1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, 2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. 3 In his own time he has revealed his word in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God our Savior:
4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith.
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
5 The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town. 6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion. 7 As an overseer of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.
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What difference has God’s grace and peace made in your life over the last week? Over the month? Over the last year?
Do you have a “Titus” in your life (someone who is younger in the faith in whom you are investing, someone you are encouraging spiritually…)? If not, who is your one that you are praying for so that you can pray with and share the gospel with?
If you have the experience of being someone’s “Titus”, someone invested in you, write down the difference that investment made in you. How will you seek to do the same for someone else in the next year?
What is one step you can take this week to be prepared to gather together with the church next week in order to receive the Word of God?
Praise God for any work He is doing in your life or the lives of those around you.
Confess where you might be unfaithful in your relationship with Christ.
Spend some time just thanking God for any and every thing that comes to mind. Don't overthink it, just allow yourself to give thanks for everything that comes to your mind.
What needs or burdens are you currently carrying that you can trust the Lord with?
Read the passage aloud as a family.
Paul asks for grace and peace for his "little brother" Titus. Those are two words we hear a lot, and sometimes when we hear words often it's good to remind ourselves what they actually mean. From a Christian worldview, what are grace and peace? How does the Lord intend for us to experience grace and peace?
The goal of your church is to be a ready church. What do you think a "ready church' looks like? How do you think God would describe a "ready church'?
Brainstorm some ways your family can participate in helping FBG become a church that God would describe as "ready".
Don't neglect praying together as a family.
Pray for any hurts or needs that came out during your family worship time together.
Pray the Spirit would be experienced in powerful, fresh way in our church body resulting in our being a ready church focused on Jesus.
Pray for the person God has placed in your life so that you could share the truth of Christ with them.
Don't neglect praying together as a small group.
Pray for any hurts or needs that came out during your discussion.
Pray the Spirit would be experienced in powerful, fresh way in our church body.
Pray for the person God has placed in your life so that you could share the truth of Christ with them.
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