Love of Money

Image by TW Collins via Flickr

In verses 6-12, Paul teaches the following:

1. Goal: godliness with contentment
   
2. Implied: a person can experience godliness without contentment!
   
3. Existence: we enter and leave the world with nothing of value
   
4. Needs: food and clothing
   
5. Wants: everything else
   
6. Danger: love of everything else
   
7. Consequence: ruin and destruction
   
8. Alternative: pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness
   
9. Word picture: fight the good fight of faith
   
10. Result: eternal life
    

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• What does the Bible say about the prosperity gospel? (searching4god.blogspot.com)

Biblical Disagreements:
Teaching different information than Jesus shared is a symptom of pride.

Advice to Slaves:
Like today's employees, be a responsible worker. The idea is not to keep the working class in submission, but to serve the employers with excellence. Do I live out this principle? Not always as well as I should.

Outline of 1 Timothy 6
A) Honor your coworkers
B) Teach the truth
C) Be satisfied with food & clothes. Don't chase after money
D) Living the Christian life includes both gentleness & a fight for the truth
E) Tell about your faith
F) Tell rich people to be generous
G) Don't listen to stupid ideas that just sound good on the surface

Good Friday Reflections

Since I was born on Good Friday, I use this as a day to reflect upon the previous year and consider where I've been and where I'm going.

In terms of meeting last year's annual goals, I missed the Greek goal entirely, partially met the growth in faith goal, and met both school and family targets. All in all, not a bad year!

Next year, my spiritual goal with be developing a less selfish attitude.

My intellectual goal is still learning to decode and comprehend NT Greek. Let’s focus just on John, since that’s traditionally considered the easiest to understand.

My school goals are being published before age 40 and growing in my leadership.

And my family goal stays the same: staying connected with Amy, Jack and Sarah.

Thank you, Lord, for the clarity you’ve given me. Remind me to stop comparing myself to others. It is vital that I measure my progress against your standards, Lord, not the world’s. You desire mercy, not sacrifice! This means, in particular, that I need to give up my perfectionism related to teaching targets.

Serve and get better results via prayer and spiritual growth, not more intellectual and professional struggle.

Booze and Accountability

Have trouble with your stomach? Drink some wine.

Have some trouble with your character? Remember that both good and bad deeds will become public.

We've seen this in the news over and over and over again the last couple of weeks.

High Standards with Proof

Paul advises Timothy that church leaders should not be disciplined with the accusation of just one witness.

However, he also reminds Timothy to hold members of the church to a high standard.