Impact Week Twenty-Three

Over the past month or so, we’ve been reading from "Walking Wisely" written by Charles Stanley on a chapter concerning temptation. We’re wrapping up this discussion today.

To quickly review:

1. God does NOT tempt us.

God will never tempt you because a temptation is a tactic of the enemy to cause you to fall. God is in the business of promoting you, of causing you to grow. Sin causes you to halt your growth, to take a step back from where God was taking you.

2. Temptation is not a sin.

Being tempted does not mean you are sinning. You are being tempted because the enemy is trying to get you TO sin.

3. No one is above being tempted.

Every man, woman, and child that ever lived or ever will live has or will be tempted. Period. There is no avoiding it. Jesus himself dealt with temptation.

4. Maturity in your walk doesn’t mean less temptation.

Growing in your relationship with Christ means you are more likely to face temptation. You might be less likely to fall, but you will definitely face temptation. The more press into and seek after God, the more dangerous you become to the enemy.
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5. We have help.

The good news is, God is on our side. Assuming you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, God’s Holy Spirit resides (or lives) in your heart. And he always provides a way out (I Cor. 10:13). One of the names of God is Counselor, meaning he is by your side, giving you a plan of defense in the face of an attack. Barack Obama, and every President of the United States has a pact of aides, men and women who give him advice on various issues.

In light of the attack and the aide that is readily available to us, we have a choice to make. Stanley (the author of the book) asks a important question: ‘What is your first response when you face temptation? Do you immediately begin to rationalize the situation because you are going to yield to the temptation? Or do you immediately go into “resist mode”…?’

Don’t rationalize the sin. Don’t dwell on the temptation. Resist it.

James 4:7b “Resist the devil and he will flee from you”

6. Temptation is everywhere you go.

Don’t make the mistake of believing that you can evade temptation just by moving. Remember Potipher’s wife and her attraction to Joseph? Imagine for a moment that Joseph had left Egypt in order to get away from Potipher’s wife. Do you really think that would solve the problem? True, he wouldn’t have to deal with that particular woman, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that Joseph wouldn’t face a similar temptation should he have left. I would like to clarify the point that you can’t avoid sin simply by running away from temptation. At some point, you need to take a stand against it, to say no the temptation. Running away doesn’t solve the issue.

On the other hand, Joseph had it right when he stayed as far away from the woman as he could. Recognize the difference though. He didn’t run away from his temptation. He flat out said “No”, but he also didn’t stick around for her to ask him again. You may need to walk away from a confrontation or a situation. There’s a saying: if you hang around a barber shop long enough, you’re gonna get a haircut. It’s great that you said no in the face of temptation, but don’t hang around to continually get pressured.

7. Your Defense.

a. Make a decision to overcome temptation.

Have a resolve in your heart, make a decision that in the face of temptation, you will say no to it, and yes to God.

b. Figure out what your most frequent temptations are.

c. Address the needs in a godly manner.

There is nothing wrong with eating a bowl of ice cream or having an iPod. The problem arises when you eat too much ice cream or spend all your money on products. If there is a need in your life, it is more than likely natural. The temptation is to exceed the boundary that God set for us.

d. Making short work of the temptation thought process.

Every temptation we come up against enters as a thought in our head. Where it goes from there is up to us. If you choose to entertain it and dwell on it, you are then faced with a decision: do I act on this or not? Dismissing a temptation quickly is the best way to go.

e. Know the consequences of sin.

Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (also called CIPA) is such a rare disease that only 84 living cases that have diagnosed in the United States. It is a genetic disorder that makes it impossible for someone to feel pain. Now, on the surface, you might think, wow cool. But consider this: you know in your head that if you touch a heated stove, you will get burned, and if you don’t remove your hand, you will lose a significant amount of flesh. Just because people with CIPA don’t feel pain, doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for touching a hot stove, for example.

