This Personal Study Guide Was Created by FBC JAX with Permission from Lifeway As a Part of a Paid Licensing Agreement

This Personal Study Guide was created by FBC JAX with permission from LifeWay as a part of a paid licensing agreement.

This quarter our study of the Bible takes us to the Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus. While it is true that Paul wrote to Timothy and Titus to instruct them how to pastor their congregations in an orderly, faithful, God-glorifying manner, we must remember that all of God’s Word is for all of God’s people. Just read 2 Timothy 3:16- 17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” In fact, one of the main themes throughout the Pastoral Epistles is the vital importance for all people to truly know and faithfully obey the Word of God.

So, as you begin this study of the Pastoral Epistles, we want to encourage you to devote yourself to growing in your knowledge of and obedience to the Word of God. As you study, you will get to see a beautiful portrait of the nature, mission, and structure of Christ’s bride, the church. You will have the opportunity to marvel at the grace of God, which has appeared to you in the saving work of Christ and which shapes you into Christlikeness, day by day. Finally, our prayer is that your love for Christ would abound all the more and that as we follow our Lord’s example together and reach Jacksonville for Christ with the gospel, you would be encouraged to share the glorious news of His gospel with everyone you know.

“Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:2).

3 LIST OF LESSONS

Sunday Lesson Title Scripture June 2 Entrusted 1 Timothy 1:3-17 June 9 On Mission 1 Timothy 2:1-15 June 16 Setting the Example 1 Timothy 3:1-13 June 23 Staying on Course 1 Timothy 4:1-13 June 30 Being Responsible 1 Timothy 5:1-8, 17-21

July 7 Lasting Investments 1 Timothy 6:6-19 July 14 Confidence 2 Timothy 1:3-14 July 21 Focused 2 Timothy 2:1-13 July 28 Diligent 2 Timothy 2:14-26

August 4 Enduring 2 Timothy 3:12-17; 4:1-8 August 11 Living with Opposition Titus 1:1-5, 10-16 August 18 Living with Integrity Titus 2:1-15 August 25 Living to Do Titus 3:1-11

4 Week of may 27, 2019

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE 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. 1 Timothy 1:15 Monday may I Timothy 1:1 27 Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy to instruct him in MAIN IDEA what it means to live a life truly shaped by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Over the next six weeks we will be studying Paul’s first letter to Timothy. We know Paul’s relationship with Timothy to be the pinnacle of the mentor-mentee relationship. Paul, as the more experienced and seasoned pastor and missionary, writes to the younger and less experienced Timothy to give him advice concerning some disruptions from false teachers in his church. And yet, while the issue of the false teachers serves as the occasion for Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul does not focus specifically on the content of the false teaching. Rather, he instructs Timothy in the way of genuine Christianity and the transforming effects of the gospel in the lives of true believers. In short, we can say that 1 Timothy is about true gospel living in the context of the church. This is a message, brothers and sisters, we truly need to comprehend this summer as we continue to seek to reach those we know with the gospel of Jesus Christ. May God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, grant us insight into His Word that we may conduct our lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ and so bring glory to His name.

• Jot down some of the things that you already know about 1 Timothy–themes, specific verses, sermons you have heard, etc. As you approach this study of 1 Timothy, how do you want to grow in your understanding of this Spirit-inspired letter? ______

• In what ways has your life been shaped by the gospel of Jesus Christ? As you study 1 Timothy, what are some ways that you would like to see your life shaped even more by the gospel? ______PRAY Ask that God would grant you insight and understanding into His Word. Ask that He would also grant you obedience to His Word.

5 Tuesday may 1 Timothy 1:1-2 28 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, writes to his child in the faith, MAIN IDEA Timothy, in order to help him and those he leads flourish in their relationship with Jesus Christ. The introduction of Paul’s letter to Timothy (as all his letters) is both typical and atypical. It is typical in the sense that it does what every introduction to a letter did in the New Testament period: It identifies the sender and the recipient and it provides a greeting. And yet, Paul’s introduction is also atypical in the sense that every element of the introduction takes on more significance than just a mere greeting. Paul communicates truth, theology, purpose, and intent, even in the standard introduction of his letter. He identifies himself not only as Paul, but also as “an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope” (1 Timothy 1:1). Paul writes not from his own authority, but rather from the direct authority of God our Savior and Christ our hope. Moreover, Paul identifies Timothy not only by name, but also as his “true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Timothy is not just a random recipient; he is a disciple of Paul, whom Paul led to repentance and faith in Christ and to whom Paul is now writing to help him progress in his faith. This is evident by Paul’s greeting to Timothy: “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul wants Timothy, as his disciple, to thrive in his relationship with God and experience the benefits of salvation that are his in Christ. As we move into the body of Paul’s first letter to Timothy, let us keep in mind that this is a letter from Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to his child in the faith Timothy, for the purpose of helping Timothy and those he leads abound in their relationship with Christ. As we seek to reach others for Christ, may we pray that this letter would have a similar effect on our lives as well!

• What is the purpose of Paul’s introduction in 1 Timothy? ______

• How would you like to see your relationship with Christ transformed over the next six weeks as a result of your study of 1 Timothy? Whom are you seeking to reach with the gospel? ______

PRAY Ask that God would use your study of 1 Timothy to help you abound in your relationship with Christ.

6 Wednesday may 1 Timothy 1:3-7 29 Paul instructs Timothy to command the false teachers MAIN IDEA to stop teaching falsehood, with the aim to protect his congregation. When you were a child, there were probably times you looked with disdain on the rules your parents set for you. If you are a parent, your outlook on the rules parents set for their children may now be different. When you become a parent, you set rules for your children, not to unnecessarily restrict them, but rather out of love for them. For instance, you firmly command your child to not run into the street because you want to protect your child’s life. Paul is teaching Timothy something similar here. There were false teachers in Timothy’s church who taught a “different doctrine” and led people into “myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith” (1 Timothy 1:3-4). Timothy, Paul says, must “charge” these false teachers to stop teaching falsehood. And yet, this charge that Timothy must issue is not mean-spirited or unnecessarily restrictive, but rather its aim is “love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). Have you ever looked upon a command of the Lord with disdain? When was the last time you obeyed God grudgingly? God’s commands are not arbitrary or unnecessarily restrictive. They are an expression of His love for us and are meant for our well-being. This is especially true for us who have placed our faith in Christ, since we have been brought under His Lordship and have become members of His kingdom. It was for the well-being of Timothy’s church that the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write to Timothy to “charge” these false teachers. And it is for our well-being that all the commands of God’s Word exist. Let us, then, obey them with robust gladness and willingness today.

• What is the purpose of the “charge” that Paul instructs Timothy to give to these false teachers? ______

• In what ways does your perspective of the commands of Scripture need to change? ______

PRAY Praise God today for His commands. Thank Him that He loves you so much that He would give you instructions for your well-being. Ask that He would help you to obey Him gladly today.

7 Thursday may 1 Timothy 1:8-11 30 Paul teaches Timothy that the function of God’s MAIN IDEA law is to limit sin, expose it, and lead us away from sin toward the gospel.

Have you ever thought about the function of the speed limit? Many of us do not obey the speed limit, strictly speaking. Do you ever go one mile over, five miles, maybe even ten? It is rare, though, to find a person going fifty or one hundred miles over the speed limit. While the speed limit does not stop us from speeding, it does a good job at restricting and exposing our speeding. We may push the limit by five miles, but the very fact that there is a limit means we won’t push it by fifty. And yet, whether we push the limit by five or fifty, we know that in exceeding it we are disobeying the law of the land. But there are, of course, exceptions to every rule. There are some who disregard the speed limit completely, going as fast as they want regardless of the speed limit. They may not be restricted by the speed limit, but it is very clear that they are exceeding it. This gets close to the function of God’s law that Paul is describing in this passage. After charging the false teachers with ignorance concerning the law (1 Timothy 1:7), Paul now moves to instruct Timothy on the function of the law. The law is “good,” provided that it is used “lawfully,” in the way God intends for it to be used (1 Timothy 1:8). Specifically, the function of the law that Paul describes here is to restrict and limit the sin of those who have sinful hearts and to convict them concerning their rebellion against God’s law (1 Timothy 1:9-10). The law is for the “lawless and disobedient,” both to limit their disobedience and expose it. In this sense the law is good, since it leads us away from whatever is “contrary to sound doctrine” and toward “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God” (1 Timothy 1:11), which brings us the message of the perfectly righteous Christ who bears our sins and provides us perfect righteousness through His atoning blood.

• According to this passage, what is the function of the law of God? ______

• How might this teaching impact your approach to God’s law? ______PRAY Thank God today for His law. Thank Him that in His grace He uses His law to restrict and expose your sin, and ultimately to show you your need for forgiveness in Christ.

8 Friday may 1 Timothy 1:12-17 31

MAIN IDEA Paul celebrates the good news of the gospel and its impact on his life.

Paul’s meditation on the law and its connection to the “gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which [he has] been entrusted” (1 Timothy 1:11), now leads him to a celebration of the glorious truths of the gospel and their application in his own life. Though Paul was a “blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” against the gospel (1 Timothy 1:13a) and was in his own consideration the “foremost” of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), he nevertheless “received mercy” and “grace” from God through Christ (1 Timothy 1:13b-14). This mercy and grace came to Paul in the form of the good news of the gospel: “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” which He ultimately accomplished through His perfect life on earth, atoning death on the cross, and victorious resurrection from the grave. Paul rejoices in the fact that this grace he has received highlights the “perfect patience” of Christ and serves “as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16). Finally, Paul’s celebration of the gospel ultimately leads him to a finale of praise: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17). May we likewise celebrate the good news of the gospel that has entered and transformed our lives. And may we give all the glory to God for His wondrous grace toward sinners like us as we share the gospel with them.

• According to this passage, what is the content of “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God”? ______

• What are some ways that you can intentionally celebrate the gospel today and share it with another? ______

PRAY Ask God that your heart would overflow in thanksgiving to Him today for what He has done for you in Christ. Ask that He would help you to celebrate the gospel and share it with others. 9 Saturday June 1

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today.

Tomorrow our lesson is “Entrusted” from 1 Timothy 1:3-17. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

10 Sunday June ENTRUSTED 2

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

11 Week of June 3, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 monday June 1 Timothy 1:18-20 3 Paul charges Timothy to fight for the gospel in his MAIN IDEA own heart and in the church.

Before Paul concludes this section of his letter to Timothy, he repeats his charge to him from verse 3: “Charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine.” For Timothy, this charge has both an internal and external application: Timothy must engage in battle for the gospel both in his own heart and in the church. He must preach the gospel to himself as he preaches it to others. Internally, he must “wage the good warfare [by] holding faith and a good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:18-19a). And yet there are those in the church who have not done this, but instead “have made shipwreck of their faith” by rejecting sound doctrine. Such persons should be called to repentance, and if they refuse to repent, should be subjected to church discipline (1 Timothy 1:19b- 20; cf. Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5). Let us keep a diligent watch on our own hearts and those of our brothers and sisters, so that we might not be led astray.

• What is the charge that Paul gives to Timothy? ______

• What are some specific ways that you can respond to this charge in your own life? ______

PRAY Ask that God would preserve your faith and the faith of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank Him for the gloriously good news of the gospel and ask Him that it would remain pure in your church.

our city would come to know Jesus Christ as a result of your gospel ministry. gospel your of result a as Christ Jesus know to come would city our

individuals that come to your mind and are on your Reach card. Pray that many in in many that Pray card. Reach your on are and mind your to come that individuals

Pray for Jacksonville today. Pray for all the people of our city. Pray for specific specific for Pray city. our of people the all for Pray today. Jacksonville for Pray

PRAY

______

How do you plan to apply this passage to your daily routine of living? of routine daily your to passage this apply to plan you do How •

______

What does Paul urge Timothy to do in this passage? this in do to Timothy urge Paul does What •

do a mighty work of salvation in our city. our in salvation of work mighty a do

lives of unbelievers. So, let us hit our knees in prayer today and plead with the Lord to to Lord the with plead and today prayer in knees our hit us let So, unbelievers. of lives

desperately need God to move on our behalf and move His Spirit upon the hearts and and hearts the upon Spirit His move and behalf our on move to God need desperately

gospel of Jesus Christ–is one that we are powerless to accomplish on our own. We We own. our on accomplish to powerless are we that one Christ–is Jesus of gospel

way” (2 Timothy 2:2). The task that we face as a church–to reach Jacksonville with the the with Jacksonville reach church–to a as face we that task The 2:2). Timothy (2 way”

as a whole, “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every every in dignified and godly life, quiet and peaceful a lead may we “that whole, a as

and that their saving faith in Christ might shape the character and quality of the culture culture the of quality and character the shape might Christ in faith saving their that and

for “kings and authorities in high positions” with the hope they will come to saving faith faith saving to come will they hope the with positions” high in authorities and “kings for

comes to an understanding of the gospel and saving faith in Christ. We specifically pray pray specifically We Christ. in faith saving and gospel the of understanding an to comes

(1 Timothy 2:4), so also we should pray that every person we know (or know about) about) know (or know we person every that pray should we also so 2:4), Timothy (1

as God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” truth” the of knowledge the to come to and saved be to people all “desires God as

Timothy 2:1). It is important to note that the focus of our prayers is “all people.” Just Just people.” “all is prayers our of focus the that note to important is It 2:1). Timothy

that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people” (1 (1 people” all for made be thanksgiving and intercessions, prayers, supplications, that

means by which this task will be accomplished: prayer. Paul says, “First of all, then, I urge urge I then, all, of “First says, Paul prayer. accomplished: be will task this which by means

of the gospel in his own heart and in the church. Now, Paul gives us the foremost foremost the us gives Paul Now, church. the in and heart own his in gospel the of

In the first chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul charges Timothy to fight for the advancement advancement the for fight to Timothy charges Paul Timothy, 1 of chapter first the In

MAIN IDEA MAIN Paul urges Timothy to pray for all people. all for pray to Timothy urges Paul

June

Mark 1:21-34 2:1-7 Timothy 1 tuesday Wednesday June 1 Timothy 2:1-7 5

Paul reasons that Timothy should pray for all people MAIN IDEA since God desires all people to be saved. Why should we pray for all people? Certainly, as Christians we would all agree that we should pray for people. But does the Bible give any reasoning behind why we should pray for all people? In the passage before us today, Paul provides the rational and theological undergirding that supports his command to pray for all people. We should pray for all people because God Himself “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). God the Father sent Christ the Son to be the “mediator between God and men” and to give “Himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Christ came to stand in our place and take upon Himself the wrath of God that we deserved, thereby purchasing the forgiveness of our sins and the favor of God toward us. This, Paul reasons, is why we should pray for all people. Christ came into this world to make sinners righteous through His sacrifice on the cross, and that righteousness is applied to sinners when they repent of their sins and place their faith in Christ. This, then, ought to be the content of our prayers: that God would grant lost sinners repentance of sins and faith in Christ. Moreover, this glorious gospel of Christ’s sacrificial death and glorious resurrection should be the content of our witness, since it “is the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:6).

