One of things that grieves me the most is seeing people who are not passionate about Jesus. I remember a time when I neglected to live for Jesus, when I was neglecting the Word, neglecting a lot of things. One day priorities changed. I had a thirst for Christ Jesus. I wanted nothing more. If … Continue reading All Else Worthless
Tag: apostle paul
Willing Consent
Notice that when Paul writes Philemon, he says he didn’t want to do anything without having Philemon’s consent. He wanted Philemon to help because it was something he was willing to do, not something that he was forced into doing. The Bible speaks about this desire and purposeful decision we make to do something, and … Continue reading Willing Consent
Be Useful
Something that I have been thinking about a lot is usefulness. There are moments when we have items in our home that are not useful to us. Sometimes we have apps on our devices that are not useful. Maybe at a time they seemed useful, but things have changed. But usefulness isn’t only something we … Continue reading Be Useful
Helping Others
God positions people beside us to help. In a world that tries to teach us to use people and to see what they can do for us, the Bible speaks of a reverse system. Rather than seeking what we can get in this world, and what people can do for us, we are taught that … Continue reading Helping Others
On the Field
When my daughter first began running Cross Country a few years back, she noted the importance of running within the flags. There’s a course set up and you have to go around the flags in such a way. If you go off of the course, you are in trouble. Something that I see as a … Continue reading On the Field
Civilian Life
Did you ever consider yourself a soldier? If you are a believer in Christ, you are part of the body of believers. You are a soldier for Christ. You are enlisted by your heavenly Father. Your aim, as a soldier, is to please your Father Who enlisted you. Paul tells Timothy that “soldiers don’t get … Continue reading Civilian Life
I Know Who I Trust
Who do you trust? Do you have people that you trust? Family? Friends? A spouse? A parent or child? Who do you trust? Whoever you trust, this person or these people are known to you. You have a relationship with them. You have known them for a period of time. You may know their secrets. … Continue reading I Know Who I Trust
Guard What God Entrusted
We guard our homes. We guard our possessions. We do whatever we can to be sure that our stuff is safe. Some of us get dogs; some of us get alarm systems. We lock our doors to our homes and our vehicles. We keep our purses, wallets, cell phones, and keys nearby. Paul tells Timothy … Continue reading Guard What God Entrusted
Keep Close Watch
Paul reminds Timothy to keep a close watch on himself—to watch his life and his teaching closely. In doing this, in staying true, in persevering, Paul says, “you will save both yourself and your hearers” (NIV). We also need to keep a close watch on our life and our teaching. Our teaching should be something … Continue reading Keep Close Watch
Throw Yourself
Paul ends chapter 4 discussing what it means to be a good minister of Jesus Christ. In verse 14, Paul tells Timothy to “not neglect the gift” (NIV). Verse 15 says to “be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all” (NIV). The NLT translation says … Continue reading Throw Yourself
Tania Gutekunst 