1 Timothy 6

Well, between the Mavericks and the Cowboys I've borne witness to some pretty crummy post-seasons this year. At least now I can stop watching football for the year. I hope the Rangers do well this year, I need to root for someone.

VI Handle money and your faith well
A. vs 1-2 Slaves should respect their masters
B. vs 3-10 Make sure your doctrine concerning money is correct
1. vs 3-5 Godliness is not a means to financial gain
2. vs 6-10 Be content with what you have
C. vs 11-21 Paul's final instructions to Timothy
1. vs 11-16 Flee from bad doctrine and grow in holiness
2. vs 17-19 Do not hope in wealth
3. 19-21 Guard what was been entrusted to you

I think the two biggest concerns facing the church today is the message of the prosperity preachers and the message from the Emergent church movement. I was amazed to see Paul address both these concerns in the same chapter.
The prosperity massage is obvious.
...men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think godliness is a means to financial gain.
1 Timothy 6:5
"Be a good person, pay your tithes and God will bless you!" How many times have I heard some variation on that theme. The message of the Bible is serve God with no thought to what is in it for you and He will supply your needs. Stop looking to God with a hand out for His blessings and start glorifying Him to the world.

The message from the emergent church is that there can equal and opposing claims on truth and they are both true at the same time. If I believe X and you believe the exact opposite Y they are both true at the same time for each of us. I believe in the God of the Bible and you believe in some mystical energy, we are both believing in the same "Higher Power". Paul tells Timothy to "Turn away from...opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge."(1 Timothy 6:20) There is a right and there is a wrong. There is Truth and there is Falsehood. We must search the scriptures to know the difference.

Another week is done and what did I learn?
Doctrine is IMPORTANT!!! (Paul leaves no doubt on this in this letter)
Pray for your leaders (They need it!)
Make sure someone fulfills the qualifications of leadership before you actually place them in leadership (I bet this saves a lot of heartache down the road)
Everything God created is good (in moderation)
Be persistent and consistent in your faith (While at the same time allowing it to grow)

Another wonderful week!! I can't decide rather to do just 2 Timothy next week or both 2 Timothy and Titus. I think I'll decide in the morning.