Gollihue Family Discipleship

1 Timothy 5:9-16, Widows in the church 
 
There was a time in the past when Shawnna and I had an emergency food pantry, where we distributed food to those in need. One of the hardest things about doing this type of ministry is that we quickly learned that everyone who requested help didn’t need help. They were just looking for a free handout and was more than capable of providing for the needs of their family. After discussing the issue with some others who were more established in this form of ministry, they said that they had joined a local database that tracked distributions in the region. The database would log in individuals who received a food basket and where they received it at. They had to do this because un-needing people would go to every food bank in the region getting food when they didn’t need it, they was just abusing the system that was in place and actually taking from this who were in true need. Paul warns Timothy of the same thing when it comes to the care of widows in the church, the church should only be caring for the widows who are truly in need. 
 
It is a shame that our society is in the condition that it is in, but I have seen this over and over in ministry; People show up for handouts and giveaways through the church and they are by no means in need. Paul tells Timothy that when it comes to the widows, they are ministering to that they need to make certain that they have no one providing for them or are not able to provide for themselves. He says that those who are idle (younger widows) tend to become busybodies in the community and causing problems. It is hard as a minister to see those abuse the church and ultimately take from those who are in true need because of their greed. In this pastoral letter Paul make sure that Timothy knows that it is church leaderships responsibility to see that such abuse of charity doesn’t occur.

1 Timothy 5:9-16, Widows in the church

There was a time in the past when Shawnna and I had an emergency food pantry, where we distributed food to those in need.  One of the hardest things about doing this type of ministry is that we quickly learned that everyone who requested help didn’t need help.  They were just looking for a free handout and was more than capable of providing for the needs of their family.  After discussing the issue with some others who were more established in this form of ministry, they said that they had joined a local database that tracked distributions in the region.  The database would log in individuals who received a food basket and where they received it at.  They had to do this because un-needing people would go to every food bank in the region getting food when they didn’t need it, they was just abusing the system that was in place and actually taking from this who were in true need.  Paul warns Timothy of the same thing when it comes to the care of wid

1 Timothy 5:9-16

1 Timothy 4:15-16 Let me see your progress report 
 
Ask most coaches and they will tell you that most athletes make their biggest strides between the first and second year of joining a program. A player moving from their freshman to sophomore year should show some serious progress because they have now been in the system for a year. They know the team’s schemes and have been a part of the team workouts and culture for a year so now it is time for them to show what they are made of. Their progress should be evident for everyone who has been around the team. Paul tells Timothy that his spiritual growth should be on full display so that everyone may see his progress in his relationship with God. He tells him to concentrate on the things he had told him in this letter and make sure that everyone can see his growth. He also tells him to that he needs to be on guard and making sure his doctrine is in line with the truth. 
 
What if God gave us a progress report at the end of each year like a college coach gives their players at the end of each season? Paul told Timothy that his growth in his relationship with God should be evident to all those around him, what about our spiritual growth? Shouldn’t everyone around us be able to see that we are daily growing closer to God. When we meet people on the street who we haven’t seen in a while shouldn’t they say, “Wow, Pete has really matured spiritual.” Shouldn’t they see more of Jesus and less of us. For this to be a reality we must be continually growing closer to God, we can’t get stagnant or stand still we must keep moving forwards. We can’t live our lives trying to impress the world around us or get a pat on the back for how awesome we are but if we are walking closely with God then the world should see our progress. They should see us changing and transforming more and more into the image of Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 4:15-16 Let me see your progress report

Ask most coaches and they will tell you that most athletes make their biggest strides between the first and second year of joining a program.  A player moving from their freshman to sophomore year should show some serious progress because they have now been in the system for a year.  They know the team’s schemes and have been a part of the team workouts and culture for a year so now it is time for them to show what they are made of.  Their progress should be evident for everyone who has been around the team.  Paul tells Timothy that his spiritual growth should be on full display so that everyone may see his progress in his relationship with God.  He tells him to concentrate on the things he had told him in this letter and make sure that everyone can see his growth.  He also tells him to that he needs to be on guard and making sure his doctrine is in line with the truth.

What if God gave us a progress report at the end of each year lik

1 Timothy 4:15-16

1 Timothy 4:2, (End times) Seared Consciences 
 
I used to love to lift weights but one of the hassles about lifting is that when you begin your hands get blistered and callused. The bars and dumbbells are ribbed for better gripping and this leads to your hands having a rough couple of weeks until they firm up and get used to the friction. After you have done it a while your hand become rough and unaware of the friction because they have developed a tolerance to it and it no longer bothers you. Paul says in verse 2 that in the last days many people hearts will become like the hands of a lifelong weight lifter, they will no longer feel the friction caused by the sin of this world and they will openly walk in it. He says that those who fall away from the church and will do so because their consciences have been seared hot iron. Meaning the conscience will no longer warn them of the wickedness in their lives and around them. 
 
This portion of scripture is like what Paul said in Romans 1:28 when God says that he will turn those who refuse to accept the truth over to a reprobate mind. It is a very scary situation to find one’s self in when the God given conscience no longer warns you of the sin around you. We see it all around us as more and more sin is becoming openly accepted by the masses not only in the world but also in the so called Christian churches. They have ignored the friction of the soul against this sinful world so long that their hearts have become callused and they no longer bat an eye at what God calls evil. They have compromised their values and bought into the lies of this world, that a modern society must be tolerant of everyone’s choices and opinion. Yet they neglect the opinion of the One who matters most, God. We need to wake up a see that the times Paul is talking about to Timothy are upon us now and the end is near. 
 
