1 Timothy 1:3–7
3As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 4nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. 5But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.
Focused Thinking:
Why did Timothy need to remain on at Ephesus?
He needed to instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies.
Why?
They give rise to mere speculation.
They don’t further the administration of God which is by faith.
Personal Application:
We must work incredibly hard as a church not to lose focus.
- It is so easy to get distracted and to lose focus.
- It is hard work to minimize distractions and to maximize focus.
Focused Thinking:
What is our goal?
The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Personal Application:
- The focus must be to love God and love people.
- The goal must be to love God and love people.
- Everything else must point toward loving God and loving people.
We must quit making it more complicated than it is.
We must set aside a half-day or a day meeting to evaluate our church in light of this verse.
We need to write a curriculum on this verse and make it a strategic part of our growth process.
We must define biblical love.
- How do we develop a pure heart?
- How do we develop a good conscience?
- How do we develop a sincere faith?
Focused Thinking:
What happens when you stray from the goal?
They have fruitless discussion.
Personal Application:
This is what happens when churches quit loving outsiders and reaching people.
- They start having fruitless discussion.
- They start talking about the non-essentials.
- They start talking about the law out of context.
Interactive Prayer:
Father, help us be a church that never loses its focus. Help me help us be a church that is focused on loving people. Help us focus all of our time, talents and resources to helping people love people. I’m encouraged right now that our church is known as an accepting church, as an encouraging church and as a loving church. Help us only increase our love and therefore increase our ability to reach more people for Christ and to grow more people in Christ. Give us the ability to not only teach love but to live it and express it.
Father, protect us from distractions. Help me and others lead this church in such a way that we have the focus of a laser. Help us love outsiders. I pray for our people to be people who make “invest and invite” a lifestyle instead of an event. Please cause the Holy Spirit to blow throughout the lives of our people. Please help our people to love You, to love one another and to other others. Please help our people to heal and to be people of love with their families and friends.
Father, give me insight as to how to make this verse come alive in our church in ways that are beyond my imagination. Please give us favor with the students of Overton High School. Give us the ability to see the gospel and the love of God. Through us, transform people, communities and this city. Father, people need to see You through us. People need to experience You through us. People need to believe in You through us. Father, please cause the gospel to transform this city in and through us. Grow us spiritually, numerically and financially. Please give us the ability to go to “the next level” as a church. Please touch the hearts potential givers with Your love. Please cause them to be used by You to bless this church and enable us to go to “the next level” by enabling us to use our dollars for people instead of buildings.
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