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2 Timothy 4:2 (NLT)
Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

What would make it good timing to preach the word? I can think of 1,000 reasons why it’s not a good time—and probably never will be.

• • Sorry, I’m in a hurry, let’s talk later.
  • Sorry, I’ve got these reports to go over.
  • Oh hey, yeah, not now, I’ve got a meeting coming up.
  • Oh man, can it wait? I just walked into a meeting.

Jesus didn’t do it that way, he preached – always –  even when his good friend, Lazarus, was dying. Instead of dropping everything as we expect, he stayed where he was for the next two days (John 11:6, NLT). Talk about bad timing.

Do you know what he was doing for those two days? I have to assume that he was teaching, preaching, and healing, just like he always was. Truth is, it’s always a good time to preach Jesus. Always.

Hold up. Maybe you are ready to exclaim that you are not a preacher. That may be true in the sense that you do not deliver sermons. Fine. But what about your neighbor? What about that coffee group or book club that you see all the time?

Timothy Keller calls that “Level 1 preaching.” Every Christian has the responsibility to understand the message of the Bible well enough to explain and apply it to other Christians and to his neighbors in informal and personal settings.  If we are to do that, we must “be prepared,” as Paul exhorts.

If you were prepared to preach today, what would you say?

That means that yes, we must have some idea of what we will say, but it also means that we must be willing. Being willing is kind of like budgeting: if I don’t decide beforehand where my money will go, it will decide for itself, and I usually regret it.

That’s why, once we are willing, we want to be prepared.  Here is a simple formula: start with the Gospel and finish with the Gospel.  Once again, Tim Keller gets it right. He says that “telling listeners only how they should live without putting that standard into the context of the gospel gives them the impression that they might be complete enough to pull themselves together if they really try hard.”  So this isn’t about having the perfect thing to say; it’s about sharing Jesus.

Today’s reading on Thanksgiving is 2 Timothy 3.

For me our reading today has perfect timing, like God’s Word commonly does out of no coincidence, as a bookend to a parenting conference and Sunday sermon by Brook and Elizabeth Moser and team with Intentional Parents this weekend at our church. This chapter reminds us that especially during end times and throughout our kids and our lives we will experience evil people with a love for self and pleasure above all things who can tempt us to head down that wrong path (2 Timothy 3:1-5). We often talk as Christians about the fact that we want others to see us and think, “What makes him/her different?” We discuss how we can impact them and their faith walk with Jesus by them to deciding they want the joy and peace we have through the Gospel as well. That’s what’s fun to talk about. What we don’t often talk about is that others will see us as “different” and not only judge us and laugh at us, but we are told here in 2 Timothy 3:12 that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted.” There is no sugar coating from Paul here, there is pain in parenting differently than others by doing it the way God wants. There will be difficulty and stones thrown at us and our kids for putting sin away and putting Jesus first.

Many of us are likely familiar with 2 Timothy 3:16..

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

If you’re like me you may point to this verse for your conviction for all of Bible being the true Word of God and not only is it true, but we can’t pick and choose the parts we like and don’t like. I think then sometimes we can overlook the rest of the verse which tells us how that helps us…”for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Again, if you’re like me you might easily stop there and not focus on finishing the sentence which is in 2 Timothy 3:17,”(so) that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” There will be fruit in following God’s Word despite the difficulty and persecution we will face. Who doesn’t want to be “complete” and “equipped for every good work” God has and wants for us?

Many of us can easily fall into the trap of saying we just want to raise good kids. But, good kids will not have an eternal life in Heaven if they don’t accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior when they die. The number 1 goal for us as parents should be to raise kids who have a heart and love for Jesus so strong that they will not stray from Him, their belief in Him, and His ways when they leave our house.

So parents, let us unite and win this battle together. We can have confidence we can do this as we are told here that God’s Word will help us be “complete” and “equipped for every good work.”

Let us pray..

Dear God, we love you. And today on Thanksgiving we are grateful for you and your Word which not only teaches us how to live and raise our kids, but also for the fact that you gave us your Son in the person of Jesus who was persecuted far worse than most all of us ever will experience for following you and your will, all the way to the point of death because He knew it was worth it. He followed your will for each one of us so that we could have eternal life. Although our children will make their own personal decision to follow Jesus, please help us know that following your will and leading them well to point them to You will also be worth it for our children despite the difficulty and persecution. Please help us do our part so that we can lead by example to help each one of our children accept and follow you in order to experience eternal life through your saving grace. Again, we love you and we are eternally grateful today on Thanksgiving and every day for doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Amen.