1 Timothy 4:3-5, (End times) Manmade rules will reign 
 
Growing up in a neighborhood full of boys who was all about the same age we had some epic sports battles in whose ever yard we decided to play in. One of things that would happen regularly was debates over the rules of the game we were playing. We didn’t always play traditional sports and many times we made up our own games with our own sets of rules. Well in a group of young men it is inevitable that someone is going to get their feathers ruffled if they don’t get their way and this would end in a split or faction. The group would have to choose sides and decide what the rule was going to be in effect and if the others didn’t like it, they could hit the road, and sometimes they did until they calmed down. All this drama over a set of rules made up and enforced by a bunch of kids. Paul tells Timothy in verses 3-5 that in the last days that people will cling to manmade rules and neglect or ignore the commandments of God. 
 
He deals with things such as marriage and the dietary rules that where prominent in their time, but we can see this in our world today as well. Manmade dogma (doctrine) seems to have taken hold of many Christians and instead of sticking to the basis of the word of God all we end up with is splits and divisions in the body of Christ. Many refuse to expect the truth of God’s word and instead replace them with the lies as Paul pointed out in verse 1 of Chapter 4. When people begin to esteem their man-made rules over the God given rules then there is a major problem in the Body of Christ. It is quite alright to set aside things to separate yourself from this world or to abstain from certain things to set yourself aside for God but it is not ok to judge others by rules you have set for your life. It is not ok to say they are going to Hell because they choose to eat something you have chosen not to eat or to wear something you have chosen not to wear. None of these things will send them to Hell, the only thing that will is leaving this earth without knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

1 Timothy 4:2, (End times) Seared Consciences

I used to love to lift weights but one of the hassles about lifting is that when you begin your hands get blistered and callused.  The bars and dumbbells are ribbed for better gripping and this leads to your hands having a rough couple of weeks until they firm up and get used to the friction.  After you have done it a while your hand become rough and unaware of the friction because they have developed a tolerance to it and it no longer bothers you.  Paul says in verse 2 that in the last days many people hearts will become like the hands of a lifelong weight lifter, they will no longer feel the friction caused by the sin of this world and they will openly walk in it.  He says that those who fall away from the church and will do so because their consciences have been seared hot iron.  Meaning the conscience will no longer warn them of the wickedness in their lives and around them. 

This portion of scripture is like what Paul said in Romans 

1 Timothy 4:2-5

1 Timothy 3:11 (Church leadership deacon’s wife) 
 
There is a saying that has been around since the 1940’s that says a lot about the life of ministers, “Behind every great man is a great woman.” After a quick Google search, I can’t see where this quote was attributed to specific individual, but I see where there is wisdom in these words. I also feel the statement can be reversed and have the same meaning, “behind every great woman is a great man.” The idea is that no one can reach heights of success without someone amazing in their life helping, driving, and supporting them. In ministry we shouldn’t see this the same way, in verse 11 Paul refers to the wives of deacons and how they should be held to a certain standard as well. They should be worthy of respect, control their tongues, control their tempers, and be trustworthy in every way. 
 
In the modern church, I don’t think we understand how important others are to success especially for those who are married. I say all the time that I cannot be who God has called me to be if Shawnna is not who God has called her to be because I know that we are one. The same goes for her, for Shawnna to be who God has called her to be I have to be who God has called me to be. One of the best pieces of advice we received when beginning is ministry is that God never just calls the husband or wife into ministry, He always calls both. This doesn’t mean that their level of involvement will always be the same, but it does mean that they are a vital part of everything you do in ministry. I don’t want to magnify what we do on God’s behalf but the little part we play in His Kingdom I am thankful that I have a Godly woman who helps me fulfill my purpose and I hope she would say the same of me.

1 Timothy 3:11 (Church leadership deacon’s wife)

There is a saying that has been around since the 1940’s that says a lot about the life of ministers, “Behind every great man is a great woman.”  After a quick Google search, I can’t see where this quote was attributed to specific individual, but I see where there is wisdom in these words.  I also feel the statement can be reversed and have the same meaning, “behind every great woman is a great man.”  The idea is that no one can reach heights of success without someone amazing in their life helping, driving, and supporting them.  In ministry we shouldn’t see this the same way, in verse 11 Paul refers to the wives of deacons and how they should be held to a certain standard as well.  They should be worthy of respect, control their tongues, control their tempers, and be trustworthy in every way. 

In the modern church, I don’t think we understand how important others are to success especially for those who are married.  I say all the time 

1 Timothy 3:11

1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12 (Church leadership deacon) 
 
Follow the leader has been a part of society for many years. Children everywhere are taught the game at a young age to teach them to take orders and be attentive in life. We shouldn’t think it strange then that this game carries over into our adulthood as well. One of the things that we learned in our ministerial training was that you can’t lead someone where you have not been yourself. Managers all around the world have learned this concept and realize that leading by example is the most powerful form of management that one can apply to their organization. With that being said, when Paul gave us a list of qualifications for overseers shouldn’t we expect it to flow downwardly as well to other members of church leadership. In our verses today, Paul discusses the qualifications to be a deacon in the church and the bar is not lowered for them. 
 
