1 Timothy 3:8-16

1 Timothy 3 (New Living Translation)
8 In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. 9 They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. 10 Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.
11 In the same way, their wives[e] must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.
12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. 13 Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.
14 I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.
16 Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith[f]:
Christ[g] was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit.[h] He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.

Devotion (by Justin W.)
Have you ever considered that you are a leader? Surely in some aspects of your life you are placed into a subordinate position – one in which you must follow rules and laws and answer to other people. Likewise, in some aspects of life you have a leadership role. I find it interesting that some people thrive in leadership roles and others shy away from them. However you feel about being a leader you will still have influence on others throughout your lifetime. Your decisions impact others in many ways. As leaders in our church we must examine our behavior compared to God’s standards. We all sin, and yes, God has already forgiven us as we come to him in the name of Christ. Sometimes we feel tempted to make a choice that feels good at the time, all the while knowing that we should really choose differently. It can be easy to justify our poor choices by saying things like “It’s just been a hard day” or “I didn’t realize the effects that would have.” I find it helpful when I’m faced with temptation to remember my role as a leader in God’s church and to think “how would I feel if my brother or sister in Christ saw me make this poor choice?” “How would I feel if they made this poor choice?”

Prayer
Father God, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Show me the ways you would have me to lead. While I am not a pastor I recognize that others look to me as an example. Help me to lead well and to always shine your love to others. Give me clarity in my choices and help me to choose wisely. Protect me from the temptation of Satan and from my own weakness. Thank you for your love and protection. Amen

1 Timothy 3:1-7

1 Timothy 3:1-7 (The Message)
Leadership in the Church
1-7If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap.
Devotion: (Jen Bunch)
Leadership is such an important part of every aspect of our lives. We all are exposed to leaders in our work, our homes, at the store, and at church. We all have been under the leadership of both good and bad leaders in these various settings. Paul (the writer of the book of Timothy) had experienced these things, too, so he wanted to establish clear guidelines for those who would become leaders in the church. Because church leadership is so important – after all, leaders in the church are living out the message of the Savior of the world, and modeling for others what this relationship means – there are specific characteristics that must be met to engage in leadership (particularly at high levels) in the church. These characteristics are modeled by good leaders, and we should look for these characteristics in our leaders. However, I also like to look at these characteristics to help me model my own life. Even if I don’t have the calling to become a leader in the church, these are the characteristics that Christ wants for me in my life, too. I should work to be calm, cool, hospitab le, gentle yet not thin-skinned, and not put money as a high priority in my life. I should also work to have a well-ordered home, and earn the respect of my children and to do things in moderation. Additionally, I want to continually cultivate my faith and grow deeper in Jesus, so that I will have the foundation to build upon in all of these areas.

Prayer:
Father, thank you for loving me and allowing me to have a relationship with you through your son, Jesus. May your Holy Spirit guide me to work on these characteristics in my life so that I might draw closer to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Timothy 2:8-15

1 Timothy 2:8-15 NIV
8) I want men everywhere to lift your holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.
9) I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10) but with good deeds, appropriate for for women who profess to worship God.
11) A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12) I do not permit women to teach or have authority over a man; she must be silent. 13) For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14) And Adam was not the one deceived; it was rhe woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15) But woman will be saved through childbearing – if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Devotion ( by Eric Gillette)
Verse 8 is very basic in its meaning, that men specifically should be in daily if not constant prayer to our Lord, asking his will for all aspects of our lives.
The rest of this passage is devoted to how a woman should lead her life. Some of this passage is very clear, specifally the reference to a womans appearance. Now I hope everyone, especially the women who read this realize I am a guy trying to discern what God had in mind with this passage about a women’s role in society.
I think it is obvious when women are advised to dress modestly, not in a gaudy way that may cause heads to turn, especially men.
Verses 11- 15 can be perceived to be saying that women are a second classs entity to men. While this may have been the norm in the desciples age it’s obvious that this is not true today. Times have evolved significantly in the roles women have today, especially in the family. Many women are heads of the home by default. Women are as capable, if not more so in making decisions about every aspect of their lives. This is also true in regards to the Church. I look at the Jar and see the significant role women contribute in so many ways in the different ministries and the lead team. It’s obvious men and women can interact on an equal basis to further the Kingdom of God.
Realize that what I have said may be at odds with the doctrine of some denominations but over the ages churches have had to adjust to the world view around them or lose the ability to have any kind of an impact on bringing Christ into the lives of the community around them.

Prayer
Lord I pray that I have not twisted your words in a way that take away from the true meaning of this passage. I seek your wisdom and will in this passage about womens responsibilities and roles in your Kingdom. I pray that men and women of the Jar are able to further you Kingdom together in unity and love.

1 Timothy 2:1-7

1 Timothy 2
Instructions about Worship
1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 7 And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I’m not exaggerating—just telling the truth.

