Believers belong to Jesus by his life, death, and resurrection; this birth into a living hope means the risen King is present, active, and gives a future beyond imagining—so live in the reality of being his, receiving the hope and life he secured for you. [00:32]
1 Peter 1:3 (ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Reflection: What is one fear or future worry you can hand to the risen Jesus today, and what one small, specific step of trust will you take this afternoon to live in that hope?
Day 2: Flee sin; pursue righteousness with gentleness.
Followers of Jesus are called to actively run from youthful passions and quarrelsome habits and to chase righteousness, faith, love, and peace—doing so together, prepared to teach the truth, patient in suffering, and correcting others with gentleness so kindness might lead to repentance rather than driving people deeper into darkness. [21:12]
2 Timothy 2:22–26 (ESV) So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Reflection: Name one specific quarrelsome habit or "youthful passion" you will flee today; then choose one concrete action you will pursue instead (for example, 20 minutes of Scripture, a call to a believer, or a moment of silence before commenting) and do it before the end of the day.
Day 3: Confront others only after self-examination.
Before confronting corruption or correcting someone, examine and address the “log” in your own life; begin correction from repentance and humility so that words come from a heart already pursuing holiness, not from a posture of judgment that makes one a hypocrite. [24:35]
Matthew 7:1–5 (ESV) “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”
Reflection: What is the “log” in your life you need to confess and address before correcting someone else? Name it, confess it to one trusted believer today, and ask them to hold you accountable this week.
Day 4: Unity displays God's manifold wisdom to heaven.
When followers of Jesus pursue righteousness together in unity they demonstrate the reconciling power of Christ across differences—this oneness among diverse people is a cosmic sermon that reveals God's wisdom to the heavenly realms and weakens the darkness by showing the gospel’s reconciling effect. [28:56]
Ephesians 3:6–10 (ESV) which is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
Reflection: Who in the church with a different background or opinion will you intentionally pursue unity with this week? Reach out and schedule a time to listen, pray, or study Scripture together before Friday.
Day 5: Our struggle is spiritual, not personal.
The real enemy is the spiritual darkness seeking to enslave people; therefore Christians are to fight for opponents by using weapons of kindness, gentleness, truth, and patient endurance so that those captured by the devil might be granted repentance and come to know the truth and be set free. [54:20]
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Reflection: Identify one person you find yourself opposing; today, pray specifically for their deliverance, and perform one tangible act of kindness toward them (send a gracious message, offer help, or speak a thankful word).
Sermon Summary
Peter blesses God for new birth into a living hope through Jesus’ resurrection, and I celebrate that this isn’t theory—Jesus is alive, present, and calls us to participate with Him. We don’t pursue holiness to earn salvation; salvation is secured. We pursue holiness so His kingdom breaks into this dark world through our lives, so others see Jesus and we taste eternal life now. That’s the backdrop as Paul writes Timothy, a pastor in a corrupt Ephesus where the church is bending to culture and false teaching. The call is timely: embrace your calling and confront corruption—but do it God’s way.
Paul starts with me and you. Before correcting others, depart from iniquity, clean the vessel, and then not only flee what corrupts but pursue what fills: righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Flee means run for your life; pursue means chase hard after what looks like Jesus. This pursuit is communal. We do it “with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart,” because oneness isn’t optional—it is God’s cosmic sermon to the powers that His gospel reconciles.
Then the surprising turn: the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome. In a world that monetizes outrage, we resist foolish controversies and the inner itch to fight. Yet we do not retreat from truth. We enter the fray with an uncommon posture—kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting opponents with gentleness. This posture is not weakness; it’s alignment with how God changes people. God may perhaps grant repentance, and repentance then opens the door to truth. Kindness tills the soil; truth is the seed; repentance is the miracle God performs.
Finally, we remember who the enemy is. People trapped in falsehood are ensnared by the devil, often senseless to their captivity. We don’t fight them; we fight for them, against the powers that hold them. So we flee youthful passions, pursue kingdom character in community, refuse quarrels, and correct with patient gentleness. This is how we confront corruption without becoming corrupt—and how the world begins to wonder who we are and who our King must be.