He says that they need to be worthy of respect, sincere, not drunks, and honest in all financial matters. They my keep the deep truths of God and have a clear conscience between God and man. They shouldn’t just be handed the position and should be tested or approved before they can serve. They are to only have one wife and be a good manager of his home and children. We learn from the book of Acts (ch.6) the role of deacon is one of a helper in the church as the first appointed ones where to care for the widows of the church allowing those in teaching and preaching roles an opportunity to devote themselves to the Word of God. Their job was to take care of the congregation so that the disciples would not be drawn away from their mission of preaching, discipleship, and evangelism in the church. Most deacons in modern churches do not look this way as many acts more as a board of governors or an oversight committee instead of servants to the body of Christ.

1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12 (Church leadership deacon)

Follow the leader has been a part of society for many years.  Children everywhere are taught the game at a young age to teach them to take orders and be attentive in life.  We shouldn’t think it strange then that this game carries over into our adulthood as well.  One of the things that we learned in our ministerial training was that you can’t lead someone where you have not been yourself.  Managers all around the world have learned this concept and realize that leading by example is the most powerful form of management that one can apply to their organization.  With that being said, when Paul gave us a list of qualifications for overseers shouldn’t we expect it to flow downwardly as well to other members of church leadership.  In our verses today, Paul discusses the qualifications to be a deacon in the church and the bar is not lowered for them.

He says that they need to be worthy of respect, sincere, not drunks, and honest in all fina

1 Timothy 3:8-10 (V.12)

1 Timothy 3:6-7 (Church leadership overseer 2 of 2) 
 
You know what there is never a replacement for? Experience. I have seen it time and time again in my life, you have an individual who is highly educated in a career, but they have no practical experience. They have all the book knowledge you could ask for, but they have never been in a situation where they have had to apply it. You put them up against someone who has never graced the doors of a college but has done a task for years and they will make the person without experience look like a fool. They can tell you how to fix things engineers and electricians cannot figure out because they have experience. I know this is true in the mining industry and I am sure it is in other industries as well, there is no replacement for experience. Paul says this is true in ministry as well, when in verse 6 he says that if someone wants to be in church leadership that they can be a recent convert (or novice), they must be well established in their faith. 
 
This makes perfect since to me but for some reason it is a reoccurring problem within the modern church. Church leaders put people in positions of leadership and authority before they are ready, and it comes back to bite them in the end. Someone gets saved and starts coming to church, they want to get involved at the church and before you know it, they are teaching Sunday School, leading the children’s ministry, or leading something else. I believe leaders do this because they are so stressed and just want help, but they don’t realize allowing someone to lead before there are ready can cause more trouble than stress relief. Paul is speaking on the level of an overseer, but it can be applied all the way down line of church leadership. People must have been allowed to experience life with God, grow in their relationship with God, and grow in their knowledge of who God is and what He wants from them before they can lead in the church.

1 Timothy 3:6-7 (Church leadership overseer 2 of 2)

You know what there is never a replacement for? Experience.  I have seen it time and time again in my life, you have an individual who is highly educated in a career, but they have no practical experience.  They have all the book knowledge you could ask for, but they have never been in a situation where they have had to apply it.  You put them up against someone who has never graced the doors of a college but has done a task for years and they will make the person without experience look like a fool.  They can tell you how to fix things engineers and electricians cannot figure out because they have experience.  I know this is true in the mining industry and I am sure it is in other industries as well, there is no replacement for experience.  Paul says this is true in ministry as well, when in verse 6 he says that if someone wants to be in church leadership that they can be a recent convert (or novice), they must be well established i

1 Timothy 3:6-7

Titus 3:7-8, Justified by His Grace 
 
Have you ever been accused of something by someone? Maybe you have faced accusations from someone, and you knew that you were innocent, but you still had to go through the process of proving your innocence. There is no better feeling than when the truth is revealed, and everyone involved must “eat crow” and apologize for falsely accusing you. Now imagine you got your hand caught in the cookie jar and you are accused of something in which you know you are guilty. You go through the process and by a miracle you are exonerated and found innocent. Now that is something to really be excited about, you know you are guilty, yet you are set free. Paul tells Titus that is exactly how every follower of Jesus Christ should feel. We are guilty and deserving of punishment, yet we are justified and seen as innocent before God. 
 
Paul says that our justification (innocence) is only by the generosity and grace of God. We should be shouting from the roof tops and rejoicing that we are not going to receive what we deserve because we are all guilty. He continues by saying he is trustworthy and that such grace should drive us to devote our lives to holy living and doing what is good. This type of behavior is what is expected of believers and it is also what is profitable for everyone. Grace is something that none of us deserve yet it is obtainable for all who accepts it. Jesus paid the price and made a way and all we must do is accept the sacrifice and make Him the Lord of our life. When we do this justification is in our future, as we are washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Titus 3:7-8, Justified by His Grace

Have you ever been accused of something by someone?  Maybe you have faced accusations from someone, and you knew that you were innocent, but you still had to go through the process of proving your innocence.  There is no better feeling than when the truth is revealed, and everyone involved must “eat crow” and apologize for falsely accusing you.  Now imagine you got your hand caught in the cookie jar and you are accused of something in which you know you are guilty.  You go through the process and by a miracle you are exonerated and found innocent.  Now that is something to really be excited about, you know you are guilty, yet you are set free.  Paul tells Titus that is exactly how every follower of Jesus Christ should feel.  We are guilty and deserving of punishment, yet we are justified and seen as innocent before God.

