1Tm4

"Train yourself in godliness, for the training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."

If we were to compare our "godliness training" with our "physical training" which would we be putting more effort into? Do we give ourselves to either? Are we more likely to exercise than to work hard at the things of God? Paul is not discounting exercise. He is saying that spiritual exercise is a way more important discipline.

Context is key to exercising consistently. We need people to hold us accountable. This is true both for physical exercise and spiritual exercise. To try and "train" outside the context of others is to most often fail. Find a group that you can train spiritually with! Create a culture of spiritual training.

1Tm3

The church is to be setting the pace for healthy families and community transformation. Elders and deacons are to be leading in our churches. Both positions are based on proven character and experienced leadership. Character and leadership are primarily seen in the home and community.

Our communities are suffering because our churches are suffering. Our churches are suffering because our families are suffering. Our families are suffering because our men lack character and leadership! God help us to change. Where are the men who will choose to follow Jesus and develop both character and leadership?

The gospel is the hope of our communities. It begins with leadership demonstrating that gospel in their homes.

1Tm2

Men, are we known for being men of prayer? Do we model that we care first and foremost about what God is calling us to do? Do those around us know that we are trusting in Jesus for our daily direction?

There is no greater indicator of one's dependence on Christ than their prayer life. Jesus modeled a life of prayer. He said that His church should be marked by prayer. Leaders are to lead out through prayer. Prayer communicates connection with God. Prayer is relationship.

If our faith was measured by our prayer lives, how would we measure up? Are we working to be more faithful to pray. Let's continue to create habits in our lives of prayer. It is time well spent.

1Tm1

Living the christian life is a "battle" that we are called to fight! Paul urged Timothy to "strongly engage" in the fight! But what is this battle? What are we fighting for?

There are at least three things explicit in this text: 1. the faith, 2. a clear conscience, and 3. against false teaching. This is a battle for truth and integrity, for personal purity and gospel clarity. Frankly, it is a battle that we are losing. Gain ground today. Fight for the faith.

Every year I am shocked by the loss of clarity in the teaching of our churches. Church attendance is declining at an alarming rate and our culture cares less and less about the truth of scripture or the things of God. We no longer have a common foundation to build on. It is as though we are starting from scratch.

It is in this context that the gospel is thriving in obscure pockets and places. It is in this context that people are starving for truth and clarity. Live to be an example of truth. Fight for what matters today.

c28

Has God given you influence? Are you using it for His good or your own?

We all have some degree of influence. Influence is a position given to us by God either through relationship or authority or both. The more influence we have been given, the more opportunity we have to effect change, both in the lives of those we influence and our communities.

Most of the time we use our influence for our own agenda. We seldom seek to use that same influence for God's kingdom. Publius was a man of influence. God brought difficulty into his life in order to bring him to faith. Paul's faithfulness enabled him to be the one to share with this influential man.

How are we using the influence God has given us? Us it for God's glory today. Us it for the good of others.

Ac27

How do we respond when things don't go as we had planned? Do we see it as an opportunity provided by God to advance His work and build our character, or an interruption from the enemy?

There has never been a better "follower" of Jesus than the apostle Paul. Often his "plans" were hindered and his timing was seldom uninterrupted. Not the mention the chaos and conflict, hardships and torture of it all! Is his life to be normative for us all? Should following Jesus be easy or difficult?

This chapter is all about a really bad boat ride. Really bad. Why is it in our bibles? What are we to take from this inspired account? Are we to read it and say, "Wow, that was a really bad boat ride?" Are we to say, "See they should have listened to Paul." Was God's plans messed up by the decisions of other men? Was Paul afraid and frustrated?

And what about us? How do we respond when difficulty hits? How's our boat ride going? How are we responding to the journey?

Ac26

Paul's imprisonment was totally for the sake of the gospel. Paul knew that he was being falsely accused and unjustly held, yet he continued to use his circumstances to advance the cause of Christ.

Our circumstances, regardless of how they came about, are not outside of God's oversight! Our desire in our circumstances should be to purposefully share Christ in the midst of those circumstances. As the semester kicks off, let's determine to share with those around us who do not know Jesus.

It is still good news! Everyone needs to know what we know about Jesus.

Ac25

God used Paul's imprisonment to advance the gospel and begin a writing ministry! We are all grateful for his "time off" from church planting. I wonder how many of the key leaders of the nations eventually believed because of his opportunities.

God is at work in our lives as well. He will use everything to advance His cause. Often God uses things we would not choose or want! Are we okay with that? Are we willing for God to use us in any way He chooses? Even if it means struggle and difficulty?

God owes us nothing. He has given us everything. We owe Him our lives. We are His to use.

Let's agree together to see all our circumstances as opportunities to advance the gospel.

