Friday, October 2, 2009

Cling

Today, Paul offers a “life preserver” for our journey.



1 Timothy 1

18 Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles.

19 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.

20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.



Cling. On our journey, we will face unmet expectations in relationships, unplanned turmoil with finances and unexpected loss of life ... and not just once, on multiple occasions. Each one of them or a combination of all of them can “shipwreck” our journey unless we cling to our faith in Jesus ... even (especially) when everything else tells us to give up and let go.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Too

Today, Paul offers an important reminder of his past and our potential.


1 Timothy 1

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,

13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.

14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” - and I am the worst of them all.

16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

17 All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.



Too. I love Paul’s honest about the failures of his past and how God’s grace and generosity were able to overcome his worst. More than that, I appreciate the reminder that we too can experience His grace and generosity ... no matter what has happened in our past. That was the whole reason He came!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Part

This past weekend, Jonathan continued our “Love God. Love People.” series by talking about how we can love people through serving. The leadership would like to thank so many people for signing up to help out with one of our ministry teams! Take a minute to reread the passage Jonathan referenced for the message...



1 Corinthians 12

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.

13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body.

16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body?

17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part!

20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen,

24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.

26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.



Part. What part do you play? If you don’t know, start the journey of discovering your part by saying this short prayer, “Father, how can you most effectively use my abilities, my personality and my interests to love others?”

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Purpose

Today, we are going to begin a series of short letters written by one of the early church leaders named Paul. They are know as the “pastoral” letters because they were written to two of Paul’s protege’s (Timothy and Titus) and aimed at helping them lead the churches they were working with at the time.



1 Timothy 1

1 This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope.

2 I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.

3 When I left for Macedonia, I urged you to stay there in Ephesus and stop those whose teaching is contrary to the truth.

4 Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God.

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.

6 But some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions.

7 They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don’t know what they are talking about, even though they speak so confidently.

8 We know that the law is good when used correctly.

9 For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders.

10 The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching

11 that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.



Purpose. As Jesus followers, it is our responsibility to tell others about the grace and the truth of God; but if we lose sight of the purpose ... people “filled with love” ... then we lose everything.