1 Timothy 4:9

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, for to this end we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believer in word and conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Father, I ask as we stand here with our Bibles open that you would, by your Spirit, open our hearts, our minds, and our ears to hear from you, to receive from you your word. Lord, we believe that your word is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. We believe that it is useful for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that we would be ready for every good work this week. We pray, God, that our time spent here today would be profitable and good for the growth of our lives into more and more character like you. Lord, work in us, we pray. Make us more like you, Jesus, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those who agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

I was about 10 or 11 years old when a new kid moved into the neighborhood. When he moved in, there was instantly a disturbance in the force. There were not a lot of kids in the neighborhood where I grew up, the neighborhood my parents still live in, but there were a few of them who were right around my age. I was pretty good friends with a couple of the kids who lived across the street from my parents. But then this new kid moved into the neighborhood, and when he did, although I was not a small

I was kind of the runt of the litter as a kid. I was a pretty big, tall kid, but when he moved in, I instantly felt like the fourth man out. I found that he was a bit of a bully. I remember very clearly one day when my older brother, Alan, who is eight years older than me, was watching this whole thing take place. Clearly, Alan did not like what he saw. So, Alan did what he always did. He came and grabbed me, pulled me aside, and said, "You don't let that guy push you around. You're bigger than him, and I'm going to teach you how to fight."

For the next 20 or 30 minutes, he gave me a talking-to about not letting people push me around. That was just the way Alan was. Then, I'm pretty sure it was that very same night, very late, around two in the morning, that my older brother, Alan, came in and woke me up. "Miles, Miles, wake up!" I replied, "Yeah, what? What?" He said, "You remember that stuff I told you about fighting this morning?" I said, "Yeah?" He told me, "Forget all of it. Get up, I need you to come in the bathroom and help me."

He dragged me into the bathroom to hold a flashlight on his face, which was bloodied and bruised, as he stitched his own eye up. I'm not kidding. He used a needle and thread. He went on telling me how I shouldn't get into fights and to forget all the stuff he had told me that morning. Seeing his bruised and bloodied face, I can't imagine what the other guy looked like. I can guarantee he was not sewing his own eye up like Alan did. That was just the way Alan was.

It's really important to have good examples in life. I will leave it up to you to determine whether or not Alan was a good example in that situation, but it is good to have good examples in life. Timothy was left by Paul in the great city of Ephesus to pastor a church that was off course. He was given the task by the Apostle Paul to help that church get back on course, and it was clearly not going to be an easy task. It was a task that was easily stated but hard to accomplish. Timothy was called upon to write the course to get them back to where they needed to be. Among all the hardships that Timothy would face in doing that, and there were many, he had to navigate a challenging situation.

Things that were standing before him would be challenging. Among those challenges, one of the significant challenges for Timothy was his youth. When we think of youth, we often envision someone in junior high or high school, typically between 13 to 18 years old. However, Timothy was well beyond that. At the time he was called upon to lead and pastor this church, he was probably in his late 20s or early 30s, around 28 to 32 years old. When he first met the Apostle Paul, he was a teenager, but he had now been with the Apostle Paul for about 14 years, during which Paul had poured into him.

In the culture where he would be ministering, first-century Asia Minor, being in his young 30s would be a hindrance. It would be difficult for him to fulfill that task, as age was a very important factor in leadership in that culture. This challenge was significant for him.

I've been thinking a lot about this over the last week because I remember being young. I realize that for many of you, you might say, "Wait, you're still quite young." I agree, but I'm not as young as I was when I first started serving in ministry. About eight months ago, I was sitting down talking with my good friend, Pastor David Guzik, about young pastors in the ministry. At one point, he casually looked over to me and said, "You do realize you're not one of those young pastors anymore." I looked at him, confused, and asked what he meant.

