Month: May 2022

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands . . . 1 Timothy 2:8 I grew up in a stoic, Midwest, small-town church, where we didn’t individually express ourselves in worship. There was very little clapping, raising of hands, or shouts of “amen” from the pews. We sat together.…
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For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all . . . 1 Timothy 2:5-6 The 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous teaches that to find authentic recovery, the addicted must turn their lives over to God. One of…
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This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 It’s that time of year again, when, for reasons unknown to me, the snapping turtles are migrating across our roads. This means…
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I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 I wouldn’t say I’m an extrovert, but on Sunday mornings when we leave church, I…
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By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.1 Timothy 1:19-20 Whenever I’ve struggled with the painful consequences my self-destructive nature, I’ve gone to God, asking him to simply take over. God, I give…
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This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. 1 Timothy 1:18-19 Many times, I have imagined that believing in God would just magically make life easier. When I was a…
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But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:16 My wife and I were recently hiking in the mountains when we came to a fork in our…
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The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 1 Timothy 1:15 After I’d been struggling with opioids for several years, I tried to get sober. I told my wife, who was blindsided and hurt, but we got through…
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Remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies . . . The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these,…
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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my true child in the faith . . . 1 Timothy 1:1-2 When I first began seeking recovery, I attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, where I learned a language that was both new and familiar. As…
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