2 Timothy | 3:11-15

As followers of Jesus, what we do is what Paul told Timothy to do. We abide or stay connected to the one who is the strongest being ever, who spoke the universe into existence, who currently hold it together by the power of his word, who even death could not defeat. As we cling to Jesus, it doesn't matter how strong the current is going the other way away from him, we will stay steadfast, immovable, unshakable in him, and we will find ourselves continually saved over and over to the day that he returns. [00:46:50] (36 seconds)  #steadfastInChrist

If I say, I believe that Taco Bell is bad for me. But after this, I I go and I drive through Taco Bell and I get a Mexican pizza and a bean burrito with no onions and a cheesy roll up. If they even have those on the menu, I'm I don't know. But would I according to the biblical definition of belief, would I believe that Taco Bell is bad for me? No. My actions would betray. Right? Belief is something that you think that actually informs the way that you live. [00:28:21] (41 seconds)  #beliefIsAction

It's so important that we recognize that. But here's the thing, the Bible is not an end in and of itself. We were not created to have a relationship with the book. We were not created to make this the third person of the Trinity. We weren't. But oftentimes, Christians, particularly Protestants particularly Protestants in churches like this who really value teaching the scriptures well, there's a danger of elevating this as the thing I'm supposed to have a relationship with or forget kind of the spirit and just put that up there in father, son, and bible. [00:33:10] (43 seconds)  #relationshipNotRelic

Because I was with my dad. And in my naive five year old mind, I thought my dad was the strongest man that had ever lived. And I believe my dad loved me so much that there is no distance that he wouldn't go to make sure that I was safe, that he would protect me in the face of any sort of danger. And so when I was with my dad, I wasn't scared. I wasn't worried. I didn't fret for one second because I was connected to him. [00:46:13] (27 seconds)  #safeInHisPresence

Humanity is corrupt and destructive and even your people, they're worse than everyone around them. God, I need a savior. Will there be a servant that suffers? Will there be a David king? Will there be a Moses like figure? Will there? And I get to Matthew and I'm like, yes. It's Jesus. He fulfills all the categories that the old testament sets us up to look for, to long for, to yearn for, and he fulfills them in spades. [00:43:03] (26 seconds)  #JesusMeetsOurLonging

Moral disengagement describes the mental moves that someone would when they're doing wrong, that they do in their brain to make them feel like they're still a decent person. Right? When we do wrong, when we hurt people, we should feel like I'm not a decent person when I do that. This is not okay. And so what our brain does, it makes these moves to make us still feel okay. Like, oh, you know what? Everybody does this or we minimize what happens or we blame the victims. [00:17:19] (30 seconds)  #moralDisengagement

There is what Jesus calls two paths. There's a narrow path and that's really hard. Not many people are on that thing because it's hard and narrow, but there's a wide path and it's easy. But that wide path leads to ever increasing degrees of death or ever decreasing degrees of life. That's how the wide path goes, and there is a current that's moving you along it. It's not just stationary, it's more like a walking sidewalk. [00:25:54] (32 seconds)  #chooseTheNarrowPath

And so Paul says, it's not just whether or not people quote scripture, you know who you learned it from, I e, you know their character, you know their way of life. In fact, Paul talked about this earlier. He said, Timothy, you followed. You followed my teaching, my way of life, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and suffering. Timothy, you know you were there. You saw it happen. You saw it live in action. You saw whether or not the character of Jesus would be informed in me as I was in the scriptures and teaching them. You know. [00:30:33] (37 seconds)  #followChristlikeExample