Many of you know that I teach at the Calvary Chapel Bible College in Marietta. This last fall semester was the first time it hit me that I was old enough to be the dad of those in their first semester. That realization was shocking enough for me to think about it for the entire rest of the day. I remember when I first began pastoring the church at 28; this passage of Scripture was often on my mind. Even before that, when I started teaching the Bible and leading a youth ministry at 19, this passage, 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 12, was particularly significant to me.

I often went back to and thought a lot about my first experience with a funeral. I remember when I conducted my very first funeral at the age of 21. Stepping into that situation brought a lot of nerves and anxiety, especially given the circumstances. It was a couple who had delivered a stillborn baby. When you step into that, one of the questions people often ask, especially when you're just starting out, is whether you've done many of these. You might respond, "Yeah," not wanting them to know it was your first time.

I would find myself returning to 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 12. I still reflect on these words quite a bit today. Even if you may never be in a position to lead or pastor a group of people within the church, and even if you may not consider yourself young, these words still hold great application for us, regardless of our age or stage of life. God wants to speak to us through this passage. Paul states that this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. These words are worthy of our trust, acceptance, consideration, and application, whether we are early in our walk or have been walking with the Lord for a long time. The exhortations in this passage are important.

When you think about Timothy, he had a wonderful example in the work of the ministry. Pastor Paul was Timothy's mentor. It was through the church planting and pastoring endeavors of the Apostle Paul that Timothy, along with his mother and grandmother, became Christians. When Timothy was between 14 and 18 years old, the Apostle Paul returned to his church—the one where Timothy had grown up—and said, "Listen, I want you to come with me; you are useful in the ministry." For the next decade and a half, Timothy traveled with Paul all around the known world. He was able to observe Paul's pattern of life, the way he planted churches, pastored people, wrote, and preached.

Now, Timothy was left in the city of Ephesus to pastor, lead, and be upfront before all these people. He was called upon to be the example. Even though you may not consider yourself in the same kind of situation as a young pastor, the principles still apply.

Pastor Timothy was, and though you may not consider yourself to be a leader or an example to other people, we need to understand that point number one is very true. You are an example to someone at every stage of your faith, whether you like that truth or not. It's a reality. If you're a follower of Jesus today, you are an example to someone at every stage of your faith. People are watching you. They are taking close notice of who you are and how you live.

Maybe it's friends, family members, neighbors, coworkers, especially a spouse or your children. They are watching to see what it really means to be a Christian, to be a follower of Jesus, to be a disciple. People are keeping tabs on us, especially if you have a Cross Connection Church sticker on the back of your car or a license plate cover around it. If your neighbors see that you get up early on a Sunday morning and you're dressed and ready to go, they might be looking at you and wondering, "What in the world are you doing on a Sunday morning? Don't you know this is time to sleep in?"

People notice that you go to church. They notice if you carry a Bible or if you read that Bible. They take notice of these things, and people are watching. We are an example to others in our faith, which is why Paul reminds Timothy and us in 1 Timothy 4:10, "For bodily exercise profits little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come." This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.

For this end, we both labor and suffer reproach. We are working towards this end. If you trust in the living God, if He is your Savior, and you have put your faith in Christ Jesus as I have, then you and I need to labor in the exercise of godliness, as Paul says. We need to labor in the exercise of godliness because people are watching to see how this Christian, Jesus-follower, disciple thing actually works out.

That's why Paul would say to the Philippians in Philippians 2:12, "Work out your salvation by grace through faith." God has saved us, given us a new heart, and made us new creations. That which He has done internally, we need to work out so that people will see the transformation.

That has taken place. This is one of the reasons Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter five, said, "You are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Because we trust in the living God, because He is our Savior, we must labor, work, sometimes struggle, and strive in this work to work out this salvation so that that which is internal becomes external, that which is hidden becomes seen. This way, people would see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven, and we would be a light to the world.

