charisbarak

Encourage, encourage, encourage. Ask them to think back to when they had discovered the Lord had given them this gift & how they felt then. Encourage them to pray and lay everything on the line with God. Encourage them to get into the Word again & ask God to lead them back to Him--to be fruitful for Him. It may take a little time, but pray for God's healing & leading.

We are to keep growing in our relationship to Christ. Speak the truth. Share God's Word. Watch to see that His Word is handled correctly. Help others grow. Evangelize through giving, supporting, or being missionaries. Ask God for wisdom in all things. Be joyful, praising God, thankful, praising God each day!! You know, you cannot buy any of the fruit of the Spirit!! Strive for fruit!! Praise God!

Be generous, giving, sharing what you have. Ask for God's wisdom when seeking to share what you have. Think about how you may be hurting/rather than helping someone. Pray before you give. Are you laying up for yourselves treasure in heaven?

Love for $ grows when our relationship with Jesus doesn't. He gives us a certain amount, then we desire more & more--better & better--newer & newer--and the more-better-newer never stops! Sunday, our pastor said he was glad he wasn't rich--he wasn't sure if he could handle it. Many winners of the Lottery find that out very fast. It changes their lives so much that they wish they hadn't won. I'm thankful for all that God has given me! Compared to the world--I'm still in the 90% higher category just because I have a car--even if it is 15 years old! I am content!

God wants us to seek contentment & desire only Him. No, our work is to provide for our families, but for the family's "needs" not all their "wants." What is our motivation??? The balance comes when we seek God first of all, knowing everything is His & He will take care of us--meet our every need. He will provide just the right job, the health, whatever is needful for you to take care of your family. Beyond "needs" are "wants" and that will trap us every time. We need the new ________--especially if your neighbor or friends have one...... It seems to me that peace comes with contentment.....

People think money is the answer to all their problems. They think more & more will make things better for them. They are willing to try anything to get more $'s--gamble, lottery and what they hear advertised. These are people who are not content. There is some truth in these sayings. But they have warped the meanings to infer it's "Let's Make A Deal" with God. Money may not always be the "treasure" God gives us! Other distortions come when they tell the people that bad things will happen to them if they don't...... as well as "good things will happen to them if they do..... The results are money-hungry selfish men & women using any ploy they can to get money out of others.

There is no respect of persons--no matter race or color or station in life--all are equal in God's sight. There were still slaves during that time. I consider myself a slave (in other words) to my employer. The respect I show my employer should reflect my relationship with Christ, whether or not my employer is a fellow believer. Paul's motive is that we are witnesses of Christ wherever we are--whatever we are doing we need to act live His slaves!!

Give yourself & the church time to get to know the person--let him be tested first. You may miss many sinful behaviors which would only be revealed as they serve. The dangers can be lessened when you give the person time. Let them serve as a deacon before any other important office such as an elder. See if they are humble as they serve the body as a deacon.

Formal accusations & trials are necessary to bring about justice in the church. Temptations to compromise or to not go along with it were due to the importance the people put on the person, needing his money or his name or position in public, instead of trusting God to supply & let justice be served. It's difficult today for the same reasons. They don't see that if it is handled correctly it may lead the sinner to repentance. It also serves as a sign to other false teachers that they cannot get away with false teaching. It keeps the church pure.

If elders are working full-time in their ministry. preaching & teaching, they are deserving of double honor. Honor of position & honor in pay. Animals who labor are fed. Deut. 25:4 Workers are worthy of their wages. Luke 10:7

We are expected to help care for aging parents or grandparents. This is our Christian responsibility to take care of our own families. Our parents provided for us when we were younger--we now are in the opposite position--caring for them because they can no longer take care of themselves. Refusing this responsibility would make us worse than infidels--unbelievers.

Teaching strict rules and working to adhere to them is a form of playing church. It is very unappealing to the unbelieving community and does not draw them to Jesus. People need to feel God's love through us. They need to see we love & care for each other. This is what will bring Jesus' words to life for watching unbelievers! Our leaders do need to be godly examples, as we need to be godly parents/examples to our children. Many leaders have corrupted their churches, their flocks. Yes, let this godliness begin with me!! A thought from my 3rd grade Sunday School class today: "Persevere! Don't Give Up!"

Godliness is inwardly & outwardly seeking to love God and to please Him in all we do. Only the Holy Spirit can produce godliness in a person. A strict morality is yet another vehicle for doing it our way, for our success. One way or another that person will fail. Seeking to NOT do something as opposed to living to please and love God.

Working for our salvation is so attractive to people because they like being successful at completing something themselves. "I did it MY way." It produces much pride & self-righteousness, but it can also be a continual frustration for them--how much is enough??? It is totally different. We don't do it, God does. We just have to accept what He has done for us & in Jesus we are saved. Not by works of righteousness that we have done. Instead of us being in control, we have let Jesus be in total control of our lives.

Paul reminded Timothy because Paul was discipling him & in the discipling is always a getting back to the Word--to remember. One operates differently when they are on the lookout for predictions--since all of Jesus' predictions will come to pass--we need to be ready & to help others get ready too. Paul spoke as though apostasy was really coming--not that it "might" come. He wanted Timothy to prepare the believers to be able to discern when deceivers were close by. Paul wanted him grounded in the Word to be able to guard his flock--even at his young age!

There are a few differences, but all must be grounded in the Word--unmoveable-- and be able to teach well. The elders must also be able to encourage & rebuke, if necessary--keep true to the Word always.

Those tendencies are poison to relationships. They are full of self & think the world revolves around them. It would be a great way to "shrink" church membership. When you don't consider these factors, you set the church up for failure.

There is a certain amount of maturity needed to become a leader. Time & actions will prove one way or the other. You can watch for attitudes, how he handles all sorts of situations, and genuineness of his relationship with Jesus Christ.

He must be totally committed to his marriage from the beginning. The leader has followers. Leaders must be an example to their followers & to unbelievers too. How their family operates on a daily basis is an indication of the leadership abilities of the husband. If all is well there, he can be trusted to a wider leadership.

I believe that what Paul wrote then is good for us. We're somewhat different culturally, but have some of the same problems=taking over the authority God has given to men. In doing that, the woman places herself under direct authority of God which she was never intended to have. I enjoy teaching children in Sunday School. I like leading Bible studies for women. On the mission field there is often no choice but that the gifted woman has to teach men--knowing God will raise up a man one day to take over. But I like being under the ultimate authority of the man--who has to directly answer to God for my well-being!

Women were threatening to compromise the church by dressing in such a way as to draw attention to themselves. It would also widen the gulf between the rich & poor. Without imposing legalism we suggest that women dress appropriately, decently, with the thought in mind of NOT drawing attention to themselves--rather let their good deeds be seen!

The problems were infighting and anger. God does not accept the worship of a heart that is not pure.

Paul emphasizes Mediator & Ransom to give them a picture they could understand of their needs. Jesus is the only one who could fulfil those roles. He was the bridge between us and God. He became the ransom (payment) for our sins and the sins of the whole world by his death on the cross.

Paul emphasizes salvation to get them back on track as to the foremost job of the church today. Probably the church had strayed from it's original "being on fire" for the Lord, looking out & at just those around them in their own church.

Paul is Timothy's encourager. He is reminding him of his calling & the importance of what God wants him to do so he doesn't get discouraged & lose heart. Fight the good fight--knowing what & who you are fighting for & whose battle it is--then going forth with courage to the end. Keep looking up and living--producing the fruit of the Spirit--a blameless life--not letting Satan get a foothold anywhere. He doesn't want Timothy to lose focus or to let anyone or anything persuade him not to follow the truth & preach the truth.