Category Archives: Scripture

Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Evangelism, Inspirational, Love, Mentoring, Ministry, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Testimony, Witnessing

BE READY

2 TIMOTHY 4:2

“preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

I will never forget when I was serving with an older pastor in South Georgia while in college. He gave me, a young minister at the time, some great advice. He said, “Always keep your six-gun loaded.” What he meant was to always be ready to preach. He told me then he always kept six messages in the back of his Bible in case he was asked to preach somewhere. I’ve done that most of my ministry, and it has sure come in handy.

But Paul goes beyond that with Timothy. Not only does he tell him to be ready “in season and out of season,” but he tells him how to preach. He says to reprove, rebuke and exhort. That’s not tickling people’s ears. That’s not just saying God loves you. That’s calling people to be aware of their sins and calling them to repentance. We should take notice of that.

APPLICATION

As our children come to Christ we need to teach them to be ready at all times to share their faith. I was asked recently, “What is the purpose of our salvation?” What do you think? We are commissioned by the great Commander-in-Chief to spread the good news of salvation to others. Our children have that same standing order. So, we must teach them to be ready at all times.

And in these days, they will be tempted to “normalize” all sort of behavior. Calling sin a sin is not popular today. They will be ridiculed for holding to the truth. They will possibly even be threatened for rebuking or exhorting. But God’s Word hasn’t changed. Teach them through your actions to be bold as they share the truth of the good news in love to others.

Are you bold enough in your witness to do what Paul charged Timothy? This charge is also our charge. Are you prepared at any time to present the gospel to someone? Is your six-gun loaded? You don’t have to preach a sermon, but you should have enough grip on the message of salvation that you could share with anyone. Get ready. Load up. It’s harvest time.

I am ready, O Father, to share Your message of salvation. Today put someone in my path with whom I can share. Let my testimony be front and center so others can see what You have done through me.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Encouragement, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Service

FULLY EQUIPPED

2 TIMOTHY 3:17

“so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

There is nothing much worse than to plan a trip, get there and realize you left something at home. You had it ready – you just forgot it. You purchased it with the intention to use it. And when you get home, there it sits on the kitchen counter. It doesn’t do much good there.

Then Word of God is like that. Verse 16 tells us it is good for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. But is we don’t use it, if we don’t “pack” it, it is no use to us. We are given the Word to use, not to put on a shelf in the house. It is more than a Sunday book. It’s an everyday book that never gets old. It never gets dated. It stands the test of time.

APPLICATION

The next time you get a phone call from your son or daughter asking you to bring a something to school they forgot, remind them of this verse. That’s never happened to you? Just wait, it will. Playing basketball without your shoes is difficult. You are aren’t fully equipped. Presenting your science project without the poster board is impossible. You just have to have some things to complete the task.

It’s no different for your child spiritually. They can’t live the Christian life without relying on the Word of God to guide them. That’s why it is so important to teach them that the Word has applications to every life scenario. There is literally not a situation for which you cannot apply His Word. And the sooner they realize that, the more fully equipped they will be.

Are you half packed? Are you trying to get by on your wit and wisdom? Stop it! Take the Word and apply it to your life. Allow the Word to seep in and totally engulf every crevice of your existence. Living the Word frees you from making decisions that are based on your own experience. Now, that has a part in it, but it is always filtered through the Word.  Believe it.

Your Word, O Lord, is my guide. It fully equips me for every situation life throws at me. Give me the wisdom to apply it each time I need it.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Confession, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Service, Testimony, Understanding

IT’S ALL GOOD

2 TIMOTHY 3:16

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”

Have you ever heard that expression?  What does it mean?  Basically, it means every letter, word or marking of God’s Word.  This phrase comes from something Jesus said in Matthew 5:18 (Look it up).  So, when I hear people dismissing a part of Scripture because it is no longer culturally relevant, I cringe.  It’s all relevant to us today.  NO exceptions.

And look what it does for us.  It teaches, reproves, corrects and trains.  It covers all the bases.  So how do we use these verses in the lives of our kids?  How can we get across the truths of these verses in their lives?  Well, are you doing these four things?

