1Tm5

"Some people's sins are obvious, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others surface later." But never question, sin will always eventually surface and our sins will be accounted for. It is the best practice to confess sin quickly, turn from it daily, and keep yourself in tight accountability.

The battle to follow Christ is never easy! Unlike sinning, godliness doesn't come natural for any of us. If we want to become godly, we must resist our selfish desires to sin and discipline ourselves for godliness. It seems like in almost every chapter someone is turning from God in order to follow Satan. In this chapter it is women who would rather pursue an idle and unproductive life, rather than a life that pleases God.

It is a daily challenge to stay on course. Choose today to live a life free from sin and diligently pursue Christ. What will you do today that you would not have done unless you were wanting to please Jesus? Make pleasing Jesus a habit. It will be worth it.

Live strong. Fight the good fight.

1Tm4

Whatever you are committed to and practice, that is what you value. The question is: Are we committed to and practicing the right things? Paul encouraged Timothy to discipline himself to be godly. He told him to persevere in this discipline because it matters forever. He encouraged Timothy to set an example for other believers in speech, conduct, faith, love and purity. 

If every believer was as disciplined as you, how well would Christ be being represented in our culture? Your life as a christian matters and each of us should be working hard to become a better representation of Jesus. We should "pay close attention to our life and our teaching" because it does have an effect on us and on others.

We all have disciplines. We all are getting better at something. Make sure those things are the things that truly count.

1Tm3

How do you think about the "household of God"? Are you vitally involved in the family of faith? Would your local church see you as an attender, a member, a faithful contributor or a vital part of its functioning? 

Paul wrote this letter to instruct every believer on the importance of the local church. The church is God's plan for spreading the gospel in our communities. It is God's plan for spreading the gospel to the ends of the world. Each one of us should be using our God given gifts and resources to make our church everything God desires for her to be. It is the "family of God", "the pillar and foundation of truth". 

To often christians are under informed and under committed to their local church. In fact, God would desire for our church to be central in our practice of faith. Just as our family is essential to our daily lives, so our church should be "family" for daily living out our faith. The bible is not unclear on this principle.

Get vitally committed to your local church. 

1Tm2

First of all then…PRAY! Prayer should be the first thing we do, but generally it is our last resort. Sometimes we skip it all together. Prayer is essential if we want to encounter God and see Him work in our lives. Paul "urged" the believers to pray as a first priority. 

Notice also the people he encourages us prayer for. EVERYONE. When I was a kid I used to pray for "everyone in the whole world". I didn't realize how good of a prayer that was. Absolutely we are to pray for anyone we know personally, but we are to also pray for everyone. We should pray that God would save them. It is a prayer for the gospel to impact those who we come in contact with, but also a prayer for the gospel to come in contact with those we we never see.

My personal pray life is not very gospel centered. Mostly I pray for me and my needs, my family and their needs, and whatever else would make my life better. I think my prayer life is both selfish and not very gospel centered. I am going to seek to pray beyond myself today. Not that praying for those things is wrong, it is just not broad enough.

Think beyond yourself today. Pray bigger prayers.

1Tm1

What is your goal today! Is it LOVE? Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God with all of our hearts and to love our neighbors like ourselves. We know it is true but rarely make it our goal. Generally, I have goals of far less consequence. Goals like having a productive meeting, making sure people like me, getting a deer, getting things done, etc. Paul said the goal of all our teaching should be to drive us to love.

He went on to say that love comes from God and is best expressed when we have a pure heart, a clear conscience and a sincere faith. A pure heart is one that chooses to obey Jesus regardless how we feel. A pure heart has its motives in check. A pure heart is others focused. A clear conscience only comes when we choose to make right the sins we have committed. It comes when we confess our sins to God AND to those we have sinned against in order to seek forgiveness. Sincere faith is doing everything we do to please God not ourselves.

Love is a lofty goal. It doesn't come easy and it won't come naturally. It is worth pursuing! Pursue love today. Make it your goal.

2Th3

"Keep away from" and "Do not associate with", are strong phrases used by Paul when encouraging true believers in relationship with "so-called believers". Are there people in your life or church who you know are walking counter to the teaching of scripture? I am not talking about believers who sin (we all fail there). I am talking about any "so called" believer who is choosing a path counter to clear teaching of God's word. I am confident that Paul would encourage putting distance between yourself and them!

He said in this chapter to let "God's love" and "Christ endurance" direct your hearts. Often God's love causes us to do the things that feel unloving sometimes. Definitely it is the case when you have someone close to you who is choosing to walk away from God. I can't imagine what it would be like for a husband or wife! I do feel the pain of a family member. It is a horrible reality.

I know of at least three different books that Paul wrote where he encourages putting distance between yourself and anyone who chooses to not follow Christ. Not at all meaning unbelievers, but specifically meaning those "believers" who continue on the path contrary to Christ. It is a hard thing to do but I am confident that is what the bible teaches. It is in the disassociation that the person is to feel appropriate "shame" and hopefully repent.

Tough words. Hard words.

