Category: Uncategorized

1 Thessalonians, pt. 1

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

Pastor Alan has been taking us through the book of 1 Thessalonians this summer. The first few messages he shared are below. To listen to them, simply click play on the audio player for the message you’d like to hear. I’ve included Alan’s outlines for you and links to Scripture references at Bible Gateway. Praying these bless you!

Characteristics of God’s People and the Church

1 Thessalonians 1:1-4

  1. Background Information on the letter:
    • The town 
    • The audience. 
    • The different reactions
    • The writing of the letter
  2. Characteristics of the church (vs 1-4):
    • The church is connected to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. vs 1a.
      • There are at least three implications of this:
        • The church doesn’t belong to any human authority or organization.
        • The church is alive by its connection to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
        • The church is seen as the body of Christ with every “limb” playing a role.
    • The church is blessed to be a blessing. Specifically, Paul always gave the blessing of grace and peace in his letters.  We all are always in need of grace and peace.  vs 1b
    • The church must acknowledge to God, and one another, their gratefulness for each other.  This takes work to remember.  vs 2a
    • The church is to be continually praying for one another. vs 2b
    • The church is to be characterized by three couplets.  They are:
      • work produced by faith,
      • labor promoted by love,
      • and endurance inspired by hope. vs 3
    • The church is loved and chosen of God. vs 4
      • What are the evidences of God’s choosing?
        • You come to God.
        • You confess Christ.
        • You change.
  3. Our lives become marked by work produced by faith, labor produced by love, and endurance inspired by hope. Hopefully in maturing degrees of each.

What Will We Do With the Gospel?

1 Thessalonians 1:5-10

  1. Introduction:  What is the Gospel?
  2. The Thessalonians and the Gospel 1:5-10
    • The Gospel came to them. vs 5
      • The Gospel must come to people in at least three ways:
    • The Gospel was received by them. vs 6-7
      • What happened when they received the Gospel?  
        • Their lives became examples of imitating Christ and the apostles.
        • They became persecuted for their faith.
        • They were still joyful even when persecuted for their faith. 
    • The Gospel was passed on by them.  vs 8-10
      • How did they spread the Gospel?
        • They spoke about it. vs 8a
        • They lived in such a way as to validate what they spoke about. vs 8b
        • The lives they lived were marked by turning from idols, serving God, and waiting expectantly for Christ’s return.
  3. Conclusion:  One can draw parallels between the triad Paul mentions in 1:3 and this triad here in 1:9 –
    • Turning from idols – work of faith
    • Serving God – labor of love 
    • Waiting for return – endurance (steadfastness) of hope.

The Marks of Doing Ministry: Paul’s Self-Disclosure

1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

  1. Two Distinctions about Paul
    • He was an eyewitness of Christ. 
    • He had true apostolic authority. 
      • He could say, and write, with certainty, “Here is what God says.”
  2. Marks of Paul’s ministry. vs 1-16
    • It wasn’t without purpose. vs 1
    • It wasn’t without suffering. vs 2
    • It wasn’t without boldness. vs 2b.
    • It was pure of content and motive. vs 3
    • It was seen as an act of good stewardship. vs 4a
    • It wasn’t about pleasing people, but God who knows one’s heart motivation.  vs 4b
    • It wasn’t motivated by greed and it didn’t use a position to abuse others. vs 5-6
    • It was nurturing and sacrificial in character. vs 7-8
    • It didn’t burden those preached to. vs 9
    • It conducted itself beyond reproach. vs 10
    • It acted like a good father would with his children by exhorting, encouraging, and challenging, vs 11-12
    • It was grateful for the people who received the message and how their lives were changed. vs 13-14
    • It put up with opposition and hindrances continually. vs 15-16
  3. Conclusion:  Doing ministry isn’t for those looking for an easy road.  It’s also not for those who want power and prestige.  It’s for those who live with, at least to some degree, grateful humility.

Wise Use of Opportunities and more!

