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Read: 2 Timothy 1:6
Listen: 2 Timothy 1

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 Timothy 1:6

Paul knows his time is short. He believes his trial in Rome will result in his execution. So, Paul reminds Timothy of some important things. Paul wants the church Timothy leads to survive. Timothy is to use his spiritual gift wholeheartedly for the Lord. Using the analogy of stoking a fire, Paul encourages Timothy to stay loyal to the gospel and be mindful of who influences him. He needs to correctly handle and teach God’s Word, and share the message of Jesus whether he feels like it or not. Timothy must accept this leadership mantle. If his faith is alive, it will multiply. Paul reminds Timothy that Jesus walks alongside him to sustain and empower him for ministry. He can lead with confidence that God will work through him to transform the lives of others.

These challenges are for us today. We must rekindle our spiritual gift, especially if it has been dormant for a while. The gospel needs to be the center of our lives, and we must recognize how easy it is for other things to take its place. We need to pay attention to the voices we listen to, including the music we hear and the podcasts to which we subscribe. We must also handle God’s Word well because it is the foundation for the good news we are to share. All of this is to say that Paul’s very personal letter to his understudy contains the encouragement we need today. Our lives, once fanned into flame for Christ, will radiate his love and grace.

TODAY: Re-read the entire letter of 2 Timothy, which will take about 12 minutes. Then, revisit a sermon from the past seven weeks.


JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Read 2 Samuel 23-24. Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Consider David’s last words and recognition of how the Spirit was upon him and how the Spirit descends on Jesus.