Ac24

"I always do my best to have a clear conscience before God and men." - Paul

What does it mean to have a clear conscience? It means that no one can say, "You sinned against me and never did anything to make it right." We all struggle with sin. The question is, when we sin against someone, do we ask for their forgiveness? Are we quick to admit wrong and seek forgiveness?

Parents, do we admit to our kids when we blow it? Do we ask our children to forgive us? With our spouses are we able to admit our sin and confess our wrong doing? With friends and family members are we able to talk openly about problems our sin has caused and seek reconciliation?

Having a clear conscience is a lot of work! It is worth it though. Being a faithful christian doesn't mean that we never sin. It does mean that when we sin, we do the work to make it right.

Ac23

Is there anything in our lives that we are truly passionate about? Passionate to the point of being willing to "fight" for what we believe? Are those things worth fighting for?

If I think about the things that have made me fighting mad lately I am a bit embarrassed. Not only are the things that angered me pretty insignificant, they mostly revolve around my own desires and selfishness! I am most eager to fight for and defend my desires and comforts.

I can't remember the last time I was impassioned for the cause of Chris or something worthy of my full emotion and effort. I truly love Jesus and His church. I plan to live my life to advance church planting on college campuses, but too often my emotions are given to lesser things.

Paul's life was consumed with one thing! His opponents lives were consumed with destroying that one thing! Our lives tend to be consumed with many things. And frankly, mostly of things that don't really matter.

Let's connect our hearts and emotions to things that matter.

Ac22

The most powerful tool that we have in evangelism is our personal testimony. Paul was quick to share his story in an effort to help others believe.

Notice the pattern. First, he talked about his life before Christ. Second, he talked about the events that lead up to him meeting Christ. And finally, he talked about his life after meeting Christ. We should use Paul's example.

Have you ever wrote out your testimony? I would highly encourage you to take this pattern and write out your story on a single sheet of paper. Practice sharing it and pray for God to give you an opportunity to share with others.

Our stories are not as dynamic as Paul's, but they will help others to hear the gospel and know how to respond to Jesus. Prepare to tell your story today.

Ac21

Have we ever been persecuted because of our faith? Have we ever suffered any consequences for boldly talking about Jesus? I know I haven't. I often wonder how I would respond if I lived in an environment that was hostile to Christ.

We tend to not want to "rock the boat" with others. We have been taught to be nice and let people believe what they want about salvation. That simply is not in the bible. The early christians confronted "religion" even when it meant that they would be tortured and killed!

Are we letting people believe a lie just to avoid conflict? If Paul was bold when he knew he would suffer, shouldn't we be bold since we know we will not? What are we afraid of?

Make it a mission to share with someone today. At least have a conversation.

Ac20

How determined are we to make our lives matter for eternity? Are we pursuing what God wants with our lives or are we hoping God will make our lives as easy as possible?

Paul knew that pursuing Christ was NOT the easy path. It has never been the easy path! In fact, Jesus calls us to do things that are difficult. He calls us to obedience and faith regardless of the circumstances.

Paul said, "I count my life of no value to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God's grace."

What is God calling us to today?

Ac19

"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" This was the question Paul asked some disciples of John. They responded, "we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

Sadly, this reality is still true today. Many say that they believe but have never heard of or understood the Holy Spirit! Without the Holy Spirit there is no salvation. Jesus taught about the work of the Holy Spirit and encouraged his disciples to
"receive the Holy Spirit". This is what it means to be "born again".

Many "christians" today would say that they "believe" in Jesus. Have they even thought about the Holy Spirit or what Jesus taught about Him. It is as though we have a lot of pre-christian "believers" who need further teaching. Last chapter we saw Apollos, who was preaching skillfully about Jesus, but needed to hear about the Holy Spirit, and today, we have the Jews in Ephesus.

Have we received the Holy Spirit? Jesus said, "The Spirit is the One who gives life."

Ac18

If your house is next to a synagogue where people want to hear about Jesus but are forbidden, then your house becomes a great place to start a church! This was Paul's strategic thinking.

Everywhere Paul went he found people who were receptive to the message of Christ. He began with his own countrymen in the synagogues, but moved on from there to anyone who would listen. He knew that the gospel was for everyone who would listen and believe. His desire was to see healthy churches planted in every city.

This is still the mission of the church. Wherever there is not a healthy church, a new church should be planted. There are many places in the world that need churches. Many believers have no places to gather and worship. For some, gathering is still illegal! In our culture, we have plenty of places to gather, but too few healthy churches.

Get involved in the mission of healthy church planting. Maybe God wants to use your house.

Ac17

How much time do we spend searching the scriptures for truth? The Bereans were commended for their daily "search of the scriptures." It wasn't enough to listen to the apostle Paul's teaching. They had to search it out for themselves.

It is a great thing to be eager to learn from others. It is critical that what we learn lines up with the scriptures. The Bereans "welcomed the message with eagerness", but they also made sure the message was accurate to God's word.

