Loneliness is something each one of us has felt. We feel it when we are abandoned by a friend or rejected by a family member; we feel it when a child moves out or a loved one passes away; we feel it when we thought we found the person who would take it all away, but somehow it remains. In 2 Timothy 4 Paul experiences deep loneliness. He has been forsaken by a friend, deserted by the church, and harmed by an enemy all as he sits chained in a dungeon waiting to die. However, as lonely as Paul feels he finds strength in the reality that he isn’t really alone and never will be again. This message will look at where Paul found hope in the midst of his loneliness and how we can find it as well.
Running the Race
September 26, 2020 • Tim Cain
In a world that calls us to follow our desires and avoid suffering Paul comes to offer us something worth suffering for. Paul describes the Christian life as a fight and a race but then he tells us what it is that makes all the sacrifices involved worth it in the end.
Preach the Word
September 19, 2020 • Tim Cain
What exactly is preaching and why does Paul think it is so important. Not only will we answer these questions but we will see that this passage doesn’t just apply to pastors, it applies to all of us.
Following in the Footsteps of the Apostle Paul
September 12, 2020 • Tim Cain
In 2nd Timothy 3 Paul lays out two very different paths to follow in life. One is flexible morphing to make room for whatever our hearts desire. This path has the appearance of godliness, but it denies its power. The other path is lined with suffering and persecution and it requires us to depend upon the power of God for our very survival. This sermon will show us which path Paul chose and why we would be wise to follow in his footsteps.
Cheap Grace and the Appearance of Godliness.
September 5, 2020 • Tim Cain
In 2 Timothy 3 Paul warns Timothy about the danger of false teachers who have the appearance of godliness but deny its power. In this message we will consider a few of the different ways that we are tempted to settle for the appearance of godliness and deny the true power of God’s grace. Specifically we will talk about the danger of making the confession of our sins into a form of godliness and the danger of presuming upon God’s grace while continuing to live for ourselves.
Do You Love God the Most?
August 29, 2020 • Tim Cain
Do you love God? A lot of people reading this will probably say “Yes.” But in 2 Timothy 3 the question isn’t “Do you love God? But “Do you love God the most.” In this passage Paul lays out the danger of disordered love where we find ourselves loving good things more than the God who made them. In this sermon we will talk about how to tell what it is that we love the most. We will also discuss how we can find freedom from the disordered loves that are constantly trying to suck us in.
Correcting Your Opponents with Gentleness
August 22, 2020 • Wes Van Fleet
Within the context of the local church, there will be some that are under Jesus Christ as their Master, while others are under the evil one as their master. The way Paul commands Timothy to talk to these opponents, can also teach us how to correct our opponents in such a polarizing culture. Listen and hear how the good news of a gentle and lowly Savior creates in his followers a gentleness that mirrors the gentleness of Jesus.
Words of Life and Words of Death
August 15, 2020 • Wes Van Fleet
Paul applies how the Gospel and endurance apply directly to our words. There are some in the Ephesian churches who will use the word of God and the Gospel to give life to others, while there are some who will use their words to spread false teaching and death. Listen and hear how the Gospel frees us from irreverent babble and spurs us on to gospel proclamation for the glory of God and the good of the church.
Remember Jesus Christ
August 8, 2020 • Tim Cain
Due to Paul's impending death, he wants to prepare Timothy and all whom he disciples into a life of endurance that leads to seeing Jesus face-to-face. How does endurance happen in the Christian life? It happens by remembering Jesus and the gospel that cannot be bound. Listen and hear how remembering Jesus is the heartbeat of endurance.
Be Strengthened by Grace: How Grace and Hard Work Relate
August 1, 2020 • Tim Cain
One of the things that Christians often find themselves wrestling with is how does God’s law and obedience and effort relate to God’s grace and mercy and forgiveness. Is the primary message of the Bible “Just Believe” or is it more a call to “Radical Discipleship?” In 2 Timothy 2:1-7 Paul helps us get a better understanding on how God’s grace and hard work are supposed to relate. We will also see how Paul tries to help us better understand the Christian life by comparing it to the life of a soldier and an athlete and a farmer...
Suffering for the Gospel
July 25, 2020 • Tim Cain
In 2 Timothy 1:8 Paul calls Timothy not to be ashamed of Jesus, but rather to join him in suffering for the Gospel. How does this verse apply to us today? Should we really be suffering for the Gospel today in America? In this sermon, we will discuss if suffering for the Gospel is really necessary or not. We will also talk about what our motivation for not being ashamed of the Gospel should be and if the suffering that comes with it is really worth it.
The Power of the Cross
July 18, 2020 • Tim Cain
Today, just as in Paul’s day, two forms of power vie for our attention. The world holds out a power found in strength that offers us control so that we can avoid suffering and gain significance. But in 2 Timothy Paul shows us another way. Here he offers a power found in our weakness for the sake of love. Rather than avoiding suffering this power enables us to endure it and instead of seeking its own significance this power enables us to consider other people more significant than ourselves. While on the surface the power that this world offers appears far more attractive in this sermon we will see that true freedom comes when we embrace the power of the cross.
The Promise of Life
July 11, 2020 • Tim Cain
2 Timothy is the last letter we have from the Apostle Paul. He wrote it from an underground dungeon with chains around his wrists as he waited to be executed. The letter contains his last words to a man he often referred to as his beloved son. In this introduction, we will see how it is that someone stuck in a dungeon can be filled with gratitude and how someone who saw themselves as the worst of sinners could face death with a clean conscience. We will also see the vital role that God has called each of us to play in passing our faith down to others.