Light is important. Light is powerful. In fact, light is powerful. A couple of years ago, my dad and I made a frivolous purchase in a crowdfunding campaign. I saw this thing online and was enamored with a laser cutter. I had laser envy. I showed it to my dad, and he said we should buy it. I agreed, so we plopped down $2,500 to buy it. It just arrived last week, and I've been cutting things with lasers all week long. It's awesome.

But it reminds me how powerful light is. No, we don't need it, but it is cool. It's a reminder of how powerful light is and how important Jesus wants us to shine brightly. This world is in darkness, and the world needs to see the goodness of our God and His power, His ability to transform us, and it's seen in our lives. We are the canvas on which God desires to show forth His glory.

In 1 Timothy 4:11, He says, "These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity." The New International Version translates it, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young." Now again, you may not consider yourself to be like Timothy in this situation.

You may say, "Well, I'm not exactly young. I'm not in that place of leadership." However, we do recognize that we are an example to someone at every stage of our faith, regardless of how we are walking. People are watching us.

In context, Timothy was in a difficult situation. He faced challenges in a culture where age was highly exalted as an important factor in being a leader. He was younger than many of the people who were part of the church in Ephesus. Therefore, he had to work to be an example to the people in that context and community. One commentator on this passage said, "Give no one any ground by any fault of character for despising your youth." I might adjust this for us today and say, "Give no one any ground by any fault of character to despise or disdain your faith."

How is our life instructing others about Christ and our faith in Jesus Christ? We should give no one any grounds upon which they might be able to disdain or despise our faith. We must endeavor to live an irreproachable life that is worthy of imitation. We should make our best effort to live in such a way that no one has any opportunity to criticize the church, Christ, or Christians. We should avoid giving anyone a reason to justify their criticism, as noted by the Believer's Bible commentator on this passage.

This is not necessarily easy to do, but it is something we need to be aware of, especially as we live in a culture here in 21st-century America that is increasingly becoming hostile towards people of faith. While it may be a small minority, it is a very vocal minority that is hostile towards the church and Christianity. Therefore, we should endeavor to live in a way that exalts the glory of Christ.

Sadly, there have been many times when Christians and churches have negatively affected people's perception of who God is and how He works. Christian history and church history are not exemplary in this regard, but we should strive to live irreproachable lives that are worthy of imitation. As it is said, we should be an example to the believers.

Not only should we live in such a way that is beyond reproach or criticism, but we should also work to be good examples—both to believers and to others who are in the church. There are differences in the translation of this passage. The King James Version says, "be an example of the believer," while the New King James and many other English translations say, "be an example to the believer." This has led to discussion among translators about whether it should be "be an example of those who are followers of God to a world that does not follow God," or "be an example to believers who are followers of God." I would say both interpretations are equally good and important.

We should endeavor to be an example in our lives to other Christians, but also to people who are not yet Christians, so that they can see the way we live. I love the Apostle Paul's words to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:1. It is a statement that serves as both an encouragement and a challenge. Paul says, "Imitate me just as I also imitate Christ." I long to be able to say that with total sincerity: "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." In some ways, I would feel no problem saying, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." However, I am just as much a sinner as any other person, and Paul was too. I don't think he is being pompous or arrogant in saying, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." Rather, Paul was endeavoring to be an imitator of God as a dear child, and he could confidently say to others, "You can follow my example." What a great blessing it is to be able to say that with sincerity.

We should strive to live our lives in such a way that we can say to both Christians and those who are not yet Christians, "This is what it looks like to be a man or a woman of faith seeking to follow Christ." Paul exhorts Timothy to be a good example in six areas: in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. First, in word, he advises, "Let no one despise your faith, but be an example of, and to, believers in word." There are at least two ways to interpret this exhortation. One interpretation is to be an example to Christians and non-Christians alike in your speech and the way you communicate. This is a perfectly valid interpretation and aligns with Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 4:29, which states, "Let no...".

