Highlight: 

2 Timothy 2:23-26 – “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

Explain: 

Paul tells them not to get involved in foolish and ignorant controversies that they know will just lead to fights.  Followers of Christ should not be quarrelsome, rather they should be kind to everyone, able to teach everyone, and able to correct those who oppose them with gentleness.   Through that, God may grant them repentance, and they may themselves submit to the truth of the gospel, and surrender to God’s will in their life. 

Apply: 

If there were ever a time that we as followers of Christ need to live this out it is today.  Our culture is controlled by social media, and social media breeds “foolish and ignorant controversies.”  It is way too often that Christians find themselves engaging in these controversies daily on social media.  I must be careful to not become quarrelsome when someone opposes me.  I must do as Paul says here and treat them with gentleness, because that may, in fact, lead to them coming to repentance and experiencing life change through the gospel. 

Respond:

Lord, help me to be kind to those who oppose me so that I may lead them to You.

Brad Perry

Highlight: 

 2 Timothy 1:7–8 (ESV) ⁷for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. ⁸Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, 

Explain: 

Paul is encouraging Timothy to stand fast in the faith and be willing to share who Jesus is with others, even if he ends up in prison just like Paul. Three necessary qualities are given for witnessing with power. They are:

• Power: Being filled with the Spirit. The battle for the souls of others is a spiritual one and must be fought with spiritual weapons.
• Love: There must be a genuine love that flows from the heart. This love isn’t produced primarily because you care for people. That love is produced because you love God and want His glory.
• Self-discipline: There must be an intentional scheduling and focused attention to sharing Who Jesus is with others.

Apply:

These three qualities are to be sought in our outreach to others

Power: We have to seek and be filled with the Spirit.

Love: We have to see God and His glory and so love Him that His love flows from us in our encounters with others. We must have His joy.

Self-discipline: We must be very intentional about sharing Jesus with others.

Respond:

I will focus on these three things serve the Lord.

Highlight: 

 1 Timothy 6:11–14 (ESV) ¹¹But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. ¹²Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, ¹⁴to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Explain: 

Paul is giving his instructions to Timothy about his ministry. He explains to Timothy that He is to flee from the cravings (exemplified by the craving for money) of His sinful nature. Instead as a “man of God,” he is to:

1. Pursue
   1. Righteousness – This has to do with a particular kind of personal character that exemplifies the justice and morality of God.
   2. Godliness – Having the proper belief about God that leads to actions that reflect His character.
   3. Faith – Literally, this is “faithfulness.” It would have conveyed to Timothy that he was supposed live out the character of God with a consistency that reflected the reality of his heart.
   4. Love – This is the Christian affection that leads that flows from the desire and the will to give up one’s rights for another.
   5. Steadfastness – The willingness to withstand hardship for Christ.
   6. Gentleness – Even-temperedness.
2. Fight – The idea of “fight” comes from the word from which we get our word “agonize.” Paul is telling Timothy to be willing to agonize over the pure proclamation of the gospel.
3. Hope – The focus of the mind is to be our hope in eternity.

Apply:

Church leaders need to hear this list! Leadership in the church is not about position but about the reality of relationship. Having that reality means rejection the world’s values and accepting God’s. I must seek

1. Character that exemplifies the justice and morality of God.
2. A lifestyle that reflects how I feel about God.
3. A focus on living out God’s character consistently.
4. A commitment to prefer others above myself.
5. A willingness to undergo hardship for Christ.
6. A demeanor that is even-tempered.
7. A determination to give myself completely to the proclamation of the gospel.
8. A motivation that flows out of what I long for in eternity.

Respond:O God help me to review these characteristics today.

Highlight:  1 Timothy 5:24–25 (NKJV) ²⁴Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later. ²⁵Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden. 

Explain: Paul is giving some advice to the church about how they are to treat specific situations. When he gets to the end of the chapter, he summarizes what he has said with these statements. The idea is that it will not always or even often be obvious what is really going on. Some people will seem great, but have hidden sin. Others may seem lazy when they are really doing great things. In any event, the truth will come out, so the principle is this: Don’t be too quick to judge others because you do not see what is really going on. Let God judge. You just love them and guide them as you see the obvious things that need your attention as a pastor.

Apply: As a pastor, I have to be willing to listen and guide with love those whom God entrusts to my care.

Highlight: 1 Ti 4:11–16.

 Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. ¹² Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. ¹³ Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

Explain: 

Paul is encouraging Timothy to stand up to the false teaching that he is encountering and going to encounter. Paul identifies Timothy as the one who must stand up to this attack from Satan (v1). In these verses he tells Timothy how he is to do this. I see several things here that Timothy is supposed to do:

• Definitive and passionate teaching: Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them.
• Transparent integrity. Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
• Consistent ministry: Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.
• Personal development: Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.
• Obvious diligence – Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress.
• Constant self-evaluation – ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching.
• Motivated commitment – Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

Apply:

These are important qualities for all leaders:

• Definitive and passionate teaching: I must teach the scripture and not be satisfied with a “take it or leave it” attitude. I must “insist” that everyone learn the truth.
• Transparent integrity: I must set the example and “go first” in ministry.
• Consistent ministry: I must be consistent in my ministry and to the things that really matter: Teach Scripture and encourage (relationally) believers
• Personal development: I have to “sharpen the saw,” doing all I can to maximize the gifts God has given men.
• Obvious diligence: I have to throw myself into my tasks so that all see my progress.
• Constant self-evaluation: I have to watch myself to keep my own doctrine, etc., from being corrupted.
• Motivated commitment: I must remain committed to these things because eternity is at stake.