Key Takeaways
1. Flee youthful passions; pursue kingdom character Flee is not a suggestion; it’s survival language. Don’t just stop harmful patterns; actively chase righteousness, faith, love, and peace until they shape your reflexes. This two-direction life—running from and running toward—forms a vessel God can use. It’s a daily chase, not a one-time choice. [19:15]
2. Practice oneness as a cosmic sermon Unity isn’t sentimental; it’s strategic. When reconciled people stand together across differences, it announces to the powers that God’s wisdom is real and reigning. Our credibility to confront culture rises and falls with our oneness. Division mutes our witness; unity amplifies it. [28:56]
3. Confront without quarrels; choose kindness The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome—online, at home, or in church. Outrage may feel righteous, but it forms us into poor physicians of souls. Kindness does not dilute truth; it delivers truth in a way hearts can bear and consider. Love makes room for the Spirit’s work. [31:15]
4. Teach truth with patient gentleness Competence matters: study, understand, and articulate the gospel so you can teach, not just argue. Pair that with patience—change belongs to God, and He sets the timetable. Gentleness is not optional; when it’s gone, stop and reset. Truth offered without gentleness often hardens the very hearts we hope will soften. [46:23]
5. Fight for opponents, not against Humans are not your enemy; captivity is. See the person as a prisoner, not a problem, and contend against the powers that bind them. Kindness can open a path to repentance, repentance to truth, and truth to freedom. This is spiritual warfare done Jesus’ way. [54:39]
- 2 Timothy 2:22–26 — 22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Observation Questions
What two directional verbs does Paul use in verse 22 and what do they require the believer to do practically? (Note the pastor’s explanation about “run from” and “chase after.”) [19:15]
Verse 23 warns about “foolish, ignorant controversies.” What examples of those controversies or behaviors did the pastor point to from modern life (social media, news, everyday scrolling)? [32:40]
In verses 24–25 Paul lists several qualities for the Lord’s servant (not quarrelsome, kind, able to teach, patient, gentle). Which of those qualities did the preacher emphasize as the most countercultural for our time, and why? [37:12]
How does the passage describe the chain from kindness to freedom (what comes first, and what role does God play)? [50:15]
Interpretation Questions
How does Paul’s pairing of “flee” and “pursue” reshape the common idea that holiness is primarily about stopping bad behavior? Consider what the pastor said about filling the vessel after cleaning it. [19:33]
Why does Paul insist that these pursuits be done “along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart”? What theological purpose does unity serve in confronting cultural or church corruption? [28:56]
In what way is “not quarrelsome” different from “avoiding truth-telling,” based on Paul’s instructions to be both kind and able to teach? How did the sermon explain the balance between truth and tone? [40:23]
What does Paul mean when he says correcting opponents “with gentleness” could lead to God granting repentance? How does that change the objective and posture of correction? [46:23]
Application Questions
Identify one “youthful passion” (an immature pattern, quick-to-fight attitude, or habitual online outrage) that still shows up in you. What is one concrete step you will take this week to “flee” that pattern? (Be specific about time, trigger and alternate action.) [13:26]
List two concrete ways you can “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace” this month (e.g., a book/passage to read, a spiritual habit to start, a relationship to invest in). Which of the four will you prioritize and why? [19:33]
Think of a recent online post or news item that made you immediately angry or contemptuous. What would it look like to pause and ask, “Am I being kind right now?” Name one small practice (a breathing exercise, a prayer, a waiting period) you will use next time before responding or sharing. [32:40]
Name one person in your life with whom you disagree strongly. What would it look like to approach the next conversation with the posture Paul lays out—kind, patient, able to teach, and gentle? List three specific phrases or questions you can use to keep gentleness in the conversation. [40:23]
Who in your immediate circle needs a loving correction (spouse, friend, teammate, fellow believer)? Plan a short, gentle conversation this week: choose the time/place, the single issue you will address, one Scripture or truth to anchor it, and one loving affirmation you will start with. [46:23]
Where is your small group or church showing disunity in a way that weakens witness? What is one practical step your group can take in the next month to model the “cosmic sermon” of oneness Paul describes (a joint service project, an intentional conversation night, or a conflict-resolution workshop)? [28:56]
The preacher said kindness helps till the soil so truth can take root. Identify a person you would like to “fight for” (not against). What three things can you do in the next six weeks to demonstrate care (prayer, practical help, listening) before you try to correct or teach them? [54:39]
Sermon Clips
The first thing he's doing is he's helping Timothy himself. And then Timothy, as he calls the rest of the followers of Jesus into this, to look first to who before we start correcting anyone else? Ourselves, right? He says before we even talk about confronting corruption, before we even talk about how we're going to engage with the false teachers, how we're going to engage with the culture of corruption. Where do we begin? Right here. Seek out what is corrupt in you and confront it. Seek out what is unrighteous and confront it and flee from it, depart from it and fill up with what is righteous.
