Titus 2:1-8
You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
Questions:
- As you read this what are the first things that come to your mind?
- What in this text strikes you as remarkable?
- How many groups does Paul mention?
- What are the instructions for each group?
- What is the role of Titus?
- What specific behaviors, practices, and values is Titus called to by Paul?
- Is there a distinction between the behavior of leaders and others?
- How does passage speak to intergenerational interaction and communication?
- How does passage fit with this statement? We are baptized believers participating in the life of God for the sake of others.
21 comments:
Is it Sunday again, already? Wow, how the time flies when you try to do too much!
I wonder what today will be like. Will I forget what I am saying like last week in the sermon?
Later I will continue my impression of each day of the week. I need to start with Friday, having already covered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. If you missed it you will need to go back and see last week’s blog. I know you really want to know what I think about each day.
If you are really good, I will rate the months for you. Here’s a sneak preview: October is my favorite month.
I heard the following expression over the weekend. [It was in a story about Lloyd Carr, Michigan’s football coach, and his friendship with Russell Crowe. Interesting story.]
Blame no one
Expect nothing
Do something
What do think of that?
Let’s see where are we? Oh yes; days of the week. I think we are ready for Friday. Friday is supposed to be my day off, my Sabbath day, a day of rest. It doesn’t always happen. I suppose I am not as “protective” of it as I should be. Oh well...
Usually on Friday I go on a long run with Tony. [He manages his time very well at his place of employment and takes most Fridays off.] This last Friday we ran 3 hours and plan to do the same this Friday. We are training for a trail marathon on December 1st, so we will end up running close to 4 hours on some not-too-distant Fridays.
The remainder of the day I usually try to work outside, smoke meat, or something that I enjoy. Often the day of rest ends when we go to a social activity. I really like it when there isn’t anything going on. Is that bad?
Saturdays are always different. They usually have a combination of structured time (ball game or social gathering) and “free” time to do more of the things that I didn’t get done on Friday. Saturdays are not all that relaxing to me because I am gearing up for my one day of work. I usually spend a couple hours (at least) on Saturday getting ready for Sunday.
Sunday. Finally my work day! Ha ha. I enjoy most Sundays. I get up early, as usual, and go over my sermon and class stuff, post the blog, and generally get ready for worship. Sunday afternoons usually include a nap, often meetings, and then the 6 p.m. gathering. I am really enjoying being in Duane’s class right now as opposed to teaching.
Now we are caught up...
Monday. Monday’s are ok with me. Since my life seems to revolve around a Sunday sermon, Monday is fairly relaxing for me. Sunday is still a fair distance off. Monday is a day of getting reorganized and wondering what will happen during the week. It is also one of the two days I teach at Oakland City University in Bedford. I only teach 2 classes, so it is not an all day deal. I really enjoy this part of my life. I have a couple of classes now that I really enjoy teaching. I told a friend the other day that I sometimes get goose bumps when I am teaching these folks about Jesus. Some of them are hearing the truth about him for the first time, and they are captivated by The Story, it seems. [Can’t remember the last time I got goosebumps while teaching/preaching at church. Why is that?]
Monday morning usually involves meetings of some kind: Capstone and/or worship planning. The afternoons are good times to do some study and other prep work or see people.
Mondays are ok.
Did you notice how many times self-control shows up in our text this week?
Is self-control the same as self-discipline?
Self-discipline, if you remember, was what seemed to be the key for Timothy moving from timidity to boldness, from discouragement to encouragement, and keeping an intergenerational congregation united. [Sunday's sermon]
Since you are not talking, I'll keep rambling.
The main thing I see in my ministry is preaching and teaching, so I find the words of Paul to Timothy to be affirmative.
. . . Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift. . .
Yesterday after my New Testament Lit. class, a young man came up to me. He is one of the ones I described earlier who is hearing some of The Story for the first time. He asked if there would be another chance after this life to get things right/straight. Specifically he asked if Jesus would come again in the flesh (we were looking at John 1 yesterday) to give us all another chance to accept him. I told him that we are in the “last days,” and that it seems that the Second Coming will be the end of “chances” to believe. He then said, “I want to see/meet Jesus. I cannot image how awesome it would be to see someone who is a pure example of what we should be.” His eyes light up when he talks about this stuff. And now you know why I get goosebumps...
