enlisted them.” (The military has had that kind of loyalty since we can remember and it even amazed Jesus.)

Read Matthew chapter 8 verses 5-9 "But the officer said, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home.  Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.  I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers.  I only need to say, Go, and they go,or Come, and they come.  And if I say to you slaves, Do this, they do it."

 The second was The Athlete.  Paul uses this because it was a big part of the times in the region and it took much training because you could not be crowned without following all the rules that were laid out.  *If the athlete was found defective in any manner, he was disqualified from competing.  (Can you see why it is so important that we embrace our relationship with God and pray and seek wisdom from the incredible resources He has given us?)

 Lastly the hardworking farmer:  The key is hardworking (this is a person that is laboring toward Christ learning all they can.  They are patient and steadfast.)

*The devil will try and derail us but as hard working people we feel the power of the Holy Spirit and that will play a part in what fruit we have.

Read Hebrew 10:36 "Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will.  Then you will receive all that He has promised."  The ultimate things we can do to get understanding is praying, talking to God, opening His word and listening to the spirit.  (All these are helpful ways to grow and impact this world for Christ, and that is what we all need to desire to do in Christ.)  When we desire it our lives are full of joy and peace even I the crazy moments but when we feel the need to do it, it is a laboring task for us and we are easily distracted to do anything else.  Ex. Sleeping, working, kids events, anything we can think of.

 Ending thoughts:

We are all soldiers for Christ and it is so exciting to do all we can to shine.  (Conscience hard labor is necessary before a farmer can enjoy a bountiful harvest.)

1.      The challenge is that we are like the soldier, the athlete and the hardworking farmer as we grow daily.

Write down the steps that you will do as you change and develop these three areas of your lives.  *seeing it is beneficial.*

*Laziness cannot be a character trait of the faithful Christian.*


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1 Timothy 2

2/17/2013

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1 Timothy 2:1-5 “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.  Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.  This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.  For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity- the man is Christ Jesus.”

(Think of what God can do and the impact He has on our lives.  Anyone who takes a breath can surrender and accept Jesus in their heart.)

 If we pray for all people we open the door for change.  And when the Holy Spirit steps in and leads us our change is marked by action.  Prayer is for all people.  Not just people we like and know so let’s up our prayer time and add prayer for acceptance and changed lives. In 1 Thessalonians 3:12 says, “And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.”  

In 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 2 the words Peaceful and quiet stood out to me and made me think how (Our prayers should be for people to see the love of Christ who is the only Mediator to bring us back home.)

a.     Peaceful =refers to a calm attitude within us that shows Christ-like behavior in all situation.

b.     Quiet = is the circumstances around us.  When we seek wisdom from God the circumstances around us feel quiet.

In 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 3 it states that “This is good and pleases God our Savior.”  We must live our lives to please God before anything or anyone. (If we live this way people will see Christ and the Kingdom will be impacted.)  Romans 14:17-18 says, “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.”  Our pleasing God makes us better HUSBANDS, WIVES, PARENTS and PEOPLE in the community.  (This is what makes the truth spread and change happens.)

In Verses 4-5 it tells us that “God wants all to be saved and understand truth.” And that truth is Jesus as His own words tell us in John 14:6 “Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.”

*Think on these question all week and see what the Spirit shows us.

Why is our prayer for all so important? 

Who can we pray for that is last on our minds?

Quote by Warren Wiersbe “One way to think about the sequence of development that we experience in the Christian life is that we begin as “Timothy’s,” with the goal of growing toward “Paul-like” maturity.”  And I would add Christ-like submission to the Father.  Amen


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1 Timothy 6

2/12/2013

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1 Timothy 6:11-16 “But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things.  Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.  Fight the good fight for the true faith.  Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.  And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you obey this command without warning.  Then no one can find fault with you for now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.  For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all Kings and the Lord of all Lords.  He alone can never die, and He lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach Him.  No human eye has ever seen Him, nor ever will.  All honor and power to Him forever, Amen.”

I have really enjoyed this epistle and the loving challenge Paul has given to Timothy.  Right in the beginning he says, “But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things…”  Just because there is unity in the church in Ephesus doesn’t mean it was good unity.  Paul is telling Timothy to watch what you see happening and make sure it always aligns with what you know in Christ.  The end of verse 11 says, “…Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”  It just doesn’t come because we believe in Jesus Christ, it says; pursue it.  Verse 12 says, “Fight the good fight for the true faith.  Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.”  These are words of action; it takes passion to do this because Timothy’s purpose was to lead that church and keep them focused on what was true not what they wanted to believe was true.

When we call ourselves Christians we are claiming to be Christ followers so our actions should have the effort that Paul challenges Timothy with so we create no barriers for people in the church as well as the un-churched.  Warren Wiersbe said this about Timothy and Paul’s letter, “If Timothy was going to fight the good fight of faith, he had to decide that Jesus Christ alone was worthy of worship and complete devotion.”  When we make that same claim and accept Jesus do we work our hardest to know all we can so we live a life that will shine for Him?  We should enter our devotion time like we are starving for more wisdom and growth, not just satisfied with calling ourselves Christian, which was not highly used term in the New Testament. 

When we desire to understand what Jesus did and the love He showed to the Father by coming here as a human to die and take our sins we should long to have that same love and show God that by our actions.  In James chapter 3 verse 17 we get a great picture of our lives in Christ.  It says, “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.”  We are blessed and have a job to do, what I mean is we need to learn so much that our faith permeates our bodies so much that it leaks out so others are blessed by our actions and love.  Let’s make sure we don’t live idle lives but lives that are shining truth.  Amen


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1 Timothy 1

2/9/2013

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1 Timothy 1:5 “The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.”

