Deeply Rooted (When I Read Your Word)

R EAD THIS:  2 Timothy 1:11-12 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.   WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Have you ever been in trouble and you felt embarrassed about it? Like that time you hit a kid with a stick a few times (gently) and then that kid broke out in hives and tattled on you, and you had to talk to a bunch of teachers about it and get removed from class? No? Just me? Well, anyway, we all do things that we are ashamed of, and sometimes it can be intensified when we get in trouble for it. Like, it was already bad enough you hit the kid, but now you have to be publicly reprimanded.  Paul was thrown in jail because he would not stop talking about Jesus. The good news that there's nothing we can do to earn Heaven because Jesus earned it for...

R EAD THIS:  2 Timothy 1:9-10 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.   WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? MAN! What a great picture of the Gospel! We have been saved and given a chance to have a holy life... a life set apart from the rest of the world, a life with Jesus, and a life that never ends. But the key words here are found at the end of verse 9. We have been saved and given this life through one way: Jesus! If heaven came down to what we were able to do on our own, then none of us would make it! Thank the Lord that He loved us enough to give us more than we could ever deserve through the gift of His Son, the One who conquered death and brought us life...

  R EAD THIS:  2 Timothy 1:6-8 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.    WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? What's the "this" in "for this reason" that Paul's talking about? He's referring to yesterday where he talked about Timothy's "sincere faith." When we have a genuine faith in God, we want to follow Him, and we want to fully live into the gifts that He gives us! The most important gift is the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is the gift Paul talks about in verse 6.  Then verse 7 hits. The ESV translation writes it like this: "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." When we are l...

R EAD THIS: 2 Timothy 1:3-5 3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.   WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Family can have a huge impact on someone's faith journey, and Timothy is a perfect example of it. Timothy was likely a 2nd generation Christian, meaning he was likely not even alive during the time of Jesus, or if anything, he was just a kid. He didn't see the life of Jesus with his own eyes, so how did he come to know Christ? Through his mom and his grandmother! Timothy grew up around people who raised him to know Jesus as his Savior, and it left an amazing impact on his life. He grew to be the kind of leader that Paul thanked God for daily and nightly, and that w...

R EAD THIS: 2 Timothy 1:1-2 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,   2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.   WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? WELCOME TO A NEW BOOK OF THE BIBLE!!!!! 2 TIMOTHY TIME LETSGOOO!!! "But...guys...what about 1 Timothy? What is this heresy?!" Calm down. 2 Timothy is only called 2 Timothy because it is the second letter Paul wrote to Timothy that we have today. We don't need to read 1 Timothy first to understand 2 Timothy...just like we don't need to read Matthew to understand John.  Anyhow, we'll learn tomorrow about who Timothy actually is and why he's cool and how Paul knows him (sneak peek, Timothy isn't Paul's actual son). Today, it's just important to know that this letter is the last letter Paul wrote, as far as we know. He wrote this letter in a Roman prison while he was waiting to be behea...

  R EAD THIS:  Galatians 6:16-18 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.  17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.  18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.   WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? We've made it to the end of Galatians, wow!! Here we see Paul give his final words, which are really more of a prayer, to the believers there. First, we see Paul pray for peace and mercy for all who follow a certain rule... what's that about? Either Paul means those who are under God's rule and follow Him, or he means those who follow the rule God has set before us through Jesus and through His Word. Either way, we learn that as we submit ourselves to God and follow Him, we can expect God to bless us with His peace and mercy. The other interesting thing here is Paul saying that he bears the marks of Jesus on his body. He wasn't crucified, so what's that abo...

  R EAD THIS:  Galatians 6:11-15 11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!   12 Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.    WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Fun fact, Paul liked to talk out loud and have someone else write down his letters. But, verse 11, he takes the pen for himself and starts writing. So, of course, he decided to go back and talk about what's been making him so upset this whole time--the Judaizers who told the bel...