Our Resurrection Weekend services begin with our Good Friday Evening Gathering, March 29 at 7:00 pm, and conclude with our regular Sunday activities on Resurrection Sunday Morning, March 31!

preparing 20161030 post

Prepare your heart for Sunday by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and tangibly putting scripture to action in your personal life, and in our corporate body.

Carefully Think

  • Read 2 Timothy 1:1-2:2. Notice particularly the shift in 2:1 and carefully read 2:1-2.
  • Paul was writing to his "true child in the faith" (1 Tim 1:2) and his "beloved child" (2 Tim 1:2), Timothy, who had been with Paul for many years and Paul spent much of his time teaching and discipling. With that in mind, think about the process Paul prescribes in 2 Tim 2:2.
  • Why would Paul insert the phrase "in the presence of many witnesses"? What does this suggest about Paul's teaching to Timothy? Was it done in a vacuum?
  • Paul tells Timothy to entrust what he has heard from Paul to "faithful men". Why does Paul add the qualifier "faithful"? What does this say about the character of those who are to be trained in the church to be teachers?
  • Why would it have been important for Timothy to pass on what he had learned from Paul and then for these men to teach others also? What happens if this process fails?
  • The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper.  Please review this week's notes to help study this passage.  Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

  • Why is it so important for men to be trained in the local church? Does this verse say anything about this? Should we simply submit to the normal academic model for pastoral training or should we seek to submit to God's Word in this area?
  • Why is character so crucial for pastoral ministry? It might be helpful to review 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1:1-9 and see what Scripture says about those leading and teaching the church.
  • What is the role of the church in training men for ministry? What is your role in this process? Why does this matter for you?
  • What happens if this process breaks down? What would happen if the church neglected to train leaders for future generations?

Intentionally Act

  • Examine your heart to see if there has been an indifference in your life toward this passage of Scripture that is to be obeyed.
  • Praise the Lord for his goodness in providing godly men at SWBC who have a biblical conviction to train men in the local church.
  • Pray that the Lord would cultivate a passion and concern, in your heart and the hearts of others, for the training of men for ministry in the local church.
  • Pray for the men in our church who are preparing for ministry. Pray that they would be faithful men who are striving after godliness and that they would be committed to seek biblical training in our church.
  • Follow the links below to the lyrics and recordings of the songs planned for our gathering this Sunday; sing through the songs while being mindful of the lyrics.
  • Pray for those leading our corporate gathering this week and for the Holy Spirit’s work as the Word of God is further explained and applied: Dawson Bryant: music; Brett Harris: Elders' prayer and Scripture reading; Bret Capranica: teaching.

Songs for Sunday

Lyrics

Lyrics Morning Gathering - October 30, 2016 by Summit Woods Baptist Church on Scribd