Tag Archives: Titus

Set a good example (Titus 2) December 9, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Titus 2

Set – 1 Timothy 5; Titus 2

Go! – 1 Timothy 5-6; Titus 1-3

Titus 2
1 As to you, Titus: talk to them; give them a good, healthy diet of solid teaching so they will know the right way to live.
2 Here’s what I want you to teach the older men: enjoy everything in moderation, respect yourselves and others, be sensible, and dedicate yourselves to living an unbroken faith demonstrated by your love and perseverance.
3 And here’s what I want you to teach the older women: Be respectful. Steer clear of gossip or drinking too much so that you can teach what is good 4 to young women. Be a positive example, showing them what it is to love their husbands and children, and teaching them to 5 control themselves in every way and to be pure. Train them to manage the household, to be kind, and to be submissive to their husbands, all of which honor the word of God.
6 Encourage the young men in the same way: in every situation, they should learn to control themselves.
7-8 Titus, you have to set a good example for everyone. Go out of your way to do what is right, speak the truth with the weight and authority that come from an honest and pure life. No one can argue with that. Then your enemies will cower in shame because they have nothing bad to say against us.
9 Advise all the servants: Work hard for your masters, and be loyal to them. Strive to please. Don’t be rude or sarcastic. 10 Don’t steal or embezzle your masters’ property. Show them you are trustworthy, and all the credit will go to the teaching of God our Savior.
11 We have cause to celebrate because the grace of God has appeared, offering the gift of salvation to all people. 12 Grace arrives with its own instruction: run away from anything that leads us away from God; abandon the lusts and passions of this world; live life now in this age with awareness and self-control, doing the right thing and keeping yourselves holy. 13 Watch for His return; expect the blessed hope we all will share when our great God and Savior, Jesus the Anointed, appears again. 14 He gave His body for our sakes and will not only break us free from the chains of wickedness, but He will also prepare a community uncorrupted by the world that He would call His own—people who are passionate about doing the right thing.
15 So, Titus, tell them all these things. Encourage and teach them with all authority—and rebuke them with the same. You are a man called to serve, so don’t let anyone belittle you.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Paul’s words to Titus fit anyone who calls themselves a Christian, not just pastors. My name should mean something to you. It should also mean something to those outside the faith that see you when you use My name to identify yourself. As Paul told Titus, it’s your life lived out in front of others that speaks so much louder than your words.

I see a lot of hypocrisy, though, among those who call themselves Christian, today. Not unlike the Pharisees that walked the streets of Jerusalem. They plotted murder to stop My voice. Murder! Talk about getting off track. Yet some bomb clinics, stores, homes, and more in My name. Is that different? Some slander the names of others and do everything they can to discredit those who disagree with their views, all in My name. Is that different than what the Pharisees did?

I encourage you to stop and consider whose name you wear. Then think about what it means to represent Me. How do you know what that looks like? I give you lots of instructions. I left My word with you through the centuries. I encourage you to read it. If you struggle with reading, listen to it. Technology today gives you a multitude of ways to hear My word, but delve into it – often. Don’t take someone else’s word for what it says, explore it yourself. Paul commended the Berreans for their study of My word, not taking anything he or anyone else said at face value, but going back to scripture and proving what was said is true.

Be a student of My word. Then teach it correctly. Don’t let those around you take favorite verses or phrases out of context to prove a point. Remember My word doesn’t contradict itself. It tells you who I am and My will for your life. It tells you how you should live and how to live forever. Paul admonished Titus to remember those teachings and pass them on to others. As a person wearing My name as your identity, I expect you to live a life that honors My name. I expect you to adhere to the advice Paul gives his young ‘son in Christ’, Titus. I want others to see the transformation I can bring to their lives as I brought it to you. Don’t disappoint through actions that discredit or dishonor My name.