• What is the reason why we should pray for all people? ______

• What should the content of your prayers be when you pray for the people of Jacksonville? ______PRAY Spend time today praying that the people of Jacksonville would repent of their sins and believe in Christ, so that they may receive the free and gracious gift of salvation through the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Pray that God would give you opportunities to share this glorious gospel with your neighbors, co-workers, friends, etc. 14 Thursday June 1 Timothy 2:8-15 6

Paul urges men to occupy themselves with holy MAIN IDEA prayer and peacemaking, particularly in the context of public worship. What does it mean to be a man? Throughout history there have been many ideas concerning manliness. In fact, one popular blog just recently updated a post that features over 80 quotes from historical figures on the nature of manhood.1 Perhaps the key distinctives of manhood from our culture’s perspective are machismo, strength, facial hair, and bold assertiveness. When we come to today’s passage, though, we find that the Bible has different expectations for men than what our culture prescribes. Paul says, “I desire then that in every place men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling” (1 Timothy 2:8). As Paul thinks about men, particularly in the context of public worship, he considers their primary occupation to be prayer. Moreover, their prayers should be attended with holiness and free from anger or quarreling. They are to be praying men of peace and unity, not division. Brothers, does this description of manhood line up with the way that you are living your life and participating in public worship? These qualities that Paul describes here are distinctly Christ-like qualities. Let us follow our Lord by being holy men of prayer and peace.

• What are the biblical expectations for manhood described in this passage? ______

• Men, what are some specific ways that you can apply the biblical expectations for manhood described in this passage? Women, how might you help and encourage your husbands or other men in the church to occupy themselves in this way? ______

PRAY Men, ask God today to help you to follow the example of Christ by being a holy man of prayer and peace. Women, ask that God would raise up men in the church who occupy themselves with the business of real manhood that is prescribed in this passage.

15 Friday June 1 Timothy 2:8-15 7

MAIN IDEA Paul instructs Timothy on the role of women in the context of public worship.

After spending one verse on the role of men in the realm of public worship, Paul now devotes a much more extended section to the role of women in that same realm. If there is any passage of Scripture that swims against the current of the social and cultural mores of our day, it is this one. Paul’s general message is that women ought to display the fruits of godliness and not cause distraction with their appearance in public worship (1 Timothy 2:9-10), and that they should not carry out the role of an elder by exercising authority over and teaching the whole congregation (1 Timothy 2:11-12; cf. 1 Timothy 3:1-7). Paul lodges his reasoning for these commands in the order of Creation and the account of the Fall (1 Timothy 2:13-14), similar to how he appeals to the Creation account in his description of gender roles in marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33). Paul’s final statement is perhaps the most difficult to understand: “Yet she will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control” (1 Timothy 2:15). It is helpful and important to affirm the truth that salvation from sin comes only through repentance and faith in Christ, who died for our sins and was raised from the grave. Paul has already affirmed as much in 1 Timothy (cf. 1 Timothy 1:15-16; 2:5-6). Paul’s meaning here is that women experience ample opportunity for perseverance in Christ when God calls them to bear and rear a child. The message of 1 Timothy 2:8-15 as a whole is clear and applicable to the church today: men and women ought to faithfully live out their gender-specific roles within the church for the glory of God and the good of His people.

• What are Paul’s instructions in this passage concerning the role of women in public worship? How do other passages, such as Matthew 28:18-20 or Titus 2:1-10, help to fill out the picture of a woman’s role in the church? ______

• Women, what are some specific ways that you can apply Paul’s instruction regarding the role of women in public worship? How might you also implement the teaching of passages like Matthew 28:18-20 or Titus 2:1-10? ______PRAY Thank God for the church. Ask Him that He would bring glory to His name through men and women in the church fulfilling their various roles and working together to make disciples of all nations. Ask that He would accomplish this work at your church. 16 saturday June 8

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “On Mission” from 1 Timothy 2:1-15. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

17 sunday June ON MISSION 9

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

18 Week of june 10, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 1 Timothy 3:1 monday June 1 Timothy 3:1-7 10

Anyone who aspires to the office of an overseer desires a MAIN IDEA noble task.

In 1 Timothy 2, Paul focuses on how the congregation should conduct themselves in the context of public worship. Now, Paul turns to describe the leaders of the congregation: overseers and deacons. An overseer, in the way that Paul describes him here, is what we at our church would call a pastor. It is an office that Paul would commend to the one aspiring toward it:“The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (1 Timothy 3:1). Such a task requires the heart of a servant-leader: one who would give of himself sacrificially for the sake of the flock of God. To conduct such a task in the service of the Chief Shepherd Himself (1 Peter 5:4) is a great privilege, but also a great responsibility. Thus, the office of overseer is not for everyone who aspires toward it. Paul lays out very specific qualifications for the kind of man who God has gifted and equipped as an overseer. To these qualifications we will turn tomorrow.

• What does Paul conclude about the person who aspires to the office of an overseer (pastor)? ______

• If you or someone you know is aspiring toward the office of an overseer (pastor), what implications does this passage of Scripture have? ______

PRAY Thank God today for Pastor Heath and the other pastors of your church. Ask that He would keep them and help them as they serve your church. Ask that they would live and serve in a way that is indicative of the noble task they have been given.

19 tuesday June 1 Timothy 3:1-7 11 An overseer must be a model of faithfulness and MAIN IDEA godliness, but with a specific gift to teach.

After commending the office of overseer as a noble task, Paul lays out the qualifications for the office. Interestingly, all but one of the qualifications are character-based. While gifting and competency are important to fulfill the task of an overseer, even more important for Paul is the character of the overseer. The overseer must be: • Above reproach: a man of irreproachable conduct. • The husband of one wife: not compromised by sexual immorality. • Sober-minded: not erratic or unstable. • Self-controlled: in command of his emotions, desires, thoughts, and actions. • Respectable: ordering his life in a respectable manner. • Hospitable: graciously opening up his life and home to others. • Able to teach: the only competency qualification listed; he must be able to teach God’s Word effectively. • Not a drunkard: he must not be given to substance abuse. • Not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome: a man of peace. • Not a lover of money: not entangled by the cords of greed. He must also: • Manage his own household well: the key marker of this qualification is that with all dignity he teaches “his children to be submissive”; for if he cannot manage his household, how could he possibly care for the church? • Not be a recent convert: lest he be puffed up with pride and fall prey to the devil. • Be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace. The point that Paul makes here is not that an overseer must meet these qualifications perfectly (since no one does), but rather that the pattern of his life should be a model of faithfulness and godliness wrought by the transforming power of the gospel, with a specific gift to teach.

• What are the qualifications of an overseer? ______• If you or someone you know is aspiring to the office of overseer, what questions would you want to begin asking? How will you begin to determine if you/they are qualified? ______

PRAY Thank God today for the qualifications of an overseer. Thank Him that He cares so dearly for His church that He would place these qualifications in Scripture.

20 wednesday June 1 Timothy 3:8-13 12

MAIN IDEA Deacons are leading-servants in the church.

While the overseer provides oversight of the flock of God with servant-hearted leadership, the deacon majors on serving the church in the most practical of ways. If an overseer is a servant-leader, then a deacon is a leading-servant.2 In fact, the Greek word translated “deacon” simply means “servant.” While many similarities exist between the qualifications for the office of overseer and those for the office of deacon, one key distinction is that deacons are not required to teach. They would have been responsible for many areas of service within the early church. For instance, in Acts 6 seven men are chosen from within the church to serve widows in the daily distribution of food. This passage provides a good distinction between the office of overseer and deacon, for it is the twelve apostles who coordinate the choosing of these seven, concluding that it was “not right that [they] should give up preaching the Word of God to serve tables” (Acts 6:2). The deacons served the tables, so that the apostles could devote themselves “to prayer and to the ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:4).

• What are the key differences between the function of overseers and of deacons? ______

• What are some practical ways you can encourage and support the overseers and deacons of your church? ______

PRAY Thank God today for the office of deacon. Thank Him that He has specifically qualified and equipped members of your church to serve faithfully and pray for these deacons.

21 thursday June 1 Timothy 3:8-13 13

MAIN IDEA Deacons must also be models of faithfulness and godliness.

Many of the qualifications for overseers appear again in the qualifications for deacons. Like an overseer, the life of a deacon should be marked by faithfulness and godliness–from the way he conducts his public life, to his home life, to the way he speaks, and even to the state of his mind and heart: “faithful in all things” (1 Timothy 3:11). And while there is no requirement that he must be able to teach God’s Word, he must “hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (1 Timothy 3:9). In other words, he must clearly understand and wholeheartedly embrace the truths of the gospel. A deacon cannot be light on devotion or on doctrine. He must be a man of God through and through, from his conduct to his creed. Paul concludes his discussion of deacons by highlighting two good results that come from serving as a deacon. Those who serve well as deacons gain 1) a good standing for themselves and 2) great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 3:13). It is difficult to think of a greater honor than to serve King Jesus by serving His people. And it is encouraging to know that in this service one gains even greater assurance of the powerful truths of the gospel and how those truths impact the daily life of the church.

• How are the qualifications for deacons similar to the qualifications for overseers? How are they different? ______

• If you or someone you know is aspiring to become a deacon, what questions might you start asking to determine if you/they are qualified? ______

PRAY Thank God for the leadership of your church–for overseers and deacons. Pray for specific leaders as they come to mind. Ask that God would help them to be faithful to the task that they have been given. Ask that overseers would shepherd the flock well. Ask that deacons would serve the church well.

22 friday June 1 Timothy 3:14-16 14

MAIN IDEA Paul wrote 1 Timothy so that Timothy would know how believers ought to conduct their lives in the church.

When we began our study of 1 Timothy a couple weeks ago, we identified the main theme of 1 Timothy as true gospel living in the context of the church. In today’s passage, we see this confirmed as Paul expresses his purpose for writing to Timothy: “I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Paul is writing so that Timothy may know how we, as the church, ought to conduct our lives in the church. How we conduct our lives in the church is important because of what we are as the church. We are the “household of God,” the family of God. We are the “church of the living God,” the place in which the presence of God lives and dwells. We are “a pillar and buttress of the truth,” the stronghold for the truth of the Word. Finally, all of these realities concerning the church are built upon the bedrock foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the “mystery of godliness”: Christ appeared in the flesh and died for our sins, but was vindicated by the Spirit before earthly and heavenly beings when He was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. Following His redemptive work, His gospel is proclaimed among the nations and believed throughout the world. Notice that Paul calls this message “the mystery of godliness.” That is, if a person wants to know how to live a godly life, the “secret” is in the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we repent of our sins, embrace this good news, and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, He transforms our hearts and minds so that we no longer desire sin and its trappings, but we desire rather to please and honor our great King who saved us on the cross. Let us embrace Him once again today and live godly lives for the sake of His glory and our good as we seek to reach others with the great gospel. • Why did Paul write 1 Timothy? ______

• How is the gospel the “mystery of godliness”? How does the gospel change the way that you live your life today? ______PRAY Thank God for the reality of the church. Thank Him that you are part of the family of God, the dwelling place of God, and the stronghold of the truth. Ask that He would help you to live in accordance with the good news of the gospel.

23 saturday June 15

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Setting the Example” from 1 Timothy 3:1-13. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

24 sunday June SETTING THE EXAMPLE 16

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

25 Week of June 17, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 monday June 1 Timothy 4:1-5 17 False teaching that leads us away from the truth of God’s MAIN IDEA Word and the gospel should be rejected in the strongest of terms. What do marriage and food have in common? They were both the subjects of false teaching that Timothy was dealing with in his church. False teachers had come in and begun to teach that marriage was inherently wrong and that certain foods were inherently unclean. These are serious distortions of God’s Word, so much so, that Paul says these false teachers have devoted themselves “to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1), and that they are insincere liars “whose consciences are seared” (1 Timothy 4:2). Why does Paul come down so hard on these false teachers? The reason is that their teachings distorted the teaching of God’s Word. God’s Word teaches that marriage is an institution that God established and purposed for our enjoyment and for the display of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Genesis 2:18-24; Ephesians 5:22-33). God’s Word teaches that food was created by God “to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:3). Even more generally, “everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4-5). Their teachings more specifically rejected the truth of the gospel. By forbidding marriage and requiring abstinence from certain foods, these false teachers were claiming that these works were required to make a person clean and to justify them before God. The gospel teaches us that no one can be made clean or justified before God on the basis of his own works. The only sufficient basis for the forgiveness of sins and justification before God is the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. These teachers, then, were leading congregants away from the grace of God in the person of Jesus Christ. For this reason, Paul speaks against them in the strongest of terms and implicitly calls us to do the same. • Why does Paul speak against these false teachers so strongly? ______

• How can you guard yourself and your church against false teachers like the ones described in this passage? ______

PRAY Thank God for giving you His Word and His gospel. Ask that He would protect your church from any false teaching or distortion of His Word. Thank Him for the leaders that He has set in place to protect your flock from falsehood. 26 tuesday June 1 Timothy 4:6-10 18

MAIN IDEA Paul charges us to train ourselves in godliness.

