Category: 2 Timothy

Today you should read: 2 Timothy 1:7-12

Let’s start with a little bit of context, Paul is writing 2 Timothy in prison. Paul mentions near the end of this chapter that a lot of his supporters and followers have abandoned him while he is in prison. Which is why in verse 8 he says, “do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner” (verse 8). He set Timothy up by telling him in the previous verse that, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” He then begins to explain why he is suffering in prison. He also tells Timothy that they have been called because of God’s grace and according to His purpose. Paul’s words to Timothy were written to reassure him that the work that they are doing is to spread the Gospel. In verse 12 he assures Timothy by saying, “But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed.”

So what should we take away from these words? First, that we should be bold and unashamed when witnessing about the things that Jesus has done for us. Although we may not be thrown in prison, we may be ridiculed, mocked, and perceived as unintelligent, but we should be bold and unafraid. Secondly, we should lean on other Christians in times of suffering. Paul tells Timothy, “share in suffering” (verse 8). Lastly, we should share with a spirit of power, love, and self-control. Verse 7 tells us how God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of these three things. We should have the power to share the Gospel, love those who may not listen, and have self-control when we are mistreated.

By: Jacob Kerr — Pastoral Ministry Apprentice: Worship and Students at West Campus

---

One of our goals as a church this year is that our people would be praying everyday. To help you be accountable, use the comment section to post prayer requests and experiences of how God has answered prayer and/or changed you through prayer! If you would like to be enrolled to get weekly prayer reminders, text @cpclex to 81010.

Today you should read: 2 Timothy 1:1-6

Paul starts 2 Timothy in a very similar way that he started 1 Timothy, but in a completely different situation. Paul writes this letter to Timothy while in prison and ultimately waiting to die. You can just imagine how Paul must be feeling. Nonetheless, he gives us an incredible example of what it means to care for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. He talks about how he prays for Timothy night and day (v. 3), how he longs to see him (v. 4), and how he is reminded of his sincere faith (v. 5). Paul remembers all of these things and encourages Timothy, even in the midst of his worst circumstance. It’s easy for us to encourage others on our good days, but do we encourage others on our worst? Or are we just thinking of how bad we have it? 

The second thing to notice from this passage is the family of Timothy. As a parent or grandparent, verse 5 should jump off the page for you. Paul says that Timothy’s faith comes from Lois (grandmother) and Eunice (mother). Lois and Eunice must have lived godly lives because Paul describes how sincere their faith was. Their faith then made an impact on Timothy, who has similar faith. Grandparents and parents, you can have an impact on your kids. Discipleship in the family is not always sitting down and reading the Bible together or going out and serving those less fortunate (and it would be good if those are happening), but family discipleship happens when your kids see how you live godly lives each and every day (not just Sunday’s and Wednesday’s).

Timothy saw genuine faith in his mother and grandmother, and their impact on Timothy made an impact for the Kingdom of God. How can your life reflect your faith every day?

By: Brice Stockton — Student Ministry Apprentice

---

One of our goals as a church this year is that our people would be praying everyday. To help you be accountable, use the comment section to post prayer requests and experiences of how God has answered prayer and/or changed you through prayer! If you would like to be enrolled to get weekly prayer reminders, text @cpclex to 81010.

Today you should read: 2 Timothy 4:9-22

When death comes knocking on the door, I’m convinced that one’s true purpose and desires come out. You see this in certain celebrities’ last words before they died.

• Musician, Bob Marley said to his brother, “money can’t buy life.”
• Whiskey founder, Jack Daniels was recorded saying, “one last drink, please.”
• Famous occultist, Aleister Crowley said, “I am perplexed. Satan get out.” (shows his true heart in light of the black magic he was promoting)
• There’s a website called “death letters.org” where people anonymously write their last words and it’s heartbreaking.

Aside from cultural examples, we also see how this is true in Scripture as King Solomon pours out his heart in the book of Ecclesiastes saying that “much of life is meaningless but to remember the Creator in the days of your youth.” We see it in Jesus’ final prayer as He prays for us, Himself, and asks God if there can be another way to take away the sins of the world aside from the torture He is about to encounter but in the end saying, “Father, your will be done,” and “it is finished.”