2Th2

There is much debate over the "anti-christ" or the "man of lawlessness". Has he come? Will he come in the future? What is this all about? The answer, at least at the time of the writing of this book, is clear. He had not come yet. But what about now? It has been 2000 years, has he come yet now?

My purpose today is not to debate the issue of antichrist. Nor was it Paul's purpose in this letter. Whether anti-christ has come or is still yet to come (John's writes many antichrist have already come), his coming is NEVER the issue. The issues are simple. Jesus will come back some day. No one will miss that. When He comes there will no longer be an opportunity for people to "love the truth in order to be saved". Since Jesus has not returned yet, we should be sharing His love with everyone so they can believe.

Paul is saying, since we have encouragement and hope in Jesus, we should be encouraged and strengthened to follow hard after Him. Focus on what you know to be true today. Live for Jesus.

2Th1

Would you say that your faith is "flourishing" and your love is "increasing for everyone"? These are two measures of maturity in Christ. Faith is the confidence to obey Christ and love is the evidence that we are maturing in Him. If you were to measure your life on these two things, how would you do?

God's desire for us is that we live "by faith". Faith is learning to live in obedience to Him regardless of what our emotions or culture says to us. Faith is the confidence that eternity will reflect how I lived in relationship with God. Faith is what calls us to obedience when no one is looking.

Everyone knows that a life lived for God is to be a life that is always increasing in love for others. Literally, love for everyone! How's that going? Is your love for others increasing because of your love for God? Are you allowing Him to change your heart toward people He has made? Loving others is the overflow of truly loving God.

Let your faith and love be clearly seen today. Love people.

1Th5

Put on the armor of faith and love today and do not neglect the helmet of hope. It is with these three that a believer is prepared for the daily battle. Paul talked often of the battle that we are to engage in every day. Ephesians 6 is his most extensive teaching on the "armor of God", but we also see how he uses the same picture in today's chapter.

In our day one would never think to leave their home for work without putting on clothing, strapping on their shoes, pocketing their phones, grabbing their money, shouldering their backpack and heading out into the day. But often christians don't give a thought to getting ready for the day when it comes to their faith! Paul labored to communicate to all of us the importance of daily preparation for living for Christ.

We should add to our list of daily preparations, spending time with Christ. You would never think to neglect the proper clothing or consider leaving your phone behind! Shouldn't we prepare our hearts with even more diligence. If your clothes don't match or if you forget your phone, don't worry, all will be just fine. If you are not ready in your heart, this day might be a disaster. Put on the armor. Don't leave it behind.

1Th4

Self-control continues to be at the top of God's priorities for our lives. It is a fruit of His Spirit and the evidence of His life living in us. When we no longer yield to our own desires, but rather obey His desire for our lives, we are living in a manner that pleases the Lord.

Generally I find myself living in a manner that pleases me. It is as though I believe that I should be the top priority of my life! Nothing could be farther from God's desires for me. He wants me to "control me" so that I can please Him. One of the greatest truths that any christian can discover is that true satisfaction in our faith does not come in doing what we want, but rather in doing what God wants us to do. This always requires self-control. This always requires faith. This always requires obedience. Obedience is only obedience when it is not "our desire".

Consider your life today. Who are you living to please? Yourself or God? If your answer is God, then you are exercising daily self-control and often you are not doing what you would want. It is a hard truth, but one that actually brings joy and satisfaction in life and especially in death.

Think about it.

ITh3

God's desire is that our love would increase and overflow for one another and everyone! He has poured out His love on us and desires that we pour out His love on every person we encounter. Now there is a challenge for us all.

What keeps you from being more loving? For me, it's mostly too much love for myself. Another word for it is pride. Pride is primarily focusing on what I want and what I need. Humility is trusting God with all my needs and focusing on loving others and meeting their needs. I wake up every morning knowing how I want things to go for me. Too often I give my time and attention to that end. Frankly, that is not living in love.

The scripture constantly challenges us to live for God. That challenge is best seen in the way we love others. All others! It is a challenge for sure. Make it your goal to love someone today. 

1Th2

Fathers are to be encouragers, comforters and motivators to their kids. If you are a father, would these words be the way your children would describe you? Unfortunately, for most, I am afraid not. These words more often would describe most mothers.

As a dad, I am challenged by Paul's words in this chapter. I am to be the lead encourager to my family. I often find myself being the one who is the most discouraging  and critical. And then there is comforting. I am more likely to add to the pain than to come along side and bring comfort. But then there is imploring. Calling our kids to go beyond what they think they can. Challenging them to be even better.

These are great challenges for dads. Being a dad is a lot of work. It is work worth doing. Raising kids is our most important task. Dads, we need God's help to do a good job. Otherwise we will totally botch it up!

1Th1

What message is "ringing out" of your life? These people go it right! The message that rang out from their lives was the gospel. Everyone in their area was commending them for the truth that they lived. May that be the reality of our lives and our churches.

Col4

Don't be a Demas! In this chapter we see Demas coming along side the apostle in ministry. In 1Timothy we find out that he abandoned Paul and the gospel because of his love for "this present world." 