In the same manner, we need to realize that there is a consequence to sin, whether that comes now or years down the road. For instance, if you choose to eat too much ice cream quickly, you will probably get a brain freeze. Ouch! That action has a clear consequence. But some have less obvious consequences. For instance, if you were sin sexually, there might not be an immediate consequence, other than guilt. But down the road, you face the problem of devoting yourself solely to your wife. There is always a consequence to sin, whether you experience that immediately or down the road.

f. Put on the armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-18 refers to the armor of God, one of your key tools of defense against an attack. When you wake up, pray through this scripture. Acknowledging that God is your armor is a good reminder to keep Him with you throughout the day.

g. Stay focused.

Temptation is an attempt to deter and distract your attention from something else. You may find that you are bombarded with temptation the most when you are trying to focus on praying, worship, or reading the Word. Don’t be surprised if a stray thought enters your mind. It’s Satan’s last ditch effort to distract you and keep you from growing. If, for example, you are in worship on a Tuesday night, and you’re enjoying God’s presence, and all of the sudden out of nowhere you start thinking about something impure, don’t be surprised, it happens all the time. Just dismiss the attack and continue to focus on what you were doing.

h. Accountability.

Accountability simply means that someone will take an honest look into your life and call your actions into a account. You pray with each other, you confess your sins to one another. Really, you should have at least three of these people in your life: a mentor, a peer, and a disciple. A mentor is someone who is a believer who is more mature in their walk and can give you guidance and advice. A peer is someone who is more or less at the same level of maturity, but is someone who wants to grow just as you do; you can encourage each other in what you go through. A disciple is someone who is perhaps new to following Christ, but who is seeking guidance, and needs advice from someone who has been there.

James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

i. Ask God for help

Don’t forget God in all of this. The simplest, easiest, and most effective way to overcome temptation is to ask God for strength. If you know an attack is coming on, God can and will provide you with a way out – if you ask for it.

Impact Week Twenty-Two

Over the past month or so, we’ve been reading from "Walking Wisely" (written by Charles Stanley) on a chapter concerning temptation.

Temptation. We all face it, day in and day out, and we will continue to deal with it until our last breath. Matthew penned an account of Jesus’ journey through the dessert where he too faced the enemy head on. And though we deal with it in many times and in many ways, it is in our weakest moments that temptation is magnified. It was during Christ’s 40 day fast that Satan confronted Him. But even in all His humanity, He conquered the enemy and paved a way out, using scripture to shove off Satan’s tactics.

What is the strongest temptation you face regularly?
- Do you find yourself falling to this particular temptation more often than you resist?

Identity the areas and times of your life where you are especially vulnerable. Knowing your battle is important.

Temptation comes from three main sources:

A. The World – media and peers often try to show and sell us something enticing. Our friends/peers do the same.
B. The Flesh – our own physical senses entice us in different ways. We have needs that are normal, as long as we do not jump outside our God-given boundaries. For example: we need to eat because food provides the energy our bodies need to function. But to exceed the limitations of what we need is irresponsible, unhealthy, and a sin.
C. The Devil – Satan himself will try to get us to believe that we are above God’s laws and that our own self-gratification is what matters.

1. God does NOT tempt us.

James 1:13-15 “When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

God is in the business of strengthening us through trials and testing – NOT temptation. Falling to sin yields negative results and causes us to fall. What kind of father trips his child? Not a very good one, and certainly not one who loves his child. God will never do anything to cause us to stumble. On the contrary; he provides a way out.

1 Cor. 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

2. Temptation is not a sin.

It is crucial to understand the difference between sin and temptation. I’ve touched on this before, but a malicious thought is often prompted by the enemy – it is one of his tools to trip us. Remember: the desire to do something does not become sin until it is entertained. Do NOT dwell on the emotion or desire. Once a thought enters your head, dismiss it immediately. If you allow it to remain in your mind, Jesus has made it clear that is sin.

Matt 5:27-28 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

3. No one is above being tempted.

“So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” (1 Cor 10:12)

Every one is tempted, and everyone is susceptible (or vulnerable) to a fall. If you think you’ve mastered or overcome a certain area of temptation in your life, watch your back. I have, at times, become confident in my own ability to withstand specific temptations. But we need to realize it is God that gives us that method of escape, and it is His own hand that breaks our fall. In our moments of arrogance or misguided belief that we are somehow invulnerable, we are most susceptible to an attack. If you really think you can stand, God will allow you to fall on your own. Don’t be foolish – admit your need for a Savior and find solace under the cover of His wings.

