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Welcome to the Willow Ridge Sermons Podcast.

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This is where you can find audio from Sunday morning messages and more.

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Make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss future episodes.

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And thanks for listening.

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Well, good morning.

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If you will get your Bible and turn to first Timothy chapter four, That's where we'll be spending most of our time uh this morning.

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Uh But I just wanna let you know this.

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Y'all gave me some chills as I was sitting over there in this last song and all I all uh Joel led us to do is just to hear your voices.

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Just an, a sense of, I don't know what it was, but chills just, just ran across me just to hear your voices as you sang and you praise the Lord.

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So thank you so much for your, your worshiping song this morning.

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So while you're turning there, uh I just wanna highlight something that's coming up for us on Sunday, March the 10th at nine o'clock in the morning as we transition from our first set of discipleship studies over to our second set.

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Uh We're gonna have some seminars uh throughout the year.

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We're gonna have four of them and these seminars are gonna kind of focus on some special topics and uh to, for pastor Bow and whoever else is gonna be teaching in those moments uh to, to share some insights on that.

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So don't miss out on Sunday, March 10th at nine o'clock.

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The first one that we're gonna be looking at is why we are Baptist.

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Now, that may shock a few of you that don't realize that we're a Southern Baptist church.

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But pastor B is gonna break that down.

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Why we're Baptist.

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What we believe, doctrinally uh missionary.

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How does that affect us?

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Uh our partnerships that we have in ministry as well.

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So it's gonna be a great time to be right here in the auditorium.

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So we'll invite everybody to come uh as we share and talk together on who we are as Baptists.

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So as you got there in your scripture, if you would join me in prayer, father, thank you for the stillness of the moment.

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Thank you for calling us into your presence to come and to worship you in one voice as one family and father just praying out.

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You just guide us through your word, help us to have ears, to hear your voice and the eyes, to see your words through your scriptures.

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Or may we walk away from here this morning?

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Having a truth that you have given us uh to affect who we are and to follow you in obedience.

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So father, we love you and we thank you.

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We ask your blessings on our time together.

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We ask this prayer in your name.

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Amen.

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So our scripture this morning, as I said is in first Timothy chapter four.

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But before we get there, I wanna read first of all, first Timothy chapter one, verse one and two, you see, Paul has written three letters in this area.

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First Timothy, second Timothy and Titus, he wrote 1st and 2nd Timothy to Timothy who is a pastor and then he wrote Titus who is also a pastor to give them some pastoral guidance as they serve and minister and pastor the churches that are under their care.

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So Paul says this in first Timothy, 11 to 2 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God, our savior and of Christ Jesus, our hope just in that very beginning.

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Greeting, Paul opens up to you and I who are readers today of who God is that he is our savior and who Jesus is.

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He is our hope.

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He goes on to say to Timothy to Timothy, my true child in the faith.

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Now, this is very significant because what Paul is saying here is that he has had an effect and been a part of Timothy's conversion to the Lord as his personal Lord and savior.

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And then Paul goes on to say grace, mercy and peace from God, the father in Christ Jesus, our Lord, those words are very important for Timothy to hear grace, mercy and peace.

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Because as a pastor, as a young pastor, he is facing some hardships in leading the congregation that he's leading.

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He's faced some difficulties even within himself and the confidence that he has within himself.

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And then Paul goes on to lay out all kinds of things in his letters, in his letter to Timothy chapters one all the way leading up to where we're gonna look at this morning.

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He's laying all kinds of things out for him, instructions to, to be aware of things to look for and how to, to govern his own self.

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So in verse six through 10, we read these words, if you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.

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Have nothing to do with irreverent silly myths.

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Rather train yourself for Godliness for a while.

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Bodily training is of some value.

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Godliness is a value in every way as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

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The saying is trust, trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.

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For to this end, we toil and strive because we have hopes set on the living God because our hope is set on the living God who is the savior of all people, especially of those who believe, train yourself for Godliness say that with me, train yourself for Godliness.

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Life isn't easy.

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Is it?

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Paul knew the struggles that Timothy was facing.

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And so he sent him this letter to give him guidance and to help him understand what it was that he was working through, to give him encouragement in his walk with the Lord because of the challenges he faced in his life and in his ministry, life isn't easy, is it we can identify with that.

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Relationships aren't easy.

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Marriage isn't easy.

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Parenting isn't easy at any stage of life.

