Josh Harris on Resisting Temptation

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Which Direction Are You Pointing In?

HT: Josh Harris

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The Importance of Memorizing Scripture

John Piper on why we must memorize Scripture:

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Why We Love The Church Video

HT: T4G

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Blogging BCM: Sound Doctrine

Tuesday night Tim shared from 1 Timothy 1:3-11 a message entitled Sound Doctrine. He stressed the importance of sitting under sound doctrine in the church and called out many churches today who lack sound, Word-centered teaching. He also cited this flaw as one of the main reasons many are turned off by or have had bad experiences in the church. In addition, Tim talked about the fruits of sound doctrine and walking with a good conscience. In this post, I want to dig deeper into a certain verse from these passages. As is the purpose with this series of posts throughout each semester, I want to take a passage that, due to time, was not able to fully be examined and and look at it in more detail. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:5:

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

What Paul states in this one verse is absolutely crucial to understanding our need for sound doctrine and why he presses it so much throughout his letters to Timothy. As stated in the beginning, this is the whole aim (or goal) of this specific section of Scripture. He says that the aim of their charge is love. The charge Paul is speaking of is seen in verse 3, stating that Timothy is to charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine. So therefore, the charge is to not teach anything contrary to the sound doctrine that has been entrusted to Timothy. So the goal of not teaching any different doctrine is love. Love therefore, should pour out of sitting under sound teaching. How does this love come from enduring sound doctrine?

Paul continues writing that this love:

issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

What the conclusion of this verse shows us is that when we sit under and endure sound teaching, we will develop a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith, therefore resulting in love. We might ask, "well how is this possible?" When we seek out and long for sound teaching, when we listen to sermons that are doctrinally sound and find churches that preach in a Word-centered way, we will be transformed by the Truth of God's Word. We will be thoroughly convicted, be challenged to repent of our sins and therefore develop consciences that are no longer laden with guilt. We will grow in sanctification and our minds will be transformed by the renewing power of His Word (Romans 12:2) in a way that we will no longer seek the desires of our flesh, but seek to glorify God in all that we say and do, therefore developing a pure heart. Through the power of His Word being taught in a doctrinally sound manner, we will be challenged to not only speak Christ and Him crucified, but to live it out with a complete, sincere faith.

Paul cannot stress to us enough the importance of seeking and undergoing sound teaching. If we do not sit under teaching that convicts and encourages us in our faith and that is doctrinally sound, we ultimately will not be able to love to our fullest capacity in Christ. The goal of our need to sit and endure sound doctrine is that we may love by the grace of God to our fullest potential through the developing of a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith as a result of the sound doctrine we absorb. There is a lot riding on who we listen to and where we attend church. Our spiritual maturity is at stake. Our spiritual growth is at stake. Our ability to love others is at stake. Paul stresses it. God's Word demands it. We must seek out and endure sound teaching.

Throughout Your Daily Devotions:

1. Read and Study 1 Timothy 1:3-11, Galatians 5:16-26 and Romans 12

2. Are you currently sitting under sound doctrine that is centered upon God's Word?

3. In what areas of your personal life do you need to seek to be more doctrinally sound?

As always if you have any questions, or need help finding a church body that is Biblical and doctrinally sound, feel free to talk to Tim, Mike or myself.

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Blogging BCM: Introduction to Timothy

Tuesday night, Tim shared a message introducing us to the subject of Paul's letters we will be studying throughout the semester. The part that stood out most to me, was when Tim shared the characteristics of Timothy and how Paul wrote these letters to encourage, enrich and train Timothy in the ministry God called him to. Tim shared that Timothy was called to be a messenger and how we are all called to be messengers ourselves. Therefore this journey that we are embarking on this semester, will prepare and strengthen us as messengers, just as Paul's letters prepared and strengthened him throughout his missionary journey.

Through this post, I want to focus on three of the key aspects of Timothy's life Tim touched on and how as messengers, like that of Timothy, we are called to display these characteristics in our lives as well.

First, Tim shared that we must have hope. If we are going to be true messengers of Christ, we must have hope in our Lord and Savior and the mission that He has called us to. God's Word speaks of this hope we are to have and how we received it (Colossians 1:27), as well as exhorts and calls us to be ready at any moment to speak for the hope we have. One of our greatest assets as a follower of Christ in reaching people for His purpose, is the hope that we are to display and our answer when people ask about our hope.

Next, we learned that Timothy was faithful to the Lord. If we are to be messengers for Christ, we must, as Timothy did, remain steadfast and faithful to what God has called us to do, no matter what direction He may take us in or what trials may arise. God rewards those who are faithful, and will work more fully through us the more faithful we remain to His purpose and calling in our lives.

Finally, as messengers of Christ like Timothy, we must not only show a deep concern for the lost, but a deep concern for God's people as well (Philippians 2:20-22). Throughout this semester we will discover that Timothy's role as a messenger and his ministry in Jesus Christ, calls him to have a deep concern for the people of God. If we are to be messengers ourselves, we must first and foremost have a deep concern for our brothers and sisters in Christ, because if we cannot love and care for them, then there is no way we will be able to love and care for the lost in a way that reaches them to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

As we take step on this journey together through the teaching of Tim through Jesus Christ, it is my hope and prayer that we all heed this calling to be true messengers of Christ, and look for ways in studying His Word to grow in the characteristics God calls us to have as His messengers.

Things To Consider During Your Devotions:

1. Study 1 Timothy 1:1-2, Colossians 1 and Philippians 2:20-22.

2. In what ways do these Scriptures give us an example of how to have hope, remain faithful and have a concern for God's people.

3. Think about the ways you may need to work on these areas in your life in order to be a greater messenger by God's grace for Jesus Christ.

As always, if there are any questions you may have or you need someone to talk to; feel free to contact Tim, Mike or myself.

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Blogging BCM: Stand Up, Stand Out, Stand Firm

Tuesday night Tim gave a message that revolved around our theme for BCM this year; Stand Up, Stand Out, Stand Firm. Revolved around Isaiah 7:9b, our theme serves to help challenge ourselves and one another to make it a daily effort to stand firm in the faith that Christ calls us to, whether it be while on campus, in our dorms or in any other facet of our lives.

Tim read from Luke 8:11-15 and talked about The Parable of the Sower, through which he described the different types of faith that we can have. Perhaps the one that all of us should strive and seek out by the grace of God, would be the last one which bears much fruit. Tim challenged us to think about which type we fall into.

For me this message paralleled greatly with 2 Peter 1:3-10 which reads:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, bothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

This passage of Scripture illustrates what the life looks like of a follower of Christ who falls into the fourth path Tim discussed on Tuesday. We must seek to supplement our faith we these qualities so that we bear fruit, show ourselves to be His followers and ultimately never fall. As Isaiah 7:9b says, if we do not stand firm in our faith, we will not stand at all; that is we will fall.

If we are to stand firm in our faith and not fall, we must seek out these qualities. We must make it a daily priority to dive into God's Word, to search it and go to it, so that we may develop and cultivate these qualities that are described in 2 Peter. Our faith is not something that we must proclaim and not live. We must cultivate it and make it the number one passion we have in life; think about all that is at stake...if we don't stand firm in our faith, we will fall!

Things To Think About Throughout Your Daily Devotions:

1. Read, Study and Meditate Isaiah 7:9b, Luke 8:11-15 and 2 Peter 1:3-10.

2. What category, that Tim discussed, do you fall into?

3. How can you better seek to stand firm in your faith?

If you have any questions or need someone to talk to; Tim, Mike and myself are always available and more than willing to meet with you.

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