APPLICATION

How are you teaching your children?  Better yet, what are you teaching?  The best textbook in the world is God’s Word.  Sure, you have to teach them math and stuff, but the best knowledge is contained in one book.  Are you reproving them?  That means to point out the errors of their ways, to convict.  That sounds bad, but if we don’t help our children see their mistakes, they will most certainly repeat them.

How about correcting?  That means to put them back on the right path.  Reproving without correcting is demeaning and hopeless.  They go together.  And finally, are you training them?  That word means to instruct until they reach full maturity.  That goes well beyond high school today.

I don’t know about you, but I have made a lot of mistakes in my child rearing days.  And just about every one of them was because I deviated or completely ignored the truth of these verses.  If we, as parents, will follow every jot and tittle of God’s Word, our children are much more likely to follow Him.

Father, I pray all parents will use Your Word as their textbook for their children. I pray they will find these timeless truths to be applicable every day as they raise their children to love You.

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Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Contentment, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Scripture, Wisdom

WISDOM

2 TIMOTHY 3:15

“and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

What makes you wise? Knowledge? Not necessarily! I know a lot of people of who are very smart but aren’t vey wise. They know a lot of stuff, but don’t know what to do with it. Wisdom is far more than knowing stuff. It’s knowing what to do with the knowledge you have obtained. That’s Paul’s point here to Timothy.

And what is that source of knowledge? God’s Word. Since he was a boy, Timothy had been taught God’s Word by his mother and grandmother (see 2 Timothy 1:5). That knowledge leads to true wisdom – salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Because, come on, be honest. If you have all that knowledge and die without Christ, that’s pretty stupid.

APPLICATION

Wise children are obedient children. Wise children are respectful children. Wise children understand the importance of obeying parents, adults and most importantly, the Lord. And the only way to have wise children is through the instruction of God’s Word. They could have a 4.0 GPA and be dumb as rocks. It’s like I said earlier. Knowing what to do with knowledge makes you wise.

So, here’s the hard part. You have to let them apply their knowledge. You have to let them make choices that will affect their lives. They have to learn how God’s Word lives out in their lives through relationships and circumstances. If you continually rescue them from difficult situations where they have the chance to apply that knowledge, they will never gain the wisdom necessary to maneuver life’s challenges.

Where does your wisdom come from? Are you applying the knowledge of God’s Word you already have? If you have followed the Lord in salvation, you have already made the wisest decision of your life. Now, you simply need to continue in that pursuit of wisdom through salvation. You are in a process of salvation your entire Christian life, becoming more and more like Christ. What higher goal could you pursue for wisdom?

You are the all wise God who gives us exactly what we need when we need it. Help me pursue only the truth of Your Word to guide me in all wisdom.

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Advice, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Foolishness, Inspirational, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Perseverance, Scripture, Testimony

FOOLISH THINKING

2 TIMOTHY 3:9

“But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.”

I find it rather curious how this Greek word for “folly” is used here. It is only used one other time in the New Testament and that is in Luke 6:11 when the religious leaders “lose their minds in rage” when Jesus heals the man with then withered hand on the Sabbath. Then we have the same word used here to describe Jannes and Jambres. They must have been quite a pair to observe in Pharaoh’s court.

The point is this – foolishness is not hard to spot. When someone gets so upset they can’t think straight, that is folly. Have you ever been that upset about something? Before reacting, stop, count to ten (or twenty or thirty), pray, then speak or do something. In this day of electronic communication, write the text, but then delete it.

APPLICATION

Wow! This is important to teach our children. Holding their tongues and keeping their heads is so important. Some kids are naturally wired that way and it takes a lot to get them to respond. Others, well, let’s just say they are ready for a fight if the shoe drops just right. Those are the ones we need to drill this into. Foolishness never accomplishes anything. Foolish words, foolish deeds, foolish thoughts – none of them.

And no one wants to be thought of as or called a fool. So, how do you prevent that? By being more like Christ. Christ is as anti-fool as it is possible to be. He never loses His mind. He never says words He wishes He could take back. He never did something that He shouldn’t. Teach your children to think and act like Jesus and they will never be foolish.

We all get tempted to “act the fool” sometimes. But I have found if I am bathing myself in prayer and in His Word, those moments are fewer and fewer. If I let myself just self-contemplate, I can get “foolish.” I let my rationale and wisdom get in the way. I have no wisdom outside of Christ. He is my fool guard. How about you?

