Category: 2 Timothy

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The opening verses form the basis of a good prayer to pray for every minister. Do you feel like Paul at times – deserted? Write to someone and encourage him or her. Take Paul’s example.

SJA Notes

* Dear God, You are the Creator God, Sustainer of all things, Giver of life. Please teach us today.

“… Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

In both letters to  Timothy the apostle Paul makes a big deal out of both teaching and of listening.

His charge to Timothy is clear. This is a charge to us all.

Preaching. Readiness. Truth-sayer.

What do we preach?

God’s word and our obedience to it, we preach to those around us through our behaviour, how we hold God’s Name in our hearts, our speech, our actions.

Are we to take a back seat and let opportunities to tell people about Jesus go by?

No. Be ready at all times!

How do we tell the truth?

How do we reprove, rebuke, exhort?

How do we do these things with complete patience and teaching!

This is good wisdom for all of us, an exhortation to dwell on.

God’s people, regardless of vocation and calling, are to preach God’s word to those around us – in thought, word and deed.

We are all to practice godliness, to write God’s word on our hearts with our weak and fragile human wills with earthly means, trusting that God in the Person of the Spirit will write His word in permanent spiritual ink!

We are to be productive people – reproving, rebuking and exhorting one another – _with_ complete patience and teaching.

Do not think to reprove or rebuke or exhort if you are impatient in the situation.

Practice patience!

* Father God,

Please make us more like Jesus each day.

We love You Lord.

Please help us be light and salt in this world.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

When society gets bad, take some time to consider the lessons of the Apostle Paul’s life. What is his key to faithfulness and perseverance? Look at verses 16,17.

SJA Notes

* Lord God Above, thank You for Your word, which is useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.

“… Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”

The list of “avoid these people” characteristics can be troubling to read through.

One of these examples is those who have the appearance of godliness but deny its power.

We can often not see the truth of this at first, because of our own inability to see past outward appearance, and absolutely because we cannot see into people’s hearts.

However.

God can.

We can take hold of and rest in God’s power to see to the heart of each person – to see the TRUTH.

Let us be encouraged to be on the lookout for people like those mentioned in this passage, and importantly to guard ourselves against being these sorts of people.

How do we do this?

God’s word must be written on our hearts, what we have learned – continue in it.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

* Father God,

Thank You for Your word, which is so powerful and important in our lives.

Please continue to write it on our hearts each day.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Verse 2 is Paul’s recipe for spiritual reproduction – teach reliable disciples so that they, in turn, can teach a new generation of reliable disciples, who in their turn can repeat the teaching. Pray for each other that we might be such disciples.

SJA Notes

* Dear Lord, please write Your word on the tablet of our hearts today.

“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.”

This is the strongest of words to us.

How hard it is when we are working for the Lord, pouring ourselves out – And someone starts to attack us, ascribing false motivations.

We are in the right!

What does God’s word have for us, but a hard word.

Be kind to everyone, not just those who are easy to be kind toward.

Patiently endure evil, don’t succumb to it.

Correct opponents with gentleness, not fire.

Let us heed Paul’s exhortation today, and pray that the Lord will give us understanding in everything.

* God Above,

It is often hard for us to behave as You ask us to, in the righteousness of Christ, reflecting Your holiness to those around.

It can be difficult to keep our temper, to keep our eyes from sin, our thoughts, our words and deeds.

Please Lord, please fix our eyes on You.

Mark us as a gentle people, kind and able to patiently endure evil.

As we wrestle to put Your word into practice in our lives, please give us understanding in everything.

Amen.