To be a faithful servant of God, you must know who you are, who God is, what he has done, and the people you are called to minister among.

Paul and Titus knew each other well, but though Paul addressed his letter to Titus, he intended his words to be instructive for the churches. Thus, in these opening words of greeting, Paul is doing more than greeting his friend Titus; he also provides introductory words to the Christians of Crete about his authority and ministry.

How would you define the gospel work of the church? How would you define what God has called you to? Paul defines his work by declaring who he is, what God has done, and who he is addressing.

When death is near and your days are coming to an end, trivial concerns will prove to be of no importance. However, for faithful Christians, the gospel hope and the glory of God will be the singular hope and concern. Reflecting on his present trials and the fullness of his ministry, Paul points those who will now carry on the ministry to God's power, provision, and glory. His life has been lived as a drink offering for God's glory. Likewise, all believers must live lives for God's glory.

As Paul concludes his letter, he reflects on his ministry and the cost he has endured. His recounting of these things is not to brag but to pass the baton on to Timothy and those who will continue to preach the word.  

The gospel requires total sacrifice and faithful endurance, knowing that whatever the cost, the hope of heaven is worth it all. Those who have given their lives for Christ desire to see the work continue in succeeding generations.

TPreach the word. Three simple words. One powerful command.

The message of the passage is straightforward. You must faithfully proclaim God's word and sound teaching regardless of the world's acceptance or hostility. So, how can you faithfully obey this command to preach the word?

This passage teaches three things that are required of you to be faithful to preach the word.

To endure the hostilities of this world, you must remain faithful to the word of God, even if it requires you to stand apart from the world and unfaithful Christians.

Paul had known persecution and great suffering for the gospel. He knew that Timothy and the faithful church would likewise experience the world's hostility and the abuse of false teachers. He knew that under these pressures, there would be a great temptation to abandon the foundation of the faith.

Faced with the ever-growing threat of worldly hostility and spiritual imposters, how can you remain faithful to the Lord and mature in the faith? The Bible's answer is plain and simple: Hold firm to your faith and God's word.

This passage contains two commands that, when obeyed, provide for believers to remain faithful in a hostile world.

Knowledge and understanding give perspective and hope in the midst of difficult times. 2 Timothy chapter 3 begins with the description of difficult days that the church will endure. Paul writes these words to inform Timothy that he might have knowledge and understanding to help him endure. These words are for the church today, so you also will have knowledge and understanding to help you endure.

This passage teaches three things that enable you to endure these difficult days.

To be useful to God, you must be set apart from sin and the world. And if you are to be used by God to rescue those who have swerved from the truth, you must reject the temptation to be quarrelsome and instead teach the truth with the gentleness and patience of Christ.

This passage has two commands required of those who desire to be ready for every good work and a good servant of the Lord.

Competence and skill are not declared but demonstrated. The evidence of a workman’s competence and skill is proved over time when their work proves to be able to endure the test of time.

The primary task of every ministry of the gospel is to rightly and faithfully make God’s word known. There are temptations that work against this, but Paul warns Timothy not to swerve from the truth.

In this passage, the Bible gives two commands to keep you from swerving from the truth so that you might be an approved and unashamed workman. It also gives a test that testifies to the genuineness of your faith and approval before God.

The relationship of parent to child is one that Paul uses in this passage and is helpful in understanding the relationship between those who proclaim the gospel and those who receive it. Children do not always appreciate their parents' sacrifices and sometimes even rebel against their parents. What motivates all that parents do for their children is love.

In this passage, the Bible teaches how believers should respond to the gospel, the cost of ministry, and what motivates the preaching of the gospel.

In these final verses of chapter 11, Paul continues his defense of his apostleship and denouncement of those preaching a gospel contrary to the true gospel.

Generally, it is good advice not to “toot your own horn.” However, sometimes, you must “toot your own horn” when defending against arrogant braggarts leading others astray. This is the case in this passage. To that end, Paul allows himself some room to brag. However, his boasting is not to take any pride in his accomplishments but to show the foolishness of all such boasts. Ultimately, Paul draws your attention to the glory and power of God.

The fundamental truth of this passage is that anything less than or other than the true Jesus, the true Spirit, or the true gospel is a lie and will not lead to salvation. There is only one true Savior, Holy Spirit, and gospel that saves.

Regret is a powerful emotion. Generally, it is connected to missing or squandering an opportunity or being unsatisfied with a decision later revealed to be foolish, unwise, or bad. Walking in obedience before the Lord may cause you to experience difficult days and know momentary grief and suffering, but you will never regret it.

In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul references an issue of sin he addressed in 1 Corinthians 5. He had previously written to the church concerning sexual immorality that had been allowed to remain unconfronted in the church. Because of his love for the people in the church, he was grieved by their sin while also saddened that his confrontational words had caused them pain. However, he does not regret writing these words. And he is also confident that the Corinthians do not now regret receiving his words because God has used them to bring the offending individual and the church fellowship to repentance.