Devotionary

We’ll be covering First Timothy chapter five, verse 17-25 in today’s episode. It entitled, “Choose Wisely” because Paul is going to give Timothy some wise counsel regarding the selection of elders. He has already addressed their qualifications, now he’s going to deal with Timothy’s relationship with these men and how he was to lead them as they led the church. Paul knew from personal experience that leading the local church was a lot of work – more than enough for one man to accomplish. So, the selection of elders was of vital importance. And their ongoing spiritual well-being was not to be assumed or taken for granted. Leaders will inevitably have detractors and those who would undermine their authority. Criticism comes with the territory, but because these men are ultimately appointed by God, they were to be treated with dignity and respect. They were to be viewed as servants of God as much as Timothy and Paul were. Their qualifications were vitally important and not to be overlooked, but neither was their

In today’s episode, based on 1 Timothy chapter five, verse 6-16, Paul is going to get very practical, providing Timothy with some specific insights into how to handle problems within the local church. As usual, it would be easy for us to search for prescriptive commands or black and white rules for us to follow in leading our own churches, but that is not what Paul is offering here. He is providing some principles that can apply to various circumstances, but not necessarily hard and fast rules for behavior or inter-relationships within the local church body. Timothy was a young man attempting to lead a church that was made up of older men and women, as well as young people his own age. It would seem that Timothy was single and yet he was responsible for the marriages within his local congregation. How was he to lead them? And what about the problem with widows that was unique to his local fellowship? Some of what Paul has to say was likely in response to questions Timothy had sent him. He was a young man with

Today’s episode covers 1 Timothy chapter four, verse 6-16 and is entitled, “The Exemplary Life.” In this passage, Paul is going to give Timothy some invaluable advice on living the Christian life in the midst of the body of Christ, the church, but also the world. The life of a servant of Jesus Christ is not an easy one. And Timothy was discovering that following in the footsteps of Jesus was a sometimes difficult journey. Even Jesus had warned that “the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it” (Matthew 5:14 NLT). Paul wanted Timothy to know that his faith walk would be no cake walk or pleasant stroll in the park. And there were things Timothy was to be busy doing on the journey. He was not a tourist on a pleasure cruise, but a servant of Jesus Christ with an assignment from God Himself. He was to follow after Christ obediently and model Christ-likeness faithfully. There are to be no spectators in the household of faith. Like Timothy, we are to be busy about the wo

In today’s episode, we’ll be looking at 1 Timothy chapter three, verse 14 through chapter four, verse 5. In this section of his letter, Paul will discuss the foundational nature of the truth of the gospel. He will contrast the truth regarding God’s gracious gift concerning His Son with the lies of the enemy – that take a myriad of forms – from the subtle to the blatantly contradictory. The church, the body of Christ, was to be the keeper of the truth, as well as the main vehicle through which the truth was to be manifested. The reality of the gospel message should be best seen in those who share the designation of Christ-follower, and live out the power made possible through the gospel in their everyday lives. The church is designated with the responsibility of upholding and embodying the truth regarding man’s redemption and sanctification. We are to be agents of change and beacons of light in a dark and dying world.

Today, we’ll be looking at 1 Timothy chapter three, verses 1-13, where Paul is going to outline the qualifications for elders and deacons in the local church. Paul is encouraging Timothy to surround himself with men who have qualities and characteristics that will make them invaluable to his leadership and indispensable to the church’s spiritual well-being. And Paul makes it clear that these two offices in the church are to be something to which men aspire. There should be no shortage of qualified and eager candidates. Timothy is not going to be able to lead the church in Ephesus on his own. He will need coworkers and co-laborers who will stand beside him, teaching the Word and protecting the flock. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul will instruct him to take “what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). The health of the church is dependent upon godly men, who will model godly lives and supply godly leadershi

In 1 Timothy chapter 2, Paul deals with the gospel and prayer and provides us with a primer on how these two things go together. Paul will admonition Timothy to make prayer a high priority in his life and ministry. Prayer is to be God-focused and expectant. We pray because we believe God answers our prayers. And our prayers are not to be limited in terms of their extent. We are to pray for all people, including those who are lost, and even those who serve us in government. The primary objective behind our prayers is not some selfish intent to get from God, but to lift up others so that they might receive the gift of Jesus Christ. Along with prayer, Paul will address the spiritual and moral demeanor of those within the body of Christ. Men are to be prayerful, but also holy in their outward behavior. Women are to be modest in their dress, and focused on inward piety more than outward beauty. Paul’s point seems to be that our behavior and appearance, like our prayers, are to be selfless and gospel-focused.