Corrupt communication should not proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. I love the way the New Living Translation renders this: it says, "Do not use foul or abusive language." It's very simple. As a Christian and a follower of Jesus, we are called to be an example to those who are also followers of Jesus and to those who are not yet followers of Jesus. We should not be those who use foul or abusive language. He says, "Let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear you."

We should be an example in our speech, but we should also be an example in our knowledge and our use of the Word of God. We need to be an example to the believer in word, in knowledge, and in our use of the Word. The way we use our words and our speech, as well as the way we use the Word of God, is very important.

You probably remember the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Well, I have long since forgotten the sticks and stones that hurt me, but I still remember some words from when I was a kid that were very painful. We all do. So, we know that this saying is completely absurd. We must be very careful with the way we use our words. Additionally, we need to take note of how we use the Word of God. Do we have a good knowledge of it? Do we exercise it and use it in the right way?

Perhaps one of the greatest compliments and encouragements I remember receiving was when I was 23 years old and taking a class on biblical counseling. The first hour and a half of the class was lecture for 20 weeks, and the last hour of every class was spent in small group discussions. We divided into small groups, both men's and women's groups. I was in a small group with about 12 guys, and we were about two-thirds of the way through the course.

One of the guys in the class, who was more than 20 years older than me, said, "You know, Miles, one of the things I really appreciate about you as a young man is that you always follow up whatever it is you have to say in this class with the Word of God. You always have some passage of Scripture that you are using to substantiate what you say." I still remember that to this day. It was a great encouragement. Now, that was not necessarily intentional. I didn't go into that class thinking I would have a Bible passage for everything I said. It was just that, as I had spent time in the Scriptures, the Word of God was in me.

It just came out, and that should be the case for all of us. We should have a good knowledge of the Word of God and use it. We should be exemplary in how we use the Word of God, and so many of you here, who I know are, it's such a blessing. I think of Mike Phillips. Just about every time that I talk with him, he's always got scripture he wants to share with me. It's always an encouragement and a blessing to me. We should be like that, endeavoring to know and use the Word of God.

He says to be an example to and of the believer in the Word, but also in conduct. This very same word that's translated as conduct here in First Timothy chapter four is used by the Apostle Peter in his letter, First Peter. He says, "But as He who called you is holy, so also you be holy in all of your conduct." If you've tried to be holy, you know that's a challenge. We are called to be holy in all of our conduct, not just a little bit of our conduct on Sunday morning when other Christians are around us. We should be holy in all of our conduct at all times, knowing that people are always watching.

I think I need to qualify this exhortation by saying it is clear and understood that none of us in this life, because of the continuance of our fallen carnal nature, will ever be able to conduct ourselves perfectly in holiness. However, we should have that as our aim. We might only hit it 5% of the time, but that should be the goal we are seeking, as He who has called us is holy. Yes, we will fail, and we are grateful that if we do, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is our intercessor, interceding on our behalf constantly. He is our mediator between God the Father and us, bringing us great forgiveness for our fallenness.

In the very same letter, First Peter chapter two, Peter says, "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against your soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles." Our conduct should be honorable among people who are outside the church.

People who are not Christian should look up and say, "That's a person who has honesty, integrity, self-control, and humility." They should see that in me. They should see that in us, and we should be laboring towards that end. Even if we live in a culture that reproaches us because, oh, you guys are a bunch of fools. You actually think that God thing is true. Even if we live in a culture that reproaches us, they should see in us, "Well, I see that they really do have honesty, integrity, self-control, mercy, grace, and love."

Point number three on our outlines: We aren't saved by our good conduct, but we're certainly saved for good conduct. It is not your good conduct that will make you a Christian, but it is your good conduct that will show other people that you're a Christian. Paul, in Ephesians chapter two, verse eight, said, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

So, we're not saved by our good conduct, but we are saved for good conduct. Paul says you should be an example to the believers in word and conduct, in love, and in the way that you love. You should be an example to believers and non-believers alike. Jesus said in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also should love one another. For by this will all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Would to God that our culture would say, "You know, we may not believe in God. We may not like that whole church thing, but those Christians, they love people." And let's be very honest about it: In the United States of America, in the last 15 to 20 years, the church in America has not been known by its love. It just hasn't. And that is unfortunate. We need to work to resolve that, so that people would see in us the same kind of love that they see in Christ. Jesus says, "As I have loved you, that you would love one another." How did He love us? Well, He laid down His life for us.