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Occupations aren't easy making life decisions aren't easy.

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Being young, isn't easy.

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Being, middle age isn't easy and being old isn't easy all through the stages of life that we experience.

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God is present for those who call him their Lord and Savior.

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You see, God knows that life is hard and burdens burdensome for us at times.

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He doesn't shut himself off from us.

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What he desires to do is opposite, that he desires to engage with our lives and he desires for you and I to engage with Him when life isn't easy for you and when life is easy for you, have you been in training?

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Have you trained yourself for Godliness?

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Are you ready?

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Training?

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Is a preparation needed for a Christian to navigate life on this earth and to prepare for his or her eternal life in the presence of God, train yourself for Godliness.

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This was the encouragement and the insight that the Apostle Paul gave the young pastor Timothy.

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This is also the encouragement and the instruction that God wants you and I to hear for our own lives.

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See, that's why God's word is living and active because what Timothy, what Paul wrote to Timothy back then God writes for you and I today for you and I to apply in our life for you and I to hear the words of God and to follow it before we read these few lines that Paul writes in the midst of this letter.

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I want us to look at some things that we discover in 1st and 2nd, Timothy, we see some things about who Timothy is and we see the relationship that Paul and Timothy have together, but we also see the instruction.

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I think it's important for you and I to kind of get that whole look of who Timothy is as well as the relationship is described in 1st and 2nd, Timothy or mainly in second Timothy.

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Timothy's faith was sincere and genuine that Timothy's face was shaped by his grandmother and his mother's faith.

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From childhood.

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Timothy's life was shaped by the scriptures.

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Timothy was a young pastor leading the church under his care.

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And we also see that Timothy was set apart for ministry when his gifts were recognized by others and when the elders laid hands on him, so we kind of understand the faith and who Timothy is when we simply read the letters of 1st, 2nd Timothy from Paul.

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But we also get to see their relationship a very close relationship.

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As I said earlier, Paul played a significant role in leading Timothy to Christ.

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There was the understanding that Timothy had by living with a Godly mother and a Godly grandmother and how that shaped his life.

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But there came a time when Paul entered into his life and was significant in his faith and also in God and his spiritual development, we also discovered that Paul prayed constantly night and day for Timothy and Paul and Timothy had a deep relationship.

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And second Timothy, one through four, Paul writes this.

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I long to see you again for I remember your tears as we parted and I will be filled with joy when we are together again.

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So you hear the closeness that Paul has with Timothy.

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That's why so many today, when we talk about mentoring, look at the relationship that Paul has with Timothy because there's such a close relationship.

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But more importantly, there is a God guided relationship in that Timothy follows Paul's example.

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And Paul reminded Timothy of the importance of scripture.

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But also Timothy was one among the team that Paul had surrounding him to do ministry.

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Some of the things we see that Paul points out to Timothy is this look out for false teachers that Timothy, you are in a battle of your faith to offer supplication, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving for all people that man's relationship with God comes through Jesus Christ, how people should conduct themselves in church.

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These are all the things that in the short two letters that Paul says to Timothy that he covers.

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He continues to.

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He leaves Timothy to be aware of who should be overseers and deacons in the church.

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In this one little line, he gives him the idea and the purpose of the church.

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In in first Timothy 315, he says, Paul says, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth, a pillar and foundation of truth.

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Paul says to Timothy is what the church is all about.

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He says, be ready to con con to confront the issues of those who are turning away from the faith, don't get caught up in meaningless conversations.

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He even tells Timothy people that he needs to avoid how he should conduct himself before the people and how to talk to people, how widows should be cared for and on and on and on.

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In the small two letters.

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Paul points out all these things for Timothy, but he also points out to Timothy of how he needs to work on his own relationship with God.

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He also points out to Timothy how he needs to be reminded of his faith in God.

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So let's look at first Timothy 46 through 10 again, say it with me, train yourself for godliness, train yourself for godliness.

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It's important for you and I to soak that in and take that in.

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Because right here in the midst of this letter that Paul sent to Timothy, he points it out to him.

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Verse six says, if you put these things referring to all the things that are written up until this point, if you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus being trained.

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There he goes using that word one of the things to understand why, why Paul uses this verbiage here is in Ephesus, where, where Timothy is located, there's this massive colosseum that holds 1 100,000 people.

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And so athletics was a big thing in the city of Ephesus.