I have been doing some more reading about generations and came across this sentence in a brief article.
Perhaps the only thing that can be said for sure about the transmitting of faith and values from one generation to another is always complex, full of paradoxes and ironies, fear and trembling. It is never automatic. If it were, it wouldn’t be faith.
And what is the essence of faith? Trust? And trust grows in/toward people of integrity, right?
As I was studying our scripture for this week, what I gleaned from it was that Titus was instructed to teach that which compares accurately with God's word and Christ's example and teachings. He is talking to older men and women and younger men and women to have qualities that would reflect Christlike behavior which will gain respect from others and draw people to Christ. We are, after all, to be a reflection of our Savior. Using our time wisely, speaking carefully with consideration of those around us, living respectfully with one anohter, to be kind in our interactions with each other, because we teach by our actions and interactions and by our words. In other words we all are examples that others should want to follow. That doesn't mean we cannot enjoy life but that our lives can be enjoyed and looked up to by others--all the time knowing we cannot do it perfectly and God's grace fills in our 'gaps' but we strive for this as our goal. The more we practice, the better we will get, just like anything else we do in life. I think self-control is at the center of it all and is the most difficult to master. Each person being unique has their own struggle in that area. I have many issues with self-control that I fight every day but I refuse to give up the fight because I have a strong Advocate to help me. God bless you all this week. (PS, Allen, no you are not just talking to yourself, we are listening, sometimes we need to stop and listen, right)Sherron
What did you do? Scare everybody away?
The thing that stuck out to me is that older men and younger men both have to practice self control.
The thing that I see from that is that God infused us guys with these "control" issues. I guess it makes me feel better that I'm not the only one with these problems, but it is frustrating to deal with at times. Self control covers so many areas. I think about some of the older guys that I have looked up to over the years and see self-control as the trait that probably drew me to them in the first place. My dad's self-control has probably saved my life over the years..........just kiddin' :]
On a lighter note....The Fun Justy is dead, grave side services to be held at a future date.
Brent
Today on sport center they had a special talking about Michael Vick and something one of the radio host said had caught my attention. He said that every time Michael Vick would do something wrong, the team would have him apologize or do something to make up for his wrong doing but they never disciplined him for the things he had done wrong. The radio host said that he believes by the Falcons never disciplining Vick for his actions maybe this is why Vick wind up down the road that he had travel on and the road got so big on him that he took it way to far. Listening had me think about us with God. God sends messages to us all the time to tell us when we are doing wrong and than when we get discipline for it we go crying to Him wondering why our life is so messed up. I think we all could learn from Michael Vick mishaps. If we know the law and continue to break the law, eventually we are going to get caught and have to have disciplinary action taken place and we cant blame anybody but ourselves. Even though Michael Vick apologize and asked for forgiveness, he still have to pay for what he did wrong. I believe that God is the same way with us. We do wrong and we are always going to get caught since God is with us 24/7 and yes we can ask for forgiveness, but we still have to pay the penalty for our actions just like Michael Vick. Has to pay for his wrong doing.
Did you hear about This Story about a football coach who passionately criticizes a reporter who criticized an amateur athelete?
Brent, I think my posts are just so profound that very few can find any words to say. Yeah, that’s it.
Hey, I will provide my expert funeral services for free for the Justy. My she/he/it rest in peace.
I did also see this article, The Death of Blogs, which says that a lot of blog dry up and die. I think we are ok. Mine is a little different, since it is driven by a preaching passage each week.
I am not sure what I am going to do when I am on my sabbatical from December 16 - March 16. I will be overseas for 6 of those weeks. I plan to have some kind of travel log sort of thing for those weeks. The other weeks will be primarily consumed by study of Ephesus and other places in Asia Minor.
The Justy is dead!!!!
That is tragic. Did you peel off all those cool stickers?
