Student Devotion Week 26: The Bible: Second Letter to Timothy (Part 1 of 2)

Key Verse: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Authority is one of those words we don't particularly like. Who wants to obey people in authority? But think about what life in our country would be like without it. With no laws, people would do whatever they wanted. Imagine driving without traffic lights or stop signs. It would be chaos.

We also need a foundation-something solid to stand on, something that won't break in the midst of our problems. Our culture asks Christians, "What makes you right and everyone else wrong?" It's an honest question. The answer is we don't base our lives on our opinions or our desires. We base our lives on the Word of God. As Paul trained leaders for his churches, he spelled out why Scripture is so important for Christians. The Bible is God's unchanging foundation that shows us what truth is. It's authority of our lives.

When God tells us through Scripture that something is right, it's right. We know this because God inspired his Word and made sure it was passed down to us accurately and unchanging for thousands of years. The foundation of the Church is also the foundation of our lives. This week we're going to look at the place Scripture has in our daily lives.

Student Devotion Week 25: Qualified Leaders: First Letter to Timothy Part 2

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 3:16, "16 Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory."

Most televangelists bug me. Have you ever actually listened to these guys? Some are great people of God, to be sure, but others are charlatans with a lot of charisma and very little depth. And many are masters at bending Scripture to suit their needs. It seems few of these preachers are interested in truly teaching people the Word of God; most of them seem more interested in receiving people's money.

Unfortunately, from time to time leaders who mirror the lack of character displayed by some televangelists will creep into the Church. And it's a problem that was around long before television was invented. Paul understood the danger. In his last letters, he left clear commands about how to evaluate people who want to be church leaders.

False leaders have always been a threat to the Church. But God is faithful to send us qualified leaders who can truly teach the Bible and instruct us how to be better followers of Christ.

This week we're going to look at the qualifications for being a leader in the church. We need to know this information so we can weed out the false teachers from those who can really help us. We also need to know this because God may call us to be leaders one day.

Student Devotion Week 24: Prayer: First Letter to Timothy Part 1

Key Verse: 1 Timothy 2:1-2, " I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."

Have you ever read about elections that were decided by only a handful of votes? It happens all the time-even in elections for the President of the United States. And with such small margins of victory, few would deny that every vote is important. Therefore, no one can honestly say it doesn't matter if he votes or not. Voting is a right and a privilege of American citizens. No matter who you are, once you turn 18, you get that right and the power that comes with it.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have something even more powerful (and you don't have to wait until you're 18 to use it). God tells us our prayers are incredibly powerful-a stronger force than you've ever dreamed of having. Combined with the prayers of other Christians, our prayers are an amazing force in the world.

Paul knew the importance of prayer. Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy while Paul was imprisoned in Rome, anticipating the end of his life. Looking back on his ministry, Paul knew unmistakably that the prayers of the churches were the foundation of his spiritual successes. He wanted Timothy and all of his churches to never forget how tremendously powerful the prayers of the saints are.

This week we're going to look at both the prayers of the Church and our personal prayer lives. Maybe you've never really thought about your prayer life; maybe it's just something you do. But with a force this powerful, we should expect that supernatural.

Student Devotion Week 23: Spiritual Parenthood: Paul's Second Missionary Journey and Timothy

Key Verse: Acts 16:5, "So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in number."

Babies require a lot of attention...in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night. If you don't believe me, ask a new parent.

Spiritual babies are the same way: They also require a lot of attention. When people come to faith in Christ, they don't wake up the next morning with all the answers. In fact, new believers' questions keep multiplying. So it's a good thing there are mature Christians around to help them.

In addition to our biological parents, God provides spiritual parents to show us how to grow in Christ. Your spiritual parent may be your pastor, youth minister, or a good Christian friend. Spiritual parents are crucial to your spiritual growth.

Paul played this role for a young man named Timothy. In Acts 16 Paul, already on his second missionary journey, decided to bring Timothy along. Paul became Timothy's spiritual parent and helped him mature in the faith.

As you grow spiritually, God desires for you to parent other young believers. In fact, you should always have at least two types of people in your life: Someone who's disciplining you (a "Paul"), and someone you're disciplining (a "Timothy"). This week we're going to see how the early Christians parented each other so we can begin to do the same.

Student Devotion Week 20: Healing A Rift: The Jerusalem Council

Key Verse: Acts 15:8-9, "God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith."

From a football rival to y9our nation's sworn enemy, it;s hard to love anyone who isn't on your side-for whatever reason. The tension between two groups can grow from a minor rivalry to anger, hatred, and even violence that's sustained for centuries. This was the case for the Jews and Gentiles. The Jews were called by God to be his chosen people, and everyone else wasn't. Therefore, Gentiles, the name given to any non-Jew, were typically excluded from most Jewish ceremonies and were considered unclean.

So imagine the surprise of the Jewish Christians when Gentiles began receiving the same Holy Spirit they'd received. "You mean, God loves them, too?" Paul and Peter had begun ministries to bring Gentiles into the new Church. But with the inclusion of Gentiles came a huge problem for the Jews: "How do we get along with the same people we've always excluded?" In Acts 15 we read about a heated discussion among Paul, Barnabas, Peter, James, and other apostles and elders of the church concerning this very problem.

This week we're going to look at how the early Church responded to God's call to love all people, not just the ones they were comfortable with. The challenge for the Jewish Christians is also our challenge today as God calls us to love and include everyone-even the ones we see as being on the "other side."

Student Devotion Week 19: Supporting Missionaries: Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch

Key Verse: Acts 14:23, "Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust."

Before the lofty days of digital photography and fancy computer programs, we had slide projectors. On Sunday nights when I was a kid, missionaries who were home on a break (some called furlough) would come to church and show us a slide show about where they'd been and what God had done in their ministries. You can probably imagine how boring this was for me. I wanted amazing stories of angels, narrow escapes, and exorcisms, but the missionaries never shared those. Instead, it was just the same old stories about people being saved, lives being changed, and communities being transformed by the love of Jesus.

Of course, I'd totally missed the point. They weren't flashy, but those missionaries were literally the heroes of the faith standing before me. These people had left all the cushy comforts of home and traded them for a chance to serve Christ on the front lines and share the gospel. And while they may not have wowed me with their presentations, their spiritual impact was tremendous.

In Acts Paul and Barnabas came home from their mission trip to give the early Church their version of a slide show. Supporting missionaries who come to your church may not be a top priority for you, but it is to Jesus.

This week we're going to see how we can support those who are called to serve on the mission field, even when we're not.

Student Devotion Week 18: Reaching the Lost: Paul's First Missionary Journey

Key Verse: Acts 13:2-3, "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."

If you've never been outside the United States, it's tempting to assume everyone around the world lives like you do. My first mission trip to Mexico cured me of that delusion. I had the privilege of helping build small houses for people who lived in huts made out of garbage-literally. Until then, I'd never thought about the needs of those who lived so far away from my day-to-day existence. But once I saw their needs, I could never forget them. Even though their physical needs were striking, they had deeper needs than the physical ones.

This week we see God sending out missionaries to reach a lost world as Paul embarks on his first missionary journey. Some pretty amazing things happen on this trip. But the most important thing is that the message of Christ is preached to people who'd probably never heard it before. The influence of the gospel is beginning to be felt outside Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.

God never forgets about the needs of non-Christians, and God wants them all to come to faith in Christ. In order to accomplish that goal, God is sending us-all of us. No matter who we are or what our spiritual gifts are, all of us are to be involved in reaching non-Christians with the message of Jesus Christ. And until those needs are met, we all have a job to do. So pack your bags. It's time to get going.