In recent years, there has been a large increase in the popularity of physical exercise. Exercise methods such as CrossFit or High Intensity Interval Training are all the rage. This signals a growing consciousness in America regarding the importance of physical exercise and discipline for general health. This is in fact a truth that God’s Word affirms: “bodily training is of some value” (1 Timothy 4:8). And yet, there is a kind of training and discipline that is much more important than bodily training and discipline. Paul tells us in this passage: “train yourself for godliness” (1 Timothy 4:7), since “godliness is of value in every way” (1 Timothy 4:8a). The reason why training or discipline for godliness is so important is because “it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8b). While bodily training can improve our quality of life on this earth, it does nothing for us in the life to come. However, training in godliness is full of promise for this life and for all eternity, since it helps us grow in our communion with God. Let us strive today to train ourselves in the disciplines of grace (1 Timothy 4:7) so that we might grow in godliness and thereby grow closer in our relationship with our Lord. And let us rejoice today that we are able to toil and endeavor with all our strength toward godliness because God is working within us to accomplish that same goal: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13).

• What is the difference between bodily training and training in godliness? ______

• What are some ways that you can improve in your discipline in godliness this week? ______

PRAY Ask God to help you grow in your walk with Him today. Thank Him for making your walk with Him possible through the work of Christ on the cross. Thank Him that your standing before Him is not dependent on your work, but on Christ’s work for you on the cross. Ask Him to open doors for you this week to share His gospel with another.

27 wednesday June 1 Timothy 4:6-10 19

MAIN IDEA The goal of godliness is God Himself.

Yesterday we looked at Paul’s charge for Timothy to train himself for godliness. The reason for this spiritual discipline, we saw, is that godliness is of value not only in this life, but also for eternity. Today we will look at the ultimate foundation for godliness. Why would we want to have godliness? What eternal value does godliness hold? Paul tells us: “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10). The ultimate reason why we toil and strive toward godliness is because we have our hope set on the living God, who is our Savior. There is a goal to godliness, and the goal is God Himself. As we practice the disciplines of grace–reading and studying the Scriptures, devoting ourselves to prayer, participating in the worship and life of the church, seeking to reach others with the gospel, etc.–we are doing so with a very specific purpose: to come closer and closer to the living God. This is something that happens only by the power of God’s grace, but also something that we have an active responsibility to work toward (cf. Philippians 2:13). The power to accomplish the task of godliness comes to us specifically from the gospel: as we grow in our understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, as we grow in our understanding of the dimensions of His saving work on our behalf, we grow in our commitment and desire to seek Him and please Him through the means He has provided for us day by day. • What is the goal of godliness? ______

• If you currently do not feel the desire to grow in godliness, where can you gain that desire? How does the gospel relate to your commitment and desire to grow in godliness? ______

PRAY Thank God today that through Christ He has accomplished salvation for those who would repent of their sins and believe in Him. Pray for your friends, neighbors, and all that you are seeking to reach, that they would repent and believe and receive this great salvation. Ask that you would gain a new and fresh sense of the glory and wonder of your salvation and, that as a result, your desire to seek and please the Lord would grow abundantly.

28 thursday June 1 Timothy 4:11-16 20

MAIN IDEA Paul instructs Timothy to exemplify godliness, appeal to the Scriptures, and use his gift.

In the next section, Paul continues to give Timothy instruction regarding his life, conduct, and teaching in the church. The focus here is on Timothy as a young minister in the church. As a young minister, Timothy should exemplify godliness (1 Timothy 4:12), appeal to the authority of the Scriptures (1 Timothy 4:13), and boldly use the gift he has received from God and which has been affirmed by the church (1 Timothy 4:14). These things should be the stuff of Timothy’s life through and through–he ought to “immerse” himself in them, so that all may see his progress in his faith, teaching, and ministry (1 Timothy 4:15). While these instructions are primarily aimed at a young minister, many of them are applicable to Christians in general. Each of us should strive to be exemplary “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12), since this is what it means to be Christ-like. Each of us should boldly utilize the gifts that God has given us (1 Timothy 4:14), since God gave us those gifts to use for the up-building of His church.

• How does Paul instruct Timothy as a young minister? ______

• Even though Paul’s instruction in this passage is for a young minister, what can you take away and apply from this passage? ______

PRAY Thank God for the young ministers He has placed in your church. Pray that they would be exemplary in godliness, devoted to the Scriptures, and bold in their use of the gifts God has given them. Ask that He would likewise help you to grow in godliness, devote yourself to Scripture, and use your gifts for His glory and the good of His people.

29 friday June 1 Timothy 4:11-16 21

MAIN IDEA The pastor and his church persevere in the faith as a result of his life and doctrine.

Have you ever been in a high-stakes situation? Perhaps you played college sports, and you were the key player in a win-or-lose moment of the big game. Perhaps you work in the corporate world, and you have operated in the leading role on a major business deal. Perhaps you work in the medical field, and your ability to do your job literally determines whether a person lives or dies. Most of us have experienced the feeling of a high-stakes situation at some point in our lives. At the close of this section of Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy just how high the stakes of his job are: “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16). This is a sobering reality. The way that Timothy lives his life and the manner in which he conducts his teaching ministry are key factors both in his own salvation and in the salvation of his congregation. This does not mean that Timothy’s life and doctrine actually save him or his hearers, but that through his life and doctrine, his faith, as well as that of his hearers, is preserved and confirmed. The content of a pastor’s life and teaching has the power to lead him and his congregants toward the Lord or away from the Lord. Let us obey the instruction of Hebrews 13: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7). • According to this passage, what is at stake in the life and teaching of a pastor? ______

• Go back and read Hebrews 13. What are some ways you can put into practice the instructions to “remember” your leaders, “imitate” their faith, and submit to and obey them? ______

PRAY Pray for the life and doctrine of your pastors today. Ask that God would preserve their faith and help them to preach and teach God’s Word faithfully. Thank Him that He has established them as shepherds of your soul, serving underneath the Chief Shepherd, who has accomplished your salvation once and for all through His work on the cross.

30 saturday June 22

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Staying on Course” from 1 Timothy 4:1-13. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

31 sunday June STAYING ON COURSE 23

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

32 Week of june 24, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 monday June 1 Timothy 5:1-2 24

Paul instructs Timothy to relate to the members of his MAIN IDEA church as the family of God.

Paul moves from instructing Timothy regarding his life and doctrine within the church to his relationships within the church. How should he relate to older men, younger men, older women, and younger women? There is a commonality in the approach Timothy should take to all these relationships, and that commonality is family. When Paul thinks about the various relationships Timothy has in his church, he thinks about family, because the church is the family of God. Notice also that Timothy ought to conduct these relationships “in all purity.” In a world in which people exploit relationships for all kinds of reasons–business success, corporate ladder- climbing, sexual pleasure, etc.–it should not be so in the family of God. We should see the men and women among us as mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers, united by the eternal bond of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so let us respond to Paul’s instruction in this passage by living with one another in all purity, as sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, under the banner of the Lordship of Jesus Christ that binds us all together as the one family of God.

• How ought Timothy to relate to the various members of his church? ______

• What are some ways that you can begin treating the men and women in your church as fellow-members of the family of God? ______

PRAY Thank God for the men and women of your church. Ask that you would begin to view them not as the world views men and women, but rather as fellow-members of the family of God–as fathers and sons and mothers and daughters in the faith.

33 tuesday June 1 Timothy 5:3-16 25 Needy and helpless family members in the MAIN IDEA church, particularly widows, should be cared for by the believing members of their families. After addressing Timothy’s relationships with older and younger men and women within the church, Paul turns his attention to widows. In verses 3-16, he addresses two main concerns: 1) the responsibility of believing family members to care for helpless widows (and other family members) and 2) the standards for widows to come under the care of the church. We will look at the first concern today and the second tomorrow. Paul uses some of the strongest language in the New Testament to exhort men who do not care for their relatives: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). But he also exhorts women to do the same: “If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them” (1 Timothy 5:16). Paul’s point here is not that caring for one’s family members earns one’s salvation, but rather that a person who is a true recipient of the infinite love and care of God, through the person and work of Jesus Christ, will certainly treat his or her family members, and especially helpless and needy ones, with a similar love and care. If one does not, one is acting in a way that is consistent with an unbelieving lifestyle, and even worse! Spend some time meditating today on the love and care that God has shown you in Christ and respond by showing the same love and care to the needier members of your family.

• What responsibility do believing family members (especially men) have for their needy and helpless family members? ______

• What are some practical ways that you can show the love and care of God in Christ to the needy and helpless members of your family? ______

PRAY Thank God that He has a special care for the fatherless, the widow, and the orphan. Ask that He would help you to reflect His heart in your thoughts, concerns, and actions. 34 wednesday June 1 Timothy 5:3-16 26

MAIN IDEA The church should honor widows who are truly widows.

Paul’s first concern regarding the care of widows in the church is the responsibility of believing family members to care for those whom God has entrusted to them. His second concern is the standard that the church must employ to admit widows to its care. Basically, the standard is two-fold: 1) the widow must be without other family members that can take care of her (1 Timothy 5:4-5, 8, 16) and 2) the widow must be of godly character, devoted to dependence upon God, intercessory prayer, and service in the church (1 Timothy 5:5-6, 10-14). A very fitting example of the kind of widow this passage describes would be the eighty-four-year-old prophetess Anna, who spent her days in the temple “worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day” (Luke 2:37). While these are the broad- brush strokes of Paul’s argument for widow support in the early church, we must account for some circumstances that were specific to Timothy’s context. For instance, Paul makes the argument that widows older than sixty years should be admitted, while younger widows should not (1 Timothy 5:9, 11-15). It appears that there was a group of younger widows in Timothy’s church who were stirring up trouble through apostasy (1 Timothy 5:11-12), laziness, and gossip (1 Timothy 5:13). This very specific circumstance may account for the emphasis that Paul places on age in this passage. In general, though, Paul’s reasoning is straightforward: If widows have believing family members that are able to take care of them, “let not the church be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows” (1 Timothy 5:16). Those who are truly widows are those who are within the family of God, who have no other family members to care for them, and who show some evidence of godliness in their lives. God has a special heart for the fatherless, the widow, and the orphan; therefore, we, as the church, ought to do everything in our power to “honor widows who are truly widows” (1 Timothy 5:3). • What is the standard for a widow receiving support from the church? ______

• What might be some specific ways that you, as a church member, can put this passage into practice? How might you “honor widows who are truly widows”? ______

PRAY If you have a family member who is in a needy or helpless position, ask God that He would help you show that person the care and love that He has shown you in Christ. If you are in a needy or helpless position, or are in fact a widow, pray that God would help you to depend upon Him prayerfully and serve your church faithfully. 35 thursday June 1 Timothy 5:17-25 27 Pastors who rule well are worthy of double honor, MAIN IDEA especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. In America, we often celebrate the principle that those who work hard reap the benefits of their labor. Popular axioms like “the early bird gets the worm” and “you snooze, you lose” are indicative of this mindset. In fact, the general idea is a biblical one. Paul quotes two Old Testament passages in today’s text that communicate a similar idea: “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages” (1 Timothy 5:18). Paul’s purpose for quoting these texts and communicating this idea fits into his flow of thought. He has just finished instructing Timothyon the care of widows (1 Timothy 5:3-16). Now he moves from there to the subject of the compensation of pastors: “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Timothy 5:17). One application of this phrase “double honor” is that pastors who rule well should be compensated for their labor in the church (1 Timothy 5:18). Another application is that pastors who rule well should be protected from false charges against them by the requirement that charges must be upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses (1 Timothy 5:19, 21), though pastors who do persistently sin should be openly rebuked (1 Timothy 5:20; cf. Matthew 18:15-20). Notice also that the instruction applies only to those who “rule well” (1 Timothy 5:17). This protects the church against those pastors who would attempt to take advantage of their congregations. Though the role of a pastor who rules well is a role worthy of double honor, it is a role that should be cautiously appointed (1 Timothy 5:22-25), since it comes with particular responsibilities, dangers, and qualifications (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1-7). It is vital that the church obey the teaching of this passage, so that both pastors and their congregations are cared for in the way that God has designed. Let us pray toward that end today. • What does the phrase “double honor” mean in this context? ______

• How might you participate in showing pastors who rule well “double honor”? ______PRAY Praise God for the role that pastors play in the life and ministry of the church. Ask that God would care for and preserve your pastors today. Pray for their ministries, their marriages, and their families. 36 friday June 1 Timothy 6:1-2 28

MAIN IDEA Paul instructs bondservants to regard their masters as worthy of all honor.

