Did you find the purpose of Paul’s letter? If you didn’t, it’s ok. We will continue to look for the answers in a few days. Paul was Timothy’s mentor. They first met in Lystra, in modern Turkey, where Paul healed a disabled person (a cripple). Paul was stoned because he wouldn’t let them worship him as a Greek god, Hermes. Read Acts 14:8-20. Maybe this is where Paul and Timothy first met. It doesn’t really tell us, though. Paul asked Timothy to go with him on his second missionary trip. Read Acts 16: 1-3. Timothy’s father was Greek, and his mother was Jewish. 2 Timothy…
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By Faith: Enoch
Enoch was taken from this life by faith so that he did not experience death; he could not be found because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. Hebrews 11:5 Do you please God? Read Genesis 5:21-24. Enoch walked with God. This is all we have to do to please God. Walk with Him, which is obeying Him. He wants us to have faith in Him, not by sight. When we align Hebrews 11:5 with Genesis 5:24, We see the Enoch clearly walked by faith, and faith is the evidence of things unseen. Let’s…
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Encourage One Another
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), Acts 4:36 Read the following passages of scripture: Matthew 14:22-27- Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the…
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Praying For Each Other
I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those, you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to…
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Our Spritual Friends: Part Two
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 Yesterday, you made a list of friends compared to Paul’s friends. Did you find any similar friends in your life? Did you take the time to write them an encouraging letter to them? This should have pointed out how grateful you are to have these people in your life, or it should reveal a lack of godly friends and mentors are in your life. Is this the first time ready this passage or have you read it numerous times? This passage here should show you how valuable relationships are in our lives. Are you being intentional in investing in…
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Our Spiritual Friends: Part One
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 Paul loved his friends. In his day, he had to write letters. For us today, we have social media and smartphones to easily stay in contact with each other. There is something special about handwriting letters and mailing them off in the mail. I think I like the privacy of letters. No worries about emails, or text or message apps getting hacked. A few years ago, my husband and I started writing letters to each other. I would mail my letters to his workplace and he would mail his letters to me from his workplace to our home…
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Change That Last: Part Two
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 Do you find it hard to not conform to this world? Is it easy to do the opposite of what…
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Change That Lasts: Part One
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 Have you ever met someone who was not a nice person? You truly did struggle with how this person treated…
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Not Condemned When Struggling
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’ s love. Romans 8:38 How often do you struggle in your Christian walk? Do you feel condemned when you fail to obey God’s word? As believers, we will have one foot in heaven and the other here on earth. We are free from the penalty of sin through Christ, yet we will battle our flesh every day over sin. We will be battling temptation. WE are justified…
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Hope In A Family
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 Did you ever learn the children’s song, Father Abraham? Or do you know this song? It was one of my favorites songs to sing in the children’s churches. In fact, it is still one of my favorites. I teach it to all the kids in my children’s church when given the opportunity. It goes like this: Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham. I am one of them, and so are you So let’s all praise the Lord. The actions to this song were in verse…