Is there a difference between men and women? Can women lead men in the church? Can women teach men in the church? If so, does the topic or content make a difference? Should there be guidelines or boundaries? If so, what are they and when or how should they be established? This week, we’ve been…
How Paul’s Focus On the King Impacted His Future. We’ve looked at Paul’s Past and we’ve looked at Paul’s Present and now, we get a glimpse into his Future. Paul has given Timothy some really difficult instruction throughout the first chapter of this letter. Maybe Paul’s wondering, “How is Timothy going to take it? Will he…
How Paul’s Life Helps Us Live Ours. The Apostle Paul wrote these words to Timothy: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (1:15) Why did Jesus come to this world? He came to save sinners. Today we’re moving from the past to the present. Not…
How Paul’s Past Reminds Us Not to Forget Ours. In 1 Timothy 1:12, Paul writes, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.” (1:12) In verse 11, we read, “…which he entrusted to me.” (1:11), referring to God entrusting the Gospel to him….
The Proof Is In the Pew. We’ve been working our way through the first half of 1 Timothy 1 this week. So far, we’ve talked about Authority and Accountability. Today we’ll be discussing the Assessment. (Click HERE to open verses 8-11 of 1 Timothy 1 in your browser.) Within these verses, we find an ugly list: “…lawbreakers and rebels, the…
“Such things promote controversial speculations…“ We’ve been studying 1 Timothy 1 this week. This morning, I’d like to look at the following passage: “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to…
The Power of Mentorship and Accountability. Too many pastors come out of Bible college with unrealistic expectations of what church-life is really going to be like. Many of them are left to do it on their own. It’s at that point, young pastors need to get serious about bringing in some outside guidance and wisdom. We’ve been looking…
Why We Should Check a Pastor’s Authority. What kind of authority does pastoral leadership really have? I know that word “authority” can sound like a four letter word in church circles. But when used properly, it can prevent us from slipping away from sound doctrine. Today, we’re going to discuss the topic of authority. Who has it and…
And Preventing the Slippery Slope of False Doctrine. Is the experience of Christianity becoming more important than the foundations of Christianity? The more I watch and read about Christianity and the global church, the more I struggle to see Christians holding fast to Biblical truth and standing firm on doctrinal integrity. More and more, spiritual discussions…
Biblical, Practical & Evangelical There’s an age-old evangelism tool that’s been used by missions and evangelical organizations for decades. Perhaps, many of you reading this post have heard of or used an evangelism method called “The Romans Road”? Now there are quite a few versions of The Romans Road. But the basic concept is using the book of Romans,…
PAUL: THE LEADING CHOLERIC Two things come to end today. First, we end our week-long study of the Apostle Paul. But second, we end our month-long post-series, “Leaders Are Everywhere: God can use anyone, from anywhere, to do anything.“ To recap, we looked at 4 Biblical leaders over 4 weeks: MOSES: The Analytical Melancholy ABRAHAM:…
PAUL: The Leading Choleric Paul has been referred to as the Leading Choleric. I know, I know, once again (as I’ve done throughout this series) I’m throwing out a couple of words that you may or may not immediately understand. Let’s unpack the meaning of this character profile. It’s believed that Paul, more than any of…