"Year in Review" - October

I really liked the simple message of the “Love God. Love People.” series in October; but my favorite part was getting to know some new people in a Community Group. My favorite entry came from October 16th...

Wealth

I am currently reading through 1 Timothy 6. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here. Today, Paul offers a helpful equation.

1 Timothy 6

6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.

8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

Wealth. As a former math student and teacher, I love equations. Paul, in these verses, offers a great one ... true godliness + contentment = great wealth. Part of God’s goal, for our journey as Jesus followers, is changing the way we evaluate life. If we view life the way the world does, wealth is a physical issue ... money, homes, cars, clothes. According to God, wealth is actually a combination of spiritual and emotional issues ... living a life that honors God and experiencing an attitude of contentment. Are there any other areas of your life in which you are using the wrong equation to evaluate success?

"Year in Review" - September

This week, we are going to finish our 2009 Year in Review by looking back at the month of September. My favorite part of September was the Back To School Bash. My daughter had a blast playing games, getting her face painted and jumping up and down at the concert ... and I got to sit in a dunking booth (the water was actually warmer than you would think). My favorite entry came from September 25th...

ARMOR

Paul finishes up this letter with some final advice that seemingly comes out of nowhere.

Ephesians 6

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.

15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Armor. As Paul explains, we are surrounded by a spiritual world. I don’t think his intention, in mentioning this world, was to induce panic. I believe he was simply wanting to make us aware of its reality. The thing I found interesting is that God does not intend to remove us of the evil. Instead, He wants to arm us so that we can live truthfully and righteously and peacefully and faithfully in the midst of it.

"Year in Review" - August

Oddly, my favorite part of August was something I had nothing to do with ... relaunching the Pre-Teen Ministry in a brand new classroom. Looking back on life, I know that was a time in my life when I learned a lot about God and being a Jesus follower and I am excited there is a cool place where our younger Eastsiders can do that too. My favorite entry came from August 11th...

SUPREME

There are several different areas of concentration within the study of God, known as “theology”. One specific area is the study of Jesus or Christ, known as “Christology”. The following verses provide one of the most important passages for this study. Paul included this description of Jesus because the church in Colosse was being impacted by some false teachers that were basically creating their own religion by trying to harmonize aspects of several different beliefs. In the process, they were minimizing the importance of Jesus. Paul wanted to remind them of the absolute supremacy of Jesus.

Colossians 1

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.

19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,

20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Supreme. Interestingly, things have come full circle or maybe they never really changed. Today, we live in a culture where people “collect” aspects of a variety of faiths to create their own personal belief system. It is considered politically incorrect to say that Jesus is supreme over other faiths. I’m not suggesting you become militant in your beliefs regarding following Jesus; but I do hope that passages like these remind you of exactly who Jesus is and help you stand confidently while on your journey.

"Year in Review" - July

Picking my favorite moment in July was a bit of a challenge with Yoda showing up in one of Jonathan’s messages and kicking off Help Build Hope: Clermont (thank you to everyone that helped rehab Mattie’s home, especially John Corrigan for leading the project); but for me, it was volunteering with New Life Furniture on a Saturday morning with the guys from my RESET group. My favorite entry came from July 16th...

REJOICE

This week, we have been listening to Paul explain the idea of justification. Today, he offers a list of blessings that come with being made right in God’s sight. One of them will shock you. It did me.

Romans 5

1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.

4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.

8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.

10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Rejoice. According to Paul, one of the blessings of justification is the fact that we can “rejoice ... when we run into problems”. When you first read that phrase, you probably think it’s a typo. It certainly sounds like one. Who would ever rejoice about a problem? The beauty of Jesus’ sacrifice (verse 6) is that it solved THE most difficult problem we will ever face (verse 9) and offered us a new perspective on problems. If Jesus can handle our most difficult problem, He can handle any problem. If He can handle any problem, the question isn’t CAN Jesus handle this mountain of a problem I am facing right now; it is HOW is Jesus going to handle it. With this new perspective, problems become more like tutoring sessions that reveal to us more and more about God as they “develop” and “strengthen” us.

"Year in Review" - June

Today, we are going to continue our 2009 Year in Review by looking back at the month of June. My favorite part of June was launching some new community service projects ... like our partnership with Sauls Homeless Shelter. My favorite entry came from June 25th...

GIVE

Back to Paul’s letter ... Today, he offers what most would consider an oxymoron.

2 Corinthians 8

1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia.

2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.

3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.

4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.

5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

6 So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving.

7 Since you excel in so many ways - in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us - I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving.

