Paul’s Advice

2 Timothy 2: 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (NASB). This verse is a good reminder of how every year we must commit to work hard to become who God wants us to be. First, Paul […]

2 Timothy 2: 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (NASB).

This verse is a good reminder of how every year we must commit to work hard to become who God wants us to be. First, Paul instructs Timothy to “be diligent.” That meant Timothy needed to be ready to work, and he needed to make haste in that readiness. There is a sense of urgency that needs to be initiated from one’s self. Timothy was asked to hurry to take initiative in order to present himself to God. “To present” means to show up and be ready to take orders. To be present is not just being there, but rather being there in order to make a difference. “Approved” means that there are certain requirements that need to be in order. People who wear uniforms understand this concept. They don’t just show up in any fashion, they have to respect the uniform. “To God” means that the approval we need is God’s and not man’s. Sometimes we forget this. Timothy as a young Gospel preacher needed to be reminded that he serves God and His people, but more than anything, he needed the approval of God.

Community Connections

A couple of weeks ago, I shared two opportunities that we had to connect with people in our surrounding communities. We had booths representing the church at “Hay Hoover” and Pelham’s “Fall Fun Day.” By taking advantage of these opportunities, we were able to connect...

Permission to Wonder

In the 6th grade classroom there is a large metal envelope hanging on a bulletin board, and the students know that during bible class, anytime they have a Bible / religious question pop in their mind (whether related to the topic of class, or not), they can go and...

Kidmin 101

This past Sunday night, I shared five core values that our Children’s Ministry is founded on. These values are what helps keep each event, activity, and class in line with our overall mission. The core values are: 1. Know: Our children will learn to know God and the...

Faith On a Shelf

I have this hat that my dad brought back to me from a business trip to Atlanta when I was 9 or 10 years old. You can see that I’ve worn it a lot. In fact, I wore it to just about everywhere I went during the summer when I was a kid. Church camps, grandparents’ house,...

“Jesus Loves Me”

After being led in this song by two of our young men Sunday night, I was reminded of a quotation from Karl Barth. On April 23, 1962, Karl Barth (the renown 20th Century Swiss-German, neo-orthodox theologian) spoke at Rockefeller Chapel on the campus of the University...

That’s Not a Candle

Several years ago, there was story shared about a woman from Connecticut whose power had gone out during a storm. She left her house to go to a local hardware store to purchase some flashlights, but the store was closed. She returned home and found what she thought...

The Post-Christian Problem

I attended the New Day Conference in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at the end of last week with a small group from Riverchase. It was a good conference and I left encouraged about the opportunities we have to fulfill the call of Christ to make disciples. On Friday evening,...

Josiah’s Reform

In the thirty-one years of his rule, King Josiah proved to be a faithful man of God and a great king of Judah. He served God from the beginning as a young king and grew into a greater understanding of God’s will and a determination to follow that will. He made a...

You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat You’ve heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.” Simply defined, it means that you should eat healthy if you want to be healthy. This phrase can trace its roots back to the early 1800’s. It came from the 1826 work The Physiology of Taste, in which...

It Is Well

Above the piano in our house is a large wood sign with the phrase, “it is well with my soul” on it. Kimberly and I purchased it during a season of our life together where we were not completely sure what the future had in store for our little family. Since then, the...