THE RIGHTEOUSNESS REVEALED IN CHRIST ALONE Be careful not to judge unbelievers as if you are better than they. Remember that God saved us not according to us, but according to Jesus. We have not earned salvation, nor are we able to work at keeping it. It is the mercy and grace of God which
DOES YOUR WALK MATCH YOUR TALK? Paul taught his spiritual son, Titus, to be careful that his way of life was consistent with his teaching. Certainly, this would’ve been an even more important concern for a younger man like Titus. Two traits were commended to him: 1) Integrity – wholeness of character that matches
QUALIFICATIONS FOR THOSE WHO PREACH THE WORD Paul gave his son in the faith, Titus, a list of qualifications for elders, in order to establish the church on the island of Crete. He concluded the list with three traits concerning the handling of the Gospel and of the Word of God. These three traits for
FULFILLING THE MINISTRY GOD HAS GIVEN YOU As Paul faced the real possibility of execution for preaching the gospel, he gave final instructions to Timothy. He wanted Timothy to be unafraid of suffering and willing to work hard for the sake of the Good News. Like a captain issuing orders to one of his men,
WHAT IS THE GOOD NEWS? What was the “Good News” that Paul preached? Answer: Jesus Christ, Son of David, crucified and raised from the dead. This is the news event that we are to proclaim. For the gospel is not good advice, it’s good news. And news is to be announced. Some will believe and
ARE YOU ASHAMED TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT JESUS? What causes us to feel shame to speak of Jesus? There are at least three reasons: 1) Lack of spiritual zeal. We don’t feel worthy to talk about Jesus because we are not living as we should. 2) Believing the enemy’s lies. These lies tells us that
THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE SHOULDN’T LOVE Money is a means of exchange, a morally neutral thing that is useful when rightly used. Yet, the love of money is idolatry. It puts money in the place of God. Rather than saying “in God we trust,” it puts its trust in money. The one who loves
LEADERSHIP ADVICE FROM PAUL TO TIMOTHY Good leadership advice. Before elevating someone to leadership, put them through a time of testing. See if they are F.A.T. (Faithful, Available, Teachable), then set them apart and give them some authority. Better to be short on leaders for a little while than to rush to raise up those
THE VALUE OF SPIRITUAL TRAINING We are born with a body, yet physical training is necessary to build it up. Similarly, when we are born again, we are made alive spiritually, yet we are called to “work out” what God is “working in” us (see Phil. 2:12-13). Both the physical life and this new spiritual
HOW NOT TO ENCOURAGE THE HEAVY OF HEART There are those who have never experienced loss that think the way to cheer up the one who has is by distraction. However, this response is not only inappropriate but inconsiderate. The one who would encourage will first seek to understand the feelings of the hurting and