8 I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.

9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

Give. Most people would think that if you had “many troubles” you wouldn’t have “abundant joy” or that if you were “very poor” you wouldn’t overflow “in rich generosity” or that no one would ever “beg” to “share” (let alone consider it a “privilege”). For most people, none of that makes any sense! I think the key is in verse 5 ... if we are to ever understand this concept of giving (of generosity), we must first give ourselves completely to Jesus. When we do, I think we will see that most of what we thought about this life was upside down to begin with. When we begin to understand who he was (verse 9), we can stop being like most people and start being more like him.

"Year in Review" - May

Picking my favorite moment in May was really easy ... Awake! It was an amazing night of worship. If you would like to re-live the night or weren’t able to be there, purchase a copy of the Awake CD this weekend. They make great stocking stuffers! My favorite entry came from May 1st...

You

All week, we have been talking about relationships. Today, we will actually find the key to extraordinary relationships in the final six boundaries God laid out in establishing a relationship with the nation of Israel. You are closer to the answer than you think.

Exodus 20

12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You must not murder.

14 “You must not commit adultery.

15 “You must not steal.

16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

You. Here’s a challenge ... think of the best relationship(s) you have ever experienced. Now, think of how you would describe the person(s) you had that relationship with. I would be willing to bet your description would include words like ... caring, honest, genuine, concerned, generous and considerate. It may seem ironic; but each of those is really an antidote for the actions God wanted us to avoid in our relationships. Ordinarily, people are selfish when it comes to relationships. Extraordinary relationships are possible when we live extraordinarily ... when you and I are caring, honest, genuine, concerned, generous and considerate. What changes do you need to make so that your relationships can be less ordinary (self-centered) and more extraordinary (others-centered)?

"Year in Review" - April

Picking a favorite moment in April was really difficult because the “Not-So-Extreme Church Makeover” was a beautiful day in more ways than one and the Easter service(s) was awesome (remember “Come Alive”); but for me, nothing could top the Baptism Celebration ... fifty people publicly expressing their faith in Jesus. My favorite entry came from April 6th...

My

This week, we will conclude our look at Luke’s account of the story of Jesus. It will include some important reminders as we prepare for the most important moment in history.

Luke 22

14 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. 15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.” 19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” 20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people - an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”

My. I love how “my” (my body, my blood) is followed so quickly in Jesus’ teaching by “you” (given for you, a sacrifice for you). My oldest daughter is at the stage in her young life where she is becoming very possessive ... my blanket, my plate, my doll. My wife and I are trying to replace that word in her vocabulary with the word share. This passage, and this week leading up to Easter, are great reminders that we should be constantly evaluating our lives ... looking for opportunities where “my” can be replaced with “you” ... in our relationships, at our work, with our resource, everywhere.

"Year in Review" - March

My favorite part of March was Thursday nights when we would have 80 to 90 people participate in the RESET Group on campus. My favorite entry came from March 10th...

HOW

We are currently revisiting the story of Jesus as written by Luke. Our goal is to complete Luke’s account with the RESET series. In order to do that, we will periodically skip over a passage. Today, we receive a reminder about prayer.

Luke 11

1 Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: “Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon.

3 Give us each day the food we need,

4 and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.”

5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him,

6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’

7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’

8 But I tell you this - though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

How. I love verse 10; but too often I forget verses 2-4. I love hearing that I will receive what I ask for. I forget that I am supposed to ask for is what I need to survive physically (food) and spiritually (forgiveness). I love hearing that I will find what I am seeking. I forget that I am supposed to seek God’s honor in my life and in this world. I love hearing that the doors (opportunities) I am knocking on will be opened. I forget that the doors I should be knocking on lead to opportunities to forgive and escape temptation.

"Year in Review" - February

My favorite part of February was kicking off the RESET series with so many churches throughout Cincinnati. I especially liked launching so many RESET Groups. My favorite entry came from February 17th...

Servant

We are currently revisiting the story of Jesus as written by Luke. Today, we witness a great example.

Luke 1

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee,

27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.

28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.

30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.

33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month.

37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Servant. Can you imagine how fast Mary’s mind must have been spinning? I love the honesty of the phrase “confused and disturbed” and the sincerity of the question ... “How?” More than anything, I appreciate her response, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” That is the level of discipleship I want to achieve ... that mindset, “I am Your servant” ... that willingness to truly follow no matter what and no matter where.

"Year in Review" - January

Over the next couple of weeks, I would like to spend some time reviewing our journey through 2009 ... one month at a time ... sharing a favorite moment and a favorite entry from each month. I pray God will use this review to refresh the memory of your journey while renewing your passion for continuing it.

My favorite moment(s) came from the “Why?” message series. I love when we use God’s Story to help us address some of the difficult questions we face. My favorite entry came from January 15th...

HELP

We are making our way through a letter Paul wrote to Jesus followers in Corinth. Today, Paul moves on to a new topic.