Devotion
Praying for others is a very important thing to do. This passage tells us that we should think to pray for those around us and even those who are authorities over us. We should pray for our political and our spiritual leaders. I love that this passage talks about God’s desire for all men to come to know Him. So part of our prayers can be to ask God to grant us the opportunity to share His love and grace with someone who doesn’t know Him.

Prayer
Lord, thank You for all that You have given me. Lord I ask that You would give me the boldness today to talk to someone about Your love and kindness that I’ve seen in my own life. I know that You desire all men to be saved and to know of the love that You have for them, so please give me the boldness to go, and the words to speak. Thank You Lord. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:12-20

1 Timothy 1:12-20 (New Living Translation)
Paul’s Gratitude for God’s Mercy 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, 13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. 14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.
15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners“—and I am the worst of them all. 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. Timothy’s Responsibility 18 Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. 19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. 20 Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.
Devotional: Paul’s heart in this passage is simply incredible, and we should all strive for this heart. Paul is just so thankful that he has the strength and talents to do God’s work, and he is completely aware of the mercy that God had shown him. God chose Paul, a man who used to persecute Christians, to show mercy to and to use him to spread the news of Jesus Christ. What a turn around! And Paul, completely aware of this, is so thankful. He is thankful of 1) the mercy God gave him and 2) the talents and abilities to do God’s work. These two go hand in hand, for why wouldn’t we want to give back our talents and lives to the one who has given us mercy beyond what we can comprehend! What better a way to give back to God than to use what He has given us to spread the good news that is the message of Jesus Christ!

Prayer: Father, we thank you for the mercy you show us on a daily basis. It is something we will never fully understand or comprehend the weight of, but we just feel so blessed to have it upon our lives. Lord, help us to always be reminded of this mercy so that we can gladly and with all of our hearts give back to you in any way we can. Let our entire lives be for your glory and to serve you. We love you. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:1-11

1 Timothy 1:1-11 (New International Version)
1 Timothy 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
2 To Timothy my true son in the faith:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Warning Against False Teachers of the Law
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith. 5The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. 8We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9We also know that law[a] is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

DEVOTION:
Isn’t it just like God to give Paul words thousands of years ago, that are still so needed today? In this letter to the young pastor, Timothy, Paul warns his congregation of false teachers. These teachers want to twist the law. They take love out of the equation. Even in our world today we can be bombarded by men and women who want to push their own agenda in God’s name. For me, the first question I find myself asking is how do they present the law? Is all about rules or is it about love? In Matthew 22: 37-40, Jesus reminds us that all of the law boils down to two things: Love God and Love Others. This can be the first test when weighing the truth behind a teaching. The second is to see how it lines up with what we read in scripture. Beyond that, it is important to discuss questions with our church leaders and other Christians. Just as we teach children to ask questions and be thinkers in education, so we need to be inquiring learners in matters of truth and faith.

PRAYER:
Father, thank you for your word which is still applicable today. Help me to understand your truths and to be aware when a teacher is not true to you. Help me not to blindly follow men, but to trust you and your word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-18

2 Thessalonians 3:6-18 (NLT)
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command with the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from any Christian who lives in idleness and doesn’t follow the tradition of hard work we gave you. 7 For you know that you ought to follow our example. We were never lazy when we were with you. 8 We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 It wasn’t that we didn’t have the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: “Whoever does not work should not eat.” 11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people’s business. 12 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we appeal to such people—no, we command them: Settle down and get to work. Earn your own living. 13 And I say to the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. 14 Take note of those who refuse to obey what we say in this letter. Stay away from them so they will be ashamed. 15 Don’t think of them as enemies, but speak to them as you would to a Christian who needs to be warned. 16 May the Lord of peace himself always give you his peace no matter what happens. The Lord be with you all. 17 Now here is my greeting, which I write with my own hand—PAUL. I do this at the end of all my letters to prove that they really are from me. 18 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”

DEVOTION: “Leisure or laziness?” Chris Bunch
In an economy where so many folks have lost their jobs or know someone who has lost their job———-the value and importance of work has never been higher. Work for some people is an addiction——which is not healthy. For other people, work is a four letter word that they hate and avoid———which is not healthy either. Those who tend to be addicted need to learn the importance of leisure and relaxation. Those who see work as a four letter word need to understand the dangers of laziness. Paul says this in verse 10,“Whoever does not work should not eat.” Paul and his companions were very clear about being diligent workers as they ministered to others, so that they would not become a burden to the believers. Unfortunately, our culture often lives with a concept of entitlement: that a person deserves certain things and they should not have to work for it. This in my opinion is laziness. Laziness if you are not careful can destroy you. I have watched people go from working to living off of the welfare system and have watched as they slowly die from boredom, depression and discouragement. Work gives us a sense of worth and importance. It provides not only for our financial needs, but it allows us to honor God. If you know someone who is living off the system——-remind them of how this can destroy their lives.
On the other hand, choosing not to have leisure in your life is destructive as well. You see, things like recreation and relaxation are needed for any person to have a balanced life. I know for myself when I am not exercising and taking time off from work regularly——-I become more anxious and less healthy. So, take time to simply be. Remember God did not create human doings but human beings.
So, where are you on the continuum of work? Are you addicted to work? Or do you look at work as a four letter word? Do you need to add some more leisure to your life or do you need to add some more determination to get beyond your laziness? Take the time today to set one goal toward overcoming laziness or one goal to engage in a leisure activity this week. And let me know Sunday how you are doing.

