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It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. (1 Timothy 3:1 NASB)
In our passage today the Apostle Paul writes to help Timothy, a young pastor, select quality leaders in the church. Paul begins by saying that church leadership is a noble responsibility. Then, over the next twelve verses, he shares a demanding list of requirements for those who would serve. Solid character and holy living are non-negotiable requirements for those…
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6 ESV NASB)
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12 NASB)
In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul urges believers to keep striving toward Christlikeness, pressing on toward the heavenly reward — eternal life with God. And yet, because of our imperfections and failures, we may easily become discouraged in our mission as disciples of Christ.
Because we belong to Christ, however, we can…
Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7 NASB)
Many great men and women of God have set examples of extreme faith in Christ. Some have even paid the ultimate price with their lives. These men and women have a faith in God that most do NOT understand. They are confident in God’s plan and provision, and they believe that the One who holds their lives in His hands can be fully trusted. These people do not set their minds on earthly things, but rather, on things above. This heavenly mindset allows them to have a faith in Christ that sees past current situations…
I was in a college computer lab in Denton, TX when I overheard a phone conversation that would change my life. I was drawn to the way God was mentioned. The young woman on the phone was describing God’s nature and professing His faithfulness. She sounded like she actually knew Him. When she hung up the phone, I asked, “Do you really think God is like that?” With gentleness, she responded to my question with a simple “Yes.”
How could I, someone who faithfully participated in church, even pose this question? Why did I not know God in the same way that she did? Sherrell, a sophomore in college, admired Christ and credited Him for things that I would have never thought…
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25 NASB)
As a Christian, you spend time in God’s Word because of your desire to walk with the Lord. We close…
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. (1 John 3:14 NIV84)
The Bible is abundantly clear that when a person follows Jesus Christ there will be defining elements that emerge in their lives. True transformation leads to a change — life that is reflective of the One who wrought the change — Jesus. Understanding the key qualities in the life of Jesus, therefore, and assessing whether those same qualities are found in increasing measure in our own lives, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is very important. John tells us that loving others around us is a critical marker in the life of…
Have you ever known someone that was really hard to love? So hard in fact that you chose not to love them? I had a neighbor who made my life miserable for several years. When my husband and I first moved next door, I was nine months pregnant. We worked furiously to get me moved-in quickly. In the midst of it all, Bob rang the doorbell. Rather than welcome us to the neighborhood, Bob reprimanded us for leaving our unpacked boxes at the curb (two nights before pick-up). Another time, he scolded us for having our sprinkler too close to his yard—it was getting the end of his driveway wet. I wondered if he scolded God when it rained! Time…