It Starts With Faith
“2nd Timothy: Fighting the Good Fight”
2 Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.”
2 Timothy 1:5-8, 13-14, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me His prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God… 13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”
2 Timothy 1:5, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
1. The heart of faith is the kind of belief in God that results in a _____________ with God… not just _______________ about God, but _______________________ God.
2 Timothy 1:6, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
2. A spiritual gift is a supernatural _______________ to develop a particular _______________ that serves the cause of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 12:1, “Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed…”
1 Corinthians 12:4-7, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
3. Remember: A spiritual gift doesn’t arrive ________________.
2 Timothy 1:7, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
4. Think about it this way: What if you knew that you could do something or attempt something for God, and you knew that God would ____________________ — would that change how you felt about doing it?
2 Timothy 1: 13-14, “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”
5. It will take staying true to the truth, but there are 2 ways to betray that truth:
a) To ____________ Jesus’ message of truth itself, either by our teaching or by the teaching we take in that distorts our thinking; and/or,
b) To live a shadow life that ________________________ the very truths we proclaim.