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Scripture

Bible Study #1

Psalm 1

Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked


1:1   Blessed is the man1
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
  nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
  but his delight is in the law2 of the LORD,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.


  He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
  that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
  In all that he does, he prospers.
  The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.


  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
  for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Footnotes

[1] 1:1 The singular Hebrew word for man (ish) is used here to portray a representative example of a godly person; see Preface

[2] 1:2 Or instruction

(ESV)

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Saturday Study Scripture

Saturday Study

Saturday Study

Titus (12-31-16)

During Paul’s first missionary journey the Lord ordained that Paul would come to know a young man named Titus. Titus was Greek which means he had not grown up worshiping the God of the Bible. As he heard Paul preach, God gave Titus’ a heart to see the gospel and respond with saving faith in Jesus. Paul then brought Titus to Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1-4) to show the apostles and other Jewish believers how a Greek could love God just as much as the Jews did. Titus represented all the other non-Jewish people who became Christians and were completely accepted by God through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is like us today.

Titus traveled with Paul on missionary journeys and assisted him in the work of sharing the gospel. Titus was with Paul during the 3 years Paul was in Ephesus.  After this, Paul sent Titus to Corinth to help relieve tension there (2 Corinthians 7:6, 13-14) and to collect money for the poor (2 Corinthians 8:6, 16, 23).  Paul thought of Titus not only as a very faithful friend but also as his spiritual son.

After Paul was released from the Roman prison where he had been for two years, he and Titus traveled to the island of Crete. Paul and Titus taught the people there about their need for God and the good news about Jesus (Titus 1:4-5). Soon there were enough believers to start churches in several towns. Paul wanted to go visit the church in Corinth so he left Titus to continue teaching the new Christians and to appoint church leaders for each new church. Titus was a busy man as he cared for all the new Cretan believers.  This was especially taxing because of the immaturity of these new believers.

Paul knew Titus needed some encouragement and reminders of what was important to teach the people. So shortly after writing 1st Timothy, Paul wrote to Titus. This most likely happened while Paul was in Macedonia, on his way to Nicopolis (Titus 3:12).

In his letter, Paul advises Titus regarding what qualifications are needed for the leaders in the church. He also warns Titus of the reputations of those living on the island of Crete (Titus 1:12).

In Titus 3:3-6 Paul reminds Titus,  “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

How awesome it must have been when Titus received a letter from his mentor. Paul was a much-honored man and rightly so.  He established several churches throughout the eastern world. His instruction and gospel re-orientation must have proven to be essential for Titus’s maturing in the Lord.  We must never forget to use the word and Gospel truth regularly when speaking to each other.  That we too might lift each other up in Christ and encourage each other to press on in all that we face for our King.

To help Titus continue in his faith in Christ, Paul asked Titus to come to Nicopolis and bring with him two other members of the church (Titus 3:12-13).  This is the kind of Christ centered discipleship we are to be in today.  Life on life. Training, encouraging, sending and multiplying.  May all of our study through these 52 figures of the Holy Scriptures be an inspiration to us to obey God, serve him sacrificially, not walk alone but in accountability, and to make the most of the days God entrust to us for his glory and others good.

I look forward to next year’s reading plan that we will start this coming Monday.

In this upcoming year we will be focusing on Spiritual Disciplines.  My hope is that this will help us to mature in our faith and grow in our dependence on and worship of the Lord. We will also we reading through the book of Proverbs throughout the year as a break from the disciplines and to give us a great source of biblical wisdom.    Please don’t hesitate to share our reading plan with anyone you are walking with or ministering too. It is a great way to be in the word of God together.  I am praying for you as you study God’s Holy word and commit your life to obeying his revealed will.

By His grace and for His glory,

Pastor Joshua Kirstine

Olive Drive Church

Categories
Scripture

Titus 12/30/2016

Titus 3:1-15

Be Ready for Every Good Work

3:1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Final Instructions and Greetings

12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all.

(ESV)

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Scripture

Titus 12/29/2016

Titus 2:1-15

Teach Sound Doctrine

2:1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound1 doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants2 are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Footnotes

[1] 2:1 Or healthy; also verses 2, 8

[2] 2:9 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

(ESV)

Categories
Scripture

Titus 12/28/2016

Titus 1:1-16

Greeting

1:1 Paul, a servant1 of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began2 and at the proper time manifested in his word3 through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;

To Titus, my true child in a common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Qualifications for Elders

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,4 and his children are believers5 and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer,6 as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound7 doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.8 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans,9 a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”10 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

Footnotes

[1] 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

[2] 1:2 Greek before times eternal

[3] 1:3 Or manifested his word

[4] 1:6 Or a man of one woman

[5] 1:6 Or are faithful

[6] 1:7 Or bishop; Greek episkopos

[7] 1:9 Or healthy; also verse 13

[8] 1:10 Or especially those of the circumcision

[9] 1:12 Greek One of them

[10] 1:12 Probably from Epimenides of Crete

(ESV)