4. Maturity in your walk doesn’t mean less temptation.

On the contrary, it probably means more. Imagine for a moment that you are a German soldier fighting during the mid 1940’s in Germany. A crippled American solider is wandering around the field of battle, shooting aimlessly at your fellow soldiers, mostly trying to get to safety. He might pick off one of you once every 100 rounds or so. Now across the field of battle is a healthy, non-injured, American soldier, picking off your buddies left and right. Who are you going to shoot? The injured guy? Of course not! Clearly you would do your best to stop the death of your buddies. In the same manner, Satan isn’t likely to pick a fight with someone who is already in his trap; he’s gunning for the mature, dangerous believer.

We'll wrap this up next week.

Impact Week Twenty-One

Review

Last week we addressed the importance of thanksgiving. While Jesus was walking the boarder heading into Jerusalem, he was approached by ten leprous men, asking for their healing. Jesus instructed them to show themselves to the priest, and as they went, they were healed. But despite the supernatural healing that took place in their bodies, only one of the ten returned to give praise to God for it. Most of us don’t have amazing stories like those of the leper – we haven’t been healed of life-threatening diseases. But if you think there’s no reason to give thanks, stop a moment and realize: you have every reason to be grateful. Number one, there was nothing to be healed from in the first place. And second, we have been set free by the blood of Jesus from certain death and judgment. In everything, give thanks. We shouldn’t approach God about anything without an attitude of thanks. We need to remember all that He has done for us.

Background

This week, I’d like to jump back to the Old Testament. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I love the historical books. There’s a lot to be gleaned from the lives that are written about. And here we have a story to learn both from King David and a man by the name of Nathan.

To bring you up to speed, David has been ruling for quite some time. He is married to Saul daughter, Michael (yeah, yeah, laugh it up fuzzball). One night while he was out on the rooftop of his palace looking over his kingdom (I assume), David spotted Bathsheba. She was, as the account describes, married, but also beautiful. So David sent for her and slept with her. A short time later, he got the report from Bathsheba every man dreads to hear, “I’m pregnant” (at least it’s dreaded when the situation is not righteous). Let’s review. David is married. Bathsheba is married. Ahem. See the problem? Now that we’ve got that clear, let’s read.

Reading: II Samuel 12:1-10

End

Reading that passage, I can’t help but think about the Word that God spoke through the prophet Samuel to King Saul, specifically the one found in I Samuel 15 where God rejects Saul as king. It is such a sobering Word, and reading the one found here makes me wonder how close God was to rejecting David. But God had mercy on David, much more than he deserved. And to think, it is said that David was a man after God’s own heart. That God used him over and over again to drive back the enemies of Israel. To fall so hard, like he did in this situation, it makes me wonder what it would take for me to fall from grace. Are any of us beyond falling? Can anyone really say with any certainty that they will never fall into sin?

But thank God for the Nathans in our lives. Have you ever had someone get up in your face, “all up in your grill” as Pastor Dave would say? In our culture, we have the preposterous notion that we should be accepting and tolerant of immorality. I have had people feed me the lie that as a Christian, I should be all the more understanding and accepting of certain lifestyles, namely homosexuality. And to a degree, it is true. No one has the right to be judgmental of another individual. But – that does not mean we should be complacent and allow immorality to increase, and stay silent about an issue like homosexuality merely because we don’t want to offend. Buddy, if you don’t want to offend someone, you might as well drop your whole belief in Christ. There is nothing more offensive than trying to live righteously. With a message of tolerance spreading through our culture, we so desperately need people that are willing to speak truth, that aren’t afraid to make a stand as Nathan did.

Let me make something perfectly clear: I am not saying that you should take a walk out on the town and start preaching repentance. More than anything, your life and the way you lead it should speak volumes, rather than your tongue. But it is appropriate to make a stand on the tough issues, like abortion, same-sex marriage, and so on.

