servant for Christ

Paul's focus on Christ helps Timothy because he assures Timothy of God's grace. It is an antidote because it is the power of God to everyone that believes.

I an remember times whin I should have spoken up about being a Christian and did not because I was to shy and backward. From testifying about my faith because I did not realizse who God was and who I was in Christ. The antidote is to know in whom you believe and serve. To combat the cowardice and shame is to pray for God to remove it, to give you boldness in place of them to stand for his kingdom.

I would encourage them to return to God with a sincere heart, seek his face, ask God to rekinkle their fire. It can be rekindled by prayer, faith, obedience and diligence. In reclaiming we would have to be willing to give ourselves completely to God. Be obedient in everything. We would have to make God first priorty.

To me the most valuable is focusing on the reason Christ willingly gave his life for me. For the forgiveness of my sins, for my salvation so I can be reunited with God. That h loved me that much to give me eternal life.

I think the action words are given, broken for, and poured out.

An extreme symbolic interpretation would cause me to loose the sight of the real meaning of the Lord's Supper. This was done for my salvation. The balance I think, to me, is when I eat the bread and drink the cup, it means to proclaim and accept the benefits of Christ's sacrifical death.

It helps me to grow close to God when I think of him speaking of breaking the bread, it reminds me of his broken and bruised body hanging on the cross. The brokeness he took for my sin and shame. The wine reminds me of his shed blood for me, for the forgiveness of my sins and for the heling that was provided. It reminds me of his love, mercy, and grace that endures forever.

We can guard our faith by staying in the word, staying close to God, and by listening to his voice. The true gospel. They can be positive, loving, and pleasant because they are of God. It is what he has given us.

Pastor Ralph said it best, we are to hope in God, do good, be rich in god deeds, be generous, and be willing to share. The very things that God has told us to do. We can cultivate our generosity by storing up our heavenly riches, not earthly. Serve God out of love, not for rewards. We have to realize that Christ came to give us abundant life, and we are rich indeed.

The love for money grows when we become greedy and selfish. The more we get the more we want. It becomes a trap when we get our mind and heart on our possession's of the world. We think about self. We can escape this trap by keeping our mind and heart on God. By having faith in him, believing him, and trusting that he will meet our every need.

We should seek contentment because it is a positive assurance that God has and will supply our need's. We have been satisfied by the grace of God. We are not to grasp hold of material possessions. We are neglecting God when we do. No, contentment does not keep us from getting ahead. If anything, it helps. It shows our willingness to take action that has been requested by God. I think the balance is equal. When we get contentment, improvement comes also.

The false teaching has distorted God's word so that it will sound good to people's ears, and they can gainfrom it. People believe you can get to heaven by what you own. A distortion is that the more wealth you get, the higher a spirituality you can get. It all leads down to greed. They differ from the truth because earthly riches will not get you into heaven. The Lord says to look to him for our needs to be met. If we have wealth, God wants us to share that wealth with the poor.

The seed has been sown because the word says we ALL are one in Christ Jesus. The slave were to live in a Christian way. I don't think Paul is codoning slavery. I think Paul is telling them to live their Christian life according to God's word. If they are disobedient, that would be a slander against God. The evil ones could say that they blasphemed against God. Paul worked for the freedom of the slaves. His motive was to show that we all are God's children, there is no respecter of person. We all are the same in God's eyes.

The church cannot be hasty in laying on of hands because they have to be sure that the person is a true man of God. They are living by God's standards. They have been faithful to God in their Christian life. The dangers in doing so is that we could become partakers of their sin. They could have hidden sin that can't be seen. God's guidelines have to be obeyed and followed. This is how the dangers can be lessened. We have to refuse t become involved in choosing someone that is unworthy for the office.

If they are not tried, they will continue to live in sin and still be a leader. They will think they have gotten away with their life style and still continue in it. Because spme may be rich and have a great influence. Public church discipline is seldom used. The sinner repents sincerely from the heart and takes the punishment that is given. Other elders are not to cover the sins of another. All will stand in the presence of God one day and answer for their actions.

When they are teaching and preaching. Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:17-18; Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 25:4; Deuteronomy 24:14-15; James 5:4; 1 Corinthians 9:5-14; Galatians 6:6

To help the aging we are to take care of them and provide suppot for their need. It is our Christian responsibility because they are part of our family, God's family. It is a repayment for the way they have taken care of us through the years. For those who refuse this responsibility is worse then an unbeliever, an infidel.

Itr cannot produce godliness because it is not true. We would be self righteous. Godliness in our church leaders is essential because it shows how they live, their love, their faith, how they are thinking on God's word. The church will know they are being led by a person of God that reaches out in love and are concerned for the lost.

To me godliness is an obedience to his will, a personal devotion that comes fdrom the heart, giving God the reverence and drespect that he deserves. A true knowledge of God and his grace. We have godliness in us when we live our life according to God, our thoughts and words are according to God. We want to love for him to please him.

They are attractive because they look good, like they are wise, have knwledge, but it is for their benefit, makes them feel like they have power. It's attractive because it is the way we want to believe it , our way. It will produce no fruit. The true gospel will stand for itself. It will prove itself because God's word is true. There is now way to back up false teaching. It won't stand.

Paul reminds Timothy and the church so they will stay close to the Lord and know whin the false doctrine appears and will not turn from the truth. The effect should draw Timothy and the church closer to God, let the Holy Spirit lead them when the situation arises, so they will recognize the false teaching, the lies, and the false teachers.

Yes, Jesus requires obedience of his disciples. No, I don't think you can be a true Christian and not obey God. If you are a true Christian, you will want to hear and obey, because you will be totally committed to him.

We can deceive ourselves by believing as long as we read and believe the word, and live like we think God wants us to, we are ok. We are not doing what the word says. We are not living by the word, we are not keeping ourselves in check with the word. Those works will be the works of Satan. A person may proclaim the gospel in Christ name, and do these thngs, but still have no genuine saving faith in God. Satan has taken a foot hold and deceived.

The words they are speaking, their attitude and actions, they would be living as the world lives, they would be judging people, and they would be proud and boastful.

I want to live my life every day according to God's word and doing His will. Like is could be my last day to live for Him and reach the lost. I would try to get them to realize that today could be their lat day on earth, they needed the Lord for eternal life. I don't think universalism would exist in a true Christian. Because everyone will not be saved, especially the devil, and there is not but on God, and the only road to him, is through Jesus Christ.