Be True
(5 downloads)Thursday, May 08, 2008
1 Timothy 1:1-20
Timothy was discouraged, there were butchers in the church and he was about to resign. He was done. Unfortunately, all too often, I hear horror stories of pastors, elders, Deacons, and other church leaders who are power hungry. And it is the flock which ends up butchered, decimated, hurt, and scattered. God has called us to be true to our calling. So, Paul wrote the book of first Timothy to encourage him to stay at the task.
The ministry can be the most disillusioning work in the world, or the most fulfilling, it all depends on whom we lean on and on whom we listen to. If we listen to opinions and to people more than we listen to God, we will have trouble. For those who lean on the Lord and listen to his word, the ministry will still be a challenge. But their direction Vision, Philosophy will be shaped by the master. They will serve Christ with fulfillment and enthusiasm
A Ministry you can believe in
(3 downloads)Thursday, May 08, 2008
Survey of 1 Timothy
What do you do when the ministry becomes discouraging? What do you do about a church situation that frustrates you? The conflicts are too great. The people are petty. The circumstances are too difficult. Do you pack your bags and go find another church? Timothy was an ordinary person struggling with a very difficult situation. Like most of us, he did not find confrontation easy. In this book, Paul tells timothy how to transform a difficult situation into a ministry you can believe in.
We live in a world of skepticism. What do you believe in? Who can you really trust? We want to be a ministry you can believe in. We want to teach truth that you can believe in. We want to be at church you can believe in. And I want to be a pastor you can believe in. In order for us to do that, you need to be the kind of church member that God wants you to be. I suggest that if you really want to become the person God wants you to be you need to give God your heart. That's key to any ministry. Are you ready to give Jesus Christ everything?