Psalm 105

Psalm 105 invites us to slow down, look back, and remember the faithfulness of God. As we gather for Thanksgiving, this psalm becomes a gentle but powerful reminder that gratitude begins with remembering. “Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples.” The psalmist walks through Israel’s history—not to recount facts, but to stir the heart, reminding God’s people how He guided, protected, provided, and fulfilled every promise.

Thanksgiving gives us the same opportunity. Before the table is full and the house grows loud, we are invited to pause and reflect on how God has carried us. Like Joseph, He has worked good from what felt painful. Like Israel in Egypt, He has delivered us from burdens we could not lift ourselves. Like His people in the wilderness, He has provided in ways we could never have orchestrated.

The psalm ends with God’s covenant faithfulness on display, and our response is obedience and praise. This week, remember not just the blessings on the table, but the God who never forgot you, never abandoned His promises, and never stopped leading you. Let Thanksgiving become worship, and let worship become your way of life.

Psalm 102

This psalmist is clearly in distress. When you read the first eleven verses, you can hear the despair, and you can see the imagery of the deep emotion this person is feeling. He says that his heart is so sick that he doesn’t even have an appetite. There have been few occasions in my life where I am so distressed that I cannot even eat. The psalmist’s enemies taunt him day after day after day to the point that his tears fill his cup. The NLT has a subtitle for this psalm, and it reads, “A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the Lord”. This really does sum up the first eleven verses well.

This is not the only psalm out of the one hundred and fifty where we read someone in distress crying out to God for help. David, on multiple occasions, would pour his heart out to the Lord in despair and ask God these very deep questions like why the wicked prevail over the righteous. We should all take note of this. There is a time to ask God questions and to have raw emotion with Him. He wants real you, not fake you. With that said, we should not just stay in our emotion and questions. Likewise, we should not make master’s out of our feelings.

The psalmist does not only write from the emotion he is feeling, but he writes from His knowledge of who God is as well. In verse 12 he proclaims that God will sit on His throne forever and all generations will remember His name. In verse 17 he states that God will hear the prayer of the destitute. In verse 25 he remembers the power and majesty of God by recalling His creator status. Finally in verse 27 he exalts God as the eternal God whose years will have no end.

It is important for us to have raw emotion and to acknowledge it and share it with our God, but we should not sin against Him. Bring your questions during your suffering and pain, but remember Pastor Chuck Smith’s words, “Never trade what you do know for what you don’t know.” What he means is if God does not answer your questions remember the promises that He has given you in His word. That he cares for you and is preparing a place for you and if He is preparing a place for you, He will come back for you (John 14:1-3).

Today’s reading: Psalms 99

Each one of us has a purpose. Each one of us has been set aside for a particular work that God has for us. Many of us do not understand what the purpose God has for us in this life. Sometimes others have to see your purpose and give you insight and direction on how to live out God‘s purpose in you.

 

One of the best examples that I can think of for being set aside for a purpose is a birthday cake.

Many of us have experienced a birthday cake or have had a birthday cake for our celebrations. These cakes are special, but they are simple in their creation.  Many times the cakes are chosen by the flavor and then the icing. The one thing that makes them a birthday cake is the decoration. Once the decoration has been done, then it becomes special. It has become set apart from the other cakes.

One of the most special things about a birthday cake is not the decorations or the flavor, but it is how you use the cake. This is a celebration item that is shared with others. When we have a birthday cake, it is not for one person, but it is to be celebrated with others.  The more that you can celebrate and share,  the more enriched and fulfilling the lives of others will be.

Many times we believe that when we are set aside or set apart that we need to be isolated. We try to keep that “special-ness”within us. God’s true purpose in giving this gift to us is to share His gifts with others. When we share these gifts with others, then everybody begins to see His presence. Everyone begins to see His love. Everyone begins to see the awesomeness of Him.

 

In this week’s passage, we are seeing God is holy.

“Let them praise your great and awesome name!

Holy is he! ….

Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool!

Holy is he!….

Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain;

for the Lord our God is holy!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭99‬:‭3‬, ‭5‬, ‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 

David is showing that God is Holy. He says it three times in this psalm.  When something is repeated three times in the Bible it has a big meaning.  David is setting God apart from everything that he knows.  He is creating the cadence of holiness. Kadosh is the Hebrew word for Holy, which translates into being set apart. 

This set apart for Holiness is echoed in Isaiah with the same cadence as well.

And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!””

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

 

God is Holy.  The earth and the people and the angels proclaim his Holiness.  This is evident in these and other scriptures. 

It is also true that God’s love and grace has created in us a reflection of his holiness.  God’s holiness is supreme, but he has called us to be holy or set apart as well. 

This responsibility on us is not to become isolated and arrogant in our relationship, but it pulls us to share it with others. 