When we come to a passage of Scripture that commands “all who are under a yoke as bondservants [to] regard their own masters as worthy of all honor” (1 Timothy 6:1), the initial effect can certainly be shocking. Is this passage a biblical endorsement of slavery? How ought we to apply such a passage today? It is important to establish a few biblical facts immediately. First, the Genesis account expresses and mandates the equality of all human beings as image bearers of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Thus slavery, in its inherent human inequality, is a result of sin and is itself sinful. Second, within the New Testament itself, and particularly in the letters of Paul, there is an inclination away from the then culturally accepted institution of Roman slavery. For instance, Paul appeals to Philemon to treat his bondservant Onesimus,“No longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother” (Philemon 16). Third, there was a way for bondservants, even in the unjust context in which they lived, to bring glory to God through their work. This is Paul’s point in today’s passage. The way that bondservants related to their masters, and especially their believing masters, had the potential to either exalt the name of God or revile it. By God’s grace, we live in a context in which the scourge of human slavery has been abolished. And yet, the principles drawn from this passage can certainly apply to the employer-employee relationship, as well. The way that we relate to our employer and/or employees has the potential to glorify or revile the Lord. Let us strive to view and treat our co-workers as fellow image bearers of God, and specifically our believing co-workers as beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. • How does Paul’s instruction in this passage relate to the teaching of all Scripture concerning slavery? ______

• What are some ways that you can regard your employer as worthy of all honor? ______PRAY Praise God for creating all human beings in His image. Thank Him that He shows no partiality. Ask that He would help you to relate to your employer and employees in a way that honors Christ. Thank Him that He gives you opportunities to bring glory to His name, even in the ordinary aspects of life like employment. Ask Him for boldness to reach those you work with and for with the gospel. 37 saturday June 29

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Being Responsible” from 1 Timothy 5:1-8, 17-21. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

38 sunday June BEING RESPONSIBLE 30

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

39 Week of july 1, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Fight 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. 1 Timothy 6:12 monday july 1 Timothy 6:3-10 1 Paul identifies the main motivation of the false teachers MAIN IDEA in Timothy’s church as greed and shows the way of contentment for those who are in Christ. What is it that motivates a false teacher? What is it that motivates the person who strays away from the sound teaching of the Bible? While there may be many valid answers to these questions, in today’s passage, Paul identifies some of the main motivations behind the actions of the false teachers in Timothy’s church. First, Paul describes the actions of the false teachers. They are teaching “a different doctrine and do…not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness” (1 Timothy 6:3). In other words, they have departed from the Word of Christ and the godly life that flows from obedience to this Word and have instead begun teaching something else. Next, Paul identifies the causes and motivations for these false teachings. The false teachers are “puffed up with conceit and understand…nothing” (1 Timothy 6:4a). They are so proud and ignorant that they forsake the living Word of God. Their hearts are bent toward “controversy and…quarrels about words” which produce division and disharmony among “people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth” (1 Timothy 6:4b-5a). Ultimately, these false teachers are motivated by greed, since they imagine “that godliness is a means of gain” (1 Timothy 6:5b). Paul describes the end result of such people’s lives in the bleakest of terms in verses 9-10. And yet, brothers and sisters, the way of Christ, the way of godliness, is so much sweeter than the turbulent existence of these false teachers who have fallen prey to greed: “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Timothy 6:6-8). Let us embrace the sweet and savory contentment that is ours in Christ today. For if we have Christ, then we have all things (1 Corinthians 3:21-23)! • What is the main motivation for the false teachers in Timothy’s church? ______

• What are some specific ways you can fight for godly contentment today? ______PRAY Thank God for giving you His Son Jesus Christ. Ask that He would help you find your contentment in Him. Ask that He would help you see the all-satisfying nature of Christ. Ask that He would protect you from the false allures of greed. tuesday july 1 Timothy 6:11-16 2

Paul charges Timothy to press on in the good fight of MAIN IDEA the faith.

When you think about the Christian life, what image comes to mind? Is it the latest Instagram post you saw of a coffee cup, an open Bible, and a cozy couch? Is it the nostalgia of Sunday afternoon potlucks at your childhood church? Is it an exciting image, or perhaps a boring one? In today’s passage, Paul uses an image to describe the Christian life that we may not have thought of: war, battle, fight. The Christian life is an active battle campaign against the ungodliness and depravity that we read about yesterday. We must “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11), with every fiber of strength that God gives us. We must “take hold of the eternal life” to which we were called and about which we “made the good confession” (1 Timothy 6:12). We must fight to “keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach” (1 Timothy 6:14). We must set all our hope and all our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, who will come again “at the proper time,” because He “is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15), and He “alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16a). Brothers and sisters, this is a call to arms. This is a call to lay down the destructive weapons of the world–pride, lust, greed, strife–and to take up the good fight of pursuing Christ with everything we have. “To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:16b). This is a call to pursue others with the gospel of Jesus Christ as we seek to reach them.

• What image does Paul use in this passage to describe the Christian life? ______

• What are some ways that you can engage in the battle of faith today? What besetting sins do you need to strike down? What steps of obedience to Christ do you need to take up? ______PRAY Thank God for Jesus today. Ask that He would help you set your hope on His second coming, and that you would live every day as if it were the day of His return. Seek to reach others today, and ask Him to give you strength to fight the good fight of the faith day by day.

41 wednesday july 1 Timothy 6:17-19 3

Paul charges the rich to set their hope not on their MAIN IDEA riches, but instead on Christ, who is the true life.

What is the good life? Our culture certainly has its own ideas about the nature of this life: the American Dream to dangle in front of us all the allurements of comfort, success, and stability. A New Age of thought finds the locus of life in the fulfillment of personal desires and the enjoyment of pleasures. Even within the church, the good life might be thought to consist of a strong family, a healthy church, and a good moral code. And yet, the Bible defines “life” very differently. In John 17:3, Jesus says, “And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Paul’s message in this passage to those who are rich gets right at this point. They must not look to their riches and imagine that in them they have life. They must not be like the rich young ruler, who could not forsake his riches for the sake of following Christ (Mark 10:17-31). They must instead set their hopes on the true life, God Himself, who “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). They are to “do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Timothy 2:18-19). Brothers and sisters, let us not be deceived today by the false narratives surrounding us about the nature of true life. Let us look to Christ, find all our contentment in Him, and in so doing find the fount of everlasting life.

• What does Paul command the rich to do in this passage? ______

• How might you guard your heart from the temptations of riches today? What are some practical ways that you can ensure you are setting your hope upon the true life, Jesus Christ? ______

PRAY Exalt Jesus Christ today in all His glory and splendor. Praise Him for bringing you into communion with God Himself, and thereby granting you eternal life. Ask that He would keep you from the temptations that attend riches, and that He would help you set your hope in Him alone.

42 thursday july 1 Timothy 6:20-21 4

MAIN IDEA Paul charges Timothy to guard the gospel and avoid false teaching.

Paul concludes his first letter to Timothy with one final charge: “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge” (1 Timothy 6:20). Here we have a positive charge and a negative charge. Positively, everything that Paul has instructed Timothy thus far can be boiled down to this: “Guard the deposit.” Watch over and protect the gospel that has been entrusted to you. Do not let it get watered down, diluted, or distorted in any way. Proclaim it boldly, teach it diligently, and live out its implications passionately. Negatively, Paul charges Timothy to avoid the teaching and lifestyle of the false teachers that had been vexing them. His reasoning: “For by professing it some have swerved from the faith” (1 Timothy 6:21). Paul says to Timothy, in other words, “Do not go after the destructive teaching and living of these men, for by so doing you will not only compromise your own faith, but those of your congregation as well. Remain instead faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that to the end.” Let us receive Paul’s charge to Timothy today. Let us not stray from the gospel that we have been so graciously entrusted with. Let us never cease proclaiming Christ and Him crucified as we seek to reach everyone we know with the gospel that has been proclaimed to us.

• What is the content of Paul’s final charge to Timothy? ______

• What are some ways you can guard the gospel that has been entrusted to you? What are some ways that you need to watch out and avoid false teaching? ______

PRAY Praise God today for the deposit of the faith with which you have been entrusted. Pray that He would help you to keep it and guard it for all of your days. Thank Him specifically for the content of that faith, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and rose from the grave so that those who truly have faith in Him would persevere to the end.

43 friday july 1 Timothy 6:20-21 5

MAIN IDEA 1 Timothy charges us to live in accordance to the gospel by which we have been saved.

Today we conclude our study of 1 Timothy. Over the past six weeks, we have looked at many different topics and themes in this letter. However, we have also kept in mind that Paul’s primary purpose for writing to Timothy was to show him “how one ought to behave in the household of God” (1 Timothy 3:14). We observed that the behavior that Paul describes here flows from the lives of those who have been impacted by the gospel of Jesus Christ, which, through repentance and faith, creates in us a desire to please and honor God in all areas of life, including the life of the church. As we close down our study of 1 Timothy, let us take this theme to heart. Have you repented of your sins and trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior? Have you received the forgiveness of sins that comes only through faith in His shed blood on the cross and resurrection from the grave? If so, does your life reflect this glorious gospel? Are you seeking to reach others with the gospel that was shared with you? Have your affections for God been raised as a result of meditating on the great things He has done for you in Christ? Has your desire to love and serve Him increased? If these things are true of you, this is a call for you to put into practice the teachings of this letter. Live a godly life in accordance to the gospel by which you have been saved. Behave as you ought in the household of God and towards those outside the household of God, that He might be glorified and His people built up.

• What is the main theme of 1 Timothy? ______

• What are some ways that you can put into practice the teachings of 1 Timothy today, tomorrow, this week, this month, and this year? ______

PRAY

Praise God for 1 Timothy. Ask that He might help you to respond in faith and obedience to the teaching of His Word. Ask that He would help you live in accordance to the gospel by which you have been saved.

44 saturday july 6

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Lasting Investments” from 1 Timothy 6:6-19. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

45 sunday july LASTING INVESTMENTS 7

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

46 Week of july 8, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:13 monday july 2 Timothy 1:1 8 Paul wrote 2 Timothy as a farewell letter, encouraging MAIN IDEA Timothy to fight the good fight even amid persecution and suffering. Over the past six weeks we have been studying Paul’s first letter to Timothy. Now, we will study his second letter to Timothy. Paul’s first letter to Timothy focused on the power of the gospel to transform and shape the lives of those who believe in it, and particularly to help them live a God-pleasing life in the context of the local church. Paul’s second letter to Timothy has a bit of a different tone. Paul wrote 2 Timothy near the end of his life, most likely in a Roman jail awaiting execution. Due to this, the letter carries with it the weight of a farewell speech. Paul communicates to Timothy in terms of finality, specifically calling him to persevere in his gospel ministry and life amid suffering and persecution. Even as Paul reaches the end of his own life and faces martyrdom, he encourages Timothy that it is all worth it for the sake of Christ. As we study 2 Timothy over the next four weeks, may we be encouraged by the faithfulness of the brothers who have gone before us and be resolved ourselves to fight the good fight of the faith. May God’s Word strengthen our hearts and minds to cling to Christ amid all the pangs of a sinful world, even as Christ Himself perfectly holds us fast.

• What is the main theme of 2 Timothy? ______

• What are your greatest struggles in your life and walk of faith? In what ways do you need encouragement in the Lord to persevere and fight the good fight? ______

PRAY Ask that God would bless your study of 2 Timothy over the next four weeks. Ask that He would use His Word to strengthen and preserve your faith and help you to persevere through suffering.

47 tuesday july 2 Timothy 1:1-2 9 Paul greets Timothy and, in light of his MAIN IDEA impending death, meditates on the eternal life he has in Christ.

If you were expecting to die any day and you had the chance to write a letter to a beloved brother or sister in Christ, where would you begin? In many ways, Paul begins his farewell letter to Timothy in the standard way one begins a letter: he identifies himself as the author and Timothy as the recipient. He identifies himself as “an apostle of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:1) and Timothy as his “beloved child” (2 Timothy 1:2a). He greets Timothy with a variation on what has by now become a standard greeting in his letters: “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:2b). And yet, in a very significant way Paul’s greeting here is non-standard for a person expecting death. In the face of death, Paul begins his letter to Timothy by mentioning “the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:1). How remarkable is it that a man facing death can begin a letter, written due to his impending death, by meditating on his hope of life? Only in Christ, brothers and sisters, is such a thing possible! Are you facing the hard reality of death? Perhaps due to a bad report from the doctor or the death of a loved one? Take after Paul’s example today and set your focus on the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus. It is a life that can never be defeated or extinguished by the momentary mirage of this world!

• What is standard and non-standard about Paul’s greeting to Timothy in this letter? ______

• What are some ways you can intentionally set your hope on the life that is in Christ? ______

PRAY Thank God today that for those who trust in Christ, death has no victory and no sting. Thank Him for the eternal victory that is yours in Christ and ask that He would help you to set your hope on the promise of life that is in Him.

48 wednesday july 2 Timothy 1:3-5 10

We should express our thanksgiving to God for His MAIN IDEA grace in our lives and the lives of others.

After his formal greeting, Paul begins by expressing his thanksgiving to God for Timothy. Paul can thank God for Timothy routinely in his prayers with a clear conscience (2 Timothy 1:3), because of Timothy’s sincere faith (2 Timothy 1:5a), which was passed down to him from his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5b). Paul is ultimately thankful for the gracious work that God has done in Timothy’s life, to mold and shape him into a Christ- like man of faith. Do you see God’s gracious hand in your life, or in the life of someone near and dear to you? If so, you ought to lift your thanksgiving to God in prayer for His undeserved favor. None of us deserves God’s grace, but through Christ’s work on the cross it is bestowed on all who repent and believe in Him. What a fitting cause to bring our thanksgiving to the Lord and a motivation for us to share Christ with all those we know, testifying to them about our great God, and reaching them with the gospel of Jesus Christ!