In what ways are we laying down our lives for other people? Being sacrificial. Now, I can go on and on all day long about how giving and sacrificial this church is.

We should always be striving to be more so because our God did not spare anything for us. We need to be examples in word, conduct, and love, and we should be filled with the Spirit.

In verse 14, Paul says to Timothy, "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of hands of the eldership." The gift mentioned here indicates spiritual gifts. First Corinthians chapters 12, 13, and 14 discuss spiritual gifts in detail. When God saved you by grace through faith, He came into your life by His Holy Spirit. If you are a Christian today, He gave you spiritual gifts. Did you know that you have spiritual gifts? We should be those who seek to exercise those gifts and not neglect them.

We might assume that the gift Timothy has relates to pastoring and teaching, but there are many other gifts that God has given. We should be exemplary in our use of the gifts that God has entrusted to us. However, even more importantly than the gifts of the Spirit, we should focus on the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. All of these qualities should be abundant and growing in our lives. It should be clear and evident that we are seeking to walk in the Spirit, not fulfilling the lusts of our fallen nature.

Paul continues, emphasizing that we should be exemplary not just in word, conduct, faith, or love, but also in our faithfulness to God. You and I must exercise ourselves in godliness so that our faith and trust in God are evident in our lives. The more we walk with Jesus, the more we should trust Him implicitly and fully. We should trust Him with our finances, our children, our future, and everything we have in this life.

Not only should we trust Him, but we must also be faithful to Him in following His ways. We should be faithful in obeying Him, in prayer, and in studying the Scriptures. In every aspect of our lives, we should strive to be faithful to Him, making our faith exemplary.

And then finally, he says to be an example to the believer in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and finally, in purity. The word "purity" here is only used a couple of times in the New Testament, but the idea, the concept of being pure, is to be unmixed and unalloyed. There is no mixture here, and the purging, if you will, of all the dross is necessary. If you were to find a great big chunk of gold, it would be filled with all kinds of impurities and would have to be refined so that the impurities could be purged. In our lives, we are to be purged of impurities.

What does that look like? Well, I think in Ephesians chapter five, verse three, Paul says, "But fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for Christians." It should not be fitting for Christians that there is any dross or impurities in this life. Of course, when we come to Christ, we are filled with impurities, but through the sanctifying cleansing process, God, by His grace, through His word, by the work of His Spirit, and by us seeking to obey Him in godliness, purges out these things. He begins to transform us more and more into the likeness of His children.

He says that all these things should not even be named among you, as is fitting for the saints. He goes on in verse four of Ephesians chapter five and says, "Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather the giving of thanks." Then in verse six, he states, "Therefore do not be partakers with them." We should not allow these things to be a part of our lives. By God's grace and through our own working out of our salvation, we should labor to be exemplary.

How? It is great to say something like that, but how do we work it out? Well, what does Paul say in First Timothy four, verse 13? "Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all." How do we grow to be exemplary in word, love, spirit, faith, and conduct?

Well, I think that what Paul exhorts Timothy toward here in verses 13 through 15 is essential. It's important. Until I come, while I'm absent, if I'm not there, Timothy, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. That's what we do when we gather here together on a Sunday morning. We're giving attention to reading. We open the Scriptures, we read from the Scriptures, and from that passage of Scripture, we give exhortation and doctrine, instruction, and teaching. We challenge you. I challenge you. I challenge myself as I study through these things throughout the week to grow in these areas.

