Category: Scripture

2 Tim 3:14-4:5

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom¹ you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God² may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Preach the Word

4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound³ teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Footnotes

[1] 3:14 The Greek for whom is plural

[2] 3:17 That is, a messenger of God (the phrase echoes a common Old Testament expression)

[3] 4:3 Or healthy

(ESV)

Psalm 1

Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1:1   Blessed is the man¹
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
  nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2   but his delight is in the law² of the LORD,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.


3   He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
  that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
  In all that he does, he prospers.
4   The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.


5   Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6   for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Footnotes

[1] 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see Preface

[2] 1:2 Or instruction

(ESV)

Titus 8.31.24

For many of you, you are opening today’s Going Deeper from the mountain in SW Colorado where SFJMC Motorcycle Club is gathered for our annual USA National Run. I pray that your time in the word this year and this week has been great fuel for your travels on the road or in life. I am looking forward to starting our new reading plan with you on Monday. I will speak more to that at the end of today’s devotional.  Enjoy! 

During Paul’s first missionary journey, the Lord ordained for him to come to know a young man named Titus. Titus was Greek, which means he had not grown up worshiping the God of the Bible. As he heard Paul preach, God gave Titus a heart to see the gospel and respond with saving faith in Jesus. Paul then brought Titus to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-4) to show the apostles and other Jewish believers how a Greek could love God just as much as the Jews did. Titus represented all the other non-Jewish people who became Christians and were completely accepted by God through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is like us today. 

Titus continued to travel with Paul on missionary journeys, helping in the work of sharing the gospel. Titus was with Paul during the three years Paul was in Ephesus, teaching them about the awesome power of God and the life-changing gospel. After this, Paul sent Titus to Corinth to help relieve tension there (2 Corinthians 7:6; 13-14) and to collect money for the poor (2 Corinthians 8:6, 16, 23). Paul not only thought of Titus as a very faithful friend but also as his spiritual son. 

After Paul was released from the Roman prison where he had been for two years, he and Titus traveled to the island of Crete. Paul and Titus taught the people there about their need for God and the good news about Jesus (Titus 1:4-5). Soon there were enough believers to start churches in several towns. Paul wanted to go visit the church in Corinth, so he left Titus to continue teaching the new Christians and to appoint church leaders for each new church. Titus was a busy man, as he cared for all the new Cretan believers, especially because the people just didn’t know how to do what is good in God’s eyes. 

Paul knew Titus needed some encouragement and reminders of what was important to teach the people. So, Paul wrote to Titus soon after writing 1 Timothy, probably while Paul was in Macedonia on his way to Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). In his letter, Paul advised Titus regarding what qualifications to look for in leaders for the church. He also warned Titus of the reputations of those living on the island of Crete (Titus 1:12).

In Titus 3:3-6, Paul reminds Titus, “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

How awesome it must have been when Titus received a letter from his mentor, the apostle Paul. Paul was a much-honored man, and rightly so, after establishing several churches throughout the eastern world. His instruction and gospel re-orientation must have proven to be essential for Titus’s maturing in the Lord. We must never forget to use the word and gospel truth regularly when speaking to each other, that we too might lift each other up in Christ and encourage each other to press on in all that we face for our King.

To help Titus continue in his faith in Christ, Paul asked Titus to come to Nicopolis and bring with him two other members of the church (Titus 3:12-13). It is these kinds of Christ-centered discipleship relationships we are to be in today: life on life, training, encouraging, sending, and multiplying. May all of our study through these 52 figures of the Holy Scriptures be an inspiration to us to obey God, serve Him sacrificially, to not walk alone but in accountability, and to make the most of the days God has entrusted to us for His glory and others’ good. 

I look forward to this next year’s reading plan, as we will be focusing on spiritual disciplines that will help us to mature in our faith and grow in our dependence on and worship of the Lord. We will also we reading through the book of Proverbs throughout the year as a break from the disciplines and to give us a great source of biblical wisdom. Please don’t hesitate to share our SFJbible.com reading plan with anyone you are walking with or ministering to. It is a great way to be in the word of God together. I am praying for you as you study God’s holy word and commit your life to obeying His revealed will. 

By His grace and for His glory

Joshua “Shepherd” Kirstine

Soldiers For Jesus MC

Chaplain Council

SFJbible.com

Titus 3:1-15

Be Ready for Every Good Work

3:1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Final Instructions and Greetings

12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all.

(ESV)

Titus 2:1-15

Teach Sound Doctrine

2:1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound¹ doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Bondservants² are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Footnotes

[1] 2:1 Or healthy; also verses 2, 8

[2] 2:9 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

(ESV)