PRAYER:
God, thank you for the gift of work. Help me not to slip into being addicted and help me not to become lazy. Give me balance in my life today between work and play. Help to rest when I should be resting and work when I should be working. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (New Living Translation)
Events prior to the Lord’s Second Coming 1 Now, dear brothers and sisters,a] let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. 2 Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessnessb] is revealed—the one who brings destruction.c] 4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 5 Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6 And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

So in the above passage it seems that the church has been shaken or alarmed that the end is coming and is soon. The response to this was very clear, nobody knows when the day of the lord is , even if they have had a vision or a revelation they still do not know. Then the passage becomes a little dark and scary with some one saying they are God the almighty, sitting in his throne yet turning against God and everything we believe in as Christians. So before the end we will try to be fooled and persuaded to follow this false god who is doing the work of Satan. Then my next thought is how do I not follow this false god and choose the wrong path to go down ; the answer seems very easy, read the bible , all the answers are already printed out for me. If I read and understand the bible for myself then I think it is very difficult for someone to lead me down the wrong path.


Dear lord, thank your for another day, thank you for the bible to guide me down the right path and I ask that you help me continue to read on a daily basis so that I will not stray away from your path and towards the work of Satan.

2 Thessalonians 1

2 Thessalonians 1 (New International Version)
1Paul, Silas[a] and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thanksgiving and Prayer
3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
5All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ

Devotional:
Paul is telling us to pray for and encourage each other but to have patience as we await the return of Jesus. We are to continue to grow in our faith and love each other as Christ loves us.
As we live out our lives we all need a little reassurance and inspiration from time to time. You can help other people to grow in their faith by handing out massive doses of love and encouragement. This builds a determination in them to pick up the pieces and move on and as they are built up they gain a confidence to encourage others.
Know that you are accepted by God and that he has an everlasting love for you. Pray for others to know His love also. However satisfying our life is here on earth you know the best is yet to come.

Prayer: Father thank you for placing Christian friends in my life to encourage me so that I may encourage other Christian friends too. May we all have the ability to inspire others with courage, spirit and hope as we patiently await Christ return. In His name we pray. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

I Thessalonians 5:12-28
12Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil. 23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 25Brothers, pray for us. 26Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. 27I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. 28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Devotion (Jen Bunch)
I think about being joyful a lot. Sometimes it feels like our society promotes the idea that everyone is trying to “bring you down.” It’s so easy to fall prey to this idea. There is a great song (from the 1990s!) by Larnelle Harris called “I Choose Joy.” In the song, the lyrics are written, “If not another blessing came, I’d still give you praise.” I think of this song often when I’m having a particularly bad day, because God has given me so many blessings, that if he really did choose to never give me another one, I should still spend the rest of my life in joyful praise and thanksgiving to him for all he has given me. This helps me to have an attitude of gratitude, praying continually and giving thanks in all things.

Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for all of the blessings you have given me in my life. Help me to be grateful in all things and to choose a life of joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen

1 Thessalonians 4:9-18

1 Thessalonians 4:9 – 18 (New American Standard Bible)
9) Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10) for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excell still more, 11) and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, 12) so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in need.
Those Who Died in Christ
13) But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16) For the Lord Himself will descend from the heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18) Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Devotion
Apparently the Thessalonians had concerns about when, how and who would be involved with the second coming of Christ. Have you ever wondered about that? What will it be like, quietly or with great fanfare. Paul indicates it will be an astounding event with “ the trumpet call of God” led by the archangel. The timing is unknown. It could be tommorow or a 1000 years and Paul advises keeping busy and be faithful in our walk with Christ. At the time of Christ’s return all who have known Him living and dead will meet again in a different plane than here on earth. It will be a joyful celebration, a reuion of those who have died thru the centuries and those who are still alive on this earth. I don’t know about you but it eliminates my concerns about death but reveals a new and wonderful eternal life with those we loved and especially Jesus Christ.

Prayer
Heavenly Father help me a be faithful servant while I live on this earth, eager to do the work you have proivided for me and to show God’s love to those who don’t have a relationship with you. Thank you Lord for the knowledge that life on this earth is only a short stop on our way to eternal life with you.