READ: Jeremiah 1:1-12, John 12:44-50

1. God is the only one who sends His word. Christ is the word sent.

- John 1:14 - "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth."

- Jeremiah 1:1-3 - “The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

2. God is the only one who appoints those who speak on His behalf not man. - John 12:44-45 - "And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me."

- Jeremiah 1:4-6 - “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.”

3. The one whom God sends speaks only what the Lord commands and nothing else.

- John 12:46 - “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

- Jeremiah 1:7-8 - “But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”

4. The word of God is the has final authority over all things. By it God sets free and judges, gives life and destroys!

- John 12:47-48 - “If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.”

- Jeremiah 1:9-10 - “Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

5. God watches over His word to accomplish and succeed in which He sent it!

- John 12:49-50 - “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment - what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

- Jeremiah 1:11-12 - “And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond branch.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”

READ: Exodus 20

1. GOD speaks His law and commands Israel to obey. - Exodus 20:1-6 - “And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

2. GOD warns Israel and says, “Do not make gods of silver or gold to be with me.” - Exodus 20:18-24 - “Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. 22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.

3. GOD gives Israel His command written by His own finger! - Exodus 31:18: - “And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.”

4. God writes on the tablets that Moses cuts out with his hands because He broke the ones that the LORD had made with His own finger! - Exodus 34:1-4 - “The Lord said to Moses, 'Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. 3 No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.” 4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone.”

5. The same gift of Faith needed and given to believe is the same gift of Faith needed to obey the commands of GOD! - 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 - “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

- Romans 9:31-32

READ: Isaiah 55

1. Are you Hungry and Thirsty? Come, He does satisfy.- John 6:35:

- Isaiah 55:1-2a - “Come (yalak: refers to a starting point; summons to start here), everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come (yalak), buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy (saba: fulfill, be filled)?

2. How does He satisfy His people? Listen diligently, Incline, and Hear: He has glorified His people. - John 8:45-47

- Isaiah 55:2b-5 - “Listen diligently (sama: hear intently; act in your hearing; be obedient; do what God says) to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline (nata: turn to obedience) your ear, and come (yalak) to me; hear, (sama) that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 4 Behold, I made him a witness (ayd: testimony; evidence) to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. 5... he has glorified you.

3. Do you seek the Lord, and have you called on His name? He hears and forgives. He does not forsake those who truly seek Him! - Psalm 9:9-10

- Isaiah 55:6-7 - “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon (summon for help; repent) him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

4. GOD’s word does accomplish that which He purposes, and shall succeed in the thing for which He sent it! - Deuteronomy 8:3

- Isaiah 55:8-11 - “For My thoughts (plans or devises) are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.... 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

5. Blessed are those who Come hungry and hungry, who Listen, Incline, and Hear to hear His word, who Seek the Lord with all their heart and Call upon Him, for they lack no good thing and Know fully that His word will accomplish and succeed in which He sent it! - Matthew 6:33

- Isaiah 55:12-13 - “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

The Gospel Lived In The Church

READ: 1 Corinthians 3

True Spiritual Maturity is seen in how we live amongst one another. - John 13:34-35

- 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 - “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual (governed by the Spirit) people, but as people of the flesh, (worldly, sinful) as infants (childish, untaught, unskilled) in Christ. 2 I fed (offer water, teaching easy to understand) you with milk, (simple truths) not solid food, (that which delights and truly satisfies the mind) for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”

All of God’s people are one in Christ; no one is more valued than the other. - Galatians 3:28

- 1 Corinthians 3:4-9 - “For when one says, 'I follow Paul,' and another, 'I follow Apollos,' are you not being merely human? ...6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ...9 For we are God's fellow workers. (co-laborer, associate, helper) You are God's field, (cultivated field, farm land) God's building.” (structure, His temple)

God will not only judge our lives lived in service but especially on how we work, care, and guard His church, His people. - Galatians 6:10

- 1 Corinthians 3:10-17 - “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. ...16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

Since all things concern God’s people, we must become fools so that we may become wise. Wisdom is to be skilled in the ways of God. - Ephesians 5:15-17

- 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 - “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” ...21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, (all things concern you) ...all are yours, (all concern you) 23 and you are Christ's, (you are in Christ) and Christ is God's. (Christ is God)

READ: James 3

Bit for horses, rudder for ships, and the tongue for the mouth, only one is a restless evil by which man can not tame. - Proverbs 13:3

- James 3:1-5 - “...we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. ... 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.”

The tongue is a matchstick; one wrong word can set an entire city ablaze. - Proverbs 18:4

- James 3:5-6 - “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue ... set on fire by hell.”