Paul says that our justification (innocence) is only by the generosity and grace of God.  We should be shouting from the roof tops

Titus 3:7-8

Titus 3:3-6, At one time we were like them 
 
We all have things in our lives that we are ashamed of in our past. We really don’t want everyone to know the dumb stuff that we have done, and we really don’t like to be remined of it by others. We just wish it would go away and that we would never be reminded of it. In today’s verses, Paul tells Titus that he should remember the stupid stuff that he did in the past while trying to minister to others. He says that he should remember how foolish, disobedient, and deceived that he was before he came to know Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior. Paul wasn’t doing this to throw it in Titus’s face about how bad a person he used to be, he was doing to remind Titus of how much Jesus has done for Him. We never want to lose track of where we have been or exactly where Jesus has brought us from. 
 
We were all in the same boat, dead in our sins destined to eternity in Hell. Then Jesus stepped in and said, “I will pay their debt.” “I will take their punishment.” “I will die for them.” He didn’t do this because we were righteous or deserved it, He did it despite the fact we were unworthy and a mess. When we accepted Jesus as our Savior, Paul says that we were washed by the Holy Spirit and God’s generosity was poured out upon us. We never want to get to a point in our lives where we look down upon others because they don’t know Jesus because we were once in the same position. We were slaves to our own passion and destined to face the wrath of God for our rebellion, then Jesus stepped in and made a way. We should all be grateful and work diligently to make sure everyone we know comes to know Jesus as we do.

Titus 3:3-6, At one time we were like them

We all have things in our lives that we are ashamed of in our past.  We really don’t want everyone to know the dumb stuff that we have done, and we really don’t like to be remined of it by others.  We just wish it would go away and that we would never be reminded of it.  In today’s verses, Paul tells Titus that he should remember the stupid stuff that he did in the past while trying to minister to others.  He says that he should remember how foolish, disobedient, and deceived that he was before he came to know Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior.  Paul wasn’t doing this to throw it in Titus’s face about how bad a person he used to be, he was doing to remind Titus of how much Jesus has done for Him.  We never want to lose track of where we have been or exactly where Jesus has brought us from.

We were all in the same boat, dead in our sins destined to eternity in Hell.  Then Jesus stepped in and said, “I will pay their debt.”  “I will take the

Titus 3:3-6

Ephesians 5:29-33, Marriage equals unity in flesh A healthy body. 
 
New fad diets, exercise plans, keto recipes, intermittent fasting apps, and so much more is being paraded in front of our faces daily. What for? All for the effort to make us look good. That’s right. Not often are we sold on being healthy but looking our best. I think the two can come hand in hand, but we are superficially being sold the “look good” part to feed our flesh. Unfortunately, the same can be true for our marriages. We want it to look good more than we want it to be healthy. In Ephesians 5:29-33 the Apostle Paul directs our attention to a healthy, well treated body. One that is fed well and pampered. This is setting the stage to show us how Christ treats the church and how a husband and wife work in unity. Our bodies, the church, our marriages just don’t need to look good but be healthy. It’s not a superficial wellbeing but a deep-rooted health that God desires for us. The church with Christ as the head needs a lot of TLC. To be healthy, we must work in unity feeding and caring for one another in unity. Jesus has always lived up to his part but the unfortunately the church has not given God the respect that he deserves and therefore many times has caused the church to lose focus and stray into another’s arms. So many churches look good from the outside, but the health of the church is always revealed from the condition of how far their arm stretch, their feet walk, their words go, and their faith extends. 
 
The same can go for a marriage. In these verses we see that a husband is to cherish his wife, to cling to her, to love her and for a wife to honor and respect her husband. The lack of doing any of these can cause weakness in a marriage. The health of this marriage is in danger. We can look good outside of home and wear the fake smile and post the sappy social media statuses but what is the true health of the marriage? Has it been well fed and pampered? Are the proper elements in place, the love and respect, for the husband and wife to remain faithful in the face of all temptation? Are they working as one to nourish the relationship and feed every need? Let’s not just look good but let us nourish the body of Christ and our marriages to be healthy and well and see God’s will completed.

Ephesians 5:29-33, Marriage equals unity in flesh A healthy body. 

New fad diets, exercise plans, keto recipes, intermittent fasting apps, and so much more is being paraded in front of our faces daily. What for? All for the effort to make us look good. That’s right. Not often are we sold on being healthy but looking our best. I think the two can come hand in hand, but we are superficially being sold the “look good” part to feed our flesh. Unfortunately, the same can be true for our marriages. We want it to look good more than we want it to be healthy. In Ephesians 5:29-33 the Apostle Paul directs our attention to a healthy, well treated body. One that is fed well and pampered. This is setting the stage to show us how Christ treats the church and how a husband and wife work in unity. Our bodies, the church, our marriages just don’t need to look good but be healthy. It’s not a superficial wellbeing but a deep-rooted health that God desires for us. The church with Christ as the head need

Ephesians 5:29-33

Ephesians 4:17-19, Live differently from the world 
 
Every family has that one person who just totally doesn’t fit into the family mold, they are known as the black sheep of the family. They don’t look like the rest of the family; they don’t act like the rest of the family and in a family photo they stick out like a sore thumb. If someone didn’t know you shared the same genetics, there is no way that anyone would guess that you were even related. In verse 17 Paul demands that the church of Ephesus becomes spiritual black sheep when it comes to their interaction with this world. He said that world is darkened in by those who have hardened their hearts toward God and are ignorant of His ways. The world has given into their fleshly desires and Paul says straight out that a believer (follower of Christ) has no business being confused with a non-believer. 
 