God’s holiness has created something special in us and we have to continue to share it with others because that is the best part like the cake.

Be blessed

1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV) But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love steadfastness, gentleness – 1 Timothy 6:11 (ESV)

Pursue righteousness
Flee compromise, even though it feels easier.

Pursue Godliness
Flee old habits when they hum their familiar song.

Pursue faith
Flee doubt when it offers simple answers.

Pursue love
Flee self-protection when it builds thicker walls.

Pursue steadfastness
Flee quitting when it feels like relief.

Pursue gentleness
Flee anger when it promises power.

1 Timothy Chapter 5

In this chapter, Paul is giving his mentee (Timothy) some practical advice for guiding the church.  Upon reading through the chapter, my mind went straight to the 10 commandments.  Honor your Father and Mother.  Then it was, treat those as you wish to be treated.  Paul gets a little more specific with Timothy here, though.  He brings attention to the older man, the widows, and the elders and how we and the church should be caring and treating them.

THE OLDER MAN – Don’t rebuke the older man but treat him as if he was your father.  This is easy isn’t it?  Look around, do you see everyone else doing this??  If we aren’t, we need to start.  The world today needs to get back to showing a little more respect to one another and not just the ‘older man’.  I am sure we call all agree some of that has been lost in translation of late.  So let us listen to Paul here and work harder at treating people like family, older men and women like fathers and mothers and younger men and women like brothers and sisters.  Start on Sunday mornings at church and carrying it into the beginning of the week at work with those around you.  Continue to treat everyone with dignity, care and genuine love and not favoritism and partiality.

THE WIDOWS – In versus 3-16, Paul is talking about caring for widows and those in need like family.  He goes more into detail on what types of widows and who is someone that is really in need.  He describes that the certain care that should be given based on the relationship you have with that person.  We need to make sure that we are caring for our immediate family first and foremost if we can do so, family should not be our neighbor’s sole responsibility.  It becomes the church’s responsibility more so when someone doesn’t have anyone else to help them.  He also warns against those who are taking advantage of the system, aka those who live carelessly and are more than capable of taking care of themselves.  Basically, be generous, but also wise and fair.  Help those that truly need it, family first, and pay close attention to those who have lived faithfully and have served others when they had the chance.

THE ELDERS – When Paul talks about ‘the elders’ he is not referencing Grandma and Grandpa.  This is directed to leader in and of the church.  Those who teach and preach.  If there is a rumor being spread about an elder, don’t be the one to just continue the gossip.  But if the gossip is true and witnessed by others, then they need to be corrected publicy and held accountable.  I am not sure if this is really happening in 2025 like Paul means it here, but honestly I think it needs to make a comeback.  Interpretation and division have grown vast over time and there is some type of correcting that needs to take place to re-center many churches today.  Just because someone is an elder in the church today doesn’t necessarily mean they deserve it or should be.  Elders should be chosen without bias or favoritism and they themselves should keep these instructions moving forward.  So, support good leaders, handle conflicts fairly, and don’t let gossip or bias cloud your judgment.  Everyone’s true character eventually will show through.

As you go forward, keep in mind the integrity, responsibility and respect we should be expressing toward those in our lives.  Treat others like you want to be treated.  Take care of those in need, especially those you know who need it and can’t do it on their own.  Honor the faithful and hold leaders in the church accountable and just.  And live in a way that reflects wisdom and truth and remember, what’s done in the dark will be brought to the light.

 

The book of Timothy was likely written around 62 to 64 AD, shortly after Paul’s first imprisonment. Paul was writing to his protege’ and “spiritual son” Timothy who was leading the church in Ephesus.

1 Timothy 3 offers timeless guidance on the kind of character God desires in those who lead His people—and, by extension, in every believer. Paul lists qualities for overseers and deacons such as being above reproach, self-controlled, faithful in marriage, temperate, gentle, and good managers of their households. While written for church leadership, these traits model Christian maturity and integrity in all areas of life. The passage reminds us that spiritual influence begins with personal character, not position or charisma.

For everyday life, this means living with consistency—what we are in private should match what we claim in public. It challenges us to pursue humility, self-discipline, and respect for others. Our homes become the first testing ground for faithfulness and stewardship, showing that godly leadership starts in small, unseen acts of service.

Paul also stresses that the church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth,” grounding our behavior in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our conduct reflects the reality of that truth to the world. Whether leading a family, workplace, or ministry, we are called to be examples of grace and integrity that point others to Christ.

In essence, 1 Timothy 3 calls us to a life of credibility, compassion, and conviction—living in such a way that Christ’s character is visible through ours, and our influence builds up the people and communities God has entrusted to us.