Devotionary

Latest Episodes:

Ep 171 – 1 John Introduction Jun 11, 2017

Show notes

While the letter of First John is relatively short in length, it is anything but short on depth. Just five chapters long, it is one of the most theologically rich books in the entire New Testament. And for that reason, we are going to take our time working our way through it. While this is not intended to be a verse by verse study, you will find that we are going to spend a bit more time digging into each chapter, so that we can better understand all that John is trying to say.

Ep 172 – 1 John 2:1-4 Jun 11, 2017

Show notes

In this opening episode, we are going to focus our attention on one particular subject: The Word of Life. John opens his letter by referring to "that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life…". And he will go on to talk about this word of life being made manifest or made known, and how he had been one of those who had been privileged to get a first-hand, up-close-and-personal glimpse of this "life". Of course, we know John is referring to Jesus, but we sometimes lose sight of the fact that John calls Jesus the "eternal life." He is not just the source of eternal life, He is, in fact, eternal life itself. It was His life that made eternal life possible. It was His willing, sacrificial death on the cross that made forgiveness of sins and a restored relationship with God the Father achievable. The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. And that event brought about a revolutionary change in mankind's relationship with God. For the first time, it was possible for men and women to enjoy a right standing with God based on the righteousness of another – a perfect righteousness made possible by the Word of Life.

Ep 170 – 2 Timothy 4 Jun 10, 2017

Show notes

With today's episode, we'll be wrapping up our study of Second Timothy. I've entitled this episode, "A Final Word of Warning" because, in it, we will see that Paul closes out his letter to Timothy with some strong words of encouragement and admonition. He wanted Timothy to run the race well and to finish strong. Paul knew that the days ahead would be difficult for his young protégé, and that he would need to remain committed to the cause of Christ, no matter how bumpy the road may become. The role Timothy had to play was multifaceted, requiring compassion as well as tough love. Timothy would need to preach the Word to those who would listen, but also rebuke those who refused to accept it. The temptation would be to sugar coat the truth and to alter the message to make it more acceptable. The lure of popularity is always a real threat to any pastor/teacher. But you don't build a strong church by building a large following. You don't grow believers by growing your reputation.

Ep 169 – 2 Timothy 3:10-17 Jun 09, 2017

Show notes

In the second half of chapter three, Paul gives Timothy a lecture on the primacy of Scripture and provides an unapologetic testimony to his own faithfulness to the Word. For Paul, the Old Testament Scriptures were not just important, they were essential to understanding the incredible nature of Jesus Christ's coming. As a former Pharisee, Paul was a student of the Hebrew Scriptures and was equipped to see in them the incredible fulfillments of prophecy brought about by Jesus' coming, His death and resurrection. These were not the writings of men, but the words of God Himself. And as such, they were powerful and profitable. The Scriptures were key to living the godly life. Without them, men were left to their own devices. Even with them, men were prone to misinterpret them or provide God's Word with meanings He never intended. Treating God's Word as just that – His word, was a non-negotiable requirement if Timothy wanted to be complete, equipped for every good work.

Ep 168 – 2 Timothy 3:1-9 Jun 08, 2017

Show notes

As Paul goes deeper into his letter to Timothy, the urgency of his message can be tangibly felt. He warns Timothy about a pseudo-godliness that will mark the last days – the days in which he lived and in which we still exist today. We live more than 2,000 years after these words were written, but they are as applicable now as they were the day Paul penned them. While the world has enjoyed much in the way of technological, medical and scientific advances, our moral trajectory has been anything but upward. Mankind's love affair with sin is evident all around us. And while religion still plays a significant role in our day and age, it has done little to change the ethical and moral decline of society. In many cases, it has been a key contributor to the problem. Money, materialism, pleasure and self-determination are the gods of our age – just as they were in Timothy's day. And while our goal remains godliness, it is no easier to achieve now than it was then.