1 Corinthians 12

4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all.

5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord.

6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge.

9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.

10 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.

11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have

Help. There are some days when I read God’s Word and it seems a little ambiguous or irrelevant. There are other days (like today) when a thought jumps right off the page and applies directly to my life. For me, the thought that stood out was actually an entire verse ... seven. “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” When we accept God’s grace and believe in Jesus, God (in the form of the Holy Spirit) moves in ... into our heart, into our mind, into our life. According to Paul, He brings along a “house” warming gift ... a spiritual gift. Which raises two important questions ... Have you identified your gift? Are you using it to help others? I didn’t say the application would be easy ... just obvious and relevant.

Finished

Today, we are going to finish up Paul’s second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy). I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 4

6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.

8 And now the prize awaits me - the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

Finished. Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the honor of performing three funeral services. Unfortunately, we wait until moments like that to evaluate our journey. Don’t. I would encourage you to take a few moments and do it this weekend ... are you on the path or have you wondered away ... are you moving forward or have you settled into a comfort zone ... have you remained faithful? Finish the race.

Ministry

I am currently reading through 2 Timothy. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 4

5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

Ministry. What ministry has God given to you? If you don’t know, pray ... ask God to make it clear to you how He can use you (your passions, your abilities) to bring Him the most glory. If you do know, pray ... ask God to help you be more and more effective in that ministry.

Decided

This past weekend, Jonathan began a new series entitled “Christmas Classics”. We talked about how God can help us deal with some difficult family situations. I invite you to reread the passage he referenced during the message.

Matthew 1

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.

25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Decided. I love how Jonathan pointed out, this past weekend, that Joseph made his decision, to not disgrace Mary, before getting all the facts. It’s a lot easier to be the “good guy” ... the grace-giver ... after the fact. God asks us to be grace-givers ... before the fact.

Reject

I am currently reading through 2 Timothy. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 4

3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.

Reject. I may be speaking out of turn here; but I think we all struggle with this. Each of us has a certain area of life (vocational or financial or relational) in which we reject what God teaches. We don’t want to hear it because we don’t like what He has to say. One of the major challenges of this journey is learning to submit wholeheartedly, completely to what God says.

Patiently

I am currently reading through 2 Timothy. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 4

1 I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom:

2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

Patiently. Last week, we read Paul’s instruction on how God uses His Word to help us live right. Today, Paul challenges Timothy (and us) to use that preparation to help others live right. If we want to help people change, we most definitely need to be prepared with understanding (teaching) that is correct (“good”); but more important than that, we have to be patient. Change doesn’t come quickly and it doesn’t come through aggression.

Prepare

I am currently reading through 2 Timothy. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 3

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Prepare. I love the way Warren Wiersbe summarizes verse 16 ... the Bible helps us know what is right, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right. This is why it is so important for us to be in God’s Word on a daily basis. More important than that, our knowledge must translate into action. Don’t stop studying God’s Word; but don’t stop there ... live God’s Word.

Faithful

I am currently reading through 2 Timothy. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 3

14 But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.

15 You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.

Faithful. The idea of remaining faithful, in marriage, has been in the news a lot lately. It, along with this passage, is an important reminder that we need to be mindful of the temptations in our life that could disrupt our relationship with God.

Canceled

Today, I invite you to reread the story Jonathan looked about last weekend as we talked about the importance of being thankful.

Luke 7

36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat.

37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume.

38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people - 500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other.

42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said.

44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet.

46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.

47 “I tell you, her sins - and they are many - have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Canceled. I pray that I never (and you) forget the debt that has been canceled. I’m not talking about living in guilt. I’m talking about living in grace ... thankful for the fact that my debt has been canceled.

Persecution

I am currently reading through 2 Timothy. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 3

10 But you, Timothy, certainly know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance.

11 You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra - but the Lord rescued me from all of it.

12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Persecution. I appreciate Paul’s honesty in this part of his letter. It is an aspect of following Jesus that isn’t always talked about; but the truth of the matter is, when you choose to accept the forgiveness offered through Jesus and live a life that honors God, you will experience challenges. Jesus described Satan as a thief whose “purpose is to steal and kill and destroy”. It doesn’t mean God has abandoned you. Paul even refers to being rescued; but it will require growth in our faith, patience, love and endurance.

Away

I am currently reading through 2 Timothy. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 3

1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.

2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.

3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good.

4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.

5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

Away. Paul doesn’t paint a pretty picture; but sadly, we have all interacted with people that have exhibited these behaviors. For me, the key is using this list as a guide and making sure the people I allow to influence my life (people I take advice from, people I want to emulate) don’t exhibit any of these behaviors. If they do, I need to find some new role models.