Leaders, their work ethic, and the integrity of the church.

1 Timothy 6 directly addresses four different groups in the church: those in the work force, teachers of unhealthy doctrine, Timothy and future pastors, and those who are wealthy. The way Christians behave in the workplace has a direct impact on their Gospel influence.

"A zeal for the house of the Lord consumes Him."

The second chapter of John's Gospel shows the beginning of Jesus' public ministry – His first miracle, His first appearance at the Temple, His first Passover and His first cleansing of the Temple. The central verse of this section is John 2:17. All these events were the Messianic fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. We can study this passage to ask, "What is the activity and fruit of a life consumed with properly worshiping the Lord?"

Jesus is a King like no other, with the divine right to rule your life.

The book of Matthew was written to a Jewish audience to convince readers that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Our passage immediately follows Jesus' coronation (His baptism by John) and His testing by God. Unlike any other king, Jesus performed perfectly under the test. He resisted the tempter, commanded his worship, and finally banished him.

What will the reign of this King be like? Matthew 4:12-25 shows the first three acts of King Jesus which set the tone for His rule.

Character in Leadership Ensures the Presence of the Gospel in Any City.

As we study the final three qualifications for pastor-teachers, remember that all of the qualities in this list (except skill in teaching) are ones that all believers are told to emulate elsewhere in Scripture. Pastors are to set the example for everyone in the church.

Prayer for the Lost in Authority.

The best way to develop a burden for the lost is to pray for them. Christ himself gave us an example of this in John 17:20-26. Evangelism is a key part of disciple-making living, which governs every part of our lives as Christians. Without this eternal purpose, life would be pretty mundane!

Sometimes, Bible verses like Proverbs 1:14-19, James 4:4, and 1 Peter 3:15 are mistakenly used to deter Christians from forming friendships with unsaved people. But we must have friendships of integrity in order to be a testimony in a dark world. A burden for the lost helps keep the church pure.

The Protective Value of a Genuine Testimony.

Every believer has been born again of a supernatural cause. Paul gives his testimony in the first chapter of his letter to Timothy to remind him that spiritual new birth is what keeps the church revived, refreshed, and protected. A healthy church is one that sees people being saved, discipled, and serving. This is the natural progression that God uses to build His church. One person who walks with the Lord can have a spiritual influence so great that only the Lord knows its true extent.

Pastor Robert Potter - Christ's Missions Mindset.

The Christian life is a battle for the mind. Many minds in our culture seek to convince people to think like them. But there is no mind that can compare to the mind of Christ. Every Christian who has made Christ their Lord and Savior has the mind of Christ! We are commanded to let His mind continually be operational in us.

Building Spiritual Confidence as We Watch the Lord Build His Church.

As Timothy accompanied Paul, Luke and Silas on their second missionary journey, he had a lot to learn. His role was an observer as he followed his spiritual leader. He saw what great things God can do through a few gifted people.

Learning Boldness, Part 4.

Last week we saw how Timothy learned and adopted the gospel burden of his spiritual leader and mentor, the apostle Paul. A “gospel burden” is a believer’s natural desire to share Christ with others. God’s designed this burden to be fulfilled first through personal evangelism, then through churches reaching their local community, and finally spreading the gospel message through the world.

Righteousness elevates true faith to new opportunities in a new world.

Genesis 8 continues the story of Noah, showing us what righteous people do and what God does to protect them. The whole chapter displays God’s faithfulness to His righteous people.

Theme: We have adequate, divine resources to fulfill Christ’s mission in a way that honors Him.

Ephesians 3:1-13 is a “parenthesis” in Paul’s letter that redefines the content of 2:11-22. It clarifies what we’ve been given in the mystery of God. This mystery is essentially taking two separate entities, Jew and Gentile, and making one family out of all who own Jesus Christ as their Lord (1 Peter 2:9). The single purpose of this one family is to let the whole world know about Jesus (John 17:20-21).

Theme: Prioritizing the Gospel through prayer, planning, and purpose.

It seems everyone nowadays wants to influence those around them for the sake of a philanthropic platform. As Christians, we are to have similar influence in our immediate vicinity and globally for the Gospel.

Theme: Our gospel disposition remains humbly and kindly purposeful.

As we continue to review our responsibility to evangelize the lost, we must remember that the Gospel is not just any good news, but the Good News of the Lord Jesus – eternally the son of God, who was born of a virgin and came for a purpose, who died for our sin, was buried, resurrected, ascended, and is coming again.

We now look at our Personal Humility that should accompany our Proclamation of the Gospel.