Before you get up in someone else’s face, ask the hard questions of your own life. Examine yourself today. I can’t say that I’m proud of my past, but I’m not much more excited about the present. Even now, as I am writing this, I have to take a step back and realize, without Christ, I am one sad desperate individual, and I would be lost without the saving redemptive work He has done and is still doing within me. Take this with you today: be correctable. Don’t be offended when someone gets up in your face, whether they have the right to or not. It may well be that God is speaking through them, because God uses flawed individuals. Be attentive to God and listen to the correction He speaks, whether through a person, or through His Word.

Memory Verse: Proverbs 4:20-22

“20My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. 21Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.”

Impact Week Twenty

Review

A couple of weeks ago we were talking about Nicodemus and the conversation he had with Jesus. He was a political leader in his day, possibly a very prominent one, judging from the wording of verse one. Regardless, he didn’t feel safe to approach Jesus during the hours of daylight. Nicodemus’ puzzlement with the idea of a second birth is easy to laugh at now, but he asked some honest questions. If you want to see the kingdom of heaven, you will have to lose your life and find a new one in Christ. The new life that takes place in us is the process of our salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Background

Before we head into the reading, I want to quickly give some background on Samaritans and their relationship with the Jews. According to 2 Chronicles 36, when the Persians sacked the Babylonians, the people of Judah were released from their exile. But Ezra 4 says that there were people living in the land when they got there, probably Samaritans. Because Jerusalem was in ruins, the Jewish people had to rebuild it as well as the temple that Solomon built in years past. But the Samaritans were not allowed to assist and wound up building their own capital city and a temple where they worshiped God. You can read the story of the woman at the well in John chapter 4 for a little bit more perspective.

With that in mind, let’s read about a grateful heart.

Reading: Luke 17:11-17

End

Faith

Hebrews11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

In verse14 it says “And as they went, they were cleansed.” These leprous men were not healed instantly in the presence of Jesus. He could have healed them then and there, but God doesn’t fit any description we can give him. He constantly breaks the mold, and this situation was no exception. Jesus knew the law of the Old Testament which said that you did not go to see the priest unless you were cleansed of leprosy. Nevertheless, Jesus told the lepers to behave as though they had already received their healing. In order for these men to be healed, they had to believe that they were healed. Faith doesn’t make sense in a natural sense, because it is the belief in the unseen, what is outside of the physical realm.

What spiritual leprosy is ailing you? What sin is eating away at your heart? Operate in this blind faith, that you are free, that you have been cleansed, and have been healed. In your declaration of faith, you may find yourself healed on your way.

Thanksgiving

But notice that while faith is admirable, only one of these ten men stopped to give glory to God. And that man was a Samaritan. Even with the history between the Samaritans and Jewish people, he returned to give thanks. Isn’t it interesting that in spite of a clearly supernatural healing, nine out of ten went about their lives like normal?

Romans 5:9-10 “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

We were enemies of Christ before we came to know him. But he sought us out, healed us, and saved us. We need only look to the redeeming blood of Christ for a reason to give glory to God, to express our thanks. We never did and never will deserve our salvation, nor anything else God did for us on the cross. Don’t forget to return to Jesus’ feet every day to pour out thanks for the freedom you have been given!

This week’s memory verse gives another key point. When you approach God in prayer, remember all he has done.

Memory Verse: Philippians 4:6

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Forgetting What Is Behind

Philippians 3:12-16 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”

Over the past couple of weeks, Pastor Dave has been talking to us about perseverance, pushing off from this verse in Galatians:

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

As I was thinking and preparing, I remembered Paul’s words echoing in my mind, “I press on towards the prize...” (Not that I heard Paul speaking them, just the narration we all play in our heads). If there’s one thing you have to learn, it’s a willingness to ignore the mistakes you’ve made in the past, to “forget what is behind.”

As I mentioned Tuesday night, I’ve had my struggles in life, just like anyone else. My most difficult battle is not with cancer, but with my own flesh and with the sinful nature that is inherit in all of us. And make no mistake, I continue to battle. I am by no means perfect. But I am thankful to experience the freedom that Christ paid for on the cross with His blood.

