Helpful

I am currently reading through 2 Timothy 1. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 1

16 May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains.

17 When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me.

18 May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ’s return. And you know very well how helpful he was in Ephesus.

Helpful. You never know how important your encouragement and your time and your help can be. The help that Onesiphorus provided meant so much to Paul that he included him in this very personal letter to Timothy; and people today, almost 2,000 years later, still know about him because of that kindness. Who can you help today?

I am heading out of town for some vacation with the family.

I will see you when I get back on Monday, November 9th.

Have a great week.

Ashamed

I am currently reading through 2 Timothy 1. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 1

8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.

9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.

10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.

Ashamed. We don’t face the same threat, of physical imprisonment and death, that Paul and Timothy faced. We face more of a social imprisonment ... a fear of being labeled. I think the key is having the right perspective. Our fears in this world are temporary; but separation from God beyond this world, for someone that doesn’t know Jesus, will be eternal. Someone has to tell them. Someone has to love them enough to risk being labeled.

Continues

Last week, we finished a letter Paul wrote to his protege Timothy. Today, we begin a second letter. Many scholars believe this is the final letter (2 Timothy) Paul wrote before he was executed. I invite you to open your Bible and read along with me or find it online here.

2 Timothy 1

5 I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.

6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Continues. I appreciate the reminder that we play an important role in passing the faith from one generation to the next. Whether it is with kids, grandkids, nieces/nephews, kids in the neighborhood, our friends’ kids, kids in the children’s ministry or students in the middle school and high school ministry, we all play a role in helping the next generation become men and women of great faith. How are you helping make sure it continues?