[00:23:26]
(41 seconds)
#ExamineYourHeartFirst
We are not called to judge. We are called to love, and part of loving people who follow Jesus is that when they are doing stupid stuff, we come alongside and correct. Redirect. Why do we do that? Because we're judges. No! Because we love each other, and we now know the stupidity of a path like that. But what we are not to do is to judge, so he starts here and he says, if you don't first pursue what's in here, you will actually pursue the confronting of corruption as a judge instead of as a follower of Jesus who is loving people with his love and telling them about the one who is the judge. So, we must first do that, and then he says, and you must do it, you are doing it, no matter what, in biblical community.
[00:25:21]
(48 seconds)
If you don't first pursue what's in here, you will actually pursue the confronting of corruption as a judge instead of as a follower of Jesus who is loving people with his love and telling them about the one who is the judge. So, we must first do that, and then he says, and you must do it, you are doing it, no matter what, in biblical community. This is a beautiful reminder to Timothy on two fronts. One, does Timothy feel alone in his plight? Yes, he does. He has a church that's corrupt. He doesn't have a great community around him.
[00:25:46]
(34 seconds)
#GatherAndEncourage
When we are pursuing righteousness and we are fleeing from youthful passions, we are doing it with many others. But he's also saying, make sure you do it with many others. How hard is it to do this alone? It's next to impossible. Hebrews said it, right? Chapter 10, again. Men, make sure that you're drawing near to God, that you're holding fast to the confession of your faith, that you are being spurred on toward love and good deeds, that you are being encouraged and encouraging. How? Here it is. By gathering regularly with the other followers of Jesus.
[00:26:37]
(35 seconds)
#UnityIsTheCosmicSermon
So, when he says here, folks, flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness and faith and love and peace. Do it together so that you're all pursuing it together. Because what's that going to do? It's going to unite us and we are going to be one. And when we are one, that is the cosmic sermon to the world and to the cosmos that God is indeed wise and powerful. So, here it is. In our confronting the world and confronting the false teachers with truth, one of the things we must do as part of our confrontation is demonstrate our unity with one another before we go out and say, do this.
[00:28:42]
(48 seconds)
So, I've got to be gentle. Watch this. This is so beautiful. This now gives me the mindset. Here it is. God may, perhaps, I love the way Paul just did that. God, who can do what? Anything he wants, right? He could literally change your mind. God may, look at the double here. He may, that would be enough. God may bring them to repentance. What does that mean? He might or might not. But look what he adds. He adds another one. He may, perhaps, bring them to repentance. Okay? So, what are the chances that our patient enduring will have to be a long time? Right? Because God, God may, perhaps, bring them to repentance.
[00:47:21]
(49 seconds)
#PatientInGodsTiming
Quarrelsomeness always is, I have an agenda. I want to change your mind. I'm trying and you're not listening. There's patience out the window, gentleness out the window, kindness out the window. Because I believe it is my job to change you. Guess what? It's not your job or mine to change anyone. What? Not even my spouse? Especially not your spouse. It's my job to kindly, with gentleness, confront what is not true with gentleness, kindly, and endure the patient journey that it might take before God decides when he wants to change the person's heart.