I was online a couple of days ago, checking facebook and I ran across a video that Cindy Adams had posted. Most of you remember her as one of our leaders, and head of the worship department for Reflection before she and her family moved to Texas a few months ago. Anyway, the video was a testimony of one of the guitarists from the musical group “Korn”. It got me watching some of the videos on http://www.iamsecond.com, and thinking about perseverance.

Greg Ellis is an Outside Linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys. I wish you could see his testimony, but obviously we’re a bit limited here at Common Grounds. During the 2006 season, Greg tore his Achilles Tendon, and was told by his doctors his career was over. He had previously broken his leg, and he was beginning to show his age with his less than impressive numbers up to that point. But anybody who knows football, knows Greg is still around today. Not only did he return, but his 2007 season was very successful, and the NFL named him the comeback player of the year.

Brian Welch (of Korn) and Greg Ellis both have testimonies of perseverance. Brian has chosen to forget the former life he lived, to overcome his past addiction to drugs, and to live for Christ. Greg chose to ignore the voices of opposition that surrounded him and pushed forward to one of his best seasons.

In our own lives, we may fall a thousand times. But every morning, we have to get up and forget the events of the previous day and press on, knowing that we have a reward in heaven if we set out to do what we have been called to do. This life is not just about getting by, about holding our head above water. We are meant to thrive. But that requires perseverance and persistence. Forget what is behind you and press on towards the prize.

Impact Week Nineteen

Review

Last week we talked about Timothy and the instructions that Paul was giving to him. Timothy was left behind by Paul to watch over the church at Ephesus. Paul told Timothy to be an example to the church because it was getting off track and seemed to preaching some bogus stuff. He told him to be an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Timothy was a young guy, but Paul was confident that Timothy was up to the task. There is no reason why any of us should think we are incapable of leading people to Christ. It’s pretty simple: live the life. People need to see an example of genuine faith, a life devoted to what they claim to believe.

Background

This week, we’re going to look at one of the most famous passages in the Bible. It’s famous because John 3:16 pretty well sums up the Christian faith. Nicodemus was apparently part of a small group of Pharisees (which ruled over religious and civil matters) that believed Jesus was sent by God. But even in the early days of Jesus’ ministry, Nicodemus didn’t wish to be seen with Him, so he approached Him during the night. It is likely that Jesus had just cleansed the temple, so it’s not hard to imagine Nicodemus’ hesitation.

Reading: John 3:1-21

End

I read an article online last night about a speech that the president of a university gave to his audience. In his speech, he related a story. Apparently he was walking out of a department store during the holiday season. If you've been to Target or K-mart during Christmas, you know that The Salvation Army sets up a volunteer who rings a bell and collects donations for the organization. Well the president came across one of these people and stopped to drop something in the pot. The volunteer asked, “Sir, are you saved?” He replied that he thought he was, but the woman didn't like his answer. So she pressed further, "I mean, have you given your life to the Lord?" So the president told her of his position, "I am the president of a university, and as such, I am also president of its school of theology." The woman paused to consider his answer and replied, "It doesn’t matter, wherever you’ve been, or whatever you are, you can still be saved.”

Nicodemus was a religious leader of his day, and probably thought he was a shoe in for heaven. The president of a Christian university probably thought his salvation was secure as well. And I have heard some preacher’s kids and missionary kids try to tell me they were saved because their parents were. The fact is, who you are and what you do doesn’t make you a Christian. Your faith is your own, not because someone prayed for you when you were a baby and blessed you. You are a Christian because you have been reborn and have personally accepted Christ as your savior.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Most of us have at one time or another done some chores around the house to earn an allowance. As a kid, I can remember getting between twenty-five cents (when I was younger) to about five bucks (when I got older) per week. I don’t come from a particularly wealthy family, so anything I got was a big deal. But I worked for it, believe you me. It was usually yard work (the yard looked like a landscaping crew had been there by the time the four of us got done) or helping with the family business. I did it to earn money.

Our salvation, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter. You can’t earn salvation – it is given freely to those who put their faith in Christ. If you’ve been told differently, you were told wrong. And you don’t need to take my word for it. The Bible is more than clear about it.

Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Memory Verse: Ephesians 2:8-9

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Impact Week Eighteen

Review

Last week we looked at a situation in Joseph’s life. Joseph was living in the house of his master in Egypt. Joseph had shown his worth to Potiphar, and had gone on to take care of all the household matters, except for the food. At some time or another, Potiphar’s wife began to notice Joseph and found him attractive. Because of this, she tried to seduce him. But Joseph stood his ground and denied her and kept his distance as much as was possible.

Unfortunately, the woman was relentless, and although Joseph never backed down, she deceived his master into believing that Joseph had tried to take advantage of her. His master imprisoned him for what he believed to be Joseph’s crime. But even in prison, God was with Joseph and gave him favor.

Taking a stand isn’t always easy, especially against a persistent temptation or tempter. But God will always be with you, and He will never allow us to be tempted beyond what we can overcome. We are given the tools or the strength to overcome the enemy and every temptation that we are faced with. Again, if you make a decision and resolve in your heart to stand against sin, you are much more likely to defeat it. But it’s “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6)

Background

As a group, we have read through I and II Timothy, so this should be familiar ground. While we don’t have a definite age, we know that Timothy was without doubt a young man, because Paul referred to his youth (I Timothy 4:12). Paul had left Timothy to care for the church at Ephesus, which was apparently teaching some bogus stuff, what exactly we are not told. Suffice it to say Timothy was there to get the church back on track with solid teaching.

We’ve talked about this extensively in the past weeks, and even Pastor Dave touched on it last week for a bit. You and I need to know scripture. When something is read, it is your responsibility to check that for yourself. Do not take my word for it, don’t take Pastor Dave’s word for it, or anyone else. No one is above being deceived. That’s why we encourage you to know your Bible, so you will be able to discern between wild conjectures and what is true and just. Just because something sounds enticing or cool doesn’t mean it’s correct.

Reading: I Timothy 4:11-16

End

Isn’t it interesting that Timothy, even in his youth, had a more sound foundation than anyone in that church? Frankly, God doesn’t seem to care how old you are, if your heart is open to being used by God, He will take you up on it. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are incapable of being used for the sake of Kingdom merely because you are young.

Acts 10:34-35 “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.’”

Paul called Timothy to be an example. If you haven’t noticed, people your age, people my age, people of any age need guidance, and they need an example.

In Speech

What do you talk about? What is interesting to you? How do you say it? What words do you use to express yourself? To be an example, as Paul was talking about with Timothy, we need to watch what we are saying, and how we are saying it. The Bible refers to “godless chatter” or an “idle tongue” many times, and certainly not in a favorable light. It means gossip, and frankly anything that does not encourage, anything that does not build up. If you have a juicy piece of information about someone (and girls are more interested in doing this than guys, but we still do it) that you share with someone else, that is gossip. If you constantly joke and make fun of people, and use curse words to express yourself, then don’t. In stead of tearing someone down by making a joke about someone’s physical traits or appearance, find a way to encourage them. Consider what you are saying, for what purpose, and how you are saying it.

In Life

We need to live our lives as though everyone was watching. Not that you do things to receive glory from man, but because what you do as a believer is on display. People need to see and know that while we are flawed, we are different; we strive to live righteously. That means that you should be different from people who don’t know and live for Christ. If there’s no recognizable difference in the things you do with your life, something’s wrong.

James 3:13 “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”

In Love

The word used for love is agape, which is the love of Christ. In every relationship (not just with someone you have feelings for) you need to show the unconditional love that Christ shows us, no matter how difficult that may seem.

I’ll pass over faith and purity in the interest of time, so we can cover one other key thing about our reading. Paul reminded Timothy to not neglect the gift that was in him. Whether you know it or not, God has a specific purpose for you, if you will yield to Him. But it is up to you to stir up, to activate and to use the gift he has given you. Pastor Dave talked about this a couple of weeks ago. To some, one talent is given. To others, five talents are given, and to still others, ten (see Matthew 25:14-30). Furthermore, as a believer, the Holy Spirit resides in you. You’ve got a lot going for you. Don’t let anyone look down on you for your youth – you are fully equipped. What for? That’s for you to discover.

Memory Verse: I Timothy 4:12

“Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”