In today’s episode, we’ll be in 1 Timothy chapter 1, verses 12-20. Paul is going to use himself as a prime example of God’s saving grace. There had a been a time when Paul was wrong – about a lot of things. Including His views of salvation, God, righteousness, the Messiah, and this new thing called The Way. At one time, Paul had been a blasphemer, persecutor and insolent opponent of Christ. And yet, in spite of his ignorance and unbelief, God had mercifully saved him. Timothy is going to meet his fair share of blasphemers, persecutors and opponents of Christ. And he will have to stay strong, standing firm on his faith in Christ. But Paul also wants him to realize that God has the capacity to transform anyone, no matter how vile and antagonistic to the gospel they may be. I’ve titled this episode, “I was wrong, but God made me right” to help remind each of us that our salvation as the work of God, not us. Read the passage when you get a chance to remind yourself that there was a time when you were wrong, but G

Today, we’ll be covering 1 Timothy chapter 1:1-11. In these opening verses, it will become clear what Paul’s primary concern was in penning this letter to Timothy: False teachers. This was a real problem in the early church, and we will find out just how strongly Paul felt about these individuals. They seemed to be a constant threat to the young congregations that Paul had helped found, and they tended to show up immediately after Paul had gone on to the next region on his missionary journey. Paul was far from tolerant of these people. He knew the kind of damage they could do to a local congregation, because the content of their teaching was not only false, it was dangerous. I’ve entitled this episode, “Sound Teaching Needed” and it as true today as it was when Paul penned this letter. Let me encourage you to read the passage when you get the chance. And do so each day. It will go a long way in helping you understand what Paul is writing and how it might apply to our lives today.

This is the introduction to a brand new series based on Paul's first letter to Timothy.

Well, this is our final episode in our study on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. We will be wrapping it up with Matthew chapter 7, verses 24-29. In these closing lines of His message, Jesus will deal with the wise and the foolish man. One built his house on a solid foundation of rock, while the other took short cuts and simply built his house on sand. In both cases, the storms of life came, battering their homes with wind and rain. One stood, while the other fell. But what is Jesus’ point with this story? Why did He choose to wrap up his entire message in this way? This ending, along with everything else Jesus said that day, left the people in His audience astounded. He spoke like no one else they had ever heard. He seemed to have a power and authority that none of their other religious leaders possessed. He spoke with confidence. And Jesus will close out His message by emphasizing that it is His very words that will provide the foundational base on which those who are approved by God will stand firm and find wisd

Jesus has talked about false prophets, now He is going to talk about false professors, those who claim to profess belief in Him, but whose lives lack the fruit to prove it. In Matthew 7, verses 21-23, Jesus addresses those who will claim to be His followers, but whose lives are really marked by lawlessness. They give Jesus lip-service, but all the while they live according to their own rules and standards. Rather than seeing Jesus as their sole source of salvation, they tend to view Him as nothing more than a model to follow – they use His life as a standard for their own behavior, but not as a means of being made right with God. According to Jesus, their professions regarding Him will be false. And the result will be His ultimate rejection of them. He will tell them, “I never knew you”. He will accuse them of doing works of lawlessness. All because they refused to do the will of God – to believe in Jesus Christ as their sin substitute and Savior. Knowing about Jesus is not the same thing as believing in Jesu

In Matthew 7, verses 15-20, Jesus addresses the topic of false prophets. He describes them wolves in sheep’s clothing and warns that, even though they will disguise themselves, they will be recognizable because of their fruit. In other words, while their looks may be deceiving, their fruit won’t be. It will be painfully clear by their words and actions that they are not approved by God. They may appear to be on the same path, the narrow path, but their presence there is only to act as distractions and road blocks to those who are truly God’s children. This message is essential for us to hear, because we are surrounded by so many who claim to be Christ-followers, but whose lives lack any sign of fruitfulness. They appear to be fellow companions on the narrow path to the kingdom of God, but they are like diseased trees, incapable of producing life-giving fruit. Not everyone who claims to be a Christ-follower is one. Not everyone who sits in the pew on Sunday is a true worshiper of God. Jesus would have us live

In today’s episode, based on Matthew 7, verses 12-14, we will be covering two critical topics: The Golden Rule and the Narrow Gate. While it may first appear that these two things have little or nothing to do with one another, we are going to see that Jesus is describing a way of life that follows a radically different path: The path of love. Those who are approved by God and blessed to be a part of His kingdom, are called to live dramatically different lives, marked by a completely different kind of love than that which characterizes the world. The path of love, Christ-like love, is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the selfish and self-centered. We are being called by Christ to love as He has loved us – sacrificially and selflessly. We are being called to walk a lonely, seldom travelled path, where our actions will be misunderstood and our companions will be few. The rest of the world will take a different path. They will pursue a different way. But rather than reject them, we are to love them. Rath

Today’s episode covers a very familiar passage of Scripture found in Matthew chapter seven, verses 7-11. And the title of this episode is based on the three words Jesus mentions in these verses: Ask. Seek, Knock. For many of us, we grew up hearing these verses used as part of an invitation to salvation. And while they certainly can apply, we have to decide whether that was Jesus’ original intention when He spoke these words. Was He inviting non-believers to salvation or encouraging those who would one day find themselves approved by God because of their faith in Jesus’ death, to take advantage of their intimate relationship with the Father? It makes a significant difference in how you apply this passage, because it changes who these three words apply to. We have to remember that Jesus was talking about the kingdom of heaven, and was juxtaposing it with the kingdom of this earth. He was letting His audience know that things were about to change in a dramatic way. He had come to bring new life and a new means b

