Welcome, who I am and what I do.
This session comes with a warning, it is very practical if you were wanting to just sit and listen to someone talk for 45 minutes leave now.
Icebreaker
find someone you don’t know and tell them 3 things about yourself only one which is true. You have to guess which is the real thing.
Go. <P>
First lets watch a clip from Lord of the Rings The Two Towers this can be found chapter ……..of the dvd.That clip catches everything in chapter 4 and the whole of 2 Timothy.Comment.Lets look at this chapter.Paul encourages Timothy to preach in and out of season, when it is not right to speak it, demonstrate it by what you do.
What have you learnt this weekend? <P>
How can you put it into practice when you get back home? <P>
How can you share your faith in and out of season? <P>
How can you show your faith by what you do? <P>
Are there times it is not right to share your faith? When, how, why? How can you make the gospel message relevant if it is unchanging? <P>
We are up to chapter 3 this morning and I am hoping you will be able to stay awake.Chapter 3 is full of simple advice that will make a huge impact oÂn the person of God you are and will become if you take it.This is pauls KISS technique so when I say simple advice number… yopu shout Keep it Simple Stupid and I’ll know you are still awake.Read verses 1-9 Have you ever watched faking it? The show where people try and be something they are not and get put to the test as the experts try and spot the fake.A few years ago there was a young man who was employed as a doctor and assistant medical director in a major hospital.Although he performed his duties well and possessed the necessary skills, there was a problem - the 28 year old man had never gone to college or med school.He had forged the official documents to the the job and new enough medical gibberish to fool everyone into thinking he was the real thing.Eventually he was discovered and sent to prison for 7 years for which he was qualified.In the first 9 verses of chapter 3 Paul describes people who oÂn the outside look like Christians, they go through the motions, say the right things and appear to have it all together but they do not have any of His power.What does Paul tell Timothy?Simple advice number 1: Don’t have anything to do with fake Christians.It sounds easy doesn’t it but we are not talking about people you know who are not Christians we are talking about people who come to church but are faking it.After this Paul gives Timothy a massive pat oÂn the back verse 10; For you have followed what I teach, the way I live, my goal, faith, patience and love. You know I never give up.Paul has modelled his faith by example not just by talking about it and this is the next bit of simple advice from Paul but first lets watch a clip from the classic star wars The Empire Strikes Back: Luke Skywalker has gone looking for Yoda and parked a bit badly.Explain clip: Yoda not what he had expected etc…If you want to get better at anything you go to the experts, sport you find a good coach or trainer, music a good teacher etc.The way to get better is by practice, training and learning from the experts and it is no different in your faith.I can’t stress this enough. I got baptised at the age of 13 with 16 other people, today oÂnly 3 of us call ourselves Christians which is incredibly sad. Why are we still going? each of us because we got mature people oÂn fire for God around us, talked with them, watched them prayed with them.Timothy had seen how Paul had lived spent time with him.Paul had made himself vunerable with Timothy and Timothy with Paul.Read Walked and Prayed and Listened by Bob Hartman from Telling the Bible.Who are the people from your church who ooze faith, live the life?When you get back find oÂne (or more) of those people and ask them to be your mentor (you might need to explain it first, and run it by your parents first.Then arrange to meet them regularly to talk, pray and listen.The aim is to be honest with your struggles and good things, if you do this your faith will be strong.We learn more by doing so put what you see being modelled into practice.If you walk 400+ miles with someone you really get to know them.If you are not sure who to ask talk to oÂne of your youth leaders or church leaders and get them to suggest. But get it oÂn your churches agenda.Remember it doesn’t have to be someone trendy as long as they are oÂn Fire for God oÂne of mine was an 80 year old lady.So simple advice number 2 is: Get a mentor. This is how the baton gets passed oÂn.Paul then reminds us that everyone who wants to live as God desires in Christ Jesus will get hurt….Christianity is not a quick fix solution.Jesus said pick up your cross and follow me…not easySimple advice nuber 3 is: Be prepared for tough times with the good oÂnes.Finally about the Bible.Hands up if you read the Bible often!Weekly / love it / hate it?Paul reminds Timothy about the value of scripture.It is useful for teaching, showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults and showing how to live right. verse 16Let it live in you like blood flows through viens.Simple advice number 4 is: get into Gods word, read it, enjoy it, think about it, apply it, memorize it. Zimbabwe church what passages have you learnt this week to congregation.Why verse 17 tells us: because using scriptures, the person who serves God will be capable, having all that is needed to do every good work which goes back to yesterday and your gifts, they compliment each other.Recap here Pauls 4 bits of simple advice are:Don’t have anything to do with fake Christains.Get a mentorBe prepared for it to get tough at times.Get into the Bible.Let me pray for you lot befor eyou get into groups.
Why do you think it is important to have nothing to do with fake Christians? <P>
What do you think have nothing to do with them means? How do you know if someone is faking it? <P>
Do you know people like this? What should you do? <P>
Session 2: 2 Timothy 2This session I am going to get you to do all the hard work at the beginningRead verses 1-7Paul says at the end of this think about what \I am saying for the Lord will give you the ability to understand everything.Get into groups and brainstorm what they think Paul is saying about the Soldier, athlete and farmer and get ready to feed back, think about what they do, their characters etc.FeedbackGo and attempt the hidden maze click here for details.Show the clip from Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone where they are playing real wizards chess.To be effective Christians we need to think strategically about our ministry and how we can best use our gifts.Plan and think ahead In Chess, if you doin’t you will lose.My Mum and othello she never realizes you need the corners.Refer to startergy needed to complete the hidden maze.Paul then talks in this passage that the Christian life will be tough….expand, school college etc.Read verses 11-13.Comment14-16Be a workman who is not ashamedWork stories and house of horrors.Tell Christopher when story where he wrote about the workmans reactions to building St Pauls he’d designed. Those who were bored said things like I’m laying bricks or carrying stones.But oÂne worker who mixed the cement said I am building a magnificent cathedral.Comment.Finally verse 22 gives some sound advice. “Butr run away from the evil things young people like to do”Ask what they are?Talk about Joseph fleeing naked down the road, the first biblical streaker.Pray.
Discussion notes for 2 Timothy. <P>
Would you rather work as part of a team or by yourself. <P>
What are the benefits of passing oÂn your gifts and skills. <P>
Have you ever taught anyone anything you have learnt. How did it make you feel? How did the other person respond? <P>