Finally, we see it in the apostle Paul’s last letter while he was sitting in prison knowing that he will very shortly face death. Paul’s heart bleeds out in this letter, and like most people before they face death, his true purpose and desires surface. However, it’s kind of surprising how he ends it knowing that this may be the very last thing he’s going to communicate before dying.

You see, Paul ends his last letter with a genuine, compassionate concern and care for PEOPLE. No great sermon closer. No great quote that can be posted up on Lifeway coffee mugs or painted on the back wall of churches across the world. No famous one-liner that can be printed on cheesy t-shirts or put on a wristband. Paul’s last words reveal an in-depth knowledge of where people are in his ministry. The people to whom he ministered and the people he ministered with are his closing signature and shows what was on his heart when death is at his doorstep. When you are about to die would you be giving a spiritual report on the people God has entrusted you with? Paul loves people to the very end. People who encouraged him, people he had sent out on mission, and, people who have hurt and deserted him.

I bring this up because I, like Paul, believe that the greatest legacies are made when we invest our time into people. Not position. Not power. Not prestige. That’s how the world views legacies.   But we serve a God who loves people and uses people to pass the Gospel from generation to generation. This means that you should already be ministering to people and you should never give up on them, always remembering that God never gave up on us, demonstrated by what Jesus accomplished through the cross. Is your heart’s true purpose and motives the same as Paul? The same as Jesus? If it is, you will love God and love people to the very end.

Posted by:Erik Koliser

Today you should read: 2 Timothy 4:1-8

“Which one is easier…to sit with a bucket of butter-soaked popcorn and watch Tom Cruise on the big screen for two hours, or kneel and pray for five minutes? Tom Cruise wins hands down, because there is literally no competiton. What the flesh hates is God, so it resists anything that smacks of God- especially communion with Him. The flesh can curl up by your side and watch mindless movies all night long. But, let even the barest thought of meditations flutter into your mind, and the flesh goes to Red Alert. Before you get past “our Father,” your eyes, which were glued to the screen, now sag in sleepiness, and your attention, which was so fixed on the plot, now zips around the universe faster than the Starship Enterprise.” ~ Kris Lundgaard, The Enemy Within.

We struggle, as Christians, to war against the passions of our flesh. All of us can identify with the quote from, The Enemy Within. Paul is addressing that very issue with Timothy and the early church. We see this issue more than ever in our culture and many churches are turning away from speaking truth in the name of being “seeker friendly.” I do not want to put too much blame on the pastors of these churches without addressing the truth that the reason for these churches is because “seeker friendly” draws large crowds. When you and I are addressed with truth it will lead to conviction. Conviction is awesome and leads us to change into the likeness of Christ, but conviction hurts. It means that you and I desire things that are not of God and we need to be rebuked and reproved (v.2). So how can we avoid allowing our flesh to win?

1. Be sober-minded.

It means we should not just listen to everything that sounds good to us but to test everything by the word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, Deuteronomy 6:4-8, Psalm 1).

We have to be transformed in our thinking and protect our beliefs from the lies of our flesh (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23-24).

What beliefs do you live by that you cannot defend scripturally?

2. Endure suffering.

Denying yourself and living for Christ is hard and often will lead to suffering and persecution. This is why it is so important to develop your beliefs biblically and know why you believe them because they will be tested in persecution.

Remember that suffering does not produce character, it reveals it.

3. Do the work of an evangelist.

Live with a godly purpose and intentionally share the gospel with those around you. When our focus is on God and his glory for the purpose of loving others (Matthew 22:34-40) then our focus will not be on ourselves. Pride and selfishness fuel our sin but the cure is humbly serving others and glorifying God through the gospel.

Who is on your heart this week? Who do you plan on building a deeper relationship with in order to share the life changing message of the gospel?

Posted by:Chad Wiles