Faithful in Times of Difficulty

This morning we continue in our study through the second letter of Paul to Timothy as we consider 2 Timothy 3:1-9. The Apostle Paul reminds Timothy that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. These times will be difficult because people will be marked by misguided, misdirected, and misaligned loves. They will be narcissistic, (lovers of self), hedonistic (lovers of pleasure), and materialistic (lovers of possessions). Instead of seeking to love God and love others, they will use others for their benefit. Timothy is called to avoid such people who have the appearance of godliness, but deny its power.

We pray that God would give us grace to avoid false teachers who seek to destroy, divide, and devour what is good, true, and beautiful. We also pray that we would avoid pride in our hearts that would posture us above others and lead us to forget our own need for grace. We pray through the study of this text that we would grow in admiration, adoration, and appreciation of Jesus for his generous grace and mercy he has shown us on the cross. We want to be more deeply gripped by the free gift of God's grace that transforms us from the inside out.