1 Timothy 6:1-21

¹ All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. ² Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare of their slaves.

False Teachers and the Love of Money

    These are the things you are to teach and insist on. ³ If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, ⁴ they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions ⁵ and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
 ⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Final Charge to Timothy

 ¹¹ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴ to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
 ¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
 ²⁰ Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹ which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
   Grace be with you all.

How can we apply this today?

How has money affected your walk?

If you imagine Paul writing this to you how does it change the impact it has on you?

1 Timothy 5:1-24

Widows, Elders and Slaves

 ¹ Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
 ³ Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. ⁵ The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. ⁶ But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. ⁷ Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. ⁸ Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
 ⁹ No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, ¹⁰ and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
 ¹¹ As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. ¹² Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. ¹³ Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. ¹⁴ So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. ¹⁵ Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
 ¹⁶ If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
 ¹⁷ The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” ¹⁹ Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. ²⁰ But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. ²¹ I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.
 ²² Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
 ²³ Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
 ²⁴ The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. ²⁵ In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

How can we apply this today?

What does Paul's charge mean to you in verse 21?

What do you think verses 24 and 25 mean in relation to accountability?

1 Timothy 4:1-16

¹ The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. ² Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. ³ They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. ⁴ For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵ because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
 ⁶ If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. ⁷ Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸ For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ⁹ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. ¹⁰ That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
 ¹¹ Command and teach these things. ¹² Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
 ¹⁵ Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹⁶ Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

How is this relevant to us today?

Paul says not to let anyone look down on you because you are young. Are you using your age as an excuse in your walk? How is it affecting your walk?

What does verse 16 mean to you?

1 Timothy 3:1-14

Overseers and Deacons

 ¹Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. ²Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. ⁵(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) ⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ⁷He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
 ⁸Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. ⁹They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
 ¹¹In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
 ¹²A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. ¹³Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
 ¹⁴Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, ¹⁵if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. ¹⁶Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:
   He appeared in a body,
      was vindicated by the Spirit,
   was seen by angels,
      was preached among the nations,
   was believed on in the world,
      was taken up in glory.

How does this verse apply to us today?

What does it tell us about how men should act?

What does it tell us about how women should act?

What does the last verse mean to you?

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Instructions on Worship

 ¹I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— ²for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. ⁷And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.
 ⁸I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.
 ⁹I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, ¹⁰but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
 ¹¹A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. ¹²I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. ¹³For Adam was formed first, then Eve. ¹⁴And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. ¹⁵But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

How are these verses relevant for us today?

Do you pray for everyone? why or why not? What do the verses say about this topic?

What does it say that God wants? How does that affect your motivation to share the gospel?

I think verses 9-11 can apply to men as well so what do these verses say to both men and women about how they should present themselves? (He's not just talking about clothing, but actions.)

This section is about worship so how does Paul's idea of worship compare to that of ours today?