That's what we're doing now. There are a lot of different things that a church could do, and churches do. But what we do is open the Scriptures. We read from the Scriptures. We allow the Scriptures to be that which informs our understanding of what is true, what is real, and what is right. We seek, by God's grace and by His Spirit, to work those things out and apply them. So, he says, if I'm not there or if I am there, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Don't neglect that gift, Timothy. You were called to preach these things, to pastor these people.

Don't neglect that gift, but meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to this. Don't just give yourself partly to this. It is not enough to just have exhortation, reading, and doctrine for 40 minutes on a Sunday. No, that doesn't mean we're going to start doing 90-minute services or 120 minutes. Don't worry. I'm saying you, with God on your own tomorrow and Tuesday, should be spending time reading the Word of God, allowing the teachings and the doctrine of the Scripture to exhort you in your life, to challenge you by God's Spirit to walk in these things. Give yourself entirely to it so that your progress will be evident to all. People will begin to see that the you that was you is no longer the you that is you.

You can think about that. I'll have to think about that too, because it just came out. Hopefully, that's what people begin to see: that you're different. In one of his letters, John, in First John, will be there sometime, I think this year, says that those who you used to run with think it's strange you don't run with them anymore. That's wonderful. It may be that there are some people who think it's strange because you're not the same person, and for the better, hopefully, right?

So, he says, until I come, give attention to these things. Exemplary lives are the product.

Of a careful and thoughtful acting out of the things that we attentively read and are exhorted to do from the doctrines of the Scriptures, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:16, "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine; continue in them, for in doing this, you will save both yourself and those who hear you." The New Living Translation says, "Keep a close watch on how you live." That's a good exhortation: keep a close watch on how you live.

I would say that a very large portion of our lives is just lived on autopilot. We don't think much about it. Just think about how many times you drive from point A to point B, from your work to your house, and you get to your destination only to realize you don't remember anything from the last 20 minutes. It's scary. People are all worried about self-driving cars, but I guarantee you that most of the cars on the freeway are already autonomous; they're driving by themselves. So much of our lives is lived on autopilot, and this is a really good exhortation: keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

Some of you might say, "Well, yeah, I'm living a life, but I'm not teaching." Point number five: remember that your life is teaching others how to live and walk with Christ. This is a sobering reality. After almost 20 years of teaching the Bible, I am convinced that more has been taught, for good or for bad, by my life than by my words. Our lives are teaching every single day. There are people who watch you who may never come to this building, to this church, or hear a Bible study here. There are people watching you in your neighborhood, in your home, at work, at school, and out in the community. Your life is teaching someone.

What is our life saying? Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. It is my hope and my desire for myself and for this church that our lives would be exemplary.

We would be an example to Christians and to non-Christians in our exercise of the word, of love, of faith, and of the spirit. All of these things should be evident in our lives, demonstrating the saving power of Christ in us. For that to take place, at the very least, we need to be aware of the fact that our lives are teaching something. With that sobering reality, I think we probably need to pray and ask God to help us. Amen?

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer?

Father, I thank you for the promise of the Scriptures. Though we can do nothing in and of ourselves, we can do all things through You who gives us strength. Lord, I am not sufficient of myself to think anything as being of myself, but my sufficiency is from You. It is You who enables me to be a good servant of the gospel.

We come before You once again and admit that reality: our inability, apart from Your strength and power at work in us, to work these things out. But Lord, in admitting that inability, we pray that You would work in us to will and to do Your good pleasure this week. By Your Spirit, would You enable us to walk these things out?

Not just to walk these things out, but by Your Spirit, Holy Spirit, would You quicken us to remember to walk these things out? When we are frustrated, when we are tempted to be impatient, when we are tempted to be upset or irritable, would You, by the quickening grace of Your Holy Spirit, remind us to walk in humility, patience, goodness, and self-control?

By Your grace and by Your power at work in us, we pray that You would give us Your patience and Your self-control. May the people who know us see You at work in us and have to admit that it is not us, but that it is Christ in us. God, do that work in us, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.