• What is the cause of Paul’s thanksgiving in this passage? ______

• What are some specific ways that God has been gracious to you or someone close to you, for which you offer thanksgiving to Him today? ______

PRAY Spend some time in thanksgiving to God–for His grace in your life and the lives of others, and especially for His grace to us through the person and work of Christ.

49 thursday july 2 Timothy 1:6-7 11

MAIN IDEA We should fan into flame the gifts that God has given us.

Paul transitions from his remembrance of Timothy to a reminder for Timothy. God’s grace has been evident in Timothy’s life–He has given him a sincere love and faith in Christ and has gifted him as a minister of God. However, God’s grace in his life should not lead him to complacency, but rather to holy action. Paul reminds Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:6-7). The image here is of using a bellows to blow air on a small spark so that it grows into a vibrant flame. We ought to nurture and develop the gifts that God has given us, so that we might use them in greater and greater ways to bring glory to His name. For Timothy, this meant not shrinking back in fear of his opponents, but rather conducting his ministry in power, love, and self-control. Perhaps for you fanning into flame the gift of God means boldly inviting your neighbors into your home to show them hospitality while seeking to reach them, or accepting the offer to teach Sunday School, or joining the Guest Services team. Let Paul’s reminder to Timothy serve as a reminder to you as well!

• What does Paul remind Timothy of in this passage? ______

• What gifts has the Lord given to you? What are some concrete ways to fan into flames those gifts? ______

PRAY Praise God for the grace that He has shown you. Thank Him for the gifts He has given you. Ask that He would give you the resolve and energy to fan into flames those gifts for the sake of His kingdom and the fame of His Son Jesus Christ.

50 friday july 2 Timothy 1:8-14 12

MAIN IDEA We should not be ashamed of the gospel, but instead be willing even to suffer for it.

One of the most common reasons people don’t share their faith is fear. In fact, in some cases fear stops us, like it did Peter, from even associating ourselves with the name of Jesus! Some of us are so afraid of what our neighbors will think of us, that we won’t invite them to a church event. A student may be so concerned about being made fun of, that he avoids telling his friends about the youth meeting he attends every Wednesday night. Oftentimes, this fear that we feel concerning sharing our faith or being associated with Christ is a symptom of shame. We are afraid to testify about the gospel because we are ashamed of the gospel. Paul exhorts us in this passage to put that shame to bed: “Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8a). He even goes so far as to say that we should be willing to suffer for the sake of the Lord: “share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8b). What is it about the gospel that would compel us not only to not be ashamed of it, but also to suffer for it? First, the gospel is the good news of God’s glorious and holistic salvation of His people through the person and work of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 1:9-10). It is the best news that has ever existed. Jesus Christ has “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). Second, believing the gospel is about more than believing a set of facts; it is about believing a person, and that person is God. This is why Paul says, “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed” (2 Timothy 1:12). To be ashamed of the gospel is to be ashamed of God Himself! Finally, God has given us His Holy Spirit to dwell in us so that we might have power to boldly and confidently “guard the treasure which has been entrusted” to us from God (2 Timothy 1:14), which is the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, brothers and sisters, let us not be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe! (Romans 1:16) • What are the reasons we should not be ashamed of the gospel? ______

• What are some steps you can take today to overcome your fear of sharing the gospel? If you are confident in sharing the gospel, what are some ways you can help those around you grow in their confidence? ______PRAY Spend some time in thanksgiving to God for the gospel. Thank Him for the best news in the world about salvation through Christ. Thank Him that the ultimate gift of the gospel is Himself! Thank Him for the indwelling Holy Spirit who gives you boldness, strength, and endurance in the Christian life. 51 saturday july 13

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Confidence” from 2 Timothy 1:3-14. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

52 sunday july CONFIDENCE 14

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

53 Week of july 15, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE And 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 monday july 2 Timothy 1:15-18 15 We should take after the example of Onesiphorus and MAIN IDEA stand boldly for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

After exhorting Timothy to not be ashamed of the gospel and to be willing to suffer for its sake, Paul offers some real-life examples, both positive and negative. If anyone could testify to boldness and willingness to suffer for the sake of the gospel, it was Paul! Remember that as he writes to Timothy he is in prison awaiting death because of his testimony about the Lord Jesus. And now he offers two examples of those who were associated with his suffering. The first example is a negative one. Phygelus and Hermogenes, though they were associated with Paul for a period, turned away from him, presumably when he began to face persecution for the gospel (2 Timothy 1:15). On the other hand, Onesiphorus “often refreshed” Paul and “was not ashamed” of his chains (2 Timothy 1:16). Rather, he went to Rome and “searched for me [Paul] earnestly and found me [Paul]” (2 Timothy 1:17). While Phygelus and Hermogenes were ashamed of the gospel, Onesiphorus boldly stood with Paul in his imprisonment, so that he might minister to him in his time of need. Such bravery for the name of Christ will reap eternal rewards for Onesiphorus: “May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord that Day!” (2 Timothy 1:18) Brothers and sisters, let us take after the example of Onesiphorus today and stand boldly for the gospel of Jesus Christ with which we have been entrusted! • What are two examples that Paul gives in this passage? ______

• What are some ways that you need to stand boldly for the gospel in your culture? ______

PRAY Praise God again and again for the gospel of Jesus Christ, by which you are saved! Ask that He would give you the boldness to stand for the gospel all your days and to never turn away from it. 54 tuesday july 2 Timothy 2:1-2 16 Biblical discipleship means making disciples who MAIN IDEA make disciples. What does biblical discipleship look like? A myriad of answers could be provided: discipleship entails a person participating in our church’s discipleship program; discipleship is mentorship that is done in church; discipleship is mass evangelism, like what Billy Graham used to do; etc. But in the passage we are looking at today, Paul provides one of the clearest definitions of discipleship in the Bible: “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). Let’s break this definition down. What is it that Timothy has “heard from [Paul] in the presence of many witnesses”? Based on the context, Paul is referring to the content of the Christian faith in general and the message of the gospel in particular. Paul then instructs Timothy to take what he has heard from him and “entrust [it] to faithful men.” This entails Timothy identifying men who love God and have a desire to please Him and building them up in the Christian faith. It is very common for us to get this far in discipleship. But perhaps the next step is the one we oftentimes neglect. These men who Timothy identifies and entrusts with the content of the faith, then “teach others also.” So, Timothy entrusts the faith to them, and then they entrust it to others, who then entrust it to others, and on and on it goes! This, brothers and sisters, is how the ancient world was turned upside down by twelve ordinary men who walked with Jesus. The disciples made disciples who made disciples. The evidence is before us, for it is precisely what Paul is doing with Timothy in this text! Let us respond in obedience to this passage today by making disciples, who will make other disciples, and turning Jacksonville upside down for the sake of Christ!

• What does biblical discipleship look like? ______

• How might you begin to make disciples who make disciples today? ______

PRAY Ask God that He would help you become a disciple-maker today. Pray that He would put a person in your path who you would be able to, by His grace, turn into a disciple-maker.

55 wednesday july 2 Timothy 2:3-7 17

MAIN IDEA The goal of life is to please God in all things.

Paul uses three metaphors in this passage to describe the identity of a Christian: soldier, athlete, and farmer. He exhorts Timothy to “share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3), not getting “entangled in civilian pursuits” but rather aiming “to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:4). The point here is not to prohibit the pursuit of secular ventures–Paul himself sometimes made tents for a living–but rather to show that all of life should be intended for the one purpose of pleasing the Lord. The next metaphor shows us the way to do that. Just as an athlete must follow the rules of competition to be crowned as victor, so the way that we will succeed in pleasing the Lord is by following His commandments and His will for our lives. This means loving Him supremely and loving our neighbors sacrificially (cf. Matthew 22:34-40). For us to enjoy the harvest of pleasing the Lord, we must be like the “hard-working farmer” who diligently sows and waters so that he might “have the first share of the crops” (2 Timothy 2:6). Empowered by God’s grace in the person and work of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we must labor diligently to please God with every aspect of our lives, even when we “share in suffering” as Timothy did. The tone here is urgent–as urgent as a soldier’s task in battle, an athlete’s attitude in competition, or a farmer’s work in the fields. There is nothing more important than to please the Lord in all things. This is a task that is impossible without faith (Hebrew 11:6), so let us cling to Christ today and allow our security in Him to propel us forward to pursue God wholeheartedly. • What metaphors does Paul use in this passage? What is their meaning? ______

• What are some ways that you can strive today to please God with the details and events of your life? ______PRAY Rejoice today that because of what Christ has done in His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, God will one day say to those who have repented and believed in Christ, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Ask that God would embolden your faith in Christ today and empower you to please Him in all things.

56 thursday july 2 Timothy 2:8-9 18

MAIN IDEA The gospel empowers us to live disciple-making, God-pleasing lives.

Paul has encouraged us to be faithful “disciple-makers” (2 Timothy 2:1-2) and diligent God- pleasers, even amid suffering (2 Timothy 2:3-7). The exhortations are simple, but their application is incredibly difficult. To live as a faithful disciple-maker and diligent God-pleaser is to live a super-natural life–natural men just do not live this way! So, how do we do it? Paul provides the power source of our faithful living in today’s passage. We do it by remembering “Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David” (2 Timothy 2:8). The only possible way for us to live in a manner pleasing to God is to root ourselves in the gospel of Jesus Christ and to stand on the firm foundation of His Word, which testifies to His shed blood for the forgiveness of our sins and His glorious resurrection for our justification. We call others to follow Him because He is our risen Lord who is worthy of all worship. We strive to please Him in our lives in response to this glorious grace He has bestowed on us. Apart from Him, He Himself tells us, we can do nothing! (John 15:5) But when we abide in Him, we can do the most impossible thing in the world: please God! For we know and trust that “the Word of God is not bound” (2 Timothy 2:9)!

• What is the core message of the gospel that Paul describes in this passage? ______

• What are some specific ways the gospel empowers you to live a disciple- making, God-pleasing life? ______

PRAY Spend some time today simply adoring God for the depths and riches of His grace toward you through Christ. Ask that your love for Him would abound, and that you would be compelled to make disciples of all nations and please Him with your whole life.

57 friday july 2 Timothy 2:10-13 19

MAIN IDEA We must cling to the glorious promises of the gospel and endure to the end to reap its benefits. After instructing Timothy to live a disciple-making, God-pleasing life, even amid suffering, through the power of the gospel, Paul offers himself as an example of such a life: “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10). The salvation of the elect is so important to Paul that he is willing to endure everything that they might obtain it! Paul follows the perfect example of his Lord by enduring suffering for the sake of the salvation of others. May we capture this vision of Christlikeness and follow Paul as he follows Christ! Paul then ends this section with one of the most robust descriptions in all of Scripture of how the gospel impacts our lives. He offers two descriptions of promise and two exhortations to endurance. The glorious promise of the gospel is that those who have been united with Christ in His death will also be united with Him in His life (2 Timothy 2:11). When we identify with Christ by repenting of our sins and believing in Him, we die to our sin and become alive to God. What a glorious reality! And yet, even though we have died to sin and become alive to God, we still exist in the presence of sin and face the temptations of the flesh. This means that we will sometimes lapse into faithlessness–we will be given to momentary temptation to sin and it will overcome us. And yet, even in these moments of faithlessness, we have a Lord and Savior who remains faithful to His promises (2 Timothy 2:13), which means that there is nothing that can separate us from the life that He accomplished for us with His death and resurrection. He cannot deny Himself! But Paul also includes two exhortations to endurance. While these glorious realities are true, we must endure to “reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:12a). If we turn away from Him completely and forsake His name, “He also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12b). The promise of these verses is great, but the call to endurance is real. We must press on; we must fight the good fight; we must turn our eyes upon Jesus, day by day. This is what it takes to endure the path that leads to eternal life. • In what ways does the gospel impact the way we live our lives? ______

• How do the glorious promises of the gospel intersect with your life today? In what ways are you especially in need of endurance today? Whom are you seeking to reach with the gospel this week? ______PRAY Praise God for the glorious promises of the gospel–that you have died and become alive with Christ, and that He remains faithful to you, even when you are faithless toward Him. Ask that He would empower you to cling to these promises and thereby endure to the end. 58 saturday july 20

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Focused” from 2 Timothy 2:1-13. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

59 sunday july FOCUSED 21

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

60 Week of july 22, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 monday july 2 Timothy 2:14-18 22 Worldly and empty chatter infects the body of Christ MAIN IDEA and leads to ruin.