Father of all wisdom, guard me from folly. Keep my eyes on your purpose and calling on my life. I praise You!

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Lies, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Testimony, Truth

FAKERS

2 TIMOTHY 3:8

“Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.”

Just who are these two guys. They are mentioned nowhere else in the Bible. We are pretty sure these two men were the two lead magicians who opposed Moses in front of Pharaoh. There is a lot of Jewish literature that names them, and it would be normal for their names to have been preserved in ancient texts.

But why mention them here. Paul is saying that just as these two tried to fake the truth of Moses’ miracles to free the slaves, these people Paul is warning Timothy about were faking the truth of the gospel and pretending to have an equal claim to apostleship and power. There are still people around today who will do the same. Beware!

APPLICATION

Now, people won’t normally come up to you or your child and say, “I have the power of God. Listen to me.” That would be too obvious. We teach our children about stranger danger. If someone approaches them and claims mom or dad sent them to pick them up, what should they do? That’s right, run! The same holds true here.

If you find yourself in a situation where you are hearing “another” gospel that doesn’t quite match up to the truth of the gospel, run! Teach your kids that the moment the shift happens from all glory pointing to Jesus towards another person or object (church, event, etc.), run! Fakers fake because we fall for it. Fakers fake because we are not diligent to check them out.

Let me ask you a hard question. Are you a faker? Do you pretend to be walking in the truth but are actually living a lie? Stop right now and make that right. Set your feet on the firm foundation of God’s Word and never turn again. And be mindful of the other fakers around you trying to lure you into chasing things that are false and just don’t matter. Life is way too short to chase rabbits spiritually.

Give me Your eyes, Lord, so I can spot the fakers. You only stand for truth. That is all I desire.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Conceit, Contentment, Demons, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, God's Will, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Satan, Scripture, Surrender, Truth

TOO SMART TO LEARN

2 TIMOTHY 3:7

“always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

There are two different Greek words for “learning” and “knowledge.” In English we commonly equate the two. But not in the Greek. The word “learning” refers to fact knowledge or book sense. “Knowledge” is an intensified word for experiential knowledge. In other words, these people have the knowledge to do what it is right but have chosen to do it their way, refusing the truth that stares them in the face.

I bet you have NEVER done that, lol. How many times have you done something you knew was wrong, thinking this time it won’t be so bad? You had the head knowledge, but you refused the truth of the situation and forged ahead, only to pay the price later. So, don’t be too quick to judge these people Paul is referring to here. I believe Paul knew these people he is referring to. We just don’t have their names. When you get out of line, don’t you want God to call your name?

APPLICATION

When I was little, my brother and I would save our money and buy model cars and ships. We spent hours gluing and painting, only in the end blowing them up with M80’s. What fun! But I hated the instructions. My brother, Tim, he followed them. For some reason, his models were always more stable and looked more like the box.

We teach our kids to follow the instructions (God’s Word) for a reason. We will have to apply them. When we do, God carries us through. But when we allow our children to make up their own rules and ignore truth, things get sloppy. They stop looking like the rest of the world and insist their normal is normal. A return to the pure instruction manual is the only remedy for our children and the children of the world.

Do you follow or make it up as you go along? Being in Children’s Ministry, I can’t “wing it.” Kids know it when you are winging it. They will bring down the house. Satan knows when you are winging it. He will bring all he can against you to try to make you miserable and unfit for ministry. Don’t let him. Cling to the truth. With it, you are able and to have the knowledge.

I only know what is useful to the kingdom or me because of You, Lord. I celebrate the freedom we have in Jesus to think, but also under constraint.

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NOT A NICE PERSON

2 TIMOTHY 3:3

“unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,”

Paul is describing those who are not lovers of God. These words paint a picture of a not very nice person. And (at least to me) it’s interesting that four of these six words in today’s verse are only used right here. Remember, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write only what the Father wanted him to write. So, these words were saved for right here.

The saddest word of this verse is the first one, “unloving.” It refers to not having any kind of natural affection. Actually, it can describe family affection. So, these people don’t even love their own families. Now, that’s sad. Who doesn’t love their momma? Who doesn’t love their little sis? But these individuals only think of self, no one else.