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And so he's pinpointing that from Timothy being trained, literally means nourishing yourself in.

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When you look at the Greek, understanding the word train, there means nourishing yourself in nourish yourself.

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In the words of the faith, Paul knew about Timothy's faith.

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Paul knew that Timothy would have an understanding of what he meant, that he would train and nourish himself in the words of the faith that he had heard.

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But he also says, and of the good doctrine that you have followed, I don't think I would ever say these words that I'm thankful for over 30 plus years that my, the English that I took in high school would finally help me out in reading scripture because words in the scripture are so important.

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The words that are placed there before other words, they're not just there for good looks, they're there for a purpose.

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And we see that in God's word, Paul says to Timothy good doctrine that you have followed because in the very first chapter or very first part of the letter first, Timothy Paul says to Timothy, look out for false teachers.

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Be aware of the false doctrine.

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Timothy know what good doctrine is, which causes me to think this for you.

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And I remember your faith and remember what you believe, remember your faith and remember what you believe.

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That's what Paul was telling Timothy.

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Timothy, you got it right there.

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You've heard it since you were a child.

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Remember it, remember your faith, remember what you believe you and I need to nourish ourselves on the scripture.

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We need to eat it up.

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We need to allow it to soak into our lives.

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So that when we hear things that aren't of our faith, we know it as the years have passed you.

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And I have already seen that there's false doctrines out there.

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You and I have already seen that there's truths that people wanna say that are, are contradictory to scripture, but yet they want us to believe that it is scripture.

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So you and I have to believe the truths of God were you.

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And I have to believe the doctrines that are there.

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I'm so grateful that we as a church have started this, this journey in, in our discipleship studies, I'm grateful that Pastor Bow has decided to do a doctrinal study to go through.

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And so that you and I who engage in that, we learn about what we believe in our faith.

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Not only pastor bow, but also the co leaders have led with him, but also our other leaders and our small group leaders who, who have taken upon themselves to lead you and I through scripture to lead you.

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And I to understand what God's Word is and how it applies to our life.

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Remember your faith and remember what you believe through the discipline of nourishing yourself on the word of God.

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He says there in verse seven, he says, now, Timothy, after you do this, have nothing to do with irreverent, silliness, have nothing to do with irreverent silliness.

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Rather train yourself for Godliness.

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Nothing to do.

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I think you and I kind of get an understanding probably what what Paul is saying here about irreverent.

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Silly my, for Timothy, it was the things that they wanted to talk about that had no relationship to God whatsoever.

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It was the things of their culture, the conversations of their culture that they tried to make look like the doctrines and the truth of God's word, but they were not.

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And Paul is warning Timothy to not to deal with it, to do nothing with it for you.

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And I, that means to stay away from false teachings, false doctrine and useless conversations.

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You know, there's people out there that want to pull you into the conversations about scripture when really their agenda is not to learn what God's truth is, but to, to kind of share what their thoughts are.

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You see, our thoughts have to line up with what God's word is all about you and I need to stay away just as Paul says, a Timothy from false teachings, false doctrine and useless conversations.

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You see in Paul's second letter to Timothy, he says again, second Timothy two verses six through 17, but avoid irreverent babble for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness in verse 17 and their talk will spread like gang green.

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Now, I've not heard that word for quite some time, but I remember what gangrene is.

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Once it gets in your body, it begins to spread and it has a bad effect on your body.

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It destroys your body.

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Paul is saying here, listen, once you get into the midst of it and once you listen to the talk, it'll spread like gangrene, it'll wreck your life, it'll wreck what you believe you.

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And I have to know the scriptures in order to avoid listening to people who don't know what they're talking about when it comes to the things of God, Paul Warren, Timothy have nothing to do with it.

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Avoid it, be on guard because it would lead to ungodliness and then the second thing he brings out in this verse is what we've heard and what you've shared and said with me is train yourself for Godliness.

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He gets to the point and he says to Timothy, Timothy train yourself.

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You know what it means by training Timothy, train yourself for Godliness.

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R.

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Kent Hughes writes.

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What is so important to note here is that train yourself for Godliness in its context, primarily refers to training ourselves in and by the scriptures for the purpose of Godliness.

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Our diet is to be the scriptures and we are to exercise ourselves in them.

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We will become Godly only through the most Godly book ever written God's own word.

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And then his second Timothy 27.

