Sunday Morning//05.17.2026//Titus 2:6-8//Pastor Jon Henry (2nd)

Paul opens Titus by tying faith and knowledge to a life that “accords with godliness,” then leaves Titus on Crete to “put what remains into order” by appointing qualified elders and establishing a culture that looks like something. Titus 2 tightens the focus: doctrine must shape conduct. The text sorts the church by maturity, not birthdays. Older men must be sober‑minded, dignified, and self‑controlled; older women must be reverent and train the younger. Then verse 6 lands hard and simple on the young men: “urge” them to be self‑controlled. The brevity is not softness. It is clarity. Level one is self‑control; without it, no one ever grows into dignity, steadfast love, or sound faith.

Self‑control here is sophroneo, living with sophos, not just stockpiling facts. Knowledge knows a tool’s name; wisdom knows when to pick it up. Knowledge says tomatoes are fruit; wisdom keeps them out of a fruit salad. Proverbs pictures a man without self‑control like a city without walls, open to manipulation and ruin. Hence the household maxim: “control yourself or someone else will.” The world is always selling; without restraint, the sales pitch wins and life unravels.

Models matter. The text expects a chain: from Paul to Titus to older men to younger men. A seasoned, steady life makes wisdom visible. So the call to young men gets concrete: control anger, because ruling a spirit is better than conquering a city; control words, because the tongue can burn down homes and churches, and real leadership listens before speaking; control passions, because God’s gifts turn destructive without restraint. First Thessalonians names God’s will with no fog around it: sanctification, abstaining from porneia, and learning to “control his own body in holiness and honor.” To shrug this off is to disregard God.

Then verse 7 turns the lens back on Titus: show yourself a model of good works. Teach with integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, even while rebuking sharply what ruins households. The blade must be faithful and the hand steady. Maturity also shows up in how correction is received. David’s prayer sounds like a man who grew up: “let a righteous man strike me; it is a kindness.” As integrity multiplies, there is a “multiplication of silencers” who can stop empty talk in homes and in the church. The purpose land again in verse 8: live so that opponents have nothing evil that sticks. Finish well. Honor those who do. Grace has appeared to train a people “zealous for good works.” The blueprint is on the table. Obedience builds the house.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Self‑control is level one manhood. [12:35] Self‑control is the hinge on which every other virtue swings. Without it, strength turns into volatility, talent into waste, and opportunity into regret. The text starts the young men here because nothing higher stands without this footing. A Christian man learns to say no to himself long before he commands anything else. [12:35]
• 2. Wisdom over mere information. [19:54] Facts stack up quickly; wise living takes time and scars. Wisdom chooses the right tool, the right time, the right tone, because it cares about the outcome, not the impression. Wisdom looks beyond the next five minutes and asks what builds people and lasts before God. That kind of judgment cannot be downloaded, only apprenticed. [19:54]
• 3. Control anger, words, and passions. [25:35] Tempered anger protects rather than scorches; measured words heal instead of ignite; governed desires enjoy God’s gifts without bowing to them. These three arenas expose who is actually at the wheel. Rule here, and homes get sturdier, churches calmer, and witness clearer; fail here, and even bright gifts burn everything close. [25:35]
• 4. God’s will is sexual holiness. [36:05] Sanctification is not a vague vibe; it has borders and a spine. Porneia is not rebranded as freedom just because the culture nods along. God’s will is that the body be trained for holiness and honor, and to shrug at that is to shrug at God himself. Nothing cleans a man’s vision faster than learning to say no with his eyes. [36:05]
• 5. Leaders must model and rebuke well. [40:37] Integrity makes correction believable; dignity makes it bearable; sound speech makes it undeniable. The church learns how to hold a line by watching someone hold a line without losing his soul. And maturity shows up on the other side too, when a believer can call a rebuke “oil for my head” and grow because of it. [40:37]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:11] - Christ delighted in your vote
• [05:05] - Apostle’s blueprint for church order
• [07:31] - Teach doctrine that shapes conduct
• [08:20] - Older and younger by maturity
• [12:35] - Young men: self-control first
• [19:54] - Knowledge versus wisdom in life
• [22:20] - Control yourself or someone else will
• [24:39] - A living model of wisdom
• [25:35] - Control anger, words, passions
• [36:05] - God’s will: sexual holiness
• [39:07] - Show yourself a model; sound speech
• [48:59] - Live so slander does not stick
• [50:24] - Finish well and honor the faithful
• [55:34] - Final charge and prayer

1. According to Titus 2:1-8, what specific qualities are older men, older women, and younger men instructed to cultivate?
2. How does Proverbs 25:28 illustrate the consequences of lacking self-control?
3. In Titus 2:7-8, what practical instructions are given to leaders about modeling behavior and teaching?
4. What does 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 identify as God’s will for believers, and how is this connected to self-control?

1. Why might self-control be emphasized as the foundational virtue for young men in Titus 2:6, while older men are called to broader qualities like dignity and steadfastness?
2. How does the metaphor of a “city without walls” in Proverbs 25:28 relate to modern vulnerabilities in relationships, decision-making, or spiritual life?
3. Titus 2:7-8 links integrity in teaching with rebuking falsehoods (as seen in Titus 1:10-13). How do these two responsibilities—modeling goodness and confronting error—work together in leadership?
4. Why does 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 frame sexual holiness as a matter of “controlling one’s own body” rather than merely avoiding external rules?

1. In what area of your life (anger, words, passions, etc.) do you find self-control most challenging? What practical step could you take this week to “build walls” in that area? [25:35]
2. The sermon compared knowledge (knowing a tomato is a fruit) to wisdom (keeping it out of a fruit salad). Where have you seen “knowledge without wisdom” create problems in your decisions or relationships? [19:54]
3. How can you intentionally seek out or become a “model” of self-control for someone younger or less mature in faith? What would this look like in your home, workplace, or church? [39:07]
4. The sermon warned that “control yourself or someone else will.” What external influences (media, relationships, habits) are most likely to “control” you if you lack restraint? How can you limit their power? [22:20]
5. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 calls sexual holiness “God’s will.” What cultural pressures make this difficult to prioritize, and how can you create accountability to stay faithful? [36:05]
6. When receiving correction, do you tend to respond like David in Psalm 141:5 (“let a righteous man strike me—it is kindness”) or with defensiveness? How could humility in this area strengthen your relationships? [43:30]
7. The sermon urged honoring those who “finish well” (e.g., faithful marriages, ministries). Who in your life models this, and how can you encourage them this week? [50:24]