This week, Pastor Tom shares a special message titled ‘Return to the Foundation’ based on 1 Timothy 4:11-16.
1. Example
2. Devotion
3. Practice
ICEBREAKER: What did your parents and teachers say would be important when you grew up but has not been?
1. According to the context, what are “these things” that Timothy was challenged to command and teach [1 Timothy 4:11]? Are “these things” still applicable for us today [cf. Genesis 1:31; Genesis 2:18-25; and Hebrews 5:14]?
2. Why are godly examples powerful and necessary for our spiritual development [1 Timothy 4:12]? Who is influencing you to follow Christ more closely [Philippians 2:19-24; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10; and Titus 2:7-8]?
3. Why is the public reading of Scripture needed whenever Christians meet for corporate worship [1 Timothy 4:13]? What does this practice signal to those gathered as believers [cf. Joshua 1:7-8; Psalm 1:1-3; and Colossians 3:16]?
4. What is the purpose of spiritual gifts [1 Timothy 4:14]? What does it look like when someone neglects his/her gift, and what impact does it have on the rest of the Body of Christ [cf. Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; and 1 Peter 4:10-11]?
5. How are you practicing and immersing yourself in sound teaching so that you make spiritual progress [1 Timothy 4:15]? What habits are you finding beneficial [cf. Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 4:8-9; and 2 Peter 1:3-11]?
6. What did Paul mean when he urged Timothy to keep close watch on himself and to persist in the teaching so that he would “save” himself and his hearers [1 Timothy 4:16]? Was the Apostle advocating a “works salvation”, or something else [cf. Acts 20:28; Romans 11:13-16; 1 Corinthians 9:27; and James 5:19-20]?
7. What did you find helpful or challenging about this Sunday’s message?
“People do not drift toward holiness.
Apart from grace-driven effort,
people do not gravitate toward godliness,
prayer, obedience to Scripture,
faith, and delight in the Lord.
We drift toward compromise and
call it tolerance; we drift toward
disobedience and call it freedom;
we drift toward superstition and
call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline
of lost self-control and call it relaxation;
we slouch toward prayerlessness
and delude ourselves into thinking
we have escaped legalism;
we slide toward godlessness and
convince ourselves we have been liberated.”
Apart from grace-driven effort,
people do not gravitate toward godliness,
prayer, obedience to Scripture,
faith, and delight in the Lord.
We drift toward compromise and
call it tolerance; we drift toward
disobedience and call it freedom;
we drift toward superstition and
call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline
of lost self-control and call it relaxation;
we slouch toward prayerlessness
and delude ourselves into thinking
we have escaped legalism;
we slide toward godlessness and
convince ourselves we have been liberated.”
D. A. Carson