Respond:I will think about how these things effect me and how I can communicate them to the staff.

Highlight:  – 1 Ti 3:4–5 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. ⁵ For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?^[1].

Explain: 

Paul is giving Timothy the qualifications of those who lead in the church. What he tells Timothy about the family makes a lot of sense. The correlation is this: Before a man can manage the church family well, he has to manage his own family well. In fact, there is a huge connection between management of a church and management of the family. What are those similarities?

• The need for love. In both families there has to be genuine, deep love if there is to be leadership that is effective. Children and spouses will follow a husband who deeply and genuinely loves them.
• The need for respect. This is a little different from love. Respect implies a willingness to decisively and wisely make the hard calls. It comes out of circumstances that require confrontation, unpopular decisions, etc. But it’s not enough to just MAKE the hard calls; there has to be a track record of BEING RIGHT about the hard calls. 
• The need to obey. The church leader has to be able to get his family to obey him even when they may disagree.

2 Timothy

H:         vs. 1-2 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

E:         Paul was urging Timothy to teach others to pray for everyone. Not just those who we love or are around all of the time, but for everyone! Paul says that by doing this it will bring peace in our lives. 

A:         With so much in our world today it is difficult to stop and pray for everyone! It is easy to pray for those I have compassion towards, but those who do evil, or speak evil of others it can be quite diffzictul to pray for them. Paul tells Timothy here that no matter who or what kind of person they are we are to pray for them. I don’t believe that even in this prayer it’s just a prayer for them to come to repentance, but also that they would find peace from what it is that is driving them to do what they do. Especially for those who are in authority over us!R:         “Lord, help me to be more prayerful for those who desperately need You. Help me not just to pray for those who have wronged me to come to justice, but that they might be used by You for a greater purpose. Help me lift up those who are in authority over me. Help me to be an example to those around me!” ~ AMEN

1 Timothy 1

H:         vs.15-16 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

E:         Paul was explaining to Timothy that he realized what Christ had done for him on the cross. That Paul, being the “foremost” of sinner, was now to be an example to others of the grace that the Lord Jesus displayed to him.

A:         This is a perfect example to us of how God’s grace has been shown to everyone. We may not think of ourselves as the “foremost” of sinners, but we, just like Paul, have been saved by the sacrificial gift of God. This, in turn, should spurn us on by extending our love to others and telling them of what Christ has done in our own lives. Our best witness is telling our story!

R:         This really hit me between the eyes of not being more bold in sharing God’s love to others around me. It has to start with a relationship with another person so that when the opportunity arises, sharing my faith becomes a natural part of the conversation.

Highlight: 

2 Thessalonians 3:13-15 – “As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”

Explain: 

Paul has just told them how they need to be living in regard to their work.  He was speaking about idleness and how the believers must avoid living like that.  He then urges them to not grow weary in doing good.  It is a daily battle to follow God and live for Him, so Paul calls them to not quit.  He tells them that they should not have anything to do with those who do not follow his teaching in this letter so that they would be ashamed.  They should not regard them as enemies, rather they should warn them as a brother.

Apply: 

Sometimes it is completely draining to fully live in surrender to God.  I think back to Jesus’ temptation, and the fact that angels ministered to him after he was tempted.  I will be tested greatly as I strive to “do good” as it says in this text.  Therefore I must not grow weary, and constantly seek God for strength.  Another application is to lovingly warn any believers I know who are not living in submission to God.  The best way to do this is in the context of a Christ-centered relationship because the person will respond better if they know my heart is genuine.

Respond:

Lord, help me to not give up when it gets difficult to trust and follow You, and help me to be faithful in pointing others to You.

Brad Perry 

Highlight

2 Thessalonians 2:15–17 (NLT) ¹⁵With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter. ¹⁶Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, ¹⁷comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Explain: 

Paul explains some of the events that will happen before the second coming of Christ. In the last three verses of chapter 2, he then tells them how to make it through the difficult days of persecution to come. He says they must:

1. Keep a firm grip on what they believe and have been taught.
2. Remember what they have received in Christ.
3. Constantly seek His comfort in all that they do and say.

Apply:

In this day of controversy as the church is being ostracized for the misinterpretation of it’s teaching, we need to hear this instruction. We need to:

• Understand and firmly hold onto Scriptural teaching.
• Focus on what Christ has given us, not what the world wants to take from us.
• Seek the Lord and find our comfort in Him.

Respond:

I will do those three things.