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Paul says this.

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He says, Timothy, think over what I say for the Lord will give you understanding and everything.

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Think over what I say, Timothy.

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You've heard me talk about the truths and the doctrines of our faith.

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Think over them, process them meditate on them, let them go around and round in your mind and soak them in Timothy is because it will give you understanding and everything I believe.

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Folks don't understand what Paul is saying here because they've never given opportunity to read God's word over and over and over again.

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There is no understanding because there is no engagement in understanding what God's word says.

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But Paul says to Timothy, think over it and you will gain understanding everything of life in second Timothy two verse nine.

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The second part of that verse Paul says, for the word of God is not bound.

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Timothy.

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God's word is not limited, Timothy things of your faith, the truths of God, they're not limited, they're not bound, they will have an impact in your life.

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There is nothing that will hold back the effectiveness of God through His word in our lives as we read it as we obey it and as we live it out, and then his second Timothy three verse 16, very familiar words we've probably heard in reference to God's word.

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Paul says this all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction.

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For here's this idea again, for training and righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

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See, that is a type of effectiveness God's word has in your life and in my life as he shares with Timothy.

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And then over in Titus, 11, Paul says this Paul is servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ to further to further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to Godliness, their knowledge of the truth that leads to Godliness.

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Then first Timothy 316, Paul teaches Timothy that he has to look no further than Jesus when it comes to knowing and understanding Godliness.

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Jesus is the key.

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He says, great indeed, we confess in the mystery of Godliness.

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He being Jesus Christ was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the spirit seen by angels proclaimed among the nations believed on in the world taken up in glory Timothy.

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Look at Christ, Timothy.

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Look at the life and the teachings of Jesus Godliness is found in the person of Jesus Christ.

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Who do we look towards?

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To know that Godliness is Jesus his example.

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His teachings.

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Just look at the gospels, spend some time in your life over a certain period of time.

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Looking at Matthew, Mark Luke and John and see what Jesus says, see his engagement with people.

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Look at the parables, everything that you will see, you will understand who Jesus is, but you and I will also understand who we're to be and therefore following the godliness of what is what is said there, Warren wears be wrote when I see high school football squads and baseball teams going through their calisthenics under the hot summer sun.

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I am reminded that there are spiritual exercises that I ought to be doing prayer, meditation, self examination, fellowship, service, sacrifice, submission to the will of others.

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Witness, all of these can assist me through the spirit to become a more Godly person.

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Paul goes on there in verse eight for a while.

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Bodily bodily training is of some value.

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Recently, I was reminded of that back in June after a visit with my doctor, it became very clear that I needed to change some habits in my life.

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Those have a need to consist of diet and a need to consist of exercise.

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You see, I had six food groups in my life.

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I know candy and junk food is not listed among them.

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But for David Allen, it was a six food group and I really enjoyed it.

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But when you do that over 20 plus years, it has a tendency to affect your health and your life.

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And so after that visit with the doctor, I was like, all right, Lord, you gotta help me with this because you know, I love my candy.

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You know, I love potato chips.

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You see, body training is of some value and it has been for me what Paul says to Timothy is this and, and Paul knew that Timothy would recognize this.

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He knew because he Timothy has seen all these Olympic athletes preparing themselves for whatever competition that they were going to engage in.

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And he knew how much intensity they put into it.

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And so for, for Timothy to hear those words, it, it went on with a whole big meaning there.

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And then Paul says to Timothy, Godliness is a value in every way.

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Godliness is a value in every way for folks that think that God's word has nothing to do with our lives and can't apply it and can't make any effect on life.

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They don't know because they don't read Godliness is of value in every way and listen to this.

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Paul says, as it holds promise for the present life, for this life right now, in this very moment for your life, in the next hour, for your life, in the next week, the next month, the next year, however long God allows your life to expand.

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It says in every moment, it holds pro promise for your life, but Paul didn't stop there.

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He says, and also for the life to come, the life and the presence of God, your savior, Godliness is a value in every way as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come for you.

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And I Godliness will have a profound impact on every aspect of your life.

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Godliness will have a profound impact on every aspect of your life.

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Godliness as you pursue, it will impact your relationships for the good Godliness will impact your attitudes, for the good Godliness will impact your actions for the good.

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Do you remember remember last month when I was a challenge, you and I as a church family, we read through Proverbs together and then each Sunday pastor be would preach on those Proverbs to summarize.