If you decide you don’t want to live up to My kind of life, then don’t use My name. Names are important. Too many will soon be called out for taking My name in vain, misusing it as an excuse to do what you want. How is that supposed to win others to My kingdom? It’s time to take Paul’s message to heart. “You have to set a good example for everyone.” My name deserves it.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

What are you teaching? (Titus 2), June 30, 2015

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Today’s Podcast

Subscribe in: iTunes|Download

Today’s Scriptures

Today’s Bible reading plans include:

Ready – Titus 2
Set – Psalms 104; Titus 2
Go! – Amos 7–9; Psalms 104; Titus 2

Titus 2
1 As to you, Titus: talk to them; give them a good, healthy diet of solid teaching so they will know the right way to live.
2 Here’s what I want you to teach the older men: enjoy everything in moderation, respect yourselves and others, be sensible, and dedicate yourselves to living an unbroken faith demonstrated by your love and perseverance.
3 And here’s what I want you to teach the older women: Be respectful. Steer clear of gossip or drinking too much so that you can teach what is good 4 to young women. Be a positive example, showing them what it is to love their husbands and children, and teaching them to 5 control themselves in every way and to be pure. Train them to manage the household, to be kind, and to be submissive to their husbands, all of which honor the word of God.
6 Encourage the young men in the same way: in every situation, they should learn to control themselves.
7-8 Titus, you have to set a good example for everyone. Go out of your way to do what is right, speak the truth with the weight and authority that come from an honest and pure life. No one can argue with that. Then your enemies will cower in shame because they have nothing bad to say against us.
9 Advise all the servants: Work hard for your masters, and be loyal to them. Strive to please. Don’t be rude or sarcastic. 10 Don’t steal or embezzle your masters’ property. Show them you are trustworthy, and all the credit will go to the teaching of God our Savior.
11 We have cause to celebrate because the grace of God has appeared, offering the gift of salvation to all people. 12 Grace arrives with its own instruction: run away from anything that leads us away from God; abandon the lusts and passions of this world; live life now in this age with awareness and self-control, doing the right thing and keeping yourselves holy. 13 Watch for His return; expect the blessed hope we all will share when our great God and Savior, Jesus the Anointed, appears again. 14 He gave His body for our sakes and will not only break us free from the chains of wickedness, but He will also prepare a community uncorrupted by the world that He would call His own—people who are passionate about doing the right thing.
15 So, Titus, tell them all these things. Encourage and teach them with all authority—and rebuke them with the same. You are a man called to serve, so don’t let anyone belittle you.

Today’s Devotional

From today’s background scripture God might say:

Have you ever thought about what you should share with those around you? Too often you just assume your children and those around you at work, church or your neighbors will just pick up your habits and learn what you want them to learn. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way. You need to be a little more deliberate in your approach to teaching what you want those you care for to learn.

If you look at the advertising around you, you’ll find the world is pretty good at teaching impressionable young minds what it wants to teach. For instance, regardless of the known dangers of tobacco use, teenagers and young adults continue to pick up the habit and tobacco products still rake in almost half a trillion dollars in sales each year.

You see the tobacco advertisers teach children it’s cool to smoke or dip, and they teach them well. They are deliberate in the way they distribute their information and hide the truth about the damage that comes from their products. And so young people decide the teaching by the cancer societies won’t happen to them. The sales of products climb. And profits continue to grow.

The same can be said of alcohol, drugs, both legal and illegal, many of the foods you eat that you know don’t provide good nutritious value for you. But the teach of the advertisers help you decide the diseases won’t happen to you and so you partake. Adam and Eve did the same thing in the Garden of Eden with Satan’s advertisements about the forbidden fruit. Then it was too late for them.

So what do you want your children to learn? If you teach a Sunday School class, what do you want your students to learn? What do you want your neighbors to understand about you or about Me? What lessons do you want your co-workers to learn about spiritual things?

Remember, My command to you was to go and make disciples … in all the world. To meet the requirement I gave you requires deliberate action on your part. Perhaps it’s time to sit down and decide what you want others to see in you that you want them to know and learn. What habits do you have that you want your children and grandchildren to adopt? What do you want them to see and do? Can you respond like Paul, “Whatever you have seen me say or do, you do the same and you’ll find Christ.”?

Only deliberate action will overcome the plan Satan has in place to deceive those around you he wants to snatch from My kingdom. And perhaps only you can reach some of those with whom you interact each day. So what will you show them? What will you share with them? What will you teach them so they will know Me?

Paul gave Titus some clear instructions that I want to make sure you know fit you as well. “Talk to them; give them a good, healthy diet of solid teaching so they will know the right way to live.” Do this and you will fulfill My desire for you to make disciples in the world where you live.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.