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

Pastor Alan returned in June, and while we don’t have all of his messages recorded, we have his outlines for each message. So, below you’ll find his outlines and a few recordings from when he remembered to start the recorder, or it wasn’t having technical difficulties!

The Wise Use of Opportunities

Ephesians 5:14-20

The theme of Ephesians 5 is how to be followers/imitators of God.  Paul gives several ways to do this.  One of those ways is to “redeem the time” (KJV).  So, this morning we will look at how to make wise use of opportunities which is redeeming time.

  1.  The concept of redemption as it relates to one’s salvation and use of time.
  2.  Two kinds of time.  The idea is Ephesians 5:15 is not time as chronological but rather specific God-given moments of opportunity. That’s why “redeem the time” in KJV is translated “making the most of every opportunity” in more modern translations.
  3. Ways to “redeem the time”:
    • Wake up out of spiritual deadness and darkness (Romans 13:11-14) vs 14a
    • Live in light of the resurrection of the dead. And a time when Christ who is the only light will shine on us.  vs 14b 
    • Live carefully (circumspect) and wisely.  One way to live wisely is to know time and opportunities are passing away. vs 15.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 12:1-8.
    • Make the most of life’s opportunities.  Live with God’s plan and purpose for you.  vs 16
    • Don’t waste life pursuing evil.  That which contradicts God’s will for your life is evil.  Yes, it is just that simple.  The word “evil” carries with it idea of slothful life.  vs 16b 
    • Understand God’s will for you and do it.  To not do so is foolish. vs 17. 
    • Don’t let your life be wasted by always being wasted.   Too many lives ruined by being under the influence.  vs 18a
    • Live life under the sober-minded control of the Spirit.  A Spirit led life sees certain things as sacred. vs 18b 
    • Spend time with others in praise and worship.  This is always a good place to hang out. vs. 19  
    • Live in a state of thanksgiving rather than complaining. Complaining is a waste of your time and others. vs 20 
    • Don’t waste time fighting over things, instead, submit to the Lord and one another to keep the unity of the faith.  vs 21
    • Conclusion:  Time is precious.  Don’t waste it on nothing but self-indulgence.  Discover God’s plan and will and pursue it. 

What a Father Should Give

Matthew 7:7-9

  1. An understanding of what it means to be saved.  Romans 5:9-10, 10:9, 10:13
    • I’ve been saved (from sin’s penalty)
    • I’m being saved (from sin’s power)
    • I’ll be saved (from sin’s presence)
  1.  An understanding that men have responsibilities to be met.
  1. A charge to speak truth no matter how hard the consequence of doing so might be. (2 John 1:4-7)
  1. To instill grit in a culture that has no idea what finishing the call means. (2 Timothy 4:7)
  1. To teach the truth that God the Father gives gifts beyond what a human father could ever give, but human fathers are to give good gifts.  (Matthew 7:7-9)
    • An ode to my father:  Readings from stuff pasted in his Bible.  God’s Choir:  E.W. Brock, 1986 

The Plan of God: Grace Living

*This recording started part-way through the message.

  Maxim:  God’s plan is totally opposed to manmade religion. 

God’s plan = grace.  What He does for you and in you.

Religion = what you mistakenly think you can do for God by your works and moral living.  

  • Phases of God’s plan:
    • God through sending his son to die on the cross and then rise from the tomb, has made it possible for us to be compatible with God. 
      • (Cross)
    • God’s plan for you now on earth is to live in unity with Him and in living in unity to experience His joy.
      • (Blessed are the…)
      • (Resurrection and Holy Spirit)
    • God’s plan for you in eternity is to be able to fully experience His destiny for you that we can only experience in a limited way now.
      • (Christ’s coming again) 

Maxim:  The more our lives become disorganized and complicated is evidence we either don’t know God’s plan or we know it but often don’t follow it.

  • Positioned in God’s plan: 
    • Our sin nature opposes God’s plan for us.  The sin nature fights against being under God and in fellowship with Him.
    • Dealing with the sin nature by confessing, trusting and abiding.