I find the response to coach Gundy's speach very interesting. Most people didnt even listen to what he was saying. they have all focused on the fact that he didnt like the reporter and that he was "out of control". They all miss the point that he was upset with the reported trashing some kid and the fact that we as a society seem to condone this type of behaviour. more coaches should do what he did. on a local scene i have been impressed with the bnl football coach because no matter what they do that weekend, he never attacks the kids and never singles one out or one play. that is maturity which a lot of coaches do not have.
i dont think your blog is in trouble. topics have a lot to do with what is written. some topics just spark more discussion than others.
dont you just hate it when your coffee cup drips especially the day you wear a white shirt?
RR
RR, I agree about the coaching thing. I get really upset when I hear high school coaches blaming their players. Sure, maybe the kids didn’t play well, but be man enough to take responsibility. They are kids; you are the adult. Deal with it internally. I think it was Bear Bryant (Kedra will stand in reverence at the mention of that name.) who said that the players’ poor performance was always his fault; he didn’t motivate them well, etc.
White shirt? Wow!
I appreciate your comments RR.
Found this on one of my ACU friend’s blog (Jeff Christian) and thought it was worth sharing.
Yesterday at lunch a good friend of mine talked about something Augustine said back in the days of the early church that is just as valid today, if not more valid in our contemporary culture of greed--(not that there was some sort of golden age when there was no greed). Augustine said that if people want to invest wisely, a surefire investment that will never fail, that we should invest "in the bellies of the poor." That way, when we all stand before Jesus and he says, "I was hungry..." the poor might interrupt him and say, "Yes, and this person fed me."
Perhaps implicit in that story is another investment that glorifies God and reflects Christ: We also invest in the hearts of the poor in spirit.
And maybe when we invest in our own hearts, when we learn to love our neighbors as ourselves, the other investments fall into place to be more than our actions, but moreover, extensions of what God has already done--and continues to do--in our own lives.
well I was not going to say anything but I just cant keep quiet. No one wants to talk about this topic because it is a very sensitive topic. In today churches, you have more people who would rather sit through the service and have the pastor talk about the bible instead of the pastor teaching about the bible. Example, like last wednesday, talking about Timothy and how sensitive he may have been or how young he may or may not have been. this stuff is not important in our life and it sure isnt going to get any of us into heaven or out there bringing people into the church, but hey let's talk about people fornicating, people divorcing and remarrying, bring up things like that and it becomes a sensitive topic that people really dont want to hear. I believe this scripture and 2 timothy 4 fall under the same category and this is probably why this topic is on a hush hush this week.
OK, this is a little gross but funny. RR Saw This and thought of me, the Holy Smoker.
The guy’s mom’s name is Peg. That’s too good! Think about it. Arrggg matey! (Think pirate)
A.D.D. Break:
Wow, what a wonderful rain we are experience right now!
I am going to try get everything done today so I can truly take a day off tomorrow. I plan to run 3 hours with Tony and my cousin Brent at 7.30 in the morning. Then I am going to fire up the smoker. I have am preparing a Boston butt and a rack of baby backs. They’ll go on late morning tomorrow. (My mouth is now watering.) I need to talk to Bigg Daddy sometime soon about the Bb.
OK, back to work.
Here’s a piece of what I have so far:
Generations are defined in several different ways with different names and different dates, but here is a fairly normal way to describe them; these are from Howe and Strauss.
G.I. Generation 1901-1924
Silent Generation 1925-1942
Boom Generation 1943-1960
X Generation 1961-1981
Millennial Generation 1982-2005?
Homelander Generation 2005-2025?
This is actually going to be a fairly minor part, but I think it is interesting.
Ok, vis a vis, the leg in the smoker: How could anybody miss it? Surely, it's been decomposing, hasn't it? Wouldn't anybody notice that?
Guy #1: Hey, what's that weird smell?
Guy #2: I dunno, but it sure ain't "team spirit."
How bizarre. What would you use on a human leg, Allen? Hickory chips or applewood? :)
Donna
I think I would probably just use charcoal; wouldn’t waste good wood on it. And don’t you think it was in the smoker because he was trying to preserve his leg?
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