Archive for the ‘1 Timothy’ Category
Meet the Author — Week 40
The Prosperity Gospel
1 Timothy 6 — 2 Timothy 4
We’ve all encountered the teaching that godliness leads to financial gain. If you haven’t, listen to a Christian radio station for a while, or tune in a religious television program and you’ll hear someone touting the prosperity gospel. They’ll tell you to pray the right prayer, believe hard enough and you can be rich. According to Paul, that is not true. He even says that those who teach such are “puffed up with conceit and understand nothing.” But still their numbers continue to grow, and people continue to sow their seeds of faith in hopes their ship will soon come in.
Read through 1 Timothy 6 and then share your thoughts with the group as to why the prosperity gospel is so popular today. What are we missing in our relationship with Jesus that we are willing to latch onto a message that does not agree with the teachings of Jesus. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Meet the Author–Week 39
The 180
He had it all wrong. Not just a little wrong mind you. He missed God’s purpose and plan altogether. I am talking about Paul.
He knew the OT Scriptures, but He missed the Author. He embraced the law but was totally at odds with its intended purpose. He was a staunch apologist for the Jewish way of life and a leader of the leaders, but he was blind to the real blessing of being a descendant of Abraham.
It doesn’t make sense that he was so far off the mark. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, born of the tribe of Benjamin. He even claimed to be faultless as to legalistic righteousness. With this pedigree, God’s purposes should have been clear to him, and he thought that they were. But he was so far off that to him approving the stoning of Stephen was a godly act.
All that changed on the road to Damascus. In a blinding light, the voice from heaven asked the question that stopped Paul dead in his tracks; “Why are you persecuting me?” The truth became clear; this Jesus he was persecuting was both Lord and God.
In that moment, Paul’s self-effort melted into faith and he was changed, a complete 180 turn.
He recounted this to Timothy to encourage him in his ministry and to provide an example to us all of the amazing power of God’s grace. Jesus’ love and mercy turned a blasphemer into a preacher, changed an enemy into a friend, and transformed the chief of sinners into a saint. That is the power of the gospel.
How about you? Have you experienced a 180 in life?
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