Paul is all about the transformation of our heart and peoples (Timothy in this letter) understanding of the truth.  When we step back and see how great Jesus is and that His doing the Fathers will by coming here as a human even while we were sinners shows great love and faithfulness.  When we open our heart to learn and grow we mature and when we mature our love comes from a pure heart because we have surrendered it. 

Warren Wiersbe shares this, “The flesh (our old nature) loves religions legalism because rules and regulations enable a person to appear holy without really experiencing changes with in his or her heart.”  Paul wants Timothy to realize his ministry is led by the Spirit and not by any law that was given.  In verse 12 he says, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do His work.”  We need to trust that Christ Jesus will give us our strength as well.  It doesn’t matter what we have done or how bad we think we are, it’s that we know who Jesus is and what He has done.  Paul tells Timothy what he needs to do in verse 19 and I believe it is a great thing for us to remember as we continue to grow and be like Christ.  “Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.  For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked.”  We can’t worry about what people think we need to seek all that God is showing us and don’t let Satan cloud our consciences or thoughts to doubt what we know in our hearts to be true.

We will have constant trials and questions but we must remember that when we work hard and run to win we grow and our confidence grows and we stay with it because of what Jesus did.  I like what Warren Wiersbe writes about being God’s servant.  “If you are God’s servant, called by the Spirit, obeying His will, then you can “stay with it,” and finish His work.  These assurances enabled Timothy to “fight well in the Lord’s battles.”  We must remember as we accept Jesus and our heart is changing there will be battles. 

Thank you God for loving us so much that you sent your only Son to show us the way.  Keep our eyes focused and our heart changing so we can make a difference in this world and help people see heaven on earth. Amen 


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2 Thessalonians 3

2/7/2013

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2 Thessalonians 3:5 “May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.”

I really like this because we see it clear as day where to get our understanding.  Paul is writing this to the church in Thessalonica but it is so true for us today.  He warns them to be living out the example that he showed them and remember that the Lord is where our strength comes from.

Verse 3 says, “But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.”  We must enjoy growing and learning from the Lord so we can be passionate and continue to be the example God intended us to be.  Look at this statement from Warren Wiersbe in his overview of the book of Thessalonians.  “A faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted.  New believers must expect their faith to be tried; because this is the way God proves whether or not their decision is genuine.  Faith, like a muscle, must be exercised to grow stronger.  Tribulation and persecution are God’s ways to strengthen our faith.” 

Are you exercising your faith or are you just glad you know the Lord?  I want to challenge everyone to exercise by reading and praying, seeking all that God offers and then putting into practice what you learn.  It is good to know what to do but it is great to be transformed and live out what you know.  In chapter 2 verse 15 Paul shares, “With all these things in mind (read verses 13-14), dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.”  We all have the letters God wanted us to have, they are called the bible, so I say let’s keep a strong grip on the teachings of people inspired by God to help us in all situations and teach us what is right and wrong.

2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”  Why wouldn’t we open it and learn all we can?  We are a stubborn people, I say work on a change of heart and open God’s word with a learning heart ready to grow and mature into people that resemble Jesus Christ.  Look at what is said in verse 17, “God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.”  We are His people, and His love is amazing, so let’s dive in and learn.  Amen 


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1 Thessalonians 5

2/4/2013

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1 Thessalonians 5:15-22 “See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.  Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.  Do not scuff at prophesies, but test everything that is said.  Hold on to what is good.  Stay away from every kind of evil.”

What is intriguing about this are the words, no one, always, never and all.  We can’t be choosing to do the things we want to do and avoid the things that are tough.  When we are in Christ we have the hope of the world and that is what gives us the strength to do all these things.  Life is tough and things are always going to happen that makes us wonder but all we need to remember is what we are told in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 9-10, “For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to poor out His anger on us.  Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when He returns, we will live with Him forever.” This leads me to another word that stands out, forever.

All these words are active words that motivate me to live out my faith and continue to learn and grow in the Lord.  God wants “no one to perish” He wants us always to keep praying, and always keep seeking until we get to go home.  We can never stop learning to be like Christ, our journey just begins at our belief.  We need to obey all the commands that He has given us, and we must remember we will never die because of what He did for us.

These are the words I want to understand and the way I want to live as I go through this crazy world unsure of anything but Jesus.  We have peace that is pure and comes from the Spirit so we can always remember what Jesus says at the end of Matthew chapter 28 verse 20, “…And be sure of this; I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Amen


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1 Thessalonians 4

2/2/2013

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1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 “God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.  Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”

Paul is writing how important our life actions are and how it is so important that we surrender and let this Spirit control our actions.  Our life isn’t about laws it’s about love and seeking to be like Christ.  Paul shares the fears he had for the Thessalonians in chapter 3 verse 5 which says, “That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong.  I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.”  It is so important that we pray and seek maturity in Christ.

Warren Wiersbe said this once, “Paul’s prayer teaches us how to pray not only for new believers, but for all believers, and we should pray that their faith will mature, their love grows, and their character and conduct be holy and blameless before God.”  Life is a challenge every day and asking God for wisdom and living out our changed life is so important as we help impact the Kingdom of God.  We must remember that we are forgiven and God has given us the gift of life in Christ and apart from Jesus we are lost. 

As our love grows for God our love grows for people and our hearts change and we realize that we are not the same people controlled by our sins but godly people controlled by the Spirit.  My mission statement for myself is helping people who believe in Jesus, belong to Jesus.  And that is what happens when we let the Spirit of God lead us and control our hearts.  I love the statement Paul shares in chapter 3 verse 13 which says, “May He, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when the Lord Jesus comes again with all His holy people.  Amen.”  God’s gift is amazing and is best fulfilled when we seek maturity and wisdom from the Lord and our lives become like Jesus and we love God and love people.  Amen 


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