Is what we believe rooted in the scriptures? Are our bible study habits such that we would be hard to lead astray? Are we both teachable and studious when it comes to the things of God?

Ac16

"What must I do to be saved?" This was the question that the jailor had for Paul and Silas. He had observed how they responded to an unjust beating and imprisonment and wanted to have what they had! That same day he had almost committed suicide, but instead he found salvation for himself and his entire household.

Today, not many people are asking this critical question. In fact, most people seem to believe that they are already saved. They believe that everyone is fine before God regardless of what they believe. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Paul and Silas were willing to die to declare the message of salvation! Not because everyone is saved, but because everyone needed salvation!

Until we see the urgency of lostness around us, we won't be motivated to share, much less suffer for the message of Christ. God help us to see the need around us and the importance of sharing with others.

Ac15

It is hard for us to fathom that circumcision was one of the biggest controversies in the early church, but it was a big issue. Why? Because it strikes at the heart of issues that still exist in the church today, but in different forms.

The first is legalism. We want to "contribute" to our own salvation. Rather than acknowledge the grace of God and the fact that only He can save us, we want to have done something to earn our favor with God. Many believers are caught in this "works trap" still trying to gain God's favor. We can never be good enough. Salvation is by grace…period.

The second is favoritism, prejudice or racism. Our sinful hearts tend to make us feel that certain people are better than others. That some people "deserve" salvation and some do not. Generally we see ourselves as the "good guys" and whoever is different as the "bad ones".

Both of these lies still exist and continue to erode our churches. We should fight to eliminate these lies from our hearts.

Ac14

"Turn from these worthless things to the living God." These were Paul's words to the idol worshipers who were wanting to worship him! They assumed he and Barnabas were gods. Paul said, "We are men also, with the same nature as you."

Both Paul and Barnabas had to work hard to keep the people of Lystra from worshiping them as gods! Yet, within a paragraph, these same people were dragging them off and stoning them! In moments they moved from crying out in worship to throwing rocks in anger. This gathered crowd became a violent mob.

What was Paul's response? He said, "It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God." It was as though he wasn't even a little surprised. One moment he was being exalted and the next he was under a pile of rocks. His response? "Jesus said it would be like this."

All this and he never stopped sharing the good news.

Ac13

Joy is a word that is seldom used today. Joy is a word that should describe christians regardless of their situation. Very few christians could be characterized with this word. And even fewer churches would be described as being joyful places.

Joy is different than happiness. We are happy when things go our way. Joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit and is often expressed even when things are going poorly. The apostles considered it a "joy to suffer for the sake of Christ." There is no happiness in suffering, yet suffering for Christ brings about great unexplainable joy.

Barnabas and Paul were literally kicked out of the city for sharing the gospel. Their fellow countrymen were the ones who kicked them out and rejected them. How did they feel? "They were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit."

Are we experiencing joy in our lives? Are we choosing to obey what God has told us to do?

Ac12

When was the last time we prayed "earnestly" for someone? When was the last time we prayed earnestly for the church? Praying earnestly was the pattern of the early church.

It is easy to make christians feel guilty about how little they pray. It is also easy to make us feel guilty about what we pray for. And why is that? We feel guilty because we likely should! Our prayer habits, or lack thereof, say a lot about our dependence on God. Our prayer habits say a lot about what we really value.

We need to learn to pray. The disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus asked His disciples to fast and pray. Jesus asked us to "pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers". Paul encouraged us to "pray without ceasing".

We need more earnest prayer in our lives. Pray earnestly about something today. Something selfless. Something you know God would want!

Ac11

Racial prejudice ran deep in the early church. It was even in the hearts of the apostles! Today we have made some progress, but there is still a long way to go. As believers we are to totally eliminate favoritism and prejudice.

Peter said, "Now I really understand that God doesn't show favoritism, but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him." Even Peter needed God to open his eyes to his own sin of favoritism and prejudice! And you know who Peter thought was dirty, unclean and unable to be saved? ME! And most likely, YOU!

How does that make you feel? Peter needed a miracle to see God's love for ALL people! We are the ones represented by Cornelius. We were the ones who Peter would have thought himself better than. We were the ones who Peter thought were beyond the saving grace of God!

Don't allow prejudice to live in our hearts. Jesus came to destroy such thinking!

Ac10

Two words that should never be put together…"No, Lord!", yet this was Peter's response to spreading the gospel to the Gentiles. His pride and prejudice kept him from seeing God's plan.

Peter's struggles still exist today. We all tend to resist what God would have us to do. Whether meeting a neighbor or sharing with a coworker, our flesh battles against doing the right thing. Our struggles range from racial prejudice to simple laziness. We tend to be pretty selfish in the way we live out our faith.

Let's step out of our comfort zone this week and stop saying, "No Lord!" "Yes, Lord." is the only right response to anything God asks of us today.