Paul uses some gruesome imagery in today’s passage. He says that the “worldly and empty chatter” (2 Timothy 2:16) of men like Hymenaeus and Philetus will “spread like gangrene” (2 Timothy 2:17) and lead “to the ruin” of those who hear them (2 Timothy 2:14). If you know anything about gangrene, this is strong and grisly imagery. It refers to the death of the body’s tissue due to the blockage of blood flow or bacterial infection. Often affecting the extremities, the disease renders the skin green or black and leads to a state of deterioration. It is difficult to imagine a more morbid image for Paul to use. When worldly and empty chatter infect the body of Christ, the result is the corrosion of its members. What is this worldly and empty chatter? And what is it doing to the church? Paul tells us that Hymenaeus and Philetus were teaching that the final resurrection of the dead had already occurred, and thereby “they upset the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:18). Their heretical teachings were turning the faith of some in Timothy’s congregation upside down–literally destroying the body of Christ! Brothers and sisters, let us not underestimate the power of words to build up and to tear down. As we will see tomorrow, we have a solemn responsibility to use our words for the glory of God and the good of His people. • What was the content and result of the worldly and empty chatter of Hymenaeus and Philetus? ______

• What are some specific ways you can avoid worldly and empty chatter in your church? How can you guard yourself against heresy like Hymenaeus and Philetus were teaching? ______

PRAY Pray that God would help you to apply Ephesians 4:29: “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” 61 tuesday july 2 Timothy 2:14-18 23

The body of Christ desperately needs the life- MAIN IDEA giving, Christ-exalting Word of God. Paul’s negative appraisal of Hymenaeus and Philetus is accompanied by positive exhortations to Timothy. These exhortations function as the cure to the disease of unwholesome talk that threatens to deteriorate the health of the body of Christ. Paul charges Timothy to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and “avoid worldly and empty chatter” (2 Timothy 2:16). In contrast to the “worldly and empty chatter” of Hymenaeus and Philetus, which leads to ungodliness, Timothy ought to diligently employ himself in the most eternally significant way possible: accurately teaching and preaching the life-giving, Christ-exalting truth of the Word of God. He also ought to “solemnly charge” his flock to avoid the useless and ruinous speech of men like Hymenaeus and Philetus. We desperately need our speech and conduct to be directed by the Word of God. Otherwise, the body of Christ will be infected with the metastasizing disease of unwholesome talk which leads to ungodliness and ruin. So let us turn our hearts away from the empty talk of the world to a word which is infinitely better: the Word of God. Let us pray that our pastors rightly handle the Word of truth. And let us humbly submit to their leadership as they preach this truth to us.

• What exhortations does Paul charge Timothy with in this passage? ______

• In what ways might your heart be clinging to empty and worldly chatter? What actions would this passage have you take? ______PRAY Thank God today for His life-giving, Christ-exalting Word. Ask that He would help you depend on His Word in all things, even in how you speak. Pray that as you study His Word He would transform your heart and mind and make you more like Christ. Pray for the pastors of your church–that they would rightly handle the Word of truth and avoid empty and worldly chatter. 62 wednesday july 2 Timothy 2:19 24

The Lord knows those who are His, but those who MAIN IDEA are His must depart from iniquity.

In the verse before us today, Paul comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. The church, Paul assures Timothy, will stand firm. Even though Hymenaeus and Philetus seek to destroy it with their unwholesome talk, God’s firm foundation stands. We can be assured that “the Lord knows those who are His.” He is not caught off guard when false teaching leads a member of our congregation astray, or when a vile person repents of his sin and believes in Christ for salvation. He knows those who are His–from the beginning to the end, infinitely and eternally. We need not worry about the preservation of those who are truly in Christ–God knows who they are, and He will keep them until the end. And yet, this does not absolve us of any responsibility, for “everyone who names the name of the Lord” must depart from iniquity. God knows those who are His, but none are His who do not depart from iniquity. As Jesus told us, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). For those today who are afflicted by doubt and fear, rest your soul in the truth that the Lord knows those who are His. You can trust in His good, sovereign plan for your life and the lives of those you love. For those today who are comfortable in your long- standing patterns of ever present sins, may your heart be afflicted and stirred to life by this exhortation: “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” • How does the truth that “the Lord knows those who are His” relate to the truth that “everyone who names the name of the Lord” must depart from iniquity? ______

• In what ways does this passage comfort you? In what ways does it afflict or stir you up? ______

PRAY Praise God today for His omniscience (all-knowingness). Ask Him that He would help you trust Him with your salvation and the salvation of your loved ones. Ask Him that you would bear fruit in keeping with your salvation–that He would give you the strength and grace to depart from iniquity today. 63 thursday july 2 Timothy 2:20-21 25

MAIN IDEA Vessels that are cleansed from what is dishonorable are useful to the master of the house.

Do you know anyone who hates to clean or wash dishes? If you were to go to the house of someone who hates to clean dishes, you would expect at least two things: 1) a sink brimming over with dirty, stinky dishes with all kinds of food and beverage residue dried and caked on; 2) empty dish and cup cabinets and empty silverware drawers. If you were to go over to such a person’s house for dinner, you would have to bring your own plate, cup, and utensils because all of theirs would be dirty in the sink! Dirty dishes are useless dishes. This gets close to Paul’s point in this passage. The vessels of dishonorable use are those who are spotted with the stains of “iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). Such vessels are not useful to the master of the house; they are not ready for every good work. Instead, they can only be put to dishonorable use like Hymenaeus and Philetus, who sought to bring the church to ruin. But the vessel that has been cleansed of iniquity becomes “a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). We confess that God is sovereign and that He can even use a talking donkey to accomplish His purposes. But God adds His blessing to those who pursue holiness and gives them the privilege to be useful in the reaching of others as they advance His kingdom. Let us cleanse ourselves from iniquity today by casting away our sin from us and embracing wholeheartedly our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us bow the knee to His Lordship, and live for His glory in every sphere of life. Let us walk in obedience to the demands of the gospel so that we might be “useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”

• What is Paul’s purpose in using the analogy of vessels of honorable and dishonorable use? ______

• What are some specific ways you can progress in holiness this week? ______

PRAY Praise God that He sees fit to allow you to participate in His kingdom work. Ask that He would make you useful in the progress of His kingdom this week. Ask that He would cleanse you of iniquity and lead you to repentance in any areas of unfaithfulness in your life.

64 friday july 2 Timothy 2:22-26 26

MAIN IDEA Honorable vessels walk in purity, holiness, grace, and kindness.

So far this week we have entered with Paul and Timothy into a very specific and difficult situation occurring in Timothy’s church. Two men–Hymenaeus and Philetus–were leading members of the church to ruin through worldly and empty chatter. This prompted Paul to condemn their actions as dishonorable, while calling Timothy to handle God’s Word rightly and stay away from unwholesome speech. Amid the turmoil in his church, Paul assured Timothy that God is faithful, and He will keep those who are His. At the same time, those who are His will show it by living lives apart from sin. In today’s passage, Paul gets more specific concerning what it means to live apart from sin as an honorable vessel. He instructs Timothy toward three actions: 1) Walk in purity by fleeing the passions of the flesh and pursuing holiness (2 Timothy 2:22). 2) Stay away from unnecessary controversies that breed quarrels (2 Timothy 2:23). 3) Confront your opponents with grace and kindness, for by so doing God might even bring them to repentance (2 Timothy 2:24-26). While Paul aimed these instructions at Timothy in his office as a pastor, they generally apply to all believers. We ought to walk in holiness, away from unnecessary controversies, and treat everyone, including our opponents, with grace and kindness, with the ultimate hope that God would draw lost sinners to Himself. This kind of living is gospel-living–when the gospel is at the center of our lives. May God grant us the grace and strength we need to be honorable vessels in His kingdom today. • What moral actions does Paul instruct Timothy to take in this passage? ______

• What are some specific ways that you can apply Paul’s instructions to Timothy to your own life? What passions of the flesh do you need to flee? What controversies do you need to exit? What opponents do you need to treat with grace and kindness? In what ways can these verses help you as you seek to reach others with the gospel? ______PRAY Ask that God would help you, by His grace and the power of the gospel, to live a holy life today. Pray that He would give you the spiritual power you need to embody the instructions Paul gave to Timothy in this passage. 65 saturday july 27

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Diligent” from 2 Timothy 2:14-26. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

66 sunday july DILIGENT 28

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

67 Week of July 29, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. monday 2 Timothy 3:16-17 july 2 Timothy 3:1-9 29 In these last days false teachers will cause trouble in the MAIN IDEA church. If we contrast today’s passage with 2 Timothy 2:22-26, which we looked at on Friday, a picture of Paul’s realistic hopefulness appears. Paul exhorted Timothy to correct his opponents with gentleness, with the hope that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25). While God may indeed save these opponents who would destroy the church, Timothy must “understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty” (2 Timothy 3:1). This difficulty is precipitated by selfish, greedy, wholly corrupt, violent, straying, ignorant men who have the appearance of godliness but deny its power (2 Timothy 3:2-7). These men constantly oppose the people and truth of God, like Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses in Egypt (2 Timothy 3:8). Though they won’t get very far in their opposition since their folly is plain to all (2 Timothy 3:9), we should nevertheless “avoid such people” and the corruption they bring to the church (2 Timothy 3:5). Paul is hopeful that God might use Timothy’s kind and gracious correction of these false teachers to bring them to repentance. And yet, he does not shy away from the reality that many will not repent and will continue to be troublesome for the church. God’s Word prepares us for the troubles that such men bring about. It also points us to the absolute folly of these men, for what can weak and feeble men accomplish against the infinitely powerful King of the universe? As Psalm 2 reminds us, “He who sits in the heavens laughs; The Lord holds them in derision” (Psalm 2:4). God has set His King on Zion’s throne, and His name is Jesus. Be reminded today that we face difficulties in the world and even in the church because He, in His sovereign will, has ordained them for His glory and our good. But take heart, brothers and sisters, for He has already overcome the world (John 16:33). • How does Paul describe false teachers in this passage? How does he instruct us to relate to them? ______

• What are some specific ways you can “avoid such people” in your context? What is the difference between avoiding the kind of people Paul is referring to here and spending time with lost people whom you need to reach with the good news of the gospel? ______PRAY Praise God that King Jesus sovereignly reigns over the entire universe. Praise Him that false teachers like the ones described in this passage have absolutely no power to frustrate His kingdom purposes. Ask that He would protect your church from false teaching and would help you to faithfully walk in the truth. tuesday july 2 Timothy 3:10-17 30 The Bible is the Word of God and, therefore, is MAIN IDEA able to bring us to salvation and carry us through sanctification. Over the past week and a half, we have become well-acquainted with the false teachers that were troubling Timothy’s church. Paul has described them in various ways on multiple occasions. Perhaps, though, there is one common thread in all of Paul’s descriptions of these false teachers. Fundamentally, when it comes right down to it, these false teachers had departed from the truth of God’s Word. Hymenaeus and Philetus had “swerved from the truth” (2 Timothy 2:18). Timothy’s opponents desperately needed “a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25). The troublemakers of the last days never “arrive at a knowledge of the truth,” but instead “oppose the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7-8). It only makes sense, then, that Paul would admonish Timothy to “rightly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and be “able to teach” (2 Timothy 2:24). What these false teachers reveal more than anything else, by way of negative example, is that the power for real transformation and salvation comes from the Word of God alone. And so, Paul admonishes Timothy again and again to continue in the sacred writings, for they have power to make anyone who submits to them “wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 3:15). And the reason why they have this power is because “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible you are holding and reading right now was breathed out by God, and therefore it is a book of infinite and eternal power. Read verses 16-17 again to see this infinite and eternal power. In the Bible God has “granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Brothers and sisters, may we never, never depart from the Word of God. It is our life- source, our guiding light, our means of communion with God and growth in godliness. Cling to it, abide in it, and obey it, now and for the rest of your days!

• What is the Bible? What is it able to do? ______

• Are you treating the Bible in accordance to what it actually is? What changes do you need to make to your life to bring yourself into further dependence upon the Word of God on a daily basis? ______

PRAY Thank God for His Word today. Ask that He would help you to abide in it day by day. Praise Him for its power to save and power to sanctify. Pray that as you continue to study His Word, that He would transform you into more and more Christlikeness. 69 wednesday july 2 Timothy 4:1-8 31 The most important thing for a pastor to do is to preach MAIN IDEA the Word. The most important thing for a Christian to do is to abide in the Word. As we noted at the beginning of our study of 2 Timothy, Paul is writing this letter to Timothy at the end of his life. He is perhaps even facing the prospect of martyrdom. In the verses before us today, Paul begins to communicate with a heightened sense of finality. It is almost as if he is saying to Timothy, “If you don’t do anything else with the rest of your life, do this one thing.” Paul says, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word…” (2 Timothy 4:1-2a). It is difficult to imagine a greater way to communicate the importance of a command than to call God and Christ Jesus, the Judge of the living and the dead, as witnesses. Paul is communicating with weight and solemnity perhaps unmatched in the New Testament. And the content of the command is this: preach the Bible. This is the most significant thing that Timothy will ever do, for the Bible contains the power to save and the power to build up. Timothy should be ready to do this “in season and out of season”–whenever the opportunity arises. Most who read this devotion are not preachers. We don’t stand up on Sunday morning and communicate God’s Word to God’s people. But a challenge still exists here for us. If the preacher’s main calling in life is to preach the Word, then certainly we are to abide in the Word, apply the Word, obey the Word, sit under the preaching of the Word, and depend on the Word in season and out of season. As a man marked for death, Paul points us to the source of life: the Word of God. Let us heed his admonition today! • What does Paul charge Timothy to do in this passage? ______

• Even if you aren’t a preacher, how can you respond to Paul’s charge in this passage today? ______

PRAY Praise God again for His Word. Ask that He would empower the pastors at your church to preach the Word in season and out of season. Ask that His powerful Word would be at work among His people as they apply the Word and are transformed into the image of Christ. 70 thursday august 2 Timothy 4:9-22 1

MAIN IDEA Our lives are meant to be about growing closer to God and accomplishing the mission He gave us.