Even more now than when this was written the church needs to hear and respond to the message at the Apostle Paul was giving the church almost two thousand years ago. More and more every day you see the church acting more like the world; they have allowed the world to influence their behavior more than that have been influencers. The true followers of Jesus Christ should be black sheep in society. We shouldn’t talk like the world, behave like the world, watch what the world watchers, laugh at the same posts they laugh at, and visit the same websites they visit. We are not different because we want to be the cool rebel or standout in a crowd; we are different because the Holy Spirit living within us drives us to Godly behavior. Our focus and attention are not on the same things as the world; we are firmly focused on Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and this should make us different.

Ephesians 4:17-19, Live differently from the world

Every family has that one person who just totally doesn’t fit into the family mold, they are known as the black sheep of the family.  They don’t look like the rest of the family; they don’t act like the rest of the family and in a family photo they stick out like a sore thumb.  If someone didn’t know you shared the same genetics, there is no way that anyone would guess that you were even related.  In verse 17 Paul demands that the church of Ephesus becomes spiritual black sheep when it comes to their interaction with this world.  He said that world is darkened in by those who have hardened their hearts toward God and are ignorant of His ways.  The world has given into their fleshly desires and Paul says straight out that a believer (follower of Christ) has no business being confused with a non-believer.

Even more now than when this was written the church needs to hear and respond to the message at the Apostle Paul was giving the chur

Ephesians 4:17-19

EPHESIANS 3:7-8, Servant to the gospel, least of all 
 
We all know that one person who is super meek and humble. They never are angry because they have been done wrong, they are never upset someone is getting something they aren’t, and they just seem to live life willing to let others have the spotlight and accolades. They are the type of person that you feel you need to stand up for or encourage them to voice their opinion, so they don’t get trampled on by other. You feel like other are taking advantage of their kindness and meekness and it makes you angry at times. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we were all like those people? In our verses today Paul refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ but then immediately lets everyone know that he is not the head servant but in stead the least of them all. The man who wrote most of the new testament and is responsible for the way the modern church views our relationship with God said that he was the least of all. That is humility. 
 
Humility is living a life of voluntarily serving Jesus which in turn makes us servant of all. Psalm 138:6 says that God loves and respects the humble while He pushes the prideful away from him. In Luke 14 Jesus gives us an example of how we should live by describing a banquet. When a banquet is giving the most important people set at the front of the table while the people less importance set at the rear of the table. He said we should always just set at the rear of the table and if the host wants us to move up they will ask us to do so but it would be really embarrassing to set at the front of the table and be asked to move to the rear. In God’s kingdom Paul followed this advice and lived a life where he sat at the end of the table and we should as well. We should be a servant to the servants, understanding our worth and value will be weighed in eternity by God and not by our peers on this earth.

EPHESIANS 3:7-8, Servant to the gospel, least of all

We all know that one person who is super meek and humble.  They never are angry because they have been done wrong, they are never upset someone is getting something they aren’t, and they just seem to live life willing to let others have the spotlight and accolades.  They are the type of person that you feel you need to stand up for or encourage them to voice their opinion, so they don’t get trampled on by other.  You feel like other are taking advantage of their kindness and meekness and it makes you angry at times.  Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we were all like those people?  In our verses today Paul refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ but then immediately lets everyone know that he is not the head servant but in stead the least of them all.  The man who wrote most of the new testament and is responsible for the way the modern church views our relationship with God said that he was the least of all.  That is h

Ephesians 3:7-8

Ephesians 1:8-11, The fullness of Christ 
 
Some things just can’t be appreciated until they are finished. Take for instance home improvement projects. I love to watch home improvement/flip project shows on television. At any given time you can look at the project and say this is just a big mess and no way it is going to turn out being okay but by the end of the show when they do the big reveal your mind is blown at how awesome it turned out. Early pics gave you a glimpse of the project while it was still in progress, but the final view allows you to view the project in its fullness after completion. The world in which we live is a lot like a home improvement show, if you look at it now you think this is mess and there is no way it is going to turn out ok. That is because we aren’t looking at it in its fullness and Paul tells us that in verse 10 that the finished product will look a lot different. It says, “when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” 
 
Right now, our world is ruled by chaos as mans selfish desires has driven our fallen world into rebellion against God. Things are not functioning as they were intended to function, and things don’t look as they was designed by the Creator but one day the entire earth will reach it fulfillment. One day all things will be under the authority of Jesus Christ as he restores harmony to our chaotic existence. It is not a question of if but instead a question of when this will happen. Jesus Christ will return and establish His Kingdom on this earth by ending the rebellion of mankind. We have an opportunity to avoid the wrath of God coming by choosing to align ourselves with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords now before His return. Scripture is clear every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. We hope and pray that you choose today, to make Jesus the Lord of your life before it is too late.