“Who am I to judge?” How many times have you heard someone say that? Perhaps you’ve said it yourself. But is it something we should say? Are we unqualified or not even responsible to judge someone else? That will be our topic today as we look at Matthew chapter seven, verses 1-6. I’ve entitled this episode “Just Judgment” because there are two kinds of judgment: One that is inappropriate and sinful, and the other that is not only necessary, but expected for those who are approved by God. In this passage, Jesus will deal primarily with unjust judgment. He knew He was dealing with a people who would hear His words, misunderstand and then misapply them. They would, as we so often do, hear what the Word of God says, and somehow think it applies to someone else in the audience, but not us. One of the things about so-called spiritual people, is that they tend to expect non-spiritual people to live up to their higher standards. They find someone who is less spiritual than themselves and then judge them for their lac

This episode covers Matthew chapter six, verses 25-34 and deals with a universal problem, common to all mankind: Anxiety. That’s why I’ve entitled this episode, “You of Little Faith.” It seems that worry is timeless in nature and no respecter of person, regardless of the century in which they lived or their income and social status. Both the rich and the poor worry. The powerful experience anxiety just like the weak, but usually over different issues. And Jesus brings up the topic on the heels of his discussion regarding laying up treasures on earth and the love of money. It seems that Jesus ties these things directly to the problem of anxiety. The more we put all our stock in the things of this earth, the more we will have to worry about. We will worry that we don’t have them. If we do have them, we will worry that we might lose them or have them taken away from us. The things of this earth bring us status and a sense of satisfaction. Even just the thought of getting more stuff can make us feel giddy with ex

Today’s episode is entitled, “Earthly Treasures and Pleasures” and is based on Matthew chapter six, verses 19-24. This section of Jesus’ message will probably be quite familiar, but its exact meaning may remain a bit obscure as to you. Jesus will go from talking about earthly treasures to bad eyesight. Then He will jump right into a brief discussion on money. But what is the point of all this? What is Jesus trying to tell us? It is important to remember that Jesus began His ministry by carrying on the very same message John the Baptist had begun: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” From the earliest moments of His earthly ministry, Jesus stressed the kingdom of heaven. And during this message, delivered on that Galilean hillside, Jesus has continued to stress the kingdom life. He has been calling people to a completely different life lived according to a completely different set of standards, and as part of a kingdom that is not of this world. For a people whose focus had become earth-bound, Jesus

Today, in Matthew six, verses 16-18, Jesus is going to address the topic of fasting. While not a common practice among most Christians today, fasting was a spiritual discipline that was very familiar to the average Hebrew. As we will see, there was at least one day a year when every Israelite was expected to fast or afflict themselves. It was tied to the annual event called the Day of Atonement. But whether or not we fast is not the main point of what Jesus has to say in these verses. He is more concerned about the motive behind fasting, or better yet, the heart of the individual who chooses to fast. As it was with prayer, fasting had become just another way for Israelites to advertise their spirituality and impress their friends with their superior piety. Fasting had been hijacked from its original God-decreed purpose and been forced to serve as a means of self-promotion. People fasted to get noticed, not by God, but by men. They fasted, believing it would score them brownie points with God, and make them lo

Matthew six, verses 9-15 contain what has come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer. For some, this simple prayer has become the primary prayer they pray. They have it memorized and can recite it easily. But was this Jesus’ intent when He shared this prayer as part of His sermon on the mount? Was He providing us with a prayer to pray or a model to follow? If you look closely, He prefaces the prayer with the following words, “Pray then like this.” It would seem that He is giving us a model or simple outline for proper prayer. And it is important that we understand the context. Jesus has been talking about prayer, fasting and giving. He has been exposing false prophets and those with false professions. Prayer had become a means by which the Jewish people attempted to impress one another. They preferred public prayers and long-winded, wordy and repetitious prayers. But Jesus wanted them to understand the kind of prayers God preferred. And this short, but remarkably rich prayer provides them with a simple outline of

Today, in Matthew six, verses 5-8, Jesus is going to take on the topic of prayer. I’ve entitled this episode, “Prayer for Praise” because Jesus is going to deal with another outward act that had been intended to reflect righteousness, but had become a twisted form of self-promotion. Prayer, intended to be a private conversation between God and His child, had taken on a distorted purpose, where the audience was no longer God, but other men. In other words, prayer had become an outward display of your righteousness designed to gain the recognition of men. And it seems that it had become common practice to pray long, wordy and sometimes repetitious prayers in order to impress others with the level of your godliness. But like everything else Jesus has said so far in His message, He is going to take his audience to task on their warped view on prayer. Prayer was not meant to gain the praise of men, but to offer praise and petitions to God.