A Biblical Perspective on Peace, Freedom, Sacrifice, and Courage

Big Perspective: With the 4th of July on Friday, we will be hearing words such as peace, freedom, sacrifice, and courage. I want to say a few words about each of these words from a biblical persepctive.

  • Peace:  What is the peace scripture speaks of?  How does it go beyond what the world offers?  John 14:27, John 16:33
    • Peace is in Christ.  Luke 1:19, Acts 10:36
    • We are called to be peacemakers. Matthew 5:9
    • We are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:20
    • Peace does not imply a lack of strength. In fact, where there is fear there is no peace!
  • Freedom: In Christ there is offered freedom from enslavement to sin and fear, especially the fear of death.  There is a longing in all of us to be truly free.  Do you feel trapped by something?  Do you feel oppressed by something?  Christ came to “set the captives free.”
  • Sacrifice: Many have laid down their lives to gain and protect freedoms. Liberty is always costly. Our souls’ liberty cost Jesus voluntarily sacrificing Himself for us.
  • Courage: We are not to live in fear but to act and live with courage. Courage is necessary to do the right thing not only in dangerous situations but in easy circumstances as well.
  • In Conclusion:
    • Don’t live in fear and anxiety. Instead live in Christ’s peace.
    • Don’t stay in bondage to anything but be set free in Christ.
    • Don’t live a self-centered, it’s-all-about-me life. Instead sacrifice for the good of others.
    • Don’t live cowardly, never getting in the arena; take your place in courage instead.

The Day of the Lord

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

In May, Terry took us through a series about the Day of the Lord. To listen to these messages, click on the play button of the audio player below. I don’t have notes for all of them, so I’m just including the major Scripture he is teaching from for each message. Praying they are a blessing!

The Day of the Lord, pt. 1

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (The Day of the Lord)

The Day of the Lord, pt. 2

Ezekiel 38-39 (The War of God & Magog)

The Day of the Lord, pt. 3

Revelation 6, 8, 9, 13, 16 (The Tribulation) *Note: Terry flips back and forth in these chapters of Revelation, so I linked each chapter separately. Hope that makes it a bit easier to find what you’re looking for, if you use the online Scripture references.

The Day of the Lord, pt. 4

Revelation 19-22 (Christ’s Return)

Pruned to Bear More Fruit

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

I apologize for not getting these messages posted sooner, but I’m trying to get caught up again. So, I will attempt to get all messages we have recorded from Easter to the end of June posted in the next day or two. To begin, Terry spoke on Easter (Alan was ill) and the following Sunday. Here are the recordings of those messages.

Easter Sunday

Luke 24:1-9; 1 Corinthians 15:42-58

Pruned to Bear More Fruit

John 15:1-5

Palm Sunday

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

Alan spoke last Sunday on Palm Sunday and two important questions we must ask ourselves. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included some notes and links to Scripture he references.