Ephesians 1:8-11, The fullness of Christ

Some things just can’t be appreciated until they are finished.  Take for instance home improvement projects.  I love to watch home improvement/flip project shows on television.  At any given time you can look at the project and say this is just a big mess and no way it is going to turn out being okay but by the end of the show when they do the big reveal your mind is blown at how awesome it turned out.   Early pics gave you a glimpse of the project while it was still in progress, but the final view allows you to view the project in its fullness after completion.  The world in which we live is a lot like a home improvement show, if you look at it now you think this is mess and there is no way it is going to turn out ok.  That is because we aren’t looking at it in its fullness and Paul tells us that in verse 10 that the finished product will look a lot different.  It says, “when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in he

Ephesians 1:8-11

Colossians 4:16-18, Don’t keep it to yourself, pass it along 
 
Paul closes out his letter to Colossae by telling them in verse 16 that the letter he is sending is not to be hid away but it is meant to be shared. Since the creation of this earth God has used men and women as the chosen vessels to carry His message to this world. His interaction with individuals was never to be exclusive or confined to a certain group it was meant to be shared with the world. When God chose Abraham as a starting point, He told him that through him all nations shall be blessed. Keeping the good news of Jesus Christ to ourselves accomplishes nothing for the Kingdom of God. It was never meant to be contained and should be free flowing from our lips. Listen to what the prophet Jeremiah said in chapter 20 verse 9, “his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” 
 
With the spark of God’s Word is in our hearts it should start a fire; a fire that cannot be contained and must come out. If you watch the weather channel you see reports of forest fires out west. These massive natural disasters burn so hot and so fast that they consume everything in their path, and they all start with a single spark or ignition point. The word of God should have us thinking like Jeremiah; this is an inferno inside of me that must come out. If it is burning in our hearts then there is nothing, we can do anything to keep it from coming out, the fire burns its way out. This family won’t be held responsible for extinguishing the fire of God in our lives, we will let it out every opportunity that we have and pass along the gospel of Jesus to this world.

Colossians 4:16-18, Don't keep it to yourself, pass it along Paul closes out his letter to Colossae by telling them in verse 16 that ...

Colossians 4:16-18

Colossians 1:6-8, Believers produce fruit 
 
What good is an apple tree that doesn’t bear fruit? I mean the very reason it was planted was to produce fruit in the season it should produce fruit. In Matthew chapter 21 there is a story of a fig tree that Jesus saw from a far off, He was hungry, so He thought let’s go get some figs. When he got to the fig tree, He notice that there was no fruit upon it, but it was the season for it to be producing fruit. At this point, Jesus cursed the tree and it withered up and died. A tree that didn’t produce fruit when it was supposed to is useless. In verse 6 of our text today, Paul says that gospel message will bear fruit and go throughout the entire world and then goes on to tell the church of Colossae that man name Epaphras was the one who shared it with them. Their faith in Jesus Christ was based upon one man’s willingness to simple share the gospel and let it do what it does, bear fruit of repentance. 
 
For the gospel to bear fruit it must be sown (spoken) so it can be planted in the hearts of men and women around the world. Matthew 28 tells us that it is the job of believers to take the gospel message around the world so that the fruit of life can spring forth in their hearts. Without the commitment and dedication of Epaphras the gospel wouldn’t have had the opportunity to produce fruit. For some reason God has chosen us to be the vessel to carry the gospel message and the means by which it is spread throughout the earth. It is the responsibility of every believer to take the time and effort to sow the gospel of Jesus Christ in the hearts of those around us. Fruit can’t be produced if the seed is not first sown. In the story I mentioned above from Matthew 21 many believe that the fig tree was symbolic of the nation of Israel at that time in history, they had hardened their hearts to the point to where they were no longer producing the fruit of God. A situation no one should ever want to find themselves in.

Colossians 1:6-8, Believers produce fruit

What good is an apple tree that doesn’t bear fruit?  I mean the very reason it was planted was to produce fruit in the season it should produce fruit.  In Matthew chapter 21 there is a story of a fig tree that Jesus saw from a far off, He was hungry, so He thought let’s go get some figs.  When he got to the fig tree, He notice that there was no fruit upon it, but it was the season for it to be producing fruit.  At this point, Jesus cursed the tree and it withered up and died.  A tree that didn’t produce fruit when it was supposed to is useless.  In verse 6 of our text today, Paul says that gospel message will bear fruit and go throughout the entire world and then goes on to tell the church of Colossae that man name Epaphras was the one who shared it with them.  Their faith in Jesus Christ was based upon one man’s willingness to simple share the gospel and let it do what it does, bear fruit of repentance.

For the gospel to bear fruit it must b

Colossians 1:6-8

Romans 16:25-26, Ancient mystery revealed 
 
Since the dawning of time men and women have had an insatiable desire for one thing, to live and not die. There is something inside of all of us that tells us that we are not meant to die and that we are to live. If you remember from history class Ponce de Leon went on an epic journey to find the fountain of youth because he wanted to drink of it and never die. Since then science and all mankind has spent time and effort trying to figure out what we can do to solve the riddle of death. Paul says in verse 25 that the mystery that was kept secret since the world began has been revealed. Jesus is the fountain of youth. 
 
Everything from the past was pointing to Jesus as the answer. All scripture and all the prophets are point to the answer of how He overcome death, hell, and the grave. We were created to live forever, but sin corrupted God’s perfect creation and death became the lot for everyone born. There was no way we could fix what we have caused on our own. There was no fountain of youth, magic pill, or way to restore what was broken; someone had to pay the debt. Jesus was the answer to sin and still is the answer today. What used to be an unsolved mystery was solved on the cross over 2000 years ago? What man couldn’t do; God did for us!!!!