APPLICATION

Go through this list of words in today’s verse with your little ones. Ask them how they can do the opposite. Instead of not loving their family, how can they show love? Instead of being irreconcilable and hard to get along with, how can they get along? You can go through each of these words this way. Your children will understand, if you will take the time to cover each word.

The important thing to point out is these words in today’s verse describe someone who does not love Jesus. We want to draw a sharp contrast, as Paul does, of the difference in our lives. Everything we teach our children should point them to Christ. There is no aspect of their life in which He is not concerned.

How loving are you today? How agreeable? Do you control your tongue and behaviors? Would someone call you brutal? Take a look at the descriptors used to describe you by others. If any of them resemble these, you may need to have a “come to Jesus” meeting with yourself. We want others to only see Jesus in us. Amen?

I am so guilty, O God, of putting myself ahead of others. Forgive me for being so selfish. I repent of that today.

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Blasphemy, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Contentment, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Money, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture

DO YOU SEE YOURSELF?

2 TIMOTHY 3:2

“For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,”

Paul begins a long list describing how people will act and live in the last, difficult days. There is no way we can look at each word, so I looked at similarities. Guess what I found. Most of the words in today’s verse (in the Greek) were totally changed by the prefix. Yep, that little thing that is attached to the front of the word.

That got me thinking. Do I have any prefixes on me? Do I allow outside influences to change me? For instance, do I use money or love money? Do I work to improve myself or love myself? Am I obedient or disobedient? Am I grateful or ungrateful?  Am I holy or unholy? I don’t want prefixes hanging on me that move me away from the Lord.

APPLICATION

Ask your child to describe themselves to you, as if you did not know them. They can use any words they want. Write those down on a poster or sheet of paper. Now ask them to describe how they want to be seen by others in twenty years. Write those words down on the same sheet of paper.

Are there any descriptors on the first list that will conflict with the desired descriptors on the second? Talk about that with them. The Lord wants to show us through His Word how to become more of what He wants us to be. But without direction, without purpose, we tend to drift to be more like the world and just fit in.

Do you have any prefixes hanging on you? Look closely. Are you allowing the world to change who you are? If you are consciously pursuing Jesus each day, you can rest knowing that He will only lead you in a direction that honors and lifts Him up. Let your influences come from within, from your Jesus-filled heart.

I praise You for transforming me at salvation from a godless person to someone who loves You and others. Help me focus on pleasing You and leading others to do the same. You are my prefix remover.

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JUST WAIT

2 TIMOTHY 3:1

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.”

Who likes to be told that hard times are coming? No one, probably. We like to look forward to good times, happy times, fun-filled times. Not difficult, depressing or dangerous times. But Paul tells Timothy that very thing. This shouldn’t have surprised Timothy. After all, Paul is writing this letter from prison, which will end in his death. Paul knew all too well the dangers of living for Jesus in a harsh world.

The Greek word for “difficult” in this verse is only used one other time. In Matthew 8:28 it describes the Gadarene men who were demon-possessed. It says they were so violent (that’s the word) no one could control them. They had everyone in fear for their lives if they tried to pass by the area. That is exactly how the last days will be. But we have no fear because we walk with Christ.

APPLICATION

Have you ever had to go through a scary night of tornadoes or a hurricane with your children? That can be a very difficult situation. Children don’t understand all that is going on and they look to us for reassurance and confidence that it is going to be okay. What an opportunity we have to do just that.

Those are the times when you model trust and faith in the Lord. He walks right along with us during those most difficult of times. Whether it be storms, illnesses, loss of a loved one or even threats to our own lives, God is with us. As we raise our children, we must live our lives, so they see us trusting Him in those difficult days.

So, tell me. Are you trusting the God of the universe or are you wringing your hands? I heard someone say recently, “Did it ever occur to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?” So true! Nothing catches Him off guard. He is aware of everything in your life long before it happens. He is prepared to walk with you right through the most difficult challenges you face, but you must trust Him and do what He says. Will you?

I will follow Your lead, O God. I will trust You to lead me safely through the storms of my life. When the billows crash against me, I will hold on to Your strong hand.

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