Palm Sunday / Triumphal Entry Sunday / The Beginning of Holy Week

  • There are two important questions we should ask ourselves:
    • Who is Jesus?
    • What kind of Jesus do we really want in life?
      • the crowd in Jerusalem began the week shouting, “Hosanna!” and ended it shouting, “Crucify Him!” – Jesus wasn’t the Messiah they were expecting.
  • Matthew 21:1-17
    • The people were expecting a Messiah who would save them from Roman oppression – a conquering king on a white horse, rather than a prophet from Nazareth on a donkey (the suffering servant)
      • He brought a kingdom, not of military might, but a kingdom of:
        • peace
        • forgiveness
        • love
        • justice
        • righteousness
    • They shouted “Hosanna!”
      • a mix of two words
        • yasha (defend, deliver, help, preserve, rescue)
        • na (I beseech, I pray)
      • “Deliver us” – from Roman oppression
      • Jesus came for a bigger issue – sin
        • deliverance from the penalty of sin
        • by the cross & the resurrection
      • Jesus gives us so much more!
        • do you ever feel oppressed, tangled up?
        • YHWH – breath
          • the idea in the OT was that salvation was the loosening of things that bind you so that you can breathe more easily.
      • They wanted a kingdom of earthly power.
        • Jesus brought a kingdom of heavenly power
        • the Beatitudes teach us how to live a kingdom life
      • Jesus showed the ultimate humility
  • The God we, as Christians, worship:
    • He is a God of love.
    • He is also a God of wrath.
    • He is a triune God:
      • Father
      • Son (subject to the Father)
      • Holy Spirit (subject to the Son)
    • Jesus is a keeper of His Father’s temple (Matthew 21:13)
      • He and the Father are one.
      • John 17 – to know what Jesus wants for you in this life
  • Hebrews 1:1-9
    • Jesus is a deliverer, a king of a heavenly kingdom
      • Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
        • Why do you sometimes feel oppressed/depressed?
          • You’re looking at the world more than at Jesus.
    • v. 1 – God (the triune God)
      • 1 in essence; 3 in personality
      • We tend to make God in our image, rather than realizing He made us in His image.
      • God spoke the Word – Jesus is God the Father speaking to us.
        • the final Word
        • Jesus represented God the Father exactly as God the Father was
        • Romans 3:23
          • in our thoughts and actions, we all miss the mark
          • Jesus never missed the mark!
    • v. 2 – Appointed heir & creator of all things
      • In Greek, this is in the aorist tense, meaning once and for all time.
        • heir of ALL things
        • we are heirs & co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17)
          • must be a son or daughter to be an heir
          • those who believe in Him have the right to become children of God (John 1:12)
          • we are born children of Adam, but through Christ we are adopted by God
      • Jesus is the blueprint of all that has ever happened
        • “worlds” in vs. 2 is better translated as “ages”
    • v. 3 – Sustainer
      • everything is sustained by the Word
      • John 1:14 – we beheld His glory
        • we only reflect His glory
        • Jesus IS the glory of God
      • Upholds
        • Jesus is the one who keeps everything going
        • Colossians 1:17
        • If He holds the universe together, can you trust Him to hold your life together?
      • Redeemer
        • He purged our sins
    • v. 4 – Ascended
      • at the right hand of the Father in majesty
      • intercedes on our behalf
      • He is our High Priest (Hebrews 8:1-2)
  • He is Alive!
    • Who is He? He is…
      • Creator
      • Revealer
      • Sustainer
      • Redeemer
      • Intercessor
      • King
      • the Prince of Peace
      • the Humble Servant
      • Everything

The Great I Am

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

We had a few weeks of special messages around the holidays that I wanted to share with you. First is a short message from friend of Colona Community Church, Jim Juhl (the audio quality isn’t great, but it’s a lovely message). Also included is Terry’s message, entitled “The Great I Am,” from the Gospel of John.

Here’s Jim’s message:

And Terry’s message:

The Great I Am

  • Intro: We were created for relationship with God, but sin has gotten in between. There must be a second birth (John 3:3) to be saved from our sin. Jesus came to reconcile us to God.
  • God calls Himself, “I Am” (Exodus 3:13-14); Jesus has seven “I Am” statements in the Gospel of John.
  • “I Am the bread of life” (John 6:35)
    • Jesus had physically fed the 5,000 (John 6:1-14)
    • Now He is feeding them spiritually (v. 33-35)
  • “I Am the light of the world” (John 8:12)
    • We can’t exist without light
    • Spiritually, we can’t thrive without His light chasing away the darkness
    • the Word is life & light (Psalm 119:105)
    • Light coming into the darkness makes people accountable for their sin.
    • God is drawing people out of the darkness & into the light
    • the dwelling place of the believer is the Word of God
    • Matthew 6:33
  • “I Am the gate/door” (John 10:9)
    • the door to eternal life
    • John 10:10 – the thief vs Jesus
  • “I Am the good shepherd” (John 10:11; 12-15)
    • gives His life for the sheep
    • He is making intercession for us (Romans 8:34)
    • sheep have one obligation – keep your eye on the Shepherd
    • the Shepherd fends of the enemies of the sheep
      • sheep are easy marks
      • peace & joy come from knowing He’s looking out for us when we follow Him
    • the Shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep
      • reversal of the Passover
  • “I Am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25; 24-26)
    • v. 24: Martha knew the Scriptures
    • v. 25-26: Jesus gave new revelation to Martha
      • John 5:28-29 – everyone that dies will be resurrected
        • to eternal life or
        • to eternal damnation
  • “I Am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6; 1-7)
    • v. 1-3: He is preparing a place for us in the Father’s house
    • v. 4-5: the disciples didn’t know what He was talking about – they couldn’t truly understand until they had the Holy Spirit
    • v. 6-7: Jesus is all we need
  • “I Am the true vine” (John 15:1; 2-6)
    • If He’s the true vine, there must be a false vine.
    • Isaiah 5: Israel was the vineyard, but the fruit rotted
    • v. 2: we will be pruned for our own good
    • v. 4-5: live & dwell in the Vine & God will take care of us
      • no other way to please God than to trust & obey
    • He wants Christlikeness in our lives – can’t do that apart from Him
    • v. 6: branches not bearing fruit will be taken away and burned
  • He is all we need!

The Faith-Rest Life

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

We had a few weeks of mission reports and a special musical service before Pastor Alan began a short series on the Faith-Rest Life. Unfortunately, the first message (“Living the Sabbath Principle”) did not get recorded, but I’ve included Alan’s outline with a few notes below. The second and third messages, with their recordings, are below that, each with its outline. Praying these messages bless you.

Living the Sabbath Principle (The Faith-Rest Life)

  1. Introduction
    • Genesis 1:27-2:3
      • Adam & Eve were created on the 6th day; God rested on the 7th day.
      • Adam & Eve entered into God’s rest; sin took them out of that rest.
  2. Sabbath Principle – what is it?
  3. Four passages of scripture with Sabbath implications.
    • Exodus 17:1-6
      • God had just delivered the Israelites from Egypt, and they grumbled. He has delivered us from so much more, and yet we still grumble.
      • Key truth: God puts us in testing circumstances, the “no water” places. Will we respond in faith or fear? To not respond in faith is to in effect believe God isn’t present.
    • Numbers 20:1-13
      • This is God’s grace. He gives us living water, even when we don’t deserve it.
      • Key truth: We often will blame others, or God, and want to escape a testing circumstance. We will miss God’s blessing if we don’t follow his instruction.
    • Hebrews 3:7-13
      • Key truth: What we hear can determine how we respond to life’s tests. Do we hear God’s promises and act in faith or do we hear all kinds of other voices? If we don’t hear, we will never rest, and it’s hard to hear if we aren’t still.
      • What keeps us from being able to be at peace in life’s stormy tests? This passage says there are 5 things:
        1. An evil heart of unbelief
        2. Departing (standing off) from God
        3. Deceitfulness of sin
        4. Wandering hearts
        5. Ignorance of God’s ways
    • Hebrews 4:1-16 (Next Sunday)
  4. Conclusion
    • We can live in Sabbath rest or circumstantial chaos. There’s a choice to be made.

Sabbath Rest (The Faith-Rest Life)

Hebrews 4:1-12

  1. The dynamics of living the Sabbath rest (Faith-Rest Life)
    • God’s rest is a standing promise to stand upon. vs 1
    • God’s rest must be entered into by faith. vs 1
    • God’s rest can be missed. vs 2, vs 5
    • God’s rest if rejected angers God. vs 3a
    • God’s rest is based on His resting. vs 3b-4a
    • God’s rest, if rejected is an act of disobedience. vs 6
    • God’s rest is a time sensitive offer. vs 7-8
    • God’s rest is a rest from work as we know work. vs 10
    • God’s rest involves an effort. vs 11
    • God’s rest involves God’s word as a revealing source. vs 12
  2. Conclusion: Living the faith-rest life is available through actively resting on God’s promises. The time to start living is now.