True faith endures to the end. It is not easy to walk with God and many begin but don't finish! It makes me wonder if they ever truly were "on" the team. Often people follow Jesus in an attempt to get only what they want. When it doesn't work out their true desires surface, and they walk away.

It is often through difficulty that our faith is tested and proven. If you only follow Jesus to get what you want, be careful. You might be a Demas. If you are unwilling to obey Jesus when He asked you to do something difficult, be careful. You might be a Demas. Remember, faith is not a ticket to "everything is great world", it is a decision to trust and follow Jesus no matter what.

Col3

"Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing you will receive the award from Him." (23, 24)

How much of what we do can be done for Christ? Paul's expectation was EVERYTHING! In fact, he believed that anything, except sin, that we do can be done is a way that is worshipful to God. As believers our work, our play, our relationships and our attitudes are all to be acts of worship. Literally everything we do should be done to please God.

To often we limit the things that please God to "spiritual things" like reading the bible and prayer. These things are honoring to God, but so is laughing, sleeping, working, talking and enjoying family. Literally, when we are not living in disobedience to God, He is pleased with us and considers our lives acts of worship. Everything is to be worshipful to God.

Something to think about.

Col2

Jesus erased all our sin and debt and nailed it to the cross! Now we stand before God debt-free and fully forgiven, IF we have placed our faith in Jesus. Nothing is better than that! We have a blessed hope.

As we begin another week, let's forces on the freedom we now have in Christ. We are no longer a slave to sin. We no longer have to pay for our own sin with eternal death. We have everything we need to be in relationship with God. Work to have what Jesus bought for each of us!

Jesus paid our debt in full. We should be enjoying the riches of a relationship with God through Him.

Col1

"Christ in you the hope of glory". How often do you think about this strange concept? Is Christ really in you? If you are a true believer, the bible would clearly say, "yes". Ponder that for a moment. Christ is "in" you. Wow.

You might ask, "Then why is it so hard to live for Him? Why do I continue to struggle with so many things?" The simple answer is, spiritual immaturity. Paul said that he labored and strived for every believer to be "mature in Christ". Maturity is measured in one's ability to actually do what Jesus would do. God has provided the desire and power to do his will. We need to provide the maturity and will to actually follow through.

What is Christ calling you to "do" today? He will provide the ability, you need to provide the will. Walk in a manner worthy today. Cooperate with Christ who lives in you. What an awesome thought.

Phil4

What captures the dwellings of your mind? Is it the positive things in your life or the negative? Paul commanded Christians to let their mind dwell on the things that will glorify God not the thing that will bring them down. He said, "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable - if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise - dwell on these things."

Wouldn't it be great if we would put this single verse into practice? What gets your mind time? What do you tend to dwell on in your thoughts? Today's challenge is to focus our mind on the things that would bring us rejoicing and not sorry. Joy and not pain. Paul made it clear. He said, "Rejoice in the Lord. I will say it again, REJOICE!"

When we have Jesus it is enough. He has our life. Every aspect of it. We can and should trust Him. If we do, we should be able to rejoice in every circumstance. Rejoicing is a choice. It is the right choice.

Phil3

"Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ." This was Paul's concern in the first century! Actual people who opposed the gospel of Jesus! It is no better today. There are many who live in opposition to the gospel. If it wasn't true, it would be easy to stand for Jesus.

Why is it so difficult to live boldly for Christ? What is the tendency in all of us to shrink back from the gospel rather than to identify with it clearly? Most would rather identify with a sports team than Jesus. My dad calls most christians "secret believers". That means they don't want anyone to know that they actually believe in Jesus.

Paul made it his goal to make Christ known. He was not living for recognition in this life, but he was living for the life to come. This life last only for a time. Eternity is forever! Live with eternity in focus. Live to please Jesus.

Phil2

"God is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose." Think about that verse! It is God living in us that gives us any desire or ability to obey Him. Wow. Desiring God and obeying God are both gifts from God.

As children of God, we should be grateful for both our desire to follow Him and any ability to actually do so. There are many who have the desire (which is from God), but lack the follow through. Others have the desire and actually do the work of obedience. This is the work of faith. When desire and action meet, you have christian maturity.

Seek to obey God fully today. It won't be easy. It will be worth it.

troy

Phil1

"Just ONE thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." That is a lofty ONE thing. No one is worthy of the gospel! No one deserves its grace. No one deserves anything from God. Yet, He pours out His grace on us through the gospel.

Our challenge is to be "partners with God in grace". When we have been given such an amazing gift, we should do everything to not neglect it in any way. Our lives should reflect that God has truly given us everything we need. Our orientation is to be for God and His purposes.

I think most people are confused as to what this means. God does not want all of us to become pastors or career missionaries. He does want all of us to do what we do in a manner that pleases Him. Today is "labor day" and many have this day off. Spend this "time off" doing what pleases God. Enjoy your family. Be productive. Rest. Laugh. Play. Do it all in light of the gospel.

troy