Paul concludes his final letter to Timothy with some closing instructions. Some, like Demas, have deserted Paul. Others, like Luke, have stuck with him. Many, like Alexander, have done great harm to him. And yet he still wishes to see many others, like Mark or Timothy himself. Perhaps the most interesting closing instruction is Paul’s request for “the cloak…the books, and above all the parchments” (2 Timothy 4:13). Surely these books and parchments would have consisted of the Scriptures. Paul, facing the hard reality of martyrdom, requests that Timothy might bring with him the words of life. Paul would study and write to the end. For he knew who it was who would stand by him and strengthen him to the end–the Lord Himself would bring him “safely into His heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18). At the end of Paul’s life, he sought nothing more than a deeper confidence in the Lord who had already empowered him to endure so much. He kept his eyes fixed on the mission the Lord had given him, to proclaim the message fully so that “all the Gentiles might hear it” (2 Timothy 4:17). As we contemplate how we are conducting our lives today, let us take after the example of Paul. Though Paul’s death was imminent, none of us knows the hour that the Lord will call us home. Let us strive to live for Christ fully each and every moment that He grants us breath. Let us, like Paul, seek opportunity to reach others today with the gospel of Jesus Christ. • What instructions does Paul give to Timothy in this passage? ______

• If you knew that the Lord was going to return today, how would your plans change? What changes do you need to make to the regular patterns of your life to more fully live in light of the Lord’s imminent return? ______PRAY Praise God for His saving and sustaining grace in your life. Ask that He would continue to strengthen you and give you ample opportunities to proclaim the full message of the gospel. Pray that He would help you to live like Jesus is coming back today.

71 Friday august 2 Timothy 4:1-22 2

MAIN IDEA 2 Timothy teaches us to be men and women of God’s Word.

We have now reached the conclusion of Paul’s final letter to Timothy. Paul, writing in light of his imminent death, speaks in terms of finality to Timothy. Perhaps more than anything else, Paul charges Timothy to be a man of God’s Word. He admonishes Timothy to stand boldly for the testimony of the Lord, walking with others in the Word of God and preaching the Word in season and out of season. He instructs Timothy to fight as a good soldier of the Lord, combating the false teaching in his church with the powerful testimony of the Scriptures. He exhorts Timothy to live a life shaped by the Word of God, in purity and uprightness and honor as he continues to proclaim the gospel to others so that all may hear it and respond to God’s gracious gospel. As we close down our time in 2 Timothy, may we take these admonishments to heart and apply them to our own lives. What Timothy needed is exactly what we need: a deeper love for and commitment to the living and active Word of God.

• What is the central teaching of 2 Timothy? ______

• What are some ways that you can further center your life around God’s Word? ______

PRAY Thank God for His Word. Ask that He would help you apply the teaching of 2 Timothy to your life today. Ask that He would use His Word to mold and shape you into the image of Christ. Ask that He would allow you to reach others and disciple them to be molded by the Word of God in their lives.

72 Saturday august 3

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Enduring” from 2 Timothy 3:12-17; 4:1-8. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

73 Sunday august ENDURING 4

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

74 Week of August 5, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. Titus 1:16 Monday august Titus 1:1 5 When we repent and believe in the gospel of Jesus MAIN IDEA Christ, we are not only saved from sin, but also transformed into godly and obedient people. This week we continue our study of the Pastoral Epistles by looking at Titus. Our study of Titus will take us to the end of the quarter. Titus has some commonalities with 1 and 2 Timothy. Paul is writing to a young pastor, one of Paul’s gospel co-workers, who needs counsel on how to lead his church. False teachers were challenging this young pastor’s ministry and leading his congregants astray into ungodliness. Paul’s prescribed remedy to this situation is godliness exemplified in Christian living that flows from a true knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul is convinced that even on an immoral island like Crete, the gospel has the power to save and sanctify those in Titus’ church. For the gospel–the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins–is the source of true salvation and true godliness. When we repent and believe in the gospel, we are not only saved from our sin, but we are also transformed into godly people who love and obey God. The link between what we believe and how we live is inseparable. So, as we prepare our hearts to study Titus, let us strive to encounter the deep truths of the gospel in a new and fresh way, so that our hearts and minds would be transformed and so that we would grow in godliness and obedience to the Lord. • What is the main issue Paul addresses in Titus? What is the main solution that he gives? ______

• Take some time to examine your own heart: In what ways has your faith in Christ led to transformation of the way you live? ______

PRAY Ask that God would bless your time studying Titus over the next three weeks. Ask that He would open your eyes in a new and fresh way to the gospel of Jesus Christ in all its depth. Ask that your knowledge of the truth would lead to godliness in your life and to reaching others with the gospel.

75 Tuesday august Titus 1:1-4 6 God has called us to faith in Christ and lives of MAIN IDEA godliness, and to proclaim the life-transforming good news of Christ to others. Whether you are a retired senior adult, a working parent, a college-age single, a stay-at- home mom, or somewhere in-between, it is important for you to know your purpose in life. If you go to work, you need to know, “Why am I sitting at this desk every day?” If you are in college, you need to know, “Why am I writing this paper?” If you stay home with the kids, you need to know, “Why am I changing this diaper?” In these opening verses of Titus, Paul gives us a crystal-clear description of his life’s purpose: He has been sent out by Jesus Christ as an apostle to preach the gospel so that others may believe it unto salvation and be transformed by it unto godliness. We can be certain that God will accomplish these purposes, for God has promised eternal life to those who believe; and God never lies! As we will see, Paul will carry out this life purpose in this particular instance by instructing Titus to preach the same gospel with the same effects in his church. In fact, this is the calling that God has placed on every believer; and that is the reason we, as a church, are pursuing our Reach initiative. We ourselves are God’s elect, who have repented of sin and believed the gospel, and who are being transformed from one degree of glory to another, day by day, by the power of this gospel. And we also are called to be witnesses to this gospel (Acts 1:8) and make disciples who make other disciples who love God and obey the commands of this gospel (Matthew 28:19). So, you can have confidence today in God’s purpose for your life–whether you are at work, at home, in the classroom, or somewhere in-between. He has called you to live a life of faith in Jesus Christ, which leads to a life of godliness. He has called you to reap the benefits of your faith–a sure and steadfast eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. And He has called you to testify to others about these glorious realities and help others to understand them and apply them in their own lives. If you weren’t sure what you were supposed to be doing today, you now have some clear instructions from God’s Word! Reach others with the gospel of Jesus Christ today! • What is Paul’s purpose in life? ______

• What are some specific ways you, in your own work, home, college, etc., context, can fulfill God’s purpose for your life as it is described in this text? ______

PRAY Praise God for the gift of eternal life through Christ. Praise Him for His perfect and unending faithfulness. Ask that He would deepen your love for and obedience to Him today. Pray that He would give you opportunities to reach others today.

76 Wednesday august Titus 1:5-9 7 One major key to a healthy church is leaders who hold MAIN IDEA fast to the truth of the gospel and walk in godliness in accordance to that gospel. One way to think about Paul’s letter to Titus is as a manual for how to establish a healthy church. In general, Paul shows Titus that at the center of every healthy church is a robust understanding of the gospel that leads its congregants to live “self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” (Titus 2:12). The most important first step to achieving such a healthy church is establishing leaders who hold a robust understanding of the gospel that leads to godliness in their lives. This is the first task that Paul gives to Titus: “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you...” (Titus 1:5). There are two major characteristics of these elders: 1) they live godly lives (Titus 1:6-8) and 2) they hold fast to the truth of God’s Word and faithfully teach it to others (Titus 1:9). As we think about Paul’s letter to Titus as a whole, we find out how these two characteristics fit together. It is when we hold fast to the truth of God’s Word that God uses His Word to transform our hearts and minds and make us into godly people. If we try to become godly using our own strength, we will fail every time, either regressing back into immorality or slipping into self-righteousness. But, if we go to God’s Word and meditate on the glorious realities of the gospel, God will grow our love and affection for Him, and accordingly grow our desire and ability to honor and obey Him. So, cling tightly to the Word of God today, brothers and sisters, and watch how God uses His Word to transform your life radically for His glory. • What characteristics does Paul use to describe qualified elders in this passage? ______

• What are some ways the truth of God’s Word has impacted the way you live? What are some ways that you have been resistant to the truth of God’s Word? What are some specific ways you need to apply the truth of God’s Word to your life today? ______PRAY Pray that God would help the leaders of your church to live godly lives, hold fast to the truth of God’s Word, and faithfully teach it to others. Ask that He would help you hold fast to His Word, and that He would grow your love for Him to such an extent that you are empowered to honor and obey Him and to witness for Him in new and deeper ways. 77 Thursday august Titus 1:10-16 8

We can discern the authenticity of our own faith, MAIN IDEA or that of others, by whether that faith leads to godliness. After describing the characteristics of the kind of leaders that Titus should be looking for, Paul now describes the characteristics of the false teachers who are troubling his ministry and congregants. While leaders in the church should hold fast to the truth of God’s Word and live godly lives in accordance with that truth, false teachers turn away from the truth and live ungodly, defiled lives. There are many in the world who profess to know God–from Bible teachers on the television screen to friends at work who don’t attend church at all. But how do we discern who truly knows and loves God and who doesn’t? Paul tells us that these false teachers “profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him” (Titus 1:16a). We can discern whether someone truly knows God–whether they have a real knowledge of the truth–by how they live their lives. Are they “detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed”? (Titus 1:16b) Then by the testimony of their works we would be right to conclude they don’t know God. For true faith–true knowledge of God–leads not to unrighteousness but rather to godliness. As we seek to discern the state of our own hearts and that of others we are seeking to reach with the gospel, let us use this as a test. Is there any evidence of real transformation toward godliness as a result of their profession of faith?

• What are the characteristics that Paul uses to describe false teachers? ______

• According to this passage, on what evidence should you base your confidence that you truly know God? ______

PRAY Ask God that He would give you a true knowledge of Him. Pray that your faith in Him would lead to godliness in your life. Thank Him for the power of the gospel–that it truly does renew your heart and mind, and it enables you to honor and obey Him.

78 Friday august Titus 1:10-16 9

MAIN IDEA We should respond to false teachers by rebuking them and calling them to repentance and faith in Christ.

When we are confronted with a false teacher in the church, or elsewhere, how should we respond? First, Paul shows us the danger of false teaching. He says that in Crete the false teachers were “upsetting whole families” (Titus 1:11). As a result of their false teaching, entire families in the church were being led away from the truth of God toward unbiblical thinking and ungodly conduct. Next, he shows us the proper response to false teaching. It begins in his description of qualified elders–they are those who hold fast to the faithful Word, teach it, and refute those who contradict it (Titus 1:9). False teachers, because of the danger of their teachings, need to be reproved and “silenced” (Titus 1:11). Certainly, the goal in this reproving is their reconciliation to God: “Reprove them severely so that they may be sound in faith...” (Titus 1:13). While it is paramount that the flock of God be protected from teaching that would defile it, the aim of our charge should always be love that comes from a pure and undefiled heart. We should strive to bring about repentance of sin and restoration to God even in those who seek to harm the church. A great example of this is the interaction between Simon the Magician and Peter in Acts 8:9-24. Simon believed the gospel but wanted to take part in the ministry of the apostles for selfish, greedy reasons. He was indeed willing to teach things he “should not teach for the sake of sordid gain” (Titus 1:11). Peter responded by rebuking and silencing him, but also by calling him to repentance: “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:20-22). Peter discerned the ungodly intentions of Simon’s heart, and called him to repentance and faith in the Lord. • What is the proper response to false teachers? ______

• Examine your own motivations for believing in Christ. What drives your faith in Christ and your obedience to God’s Word? ______

PRAY Pray that the Lord would protect His bride from falsehood. Ask that He would give you the boldness to stand for the gospel of God and the people of God. 79 Saturday august 10

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Living with Opposition” from Titus 1:1-5, 10-16. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

80 Sunday august LIVING WITH OPPOSITION 11

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

81 Week of August 12, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age. Monday Titus 2:11-12 august Titus 2:1-10 12

Our lives are the setting, in which the diamond of the MAIN IDEA gospel is placed.

We have all seen jewelry ads for diamond rings. The diamond is the focal point of the ring. The band and the setting in which the diamond is placed only serve to increase the prominence of the diamond. A good setting effectively draws attention to the diamond, while a bad setting distracts from the diamond. In today’s passage Paul argues that the purpose of the various spheres of life within the church is to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect” (Titus 2:10). The purpose of our lives is to be an effective setting to display the glory and prominence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everything we do, every relationship we have, ought to be intended to make the name of Jesus Christ famous. The way we live our lives is a commentary on the power and reality of the gospel. When we claim the name of Christ, how we live says something about who He is. Your life is the setting in which the diamond of the gospel is placed, and your one purpose is to accentuate the gospel in every respect. Paul applies this principle in some very specific ways concerning the different relationships we have in the church, and we will look at those in detail tomorrow. • What does it mean to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect”? ______

• What are some specific ways you can use your life to call attention to the glory and grace of Jesus Christ? ______

PRAY Praise God for giving you eternal life through Jesus Christ your Lord. Ask that He would help you use your life to honor and glorify His name.

82 Tuesday august Titus 2:1-10 13

A lifestyle that adorns the gospel of God is MAIN IDEA impossible apart from Christ.

So far in Titus, we have seen that there are some on Crete who are claiming to be godly but are living in a way that denies the gospel. In contrast, Paul commands Titus to teach what is consistent with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1) and to instruct his congregants to adorn the gospel of God with their lives (Titus 2:10). What is the teaching that is consistent with sound doctrine? Paul outlines it in verses 2-10. He gives specific commands for Titus to teach to older men, older women, younger men, younger women, and slaves. The teaching that is consistent with sound doctrine is a lifestyle of self-control, uprightness, and godliness. If we look closely at these commands, what we find is that they are just as impossible to fulfill now as they were on Crete in the first century. These lifestyle commands fly directly in the face of our sinful nature. On our own we live lives exactly opposite of this. We cannot live consistent with sound doctrine on our own, which is why the gospel-saturated verses we will consider tomorrow are so important.