1 Timothy 1:12-20

Before I get to the verses I just wanted to share a really cool moment I had with God. I say moment, but it lasted for about 30-45 mins while I was praying for a friend. Out of nowhere I started reciting the Lord's Prayer and as I was going through it God was talking to me about it.
 Our Father in heaven
. Just that was like wow! I mean the one who created it all, defeated death, holds everything in his hands, that’s our father and not only that he is sitting in heaven. It would be cool for your dad to be ceo of some company or governor or president, but our Father is God. Shut up! You can’t even top that. I mean stop there that’s good enough for me, but then God went on.
 Hallowed be your name.
 His name is holy and perfect. Everything about our Father is perfect and holy even down to his name. His name has power and strikes fear. I was reminded of a song by David Crowder when he said there are so few words that never grow old, Jesus! I'm like wow this is the God we are in awe of, that we are fearful of, this perfect being then God began to lay it on me.
Your kingdom come,
 your will be done
 on earth as is in heaven.
What? God's Kingdom here amongst all this sin? I couldn't help, but think of revelation and I thought to myself do I really want to pray for that to come? Talk about fear of God! But, God said think about heaven, everyone in my kingdom are there for me. Pray that on earth it would be done as in heaven that everyone would be for me. I'm like OK! Yes Lord!... but how? Funny I should ask. Again he said think about heaven. Every being there is doing the will of God. We are to pray that God's will would be so treasured that everyone one would do it. Then I started thinking how will God's will get done if we aren’t the one's doing it? If we are His hands and feet why aren't we moving, saving, healing, tithing, rebuking, loving or giving? So the prayer isn't for God to do it and us be spectators. Christianity is not a spectator sport. We are the ones whom God will use to bring about His kingdom and His will. Now I'm like even the magnitude of Jesus' prayers are too much for me.
Give us our daily bread.
How many of us truly rely on God to bring us what we need in a day every day? We rely more on ourselves to get what we need, but what if we couldn't? What if every day we literally had to rely on God for our food? That is faith. Then God said it’s more than bread. It’s funny how he can say so much with so few words. Bread could be anything. It could be food, clothes, money, people, love, scripture, opportunities, wisdom, knowledge, strength, courage. Then it hit me what if instead of relying on God only for the things we don’t have, we relied on Him for everything. And in doing that we said Lord I'm trusting that you know what I need and that is what I'm asking you to give me daily. WOW! If Christ gave us salvation before we knew how to rely on Him for what we needed, then I can’t wait to see what He gives daily!
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
God's like you sin daily and need to be renewed daily. Salvation was once and for all, but it is that daily recognition of Lord I need you because I am a sinner. And as much as we don’t want to sometimes we must forgive the sins of others. Scripture tells us that how we judge is how we will be judged, then I'm forgiving everybody of everything. I may not like what they did, but I have to forgive. I know God hates our sin, but He forgave it and not only that He went out of His way to do it in the most incredible way. Sounds like a get out of jail free card for sin, not so fast.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
We must pray for the Lord to lead us not into temptation of sin, but to stay away from evil. When we become saved a transformation must occur in our hearts. Scripture talks about this transformation over and over again to leave the fleshly world behind and look toward the cross and the world to come. Just because Satan has lost doesn't mean he isn't going to try like heck to mess up whatever of God's plan that he can. Scripture says that Jesus will come like a thief in the night and it is better for him to find us doing. He has called us to be fishers of men, to make disciples of all nations. It is imperative that we share the Gospel. The other day I was watching a video and a woman became disturbed because it was a slow motion video of a woman drowning (she wasn’t really drowning it was a Francis Chan talk, she was ok and not hurt). And right when she said that it was like God hit me with a left hook and said you see all these people drowning in their sin and you’re just watching. All of a sudden I felt like I was drowning. I had a sudden feeling of being so small and insignificant. God said if you saw someone really drowning you would do all that you could to save them, even if you couldn't swim. So why aren't you helping them? This is life and death and more important than life and death as you know it these are people’s souls. Eternal life and death. Go and make disciples because I am coming like a thief in the night! All I could say was Yes Lord! This is not a game. This is real. So I just want to end with what the last thing He said was and it’s from scripture. Don't be like the Pharisees and honor me with your words, honor me with your actions!


 ¹²I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. ¹³Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
 ¹⁵Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
 ¹⁸Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, ¹⁹holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. ²⁰Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

How does Paul's story of coming to Christ compare to yours? is it similar? Since becoming a Christian does your life look like Paul's? why or why not?

By God using Paul and his life as an example to us what does that show you about how much God values you and what you are capable of doing for Him despite your past?

In the third paragraph would your name fit more in the place of Timothy or Hymenaeus and Alexander?

How do these verses affect your walk moving forward?

How are they relavent to us today?

We started a blog as a way to encourage one another to be in the word and hold each other accountable. I felt like I needed to do everything in my power to ensure we are growing, so we did this. We're all already on the computer anyways so we might as well use it to grow in God's word. You can invite whoever you want, everyone's input is appreciated. The questions are more of discussion starters so you don't have to answer them all. I will do my best to update everyday. I hope that we all take it seriously and commit to it.

1 Timothy 1:1-11

 ¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
 ²To Timothy my true son in the faith:
      Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Warning Against False Teachers of the Law

 ³As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer ⁴nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work—which is by faith. ⁵The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ⁶Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. ⁷They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
 ⁸We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. ⁹We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine ¹¹that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.


What stood out to you? What did you like?

Have you ever been around a Christian who got caught up in the "controversies rather than God's work"? What were they and how did that affect your walk?

If the law is "good" and for the "ungodly and sinful" what does it do for us?

How can we apply these verses to our lives today?