Great Necessities for Sabbath Rest
Hebrews 4:12-16, Isaiah 40

  1. Introduction: Sabbath is not a day of rest; it is resting on the promises of God. Faith-rest is not based on our feelings, but on His promises. You’re never going to be able to say, “It is well with my soul,” if you carry around the baggage of the past.
  2. The necessity of evaluating life by God’s word.
    • Men do what is right in their own eyes.
      • This leads to unrest, anxiety, and fear.
    • The only way we know if we are obeying in faith or disobeying in unbelief, is by the evaluating power of God’s word.
    • Hebrews 4:12-13
    • God’s word has evaluating power because it is:
      1. Alive
      2. Powerful
      3. Cutting
      4. Penetrating
      5. Judging
  3. The necessity of holding to one’s profession of faith by holding on to our high priest, Jesus.
    • Hebrews 4:14-15
    • There are trials and temptations that test our faith. We can look at how Jesus responded.
      • He used the Sword of the Spirit to battle temptation
        • Three ways Satan tempts (1 John 2:26):
          1. lust of the eyes
          2. lust of the flesh
          3. pride of life
  4. The necessity of prayer.
    • Oh, what needless pain we bear…
    • We often look at prayer as a last resort.
    • Hebrews 4:16
      1. Pray with confidence (James 1:2-8)
      2. Pray for grace and mercy (Luke 18:13)
      3. Acknowledge your need!
  5. The necessity of waiting on God in dependent trust.
    • Isaiah 40:28-31
    • The idea of waiting on God has many aspects in the Hebrew language.
      • It means to believe God is reliable and can be leaned on. The Hebrew word “amen” carries this aspect.
      • It means you can throw your cares on God.
      • It can mean taking refuge in God by fleeing to Him.
      • It can mean trusting God for deliverance from pain.
    • All of these things can be involved in waiting for God. The outcome of waiting on God is we exchange the limited resources of our strength for His divine power.
  6. The necessity of trusting in God instead of idols of our own making.
    • Isaiah 40:18-20
    • How many things in our life do we put our trust in that will just topple over?
    • What makes you think you can run with the horses? (Jeremiah 12:5)
  7. Conclusion: The faith-rest life is still offered; will we enter in?

2 Timothy, pt. 7

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

In his continuing series on the book of 2 Timothy, Alan led us through the first eight verses of the final chapter. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. Enjoy!

2 Timothy 4:1-8

The Big Picture: God gives a charge to all of us. To not act on the charge, or call, could mean an opportunity missed, never to be regained. So, act upon whatever the charge is to you. Don’t wait for a convenient time because there seldom is one. Also, following God’s calling is never promised to be comfortable.

  1. Paul’s Charge to Timothy (v. 2, 5)
    • Preach the Word
    • Be ready all the time, not just when it’s convenient
    • Correct those in error
    • Rebuke those who are sinning
    • Encourage those who are doing good
    • Be level headed
    • Expect and endure hardship
    • Give the good news
    • Do your duty
  2. The Motivations for the Charge (v. 1, 3)
    • God is a watching presence
    • Christ will judge
    • Christ will come again
    • Christ is King
    • The times are getting worse where the truth will not be tolerated
  3. The Cost of Carrying Out the Charge (v. 6-7)
    • For some it meant, and still means, martyrdom
      • but death is not final
    • It means a fight
      • the soldier
    • It means running the race to its finish
      • the athlete
    • It means patiently keeping the faith
      • the farmer
  4. The Reward for Paying the Cost (v. 8)
    • A crown of righteousness

Conclusion: Ask God if there is something He is specifically charging you to do. If it is clear to you, then do it. Don’t put it off waiting for a more convenient time.