Ep 167 – 2 Timothy 2:15-26 Jun 07, 2017

Show notes

Today's episode is entitled, "Ready, Willing and Faithful" because it deals with Paul's continued charge to Timothy to stay committed to his calling and faithful to the gospel message. We'll be looking at chapter two, verses 15-26. In these verses, Paul will challenge Timothy to live a fearless and faith-filled life that is focused on the pursuit of righteousness. He is to make sure he doesn't repeat the mistakes of Hymenaeus and Philetus, two individuals whom Paul accused of swerving from the truth. Their false doctrines, preached as truth, were having a devastating impact on the local church. Disagreements, quarrels, false teaching, and all kinds of other problems were a reality in the church located in Ephesus. And as a leader, Timothy had the undeniable and sometimes unpleasant responsibility of dealing with these potentially deadly controversies. And through it all, Timothy needed to stay above the fray, not allowing himself to be contaminated or distracted from his role as a shepherd.

Ep 166 – 2 Timothy 2:1-14 Jun 06, 2017

Show notes

In today's episode we'll be in chapter two, verses 1-14. In this section of his letter, Paul will attempt to pass the mantle of leadership to Timothy, encouraging his young protégé to stand firm in his faith and to serve the cause of Christ like a good soldier. He continues to prepare Timothy for the difficult days ahead by recalling his own suffering and that of Christ. Jesus was the God-man, the Son of God who took on human flesh and suffered an agonizing death at the hands of men. All so that the sins of men might be atoned for and that some might enjoy a restored relationship with God the Father by placing their faith in His Son's sacrificial death on the cross. Paul wanted Timothy to never forget the reality of the resurrection, because it is in that fact all our hope is based. Jesus died, only to rise again. And we too, will one day rise again to new life, sinless and free from the effects of death – forever.

Ep 165 – 2 Timothy 1 Jun 05, 2017

Show notes

In this opening episode on Paul's second letter to Timothy, we'll be looking at chapter one, in which Paul will emphasize the faithfulness of God. And he will call Timothy to remain faithful to his calling and committed to his job as a minister of the Word of God. Paul knew that Timothy was under a great deal of pressure, facing opponents to his ministry and spiritual forces that would want to destroy all that God was doing in Ephesus where Timothy was ministering. The temptation to give in or give up would be great. Suffering wasn't just a possibility for Timothy, it was an inevitable reality – a fact that Paul knew all too well. So in this opening portion of his letter to Timothy, Paul will go out of his way to stress God's incredible faithfulness and encourage Timothy to respond with a determination to remain faithful to his God and his commission as a minister of the gospel.

Ep 164 – 1 Timothy 6:11-21 Jun 04, 2017

Show notes

Today marks the end of our study in the letter of First Timothy. We will wrap up with chapter six, verses 11-21. Paul closes out his letter with some last words of warning and encouragement to his young protégé. His overwhelming desire for Timothy is that he pursue godliness and righteousness at all costs. That he fight the good fight of faith and finish strong. He knows that Timothy is going to face difficult days ahead. It came with the role of pastor/teacher/shepherd. This young man was in for his fair share of headaches and heartaches, failures and setbacks. Temptations would come his way. He would have moments when he wanted to give up. He would face days when he felt like a failure. There would be deserters and detractors, false teachers and fake followers. But Timothy was to remain faithful to His charge and complete reliant upon the Spirit of God to accomplish will of God to which he had been called.

Ep 163 – 1 Timothy 6:1-10 Jun 03, 2017

Show notes

Today, as we move into chapter six of 1 Timothy, we'll be looking at verses 1-10, where Paul is going to address the idea of godly contentment and how it relates to true godliness. To make his point, Paul will address three specific groups within the local church, giving them insights into how they were to live their lives within the local context of the body of Christ. Each was radically different from the other, but they each shared a common power to influence the church in a negative way. The antidote to becoming a cancer within the local body of church was to pursue godliness, at all costs. Seeking a change in your less-than-ideal circumstances in the hopes that it produces more joy is misguided and will prove disappointing. Chasing after money and material things in order to find contentment and happiness will never produce the results you're looking for. And teaching a form of truth other than that revealed by God through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, will always be revealed for exactly what it is: A lie.

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