Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule:
Titus 1-3
In Titus 2:11-14, Paul did not leave the Christian with a list of duties to perform. He called us to a noble purpose, a higher life. He showed us that it is God’s grace… past, present, future which strengthens and motivates us to live beyond the call of society, embracing obedience to God. As we learned yesterday in church, this grace is only available to those who humble themselves.
Paul followed up his instructions by proclaiming that the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It is the same word used in 2 Timothy 1:10 when Paul wrote of the “appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus.” The word connects us to Christ’s incarnation, His unveiling. Grace breaks upon our moral darkness like the rising sun. This is the incarnation and atonement, the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord, “full of grace and truth.” This grace brings salvation that God offers to everyone, though not every person responds to His goodness.
Grace instructs us. Through Christ’s appearing and the Holy Spirit’s tutoring, graces teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions.God wants us to learn how to live to the fullest. When we believe in Christ as our salvation, we become enrolled in his school of living. In turning to God, we agree that we must turn away from ungodly living and turn toward godly living. We do not just wish for this change to occur; we do not simply hope it might happen. We must take ourselves in hand and say “no” to all those behaviors, attitudes, and desires that are opposed to God. Then we can learn to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.
While salvation digs deeply into the difficulties of our todays, we recognize that our experience of God’s rescue is incomplete. We are not left with the partial successes and recurrent failures which even faith encounters in this world. Instead, we wait for the blessed hope… the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Prayer Requests:
Personal
- Lord, please help me to embrace the grace that is available for godly living.
- Lord, please help me to manifest a life filled with grace and reflects the character of the Lord Jesus.
- Lord, please help me to deny ungodliness and pursue godly living in every situation.
Political
- Representative Beau LaFave – District 108 – Iron Mountain
- Representative David LaGrand – District 75 – Grand Rapids
- Senator Kim LaSata – District 21 – St. Joseph