“I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and Heaven without Hell.” -William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army, 1829-1912)

2 Timothy, pt. 4

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

In Alan’s series on 2 Timothy, Paul’s Final Words, he took us into the second chapter of the book. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below.

2 Timothy 2:1-7

  1. Stand Strong in Grace (v. 1)
    • Grace = that which is given is neither earned nor merited
      • works are NOT required to be saved or to stay saved
      • Ephesians 2:8-10
        • grace + faith = salvation
        • not of yourself: grace generates faith
      • works follow salvation
      • if we have to work for salvation, it negates all Christ did on the cross
      • grace is God working in our lives to bring us closer to Him
    • How do you stand in the sphere of grace?
      1. You reject the idea that you are strong enough to stand on your own.
        • If you don’t stand in grace, you’ll fall in your works.
      2. You resist the temptation to boast about your seeming indispensability.
      3. You receive what God has given and appropriate it.
        • It’s all IN Christ Jesus who was full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
      4. You access grace by faith.
        • Romans 5:1-4
        • You are justified by faith, which gives you access to grace.
  2. Teach & Equip (v. 2)
    • Teach what? The gospel.
    • Prerequisites: those who will be taught to share the gospel must be:
      • faithful
      • able to teach others
      • Hebrews 5:11-14
      • One should never coast on their giftedness:
        • gifted is not an excuse for lack of preparation & competence
        • must rely on God & give Him credit
      • Part of ministry is to entrust the gospel to faithful & competent people
  3. The Cost of Carrying Out the Charge (v. 3-6)
    • Three Metaphors
      1. A Soldier
        • 1 Timothy 1:18-19 KJV – war a good warfare
          • engage the enemy
          • prayer is warfare
        • dedicated
          • not entangled by distractions
          • focused on the mission
          • carry out orders
            • we are subordinate to Christ who recruited us
        • 600 Legions of Roman soldiers (360,000 men)
          • most feared warriors of their time
          • carried a short sword with two sharp edges
            • for stabbing, not slashing
            • the Word is a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) able to pierce in spiritual warfare
      2. An Athlete
        • Olympics: had to sign up for 10 months of dedicated/disciplined training
          • no breaking protocol
          • no commitment to anything else – period (even family)
          • must follow the rules or become disqualified
          • Crown of Victory for the winner
      3. A Farmer
        • lonely, hard-working, patient
        • endure hardships season after season
        • leadership involves loneliness & disappointment, but perseverance allows for a share of the crop/harvest
  4. The Point of Reflecting (v. 7)

2 Timothy, Pt. 2

by Laurin, posted in Uncategorized

Alan continued his teaching through the book of 2 Timothy by taking us further into chapter one. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below.

2 Timothy 1:3-8

  1. Paul’s Thanksgiving – v. 3-5
    • Paul is thankful upon remembering. (v. 3)
    • Paul served with a clear conscience.
    • Paul’s reference to his ancestors who served God.
    • Paul’s deep connection with Timothy. (v. 4)
    • Paul’s second remembering. (v. 5)
      • He tells Timothy about his spiritual lineage.
      • The name Eunice means “good victory.”
      • The importance of teaching in the family.
  2. Paul’s Gift to Timothy through God (v. 6)
    • Likely the gift was the office of pastor/teacher.
    • The charge is to keep the gift burning.
      • Gift is always associated with grace.
  3. God’s Gift to All (v. 7)
    • The negative
      • a spirit of cowardice
    • The three-fold positive
      • power = dynamis
      • love = agape
      • self-control (sound or sober mind) = sophronismos
    • Titus 2
    • God has given us all we need in Christ.
      • We just need to appropriate it. (2 Peter 1:3)
      • Will we allow the Spirit to work in our spirit?
  4. Paul’s Plea to Timothy (v. 8)
    • Two things not to be ashamed of:
      • testify to Christ
      • suffer for Christ
  5. Closing
    • We have all been gifted by God in various ways.
    • We are to appropriate those gifts in power, love, and self-control.