[00:48:28]
(46 seconds)
#GentlePatienceNotQuarrels
What must come first before somebody is going to embrace the truth? It's repentance. What must come first before somebody embraces the truth? Repentance. And who does the repentance piece in someone's heart? God grants them to them. And then they repent. And then they lead to coming to the truth. Here's what we think. I bring the truth to you. And if I bring it hard and intelligent and fast enough, you will see the truth. And the truth will lead you to repentance. And here's what he just said. Actually, it doesn't work that way. Actually, it's kindness that leads to repentance. And repentance leads to an embracing of the truth. Wait a second. Didn't God say this somewhere else? It is my kindness that leads them to repentance. Not my truth. Is truth important? Of course it is. Critical. Of course it is. Can you do it without truth? Of course you can't. But truth doesn't lead to repentance. You know what does? You guys can say it out loud. I know it's hard. Because you want it to be truth so badly. So much easier, isn't it? Kindness. Kindness.
[00:50:19]
(75 seconds)
``Here's what we think. I bring the truth to you. And if I bring it hard and intelligent and fast enough, you will see the truth. And the truth will lead you to repentance. And here's what he just said. Actually, it doesn't work that way. Actually, it's kindness that leads to repentance. And repentance leads to an embracing of the truth. Wait a second. Didn't God say this somewhere else? It is my kindness that leads them to repentance. Not my truth.
[00:50:38]
(36 seconds)
#KindnessLeadsRepentance
How do you feel about someone if you heard that? They have been captured by a devious and dark enemy and they have been drugged so that they are senseless and they don't even know they're captured. And if you go in hard with truth and you are unkind, you will leave them in their prison. But if you come in kind because you feel deeply sad for that human, now suddenly the whole thing changes. It is my calling to have the eyes of my savior going into those who have been captured and being able to enter and with kindness to hope that I would play a part in God granting them repentance.
[00:52:36]
(47 seconds)
#CompassionRescuesTheCaptured
How do you feel about someone if you heard that? They have been captured by a devious and dark enemy and they have been drugged so that they are senseless and they don't even know they're captured. And if you go in hard with truth and you are unkind, you will leave them in their prison. But if you come in kind because you feel deeply sad for that human, now suddenly the whole thing changes. It is my calling to have the eyes of my savior going into those who have been captured and being able to enter and with kindness to hope that I would play a part in God granting them repentance so that that would lead to truth, that it would bring them to their senses that they might escape the snare of the devil who they are serving.
[00:52:36]
(56 seconds)
I didn't leave you on planet Earth in a culture that's a mess so you can judge them. I got that covered. God says, I left you here so you can go love them, care for them, share with them the truth, but kindly and gently so that they might come to know me and come to know truth and then they might be free. Ephesians chapter six says, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and dark places. It's not against flesh and blood. Paul wrote that.
[00:53:45]
(31 seconds)
#LoveDontJudge
We fight for our opponent, then we fight against the devil. We fight against our opponent, then we fight for the devil. Well, I do not want to fight my opponent. I want to fight the devil. This is war. And our weapons are kindness, gentleness, with truth that we're able to teach well, while we flee from youthful passions and embrace righteousness, faith, peace, and love, making sure that we stay as one so that the world will hear the cosmic sermon of God's reconciling power.
[00:54:39]
(43 seconds)
#FightDarknessNotPeople
And if we do that, then we can say, we follow Jesus. That's what we do. And the world will say, who on earth are you all? You hold a conviction of truth. You're able to teach it well. You do it kindly with great gentleness. And every time we are in conflict with information, I still walk away feeling like you actually probably love me. What's up with that? And then we can say, welcome to the kingdom of God. If it's anything other than that, then Paul would say this. The servants of Jesus must not quarrel with each other or the world.
[00:55:22]
(43 seconds)
#KindTruthAndUnity