Romans 16:25-26, Ancient mystery revealed

Since the dawning of time men and women have had an insatiable desire for one thing, to live and not die.  There is something inside of all of us that tells us that we are not meant to die and that we are to live.  If you remember from history class Ponce de Leon went on an epic journey to find the fountain of youth because he wanted to drink of it and never die.  Since then science and all mankind has spent time and effort trying to figure out what we can do to solve the riddle of death.  Paul says in verse 25 that the mystery that was kept secret since the world began has been revealed. Jesus is the fountain of youth.

Everything from the past was pointing to Jesus as the answer.  All scripture and all the prophets are point to the answer of how He overcome death, hell, and the grave.  We were created to live forever, but sin corrupted God’s perfect creation and death became the lot for everyone born.  There was no way we could fix what we h

Romans 16:25-26

Romans 14, V. 22-23, If it is not of faith it is sin 
 
This chapter closes with a very profound statement that should shake us as Christians and followers of Jesus Christ. “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin: (v. 23) These words are so powerful because I think I can speak for all believers when I say sometimes I walk in this this life and my faith is not where it should be. There are times that I pray for things and I don’t believe they can come to pass, there I times I give effort and deep down I think it is a waste of time, and there are times when I minister and I feel like no one is listening. My faith waivers not in God or my Savior but in the things around me in this world. Paul tells us in verse 23 that everything we do needs to be done in faith or it sin. We must completely walk in faith that God is in control and He will absolutely do what He says that he will do 100% of the time. 
 
Hebrews 11:6 says that it is impossible to please God without faith and this goes for everything that we do in this life. We must learn to live out 2 Corinthians 5:7 and walk completely by faith and not by our sight. No matter what we see in with our natural eyes in this world we must realize that in the spiritual realm things are working in our favor. It isn’t enough to just say it we must live it out daily. We don’t base our actions based up the what the media reports, Facebook post from our friends, or even how we feel that day. We base our actions on what The Lord says. We choose to believe in what hasn’t yet manifest because we know God can do what He has said He will do.

Romans 14, V. 22-23, If it is not of faith it is sin

This chapter closes with a very profound statement that should shake us as Christians and followers of Jesus Christ.  “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin: (v. 23)  These words are so powerful because I think I can speak for all believers when I say sometimes I walk in this this life and my faith is not where it should be.  There are times that I pray for things and I don’t believe they can come to pass, there I times I give effort and deep down I think it is a waste of time, and there are times when I minister and I feel like no one is listening.  My faith waivers not in God or my Savior but in the things around me in this world.  Paul tells us in verse 23 that everything we do needs to be done in faith or it sin.  We must completely walk in faith that God is in control and He will absolutely do what He says that he will do 100% of the time.

Hebrews 11:6 says that it is impossible to please God without faith and this goes for ev

Romans 14:22-23

Romans 14, V. 7-9, We are not alone 
 
God’s plan for the church was never to have lone wolves or individuals feeling like they are going through life on their own. In fact, it is a plan of the enemy to isolate Christians and have them fill like they are alone in their walk. Therefore, being a part of body of believers is so important to every Christian because we all need love and support at times from our brothers and sisters in Christ. But no matter how great our local church is, there is still going to be times when you feel alone. You feel isolated and feel as if no one understands what you are going through. We seen this with Elijah as he sat beside the brook in 1 Kings 17, he literally felt as if there was no one in the earth on his side and he was all alone. Paul reveals the truth of the matter in verses 7-9 when he tells the church of Rome that we are never alone because Jesus is always with us. 
 
We may fill like our friends, family, and possibly even our church has abandoned us by we can be confident that Jesus is always with us. Hebrew 13:5 says that Lord has promised that he will never leave or forsake us. It should be refreshing to know that we have someone who loves us so much that no matter what we do or where we go, they will be by our side. Life has a way of kicking us in the face and beating us down but know that you are not alone, and you never will be. If we live, we live unto the Lord and if we did, we die unto the Lord. (V. 8) We are winners on both sides of eternity.

Romans 14, V. 7-9, We are not alone

God’s plan for the church was never to have lone wolves or individuals feeling like they are going through life on their own.  In fact, it is a plan of the enemy to isolate Christians and have them fill like they are alone in their walk.  Therefore, being a part of body of believers is so important to every Christian because we all need love and support at times from our brothers and sisters in Christ.  But no matter how great our local church is, there is still going to be times when you feel alone.  You feel isolated and feel as if no one understands what you are going through.  We seen this with Elijah as he sat beside the brook in 1 Kings 17, he literally felt as if there was no one in the earth on his side and he was all alone.  Paul reveals the truth of the matter in verses 7-9 when he tells the church of Rome that we are never alone because Jesus is always with us.

We may fill like our friends, family, and possibly even our church has abando

Romans 14:7-9

Romans 14, V. 5-6, Honor the Sabbath (whatever day it may be) 
 
Should modern Christians still honor the Sabbath day? If so which day of the week do, we honor it on? Do we honor it on the last day of the week, Saturday, or the first day of the week, Sunday? In verses 5 and 6 Paul address these issues with the church of Rome and we can still heed his advice today in the modern church. Paul told them that individuals choose to esteem different days and that the day isn’t as important as you simply taking a day to rest and concentrate upon the Lord. Jesus let everyone know in Mark 2:27 that a legalistic approach to the sabbath was never God’s intention. He said the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath, meaning that it was created to benefit us and not bind us. It is important to take time to rest physically and spiritually and to focus upon our creator in worship. 
 