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We basically discovered what an unrighteous life looks like and what a righteous life looks like.

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In Proverbs, we saw how many benefits there are for you and I to live our life in God's way.

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You see Godliness will have unexplainable benefits.

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Now, in this life and unimaginable eternal benefits for us yet to experience and see an eternity.

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It is valuable in every way and to reinforce that thought of.

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Verse eight.

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Paul says in verse nine, the saying, referring back to verse eight, the saying is trustworthy, Timothy and deserving a full acceptance, Timothy.

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Trust it, hold on to it, accept, it's in it, it's in its entirety.

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You and I need to trust the pursuit and outcome of godliness, trust the pursuit, an outcome of Godliness.

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It has to be a pursuit of yours and yours and mine.

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You and I need to approach it like a, a top tier athlete would approach whatever it is that that he's in.

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He or she is involved in you and I who are to be students of God's word should approach that with intensity that we don't take God's word lightly that we don't just pick it up on occasions, but that we pursue it.

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We dive into it.

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The pursuit of Godliness keeps the Christ's follower in step with God.

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And that is what God's desire is for you and I to be in step with him and then Paul wraps it up with Timothy by saying this for to this end, we toil and strive Timothy.

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Keep pushing forward.

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Timothy don't give up Timothy don't throw in the town no matter when life gets hard, no matter when it's hard to lead, no matter when you don't have the confidence you need.

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Keep toiling, keep striving, keep moving forward.

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Because we have our hopes set on the living God.

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I don't know if you like to underline in your Bible.

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If you like to highlight in your Bible, I do.

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And this is definitely one of those phrases, our hopes set on the living God.

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Our hope is not set on ourselves.

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It's not set on our achievement or the knowledge that we obtain.

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Our hope is not set on a relationship that we look towards or, or somebody that impacts our life greatly.

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Our hope is not set on that.

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But for as a believer who testifies that Christ is Lord and Savior of their life, our hope is set on the living God.

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Paul says, who is the Savior of all people?

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Now?

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You and I can't misunderstand what Paul is saying here, Paul is not saying that God is gonna save all the human race.

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What Paul is saying here is God is the savior of those who choose to call him Lord and Savior because he follows it up by saying especially of those who believe in Romans, you.

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And I see that we are to confess and believe in our God as savior and Lord.

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So you and I need to fix our eyes on God and to set our hope on God.

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Anytime I see that word in scripture, it just, it gives me this visual of, of like, you know, the horse that has these, these guards on his eyes.

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It can't look to the right or to the left.

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It only can look straight ahead because it doesn't want to be distracted on what's out to the right and what's out to the left.

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And I know in my own life when I am fixed, looking straight ahead for me, the Holy Spirit reminds me of this when I'm in traffic, when I'm coming down interstate 20 or I'm going through any of the construction on 20 or 26 David fix your eyes ahead because some people didn't really understand driver training.

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They may even even they may have passed with the the Department of Transportation, but don't look like they were listening very well.

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And God says, David fix because when I, I look to my right and I look to my left in those moments, sometimes the ungodly wants to rear its ugly head.

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And the Holy Spirit says, David, no, that's not who you are.

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Fix your eyes on God, set your hope on Him.

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That is the only place that we set our hope.

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We hold tight to our faith and we battle in this life, not giving up and throwing in the towel because our hope is set on the living God in season and out of season.

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Always train yourself for Godliness.

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God will be pleased and glorified in your life.

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Will you pray with me?

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God is very simple.

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What, what you share with us in our, in your word?

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Sometimes we, we make it more difficult than what it really is.

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So Lord, as your followers help us to take the truths of your word, meditate on them, apply them, obey him, live them out.

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Lord help us to be people that do train ourselves in godliness to be the very image that you desire for us to be, which is who you are.

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Lord, life isn't easy and you know that, but I am grateful and thankful that you walk with us every step of the way.

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But you know our sadness, you know our joys, you know our failures, you know our successes.

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And Lord, you desire to be right there in the midst of life as we experience it.

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So Lord draw us close to you, draw us in relationship with you and continue to help us to work out and to exercise our faith in you.

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Lord, we ask this pray in your name.

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Amen.

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Thanks again for listening and be sure to check back next week for another episode.

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In the meantime, you can visit us at Willow Ridge church.org or by searching for Willow Ridge Church on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.