Chapter 30: Paul’s Advice

The other day a friend of mine told me at a restaurant, “Try this!”  It was an invitation that I very much enjoyed, because what I tried was quite a tasty treat.  Not only was it an enjoyable invitation, but sound advice.

Near the end of his life, Paul gives sound advice to the young minister, Timothy.

“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.  No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer. “

“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction.”

This is advice from the great Apostle Paul that he passes to Timothy yet it is also applicable to us in our lives.  What advice would you give to others who are younger than you?  What advice does Paul give that you need consider more carefully?

-Chris Petty

Chapter 30 of The Story: A Man On His Knees

I’ve always pictured the apostle Paul as a man dedicated to spreading the gospel.  Busy, always on the move, never wasting a moment.  In his own words he speaks of being ’compelled’, ‘ not ashamed’, and ’called’ to the work of reaching the Gentiles.  But there is a subtle something else about Paul that I believe was the secret to his dedication.  Paul was a man who knew the power of faithful prayer.  Just look…

When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed…When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple…After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all…Paul went in to see him, and after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him…At that sight of these people, Paul thanked God and was encouraged.

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ…I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened…For this reason I kneel before the Father…I pray that out of His glorious riches…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love…I thank God, who I serve…night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers…

Paul knew that in order to stand strong in his faith, he must spend time on his knees…much time.  Oswald Chambers might have said it best:  

Prayer does not equip us for greater works–prayer is the greater work.  Prayer is the battle, and it makes no difference where you are.  However God may engineer your circumstances, your duty is to pray.  Wherever God has placed you and whatever your circumstances, you should pray, continually offering up prayers to Him.  When you labor at prayer, from God’s perspective there are always results.  It is the laboring saint who makes the ideas of his Master possible. 

It seems that Paul knew there was no greater work than to seek God’s will in prayer.  The man who always acted “in all good conscience”, was also a man who took time to pray–and pray often.  Look what he accomplished in the span of one lifetime.  Wonder who he learned that from?

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place where He prayed.”  Mark 1:35

Karan Summitt

Chapter 30 of The Story: Trivial Pursuit

It contains the most difficult set of questions that you will ever encounter. It’s the impossible board game. I’ve met one person in my life worthy of being deemed a solid Trivial Pursuit player.

Paul encouraged Timothy to continue in what he had learned and in that which he had been convinced. Meanwhile, Paul also wrote about what he himself had endured. Yet, he continued to press ahead.

These Christian men were on a pursuit that was for more than trivial.

Theirs was one of relevance and substance.

They were teaching the Gospel.

You can define a man by what he pursues.

How would you be defined?

Chapter 30: Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Paul was a man of great conviction.  His conviction was misguided early in his life, but Jesus touched him and he saw the truth and followed Jesus.

I am always inspired and uplifted by his letter to the Ephesians.  If you are having a down day or things are not going just right, you can read this and gain peace, I think.

Paul told the Ephesians that long before they were created, Jesus’ love and grace would be there for them, and in Him they could get forgiveness of their sins, and that God’s grace would be lavished on them.  “Lavished” does not mean a little here or there – it means it is theirs in great abundance.

Paul tells them of God’s great mercy and that He is rich in mercy.  Again, this mercy is not a little here or there, but is rich.  He told them that they deserved wrath, but instead, got love and mercy.  He tells them how Christ made them alive, even when they were dead with sin, and that they were saved by God’s grace.

He tells them that they are saved by grace, through faith in God, and that it is a gift, and not derived from works that they can boast of.

He tells them that they are God’s handiwork, created to do good works for Jesus because they love Him.

He tells them that the Great Story is not just for Jews, but for everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike.

This letter that Paul wrote was great news to these people, and it is great news for you and me, because it applies to us just as it did to them.  All these great things, and the great love of God and Jesus that was bestowed on them, is bestowed on us too.

So if you are having a bad day, just read Paul’s letter and think how blessed we really are, and how much we have to be thankful for, and how much God truly loves us.  Paul’s letter – signed, sealed and delivered, just like God’s love, mercy and grace - sets us a great example of how we should live and love God and be thankful for the gifts he has given to us.