Some Christians still celebrate the traditional Jewish sabbath which would be on our Saturday but most of the modern church celebrates on Sunday. The reason for worship on Sunday over Saturday is because Jesus rose from the grave on the 1st day of the week and Acts 20:7 said the disciples came together to meet on the first day of the week. You may not be able to feasibly keep either of these days because of you schedule but it is important that you set aside time (a day of the week) for you to physically rest your body and to worship the Lord. Your sabbath may be on a different day then mine and it may look different but remember the sabbath was created for our benefit not to constrain or control our lives.

Romans 14, V. 5-6, Honor the Sabbath (whatever day it may be)

Should modern Christians still honor the Sabbath day? If so which day of the week do, we honor it on? Do we honor it on the last day of the week, Saturday, or the first day of the week, Sunday?  In verses 5 and 6 Paul address these issues with the church of Rome and we can still heed his advice today in the modern church.  Paul told them that individuals choose to esteem different days and that the day isn’t as important as you simply taking a day to rest and concentrate upon the Lord.  Jesus let everyone know in Mark 2:27 that a legalistic approach to the sabbath was never God’s intention.  He said the sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath, meaning that it was created to benefit us and not bind us.  It is important to take time to rest physically and spiritually and to focus upon our creator in worship.

Some Christians still celebrate the traditional Jewish sabbath which would be on our Saturday but most of

Romans 14:5-6

Romans 13:3-5, Appointed by God 
 
Who wears the pants in your family? I mean who is really in charge and has final say when a decision is made and veto power over other decisions in the house. Most people would like to think they are in charge but, if we answer anyone other than Jesus then our home is not in order spiritually. In fact, Paul says in verses 4-5 that this is the way a believer should look at all authority in our lives. Weather the person in authority is a Christian or not God is sovereign and has allowed them to be in that position. Paul goes on to say that we should respect them not only because of the power they have to punish us for our nonconformity but more importantly because God has commanded us to do so. 
 
As Christians it is sometimes difficult to submit to people in authority whose beliefs and behaviors don’t line up with what we think they should. We have access to the Word of God, and we know what a leader should look and act like but the problem with this reasoning is that we don’t think like God thinks. God has eternal and infinite knowledge of the past, present and future. He knows far more about why He has allowed an individual authority than we could ever hope to. With that being said, we must trust God and His selections of those in authority. As Paul points out in verse 4 sometimes God allows certain people to be in authority to bring punishment upon those who are in rebellion to him. We see this throughout the Old Testament were God allowed rulers of pagan nations to have authority over Israel in order to bring them to a place of repentance and restoration. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9), we must submit to His authority and decisions on who is in authority and when they are in authority.

Romans 13:3-5, Appointed by God

Who wears the pants in your family?  I mean who is really in charge and has final say when a decision is made and veto power over other decisions in the house.  Most people would like to think they are in charge but, if we answer anyone other than Jesus then our home is not in order spiritually.  In fact, Paul says in verses 4-5 that this is the way a believer should look at all authority in our lives.  Weather the person in authority is a Christian or not God is sovereign and has allowed them to be in that position.  Paul goes on to say that we should respect them not only because of the power they have to punish us for our nonconformity but more importantly because God has commanded us to do so. 

As Christians it is sometimes difficult to submit to people in authority whose beliefs and behaviors don’t line up with what we think they should.  We have access to the Word of God, and we know what a leader should look and act like but the problem with thi

Romans 13:3-5

Romans 9:25-29, An Indescribable love (lesson from Hosea) 
 
Most everyone enjoys a good love story, that is why the Hallmark channel is in business. When Shawnna is watching a movie on Hallmark I like to try and tell her what will happen after we have only watched a few minutes of the movie because it seems like every movie follows the same story line. After watching a few minutes of the movie, you see the main characters of the story line and you can almost every time tell who is going to end up falling in love by the end of the movie. In our verses today, Paul tells of a love story from the book of Hosea that doesn’t follow the standard Hallmark platform. In fact, it is a love story that is hard to imagine happening any time or any place. 
 
The book of Hosea tells the story of a man commanded to marry a prostitute, they have a family and you would hope they live happily ever after but that isn’t what happens. The wife decides she wants to be a prostitute again, so she abandons he family to pick up her old trade once again. What does Hosea do? Does he move on, raise the kids on his own, or find a new love interest that fixes his broken heart? No God tells him to go find his rebellious wife and bring her home; He tells him to love her like nothing happened. I told you it wasn’t your typical love story, but this is your story if we are a child of God. We are the prostitute who turned our back on the one who loves us (God) only for Him to pursue us despite our rebellious ways. Thank you, God, for loving me when I don’t deserve to be loved. Thank you for loving me like nothing ever happened and offering true forgiveness.

Romans 9:25-29, An Indescribable love (lesson from Hosea)

Most everyone enjoys a good love story, that is why the Hallmark channel is in business.   When Shawnna is watching a movie on Hallmark I like to try and tell her what will happen after we have only watched a few minutes of the movie because it seems like every movie follows the same story line.  After watching a few minutes of the movie, you see the main characters of the story line and you can almost every time tell who is going to end up falling in love by the end of the movie.  In our verses today, Paul tells of a love story from the book of Hosea that doesn’t follow the standard Hallmark platform.  In fact, it is a love story that is hard to imagine happening any time or any place.

The book of Hosea tells the story of a man commanded to marry a prostitute, they have a family and you would hope they live happily ever after but that isn’t what happens.  The wife decides she wants to be a prostitute again, so she abandons he

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