God designed the tongue to speak truth and life, but by the corruption of sin, it can be used as a weapon of mass destruction. - Proverbs 18:21

- James 3:7-12 - “For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, ... 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”

Those who claim the name of Christ must speak life and healing and are quick to avoid speaking evil. - Proverbs 10:11-12

- James 3:13-18 - “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. (resembles evil, demon-like) 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, (immaculate) then peaceable, (loving peace) gentle,(fair, mild) open to reason, (easily obeys, compliant) full of mercy (kindness and goodwill) and good fruits, (acts or works that come from the Spirit) impartial (free from prejudice) and sincere. (genuine, no hypocrisy, of good character, no pretense or pride) 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in (the family and others) peace (harmony, tranquility among the brethren) by those who make peace.”

The Gospel Lived In The Church

1 Corinthians 1

READ: 1 Corinthians 1:1-17

The privilege and joy of being in God’s family is solely due to His will, work, and glory. - Hebrews 10:14

- 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 - “Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God [God’s church - owner of His people] that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus,(the purified or concecrated ones) called to be saints (given the privilege to be a holy one) together with all those who (believers) in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Father has provided everything we need in Christ to abound in Word and Truth for the Gospel and Life. - 2 Peter 1:3-4

- 1 Corinthians 1:4-8 - “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, (the favor of God delivered in Christ to you) 5 that in every way you were enriched (richly furnished) in him in all speech (logos: word) and all knowledge (gnosis: knowledge of truth)— 6 even as the testimony (evidence, proof) about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain (keep, make firm) you to the end, guiltless (free from accusation) in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Father, who is faithful and has called us into fellowship with the Son, commands His people to be faithful in fellowship with one another by having the Mind of Christ. - 1 Corinthians 2:16

- 1 Corinthians 1:9-17 - “God is faithful, by whom you were called (summoned by the King) into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, (be sure, certain of the faith) and that there be no divisions (dissensions, damage the unity) among you, but that you be united (united completely) in the same (His - [immutable]) mind (nous: think like Christ [not the same as Phil. 2:2,5 - phroneo: regard, set one’s mind on) and the same (His) judgment. (Christ's view or opinion)

11 “For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Biblical Manhood & Womanhood

Doctrine & Devotion

Titus 1

READ: 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 ; 7:5-9, 13-16 ; 8:6-7 ; 16-24 ; 12:17-18

Titus ministry history:

• 1st missionary journey, Paul was present at Titus’ conversion (Titus 1:4). Titus went with Paul and Barnabas on Paul’s 2nd visit to Jerusalem. Acts 15 is also mentioned in Galatians 2:1-3.
• 3rd missionary journey, Titus is mentioned to be with Paul in Ephesus, was charged to deliver the Corinthian church his 1st letter to assess the condition of the church. Titus returned to Paul in Philippi (2 Corinthians 7:6-7; Acts 20:1-3). Titus willingly volunteers to go back to Corinth to deliver Paul’s 2nd letter and was given the stewardship of collecting the monies they vowed to give to the Jerusalem Church (2 Corinthians 8:16-17).
• 4th missionary journey, Paul left Titus as overseer of the Crete church to “...put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town…” Titus 1:5. After finishing his work in Crete, Titus meet Paul at Nicopolis (Titus 3:12) From there Paul sent Titus to Delmatia, (Timothy 4:10).

Godly Men are faithful in preaching the Gospel. - 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 - Titus 1:1-3

Godly Men faithfully fulfill their duty by completing the task assigned to them. - John 17:4 - Titus 1:4-9

Godly men faithfully contend for the Faith. - Jude 3 - Titus 1:10-16

Love His Things: The Heart Of A Steward

"Fundamentally, stewardship is about exercising our God-given dominion over His creation, reflecting the image of our creator God in His care, responsibility, maintenance, protection, and beautification of His creation.”

- RC Sproul

- Genesis 1:26 - "...And let them have dominion ..." - Genesis 2:15 - "...work it and keep it.”

"The true steward is put in trust with his master's property, first, to protect it. Oh, with what earnestness ought we to guard the gospel of Christ! With what holy valour ought we to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints! “Hold fast the form of sound words,” wrote Paul to Timothy; not only the words, but the particular form of them which the apostle had delivered; not merely sound doctrine, but the very words in which those doctrines had been made to take shape. The true steward is to defend his master's treasure with his very life. The Lord has put us in trust with the gospel, and all the people of God, in their measure, have also become trustees of those inestimably precious doctrines wherein will be found the glory of God and the salvation of the sons of men. So we are to defend our Master's property.” - Charles Spergeon

READ: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

A steward is to do the will of the master and freely share what the master has given. 1 Corinthians 4:1 & 1 Peter 4:1-11

Stewards do not need a thank you to care for and manage God's things. 1 Corinthians 4:2 - Luke 17:1-10 - "..." Temptations to sin are sure to come,..."Increase our faith!" ...servant plowing or keeping sheep ... servant... 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'”

A Steward is busy caring, growing, and managing the master's things. - Matthew 7:21

- Luke 19:11-27 - "...A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ... 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first ...17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second ... ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ ...26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

• It’s the steward’s duty to do the will of the master, freely share what the master has given, and be found busy caring, growing, and managing the master's things.