Terry Gray

Chapter 30: Running the Race

2Timothy 4:6. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course”.

 

1Corinthian 9:24 “Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth a prize? Even so run; that ye may attain”.

 

Training- the education, instruction, or discipline of a person.

 

In chapter 30 of the story, we find Paul finishing his ministry on earth. He is preparing his friends to carry on God’s work without him. In his writings Paul many times compares the Christian life to competing in a race.

This concept is one I can relate to.

Last week my 8 year old ran her first 5K race with me.

She runs with me now and again, but not on a true “training” schedule.  So about on mile two I could tell she was going to need lots of encouragement to finish the race. She walked and even had to stop once to catch her breath, all this time I never stopped running even though I had to ran in circles around her. But I kept encouraging her when she wanted to give up. Then when we were about 1/4 a mile from the finish line and she saw the crowd cheering her on, she took off like she wasn’t even tired at all, leaving me behind in the dust. My husband took her picture as she crossed the line, her gaze was fixed on the goal and the look of determination on her face was quite fearsome.

The training and determination needed to finish a race is what I think Paul was comparing the Christian life.  I plan my run days and cross training days on my calendar. The determination I have to train is really just to finish each race without walking. In 1 Corinthians 9:24, the writer said “run that ye may attain.”  As Christians we need to train our minds just as an athlete trains their bodies, schedule our training in God’s word, so that we may finish this earthly race.  Unlike competitions on earth not just those that win get a prize, but all those that finish the race receive the best prize of all, life eternal with our Lord.

Have a great week!

Pam Jeter

Chapter 29: A Love Story

God demonstrates His own love toward us in this:  while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

People love happily-ever-afters.  Tall, dark, handsome strangers sweep beautiful young ladies off their feet, and princes rescue damsels in distress.  The boy from the wrong side of the tracks woos the rich man’s daughter, and high school sweethearts celebrate 50 years of marriage.  Romantic fiction is big business.  Chick flicks become box office smashes.

The Bible is full of romance, too.  Adam loved Eve.  Abraham adored Sarah.  Isaac was smitten with beautiful Rebekah, and Jacob worked fourteen years for Rachel.  Ruth and Boaz.  The Song of Solomon.  Hosea and Gomer.  Classic stories of human love.

However, none hold a candle to the greatest love story of all.  The one that begins “For God so loved the world…”  Furthermore, there is something unique about this love story.  The hero loved long before He knew whether His love would be returned.  Sometimes it is, most times not.  But He loves anyway, even when it is rejected, scorned, and abused.  Treated lightly and taken for granted.

Funny thing about this love.  Unlike human love, once accepted, the bonds are permanent.  It can be counted on for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, and death does not part.  In trouble, hardship, persecution, or danger.  It never fails.  When’s the last time someone loved you like that?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord.

Karan Summitt

Chapter 29 of The Story: The Flee Market

Flee from sexual immorality.

Could the statement be any more blunt?

Flee from idolatry.

Again, there is no wiggle room.

I will never forget hearing one of my former teachers deliver a lesson on the subject of avoiding sexual sin. (His point applies to the sin of idolatry, too.)

He stressed the importance of flee. We are to avoid at all costs. It’s like that time you and your friends were out walking by an old cemetery at night (possibly around Halloween time), and something startled you. You couldn’t get out of there fast enough!

I remember another Bible teacher of mine once making a point that you could put the best Christian guy you knew in a basement alone with a beautiful girl, and the odds of even him resisting temptation would dwindle away.

Perhaps what we fail to do when it comes to sin is to resist situations.

If I want to lose weight, I should not bake a cake, slice a big piece, grab a fork and then try not to eat it! I have no business even buying the cake mix!

Temptations won’t get any easier if you’re always knocking at the door step of sin.

Don’t put yourself in situations in which you know you can’t resist. Don’t even buy the cake mix.

Tyler Killough