• What is teaching that is consistent with sound doctrine? ______

• What commands apply specifically to your age-group and gender in this passage? How will you seek to obey the commands of this text this week? ______

PRAY

Ask God to shape your life into one that adorns the gospel of God. Ask that He would give you the grace and strength you need to obey His commands. Ask that He would ignite a love in your heart for Him that surpasses your love for anyone or anything else.

83 Wednesday august Titus 2:11-15 14 Though we deserve to die in our sin, grace has MAIN IDEA appeared to rescue us from our sin and train us for godliness. Yesterday we looked at a lifestyle that is impossible to live on our own: one that is consistent with sound doctrine and adorns the gospel of God. What empowers this lifestyle? This is the question Paul answers in verses 11-14. The answer that verse 11 provides is grace. Grace is unmerited favor. We have no merits on our own. We do not deserve the favor of God because we have sinned against Him. Instead of obeying God we have chosen to disobey Him. As human beings in a fallen world this is our natural condition. We are separated from God because of our rebellion against Him, and we are enslaved to our sin. In and of ourselves there is nothing we can do about this. It is impossible for us to earn God’s favor. It would be easier for us to climb to the peak of Mount Everest on our hands and knees, or to jump from 5th Avenue onto the crest of the Empire State Building, than it would be for us to earn God’s favor on our own. God must give His favor to us freely or we will not receive it at all. Apart from grace we are left in our sin and left for dead. Apart from grace there is no hope. Yet the amazing truth in this verse is that grace has appeared! He did not leave us to die in our sin like we deserved–as slaves to ungodliness and worldly desires. No, instead His grace has appeared. It has appeared to rescue us from our sin and to train us for godliness. This is the message we proclaim to the world, especially in the city we are seeking to reach with the gospel. • What is the definition of grace? ______

• How does grace relate to your ability to be free from sin and to walk in godliness? How do you see God’s grace at work in your life today? ______

PRAY Praise God for His grace today. Thank Him that He has given you the exact opposite of what you deserve–instead of wrath, He has given you favor! Ask that you would walk in His grace today, dead to sin and alive to Christ. 84 Thursday august Titus 2:11-15 15

MAIN IDEA Grace rescues us from our ungodliness.

The first action that grace takes in our lives, when it appears, is that it rescues us. We were once completely without hope. We were slaves to our sin, and we had no chance of earning God’s favor. But the grace of God appeared and rescued us. He didn’t rescue us because of anything that we had done. That’s impossible because we can’t do anything to rescue ourselves. No, it had to be according to His own mercy. According to His own mercy, God’s Holy Spirit was poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ. So, grace has appeared to us. And grace has appeared to us in the form of a person–His name is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is grace incarnate. Jesus Christ is the undeserved favor of God poured out on us. Verse 14 tells us that Jesus Christ “gave Himself for us”–on our behalf, in our place. This, of course, is referring to the cross. On the cross Jesus took all our sin upon Himself and received all the wrath of God that we deserved. And in exchange for our sin He gave us His righteousness. Jesus took our status as rebels and gave us the status of son. And so, because Jesus gave Himself for us God looks at us and sees the righteousness of His Son. Because Jesus gave Himself for us, God the Judge counts us just. Grace rescues. Grace empowers us to live a lifestyle of godliness by rescuing us from ungodliness. But it doesn’t stop there. If we leave it there it is incomplete. We will see tomorrow that grace not only rescues, but it also trains. • What does it mean that grace rescues? ______

• How should you respond when you think about God rescuing you from your sin? How are your affections impacted when you think about God’s saving grace toward you? How does this truth affect the way you think? The way you live? The way you reach others? ______

PRAY Praise God for the wonderful gift of redemption through Christ Jesus your Lord. Ask that He would swell your affections for Him as you consider the infinite depths of His grace toward you in Christ. Ask that He would help you to respond by worshiping Him wholeheartedly throughout the day. 85 Friday august Titus 2:11-15 16

MAIN IDEA Grace trains us to renounce ungodliness and embrace godliness.

Grace not only rescues us, it also trains us. Saving grace is transforming grace. Grace trains us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to embrace self-control, uprightness, and godliness (Titus 2:12). The grace of God in the person of Jesus Christ redeems us from every lawless deed and purifies us for the day of Christ (Titus 2:13-14). Without grace we were slaves to sin, but with grace we are zealous for every good deed (Titus 2:14). Charles Spurgeon once illustrated the nature of this transforming grace. Imagine that there are two pigs tied up in a barn–two big, nasty, snorting pigs. On one side of the barn are two troughs filled with all the slop, muck, and garbage that pigs love to eat. And on the other side is a table full of the most wonderful barbeque dinner–brisket, pulled pork, ribs, fried chicken, baked beans, etc. Now, if the pigs were released, which way would they go? They would go straight for all the muck and grime they are accustomed to. Now imagine that all of a sudden those pigs were turned into men. What would happen? They would be totally repulsed by what they were eating, and they would throw it all up. They have been given a new appetite and now they are headed for the barbeque! Jesus Christ did not die on the cross so that we would leave our head in the slop of our sin. No, the cross is much more powerful than that. Jesus Christ died to pull us out of the slop. If we are living life in the slop right now, then repentance is needed. Jesus died to take us out of our sin. His purpose is to transform us. His grace is a grace that trains. And He wants to help us to reach out to others to help them out of the slop! • What does it mean that grace trains? ______

• What evidence have you seen of God’s transforming grace in your life? Can you think of a recent instance when you have forgotten God’s transforming work in your life and returned to the slop of your sin? How did you respond? ______

PRAY Praise God for His transforming grace in your life. Ask that He would help you to be transformed from one degree of glory to another, day by day. Ask that He would continue to conform you into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. Ask that He would empower you to renounce ungodliness and embrace godliness, day by day. 86 Saturday august 17

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Living with Integrity” from Titus 2:1-15. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

87 Sunday august LIVING WITH INTEGRITY 18

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

88 Week of August 19, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. Titus 3:8 Monday august Titus 3:1-2 19 We need to be reminded live to in a manner that is in MAIN IDEA keeping with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is common knowledge among memory-experts and teachers that repetition is one of the keys to memory retention. The classic example comes from your school days. If you cram all night for an exam, you might do well on it. But take that same exam a year later without having studied the material again, and you will most likely fail. The best way to retain material and really lodge it into our long-term memory is to rehearse that material again and again over time. Oftentimes the same is true when it comes to spiritual matters. This is why Paul charges Titus to “remind” his church to walk in obedience to Christ. The reminder here is for them to practice gospel living as they relate to those outside the church–“rulers and authorities” (Titus 3:1) and all people (Titus 3:2). We know that the gospel completely transforms the way we live and relate to other people (Titus 2:1-15), but sometimes we forget it! Be reminded today, brothers and sisters, of the rescuing and transforming grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Strive to walk in that grace and to share it with others who the Lord places in your path and those who you have been led to attempt to reach. • How does Paul say we ought to treat people outside the church? ______

• As you consider your current rhythms and patterns of life, what are some important gospel truths that you need to be reminded of? ______

PRAY Praise God for His grace to you in the person and work of Christ. Ask that you would be reminded today, and every day, of the radical transformation that you have undergone by the grace of God. Ask that you would live in a manner that brings glory to Christ today and that anyone He puts in your path would see His grace in your life.

89 Tuesday august Titus 3:3-7 20

The before and after picture of the Christian life MAIN IDEA is the most wonderful reality in the world. Before-and-after pictures are one of the linchpins of our advertising industry. If you want to advertise a hair growth product, one of the best ways is to show a picture of a balding man before using the product and then another picture of the same man with a head full of hair after using the product. This is attractive to the balding consumer because it shows just how bad the man’s hair was before the product and how good it was after the product. Isn’t it true, though, that products like these don’t often work as advertised? The before- and-after pictures make a promising pitch, but often reality disappoints. In today’s passage we have a kind of before-and-after picture. We see what life was like before we knew Christ, and what it is like after we come to know Christ. But, unlike most hair product advertisements, which make a promise that oftentimes goes unfulfilled, the before-and-after picture of the Christian life in this passage is a wonderful display of reality. Before you knew Christ, things really were as bad as verse 3 shows. You really were walking in disobedience to your Creator, you really were a slave to your own lusts, and you really were consumed with malice and envy and hatred. These are accurate, real descriptions of every person who does not know Jesus Christ. And yet, the “goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior” (Titus 3:4) really is as wonderful as this passage describes it to be. Those of us who are in Christ really do experience new life through the power of the Holy Spirit; we really are justified by God’s grace through the person and work of Christ; we really do have an eternal hope as heirs of the everlasting kingdom of God. The transformation that the grace of God makes in our lives is the most real thing in all the world. Let us praise Him for it today! • How does Paul describe life before Christ? How about after Christ? ______

• Can you think of some specific ways that your life has changed as a result of coming to know Christ? What does the before-and-after picture of your Christian life look like? ______PRAY Thank God today for transforming your life through Christ. Ask that the before-and- after picture of your life would result in the glory of His name and the upbuilding of His church. Ask that He would enable you to share this wonderful reality with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and everyone you know. 90 Wednesday august Titus 3:8-11 21 The Lord, through His Word, teaches us what in the MAIN IDEA Christian life is good to do and what is good to avoid. When you were young, you learned that some things are good to do, while others are good to avoid. For instance, you learned it is good to play with toys and good to avoid snakes. If you were to get those mixed up, you would really be in some trouble. The same is true in our walk with Christ. There is a way to live that is fitting with the gospel of Christ, and there are things that those who are followers of Christ ought to avoid. If we are recipients of the rescuing and transforming grace of God, Paul says, we ought to devote ourselves to good works. We don’t do this as a means of salvation, but rather as its result. The purpose of God’s rescuing grace in our lives, if you remember, is to “purify for His own possession a people who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). God, by His grace, makes us into the kind of people who devote ourselves to good works. And so that is what we should do! People who devote themselves to good works also avoid certain things–namely, anything that is not “excellent and profitable” (Titus 3:8). They avoid foolish controversies and people who stir up division, for these things are “unprofitable and worthless” (Titus 3:9). Just like we learned the basic rules of what is good to do and what is good to avoid when we were young, so also in the school of grace we learn what Christ would have us do and what He would have us avoid. May we submit our lives to His teaching and learn what it means to live for the glory of God, from the only person in all existence whoever did it perfectly, Jesus Christ.

• What in the Christian life is good to do? What is good to avoid? ______

• What are some specific ways you can devote yourself to good works today? What needs to change in your life to avoid what is unprofitable and worthless? ______

PRAY Thank God today for His kindness and generosity in giving you His Word. Thank Him for its guidance, instruction, and wisdom. Ask that He would give you the grace to obey it and learn from it, as you continue to live out your life in Christ.

91 Thursday august Titus 3:12-15 22

MAIN IDEA Paul concludes his letter with one last plea for us to devote ourselves to good works.

Paul concludes his letter to Titus with one final call to devote ourselves to good works. We can view the specific instructions he gives in this conclusion as one example of what it looks like for believers to do this–brothers and sisters serving and supporting one another so that they lack nothing and are enabled to grow and flourish in Christ. Who do you know in your Sunday School class, or your small group, or who sits next to you in church, that has an urgent need in his or her life? Of those you are seeking to reach with the gospel, who has an urgent need? What if the Lord was calling you, through this passage, to devote yourself to good works by making sure that person is lacking in nothing? As we come to the close of our study in Titus, do not let the message of this little letter stay in the realm of the abstract. Live the Word of God today. Obey the commands of Scripture. Use your life today as a fitting adornment of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Devote yourself to good works for the glory of God and the good of His people!

• How do the instructions that Paul gives connect to his focus on godliness and good works in Titus? ______

• Make a plan to serve another person in the church this week. Make it as detailed as possible: timeline, specific steps to take, intended result, etc. How can you use these verses to help you pursue others with the gospel as you minister to them? ______

PRAY Ask that God would use the time that you have spent in Titus for His glory and the good of His people. Ask that He would help you to live out the commands and instructions that Paul gives in this letter. Ask that He would use your life to adorn the gospel of God.

92 Friday august 2 Timothy 3:16 23

MAIN IDEA All of God’s Word is intended for all of God’s people.

As we conclude our study of Titus, and our study of the Pastoral Epistles as a whole, a reminder is in order from 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” The reason why 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus exist is to bring lost sinners to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and to build up and equip God’s people to do what He has called them to do. When we read books of the Bible like the Pastoral Epistles, we might be tempted to think, “Well, Paul wrote these to pastors, so they don’t really apply to me.” We need to reject this kind of thinking! All of God’s Word is intended for all of God’s people! So, don’t let your study of the Pastoral Epistles go to waste. Apply the things that you have learned. Revel and rejoice in the wondrously good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And allow this glorious gospel to transform and inform every single aspect of your life!

• As you think back on the last 13 weeks of study in the Pastoral Epistles, what is the most impactful truth that you learned from God’s Word? ______

• Where do you most struggle to live according to sound doctrine? What area of your life needs to be infiltrated by the gospel of Jesus Christ the most? How might the message of Titus help you to do that? ______

PRAY Pray that God would bless your time in His Word over these past 13 weeks. Rehearse His own promise back to Him: the Word of God will not return void (Isaiah 55:11)! Ask that you would bear much fruit as a result of the work that His Word is doing in your heart and life. 93 Saturday august 24

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ______

• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ______

• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice? ______

Tomorrow our lesson is “Living to Do” from Titus 3:1-11. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

94 Sunday august LIVING TO DO 25

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES ______

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: ______

95 CITATIONS

1. Page 15 - Thursday, June 6 https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/quotes-about-manliness/.

2. Page 21 - Wednesday, June 12 David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, Tony Merida. Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus. p. 51.