People of the Bible: Timothy

Who was Timothy?

Timothy was an incredible young man. Like Silas, and others, Timothy accompanied Paul on at least one of his missionary journeys. Throughout the New Testament we learn about Timothy because of his close proximity to Paul and other important leaders in the first century. We get the most detail about him in the letters Paul wrote to him, 1 & 2 Timothy.

In these letters we find out about his family life. While Paul worked with Timothy it was clear that he was a very faithful person. Paul attributed this faith to Timothy’s mother and grandmother. It teaches us that the people who raise us have had a tremendous impact on our lives. Timothy’s family instilled in him a strong faith in Jesus Christ.

However, Timothy did not have it perfect. Timothy’s father was an unbeliever. He did not have a strong fatherly mentor in the faith. That is where Paul steps in. Paul took it upon himself to be a spiritual father to Timothy. We see this time and time again when Paul addresses Timothy as his son. Having parents to learn from is ideal, but others can step in and provide guidance at any time. It is important for us to be obedient and seek these wise mentors out because they help us in our faith.

In Paul’s letters to Timothy we learn many things, one is that Timothy was a very young leader. Timothy was the pastor of the church of Ephesus (one of the largest in the New Testament). Paul encourages him to not let people look down on him because he is young. Throughout the Bible, God uses all kinds of people with all kinds of ages. We are all supposed to be examples of what living a godly life looks like.

Another thing we learn from Timothy is it is okay to not have it all figured out. As a young pastor, Timothy still had a lot to learn. Paul was writing to Timothy to help guide and teach him in his ministry. Paul encouraged him to be a good leader. He told him to be someone who worked hard and taught people the right things.

Timothy teaches us that we do not have to wait until we are old enough or until we have it all figured out to make a difference for God. No matter how old we are, no matter what situation we find ourselves in, God can and will use us in incredible ways if we dedicate ourselves to him. We see this most clearly in the life of Jesus. Jesus who was the son of God made a continuous effort to build his relationship with his father. Jesus dedicated himself to God and it paved the way for God to use him. God used his son Jesus as an everlasting sacrifice for us sins.

After Jesus defeated death, he gave us the command to go and teach other people about him. This is what Paul was doing with Timothy, this is what Timothy was doing with his church, and this is what we are called to do with the people under our influence.

Key Takeaways:

• Family Faith is important

• Be a Good Leader

• Share your faith with others!

Parents, 3treesKIDS will also be learning about Timothy this Sunday, both in-person and online.

Be sure to check out their lesson at www.3trees.com/kids.

To find service times and locations, visit https://www.3trees.com/planyourvisit.

People of the Bible: Paul

Who was Paul?

Paul is one of the most prominent characters in the Bible, especially the New Testament. Paul wrote over two-thirds of the New Testament. Books like Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, and more are attributed to him. Through Paul’s writings, Christians gained a much better understanding of God. Paul celebrated, rebuked, disciplined, taught the people he was writing to in these letters. They were preserved and still hold the same value for us today.

Paul’s story is a great example of God changing and using someone. Originally, Paul who also went by the name of Saul was someone who persecuted Christians. Paul was trained as a Jew, and like the Pharisees, he did not like the movement that was centered around Jesus. In fact, he played a major role in sending Christians to jail and even having them killed.

Paul was a thorn in Christianity’s side, that is until he had an encounter with Jesus himself. Acts 9 gives us the details of this event. Jesus appeared to him as a bright light and the light blinded Paul. Jesus asked Paul why he was persecuting him, and Jesus sent him on a mission to see a man named Ananias. Ananias told Paul about Jesus and the Holy Spirit; and Paul was instantly able to see again. Paul put his faith in Jesus and his new life began.

Paul made it his mission to spread the good news of Jesus to as many people as he could. He traveled far and wide preaching to anyone who would listen. Many people were shocked because Paul was known to have previously hated Christians. When people saw him preaching about him in a good way they were curious and many came to faith through Paul’s witness. It is a clear example that God can and does do the unexpected through unexpected people. No one is too far from God to be used by him.

Paul started many churches and he discipled many people. He taught that people should put sin aside and live a life led by the Holy Spirit. He was a spark in the early church needed to spread the gospel beyond Israel. Paul took the great commission of going and making disciples throughout all the whole world seriously. Jesus grabbed a hold of Paul’s heart and Paul lived his life for Jesus through the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus died and gave us the opportunity to live eternal life, and it is the Spirit that helps guide us into applying that to our daily lives.

Key Takeaways:

• God can use anybody

• Paul: Persecutor to Missionary

• Be led by the Spirit

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Parents, 3treesKIDS will also be learning about Paul this Sunday, both in-person and online.

Be sure to check out their lesson at www.3trees.com/kids.

To find service times and locations, visit https://www.3trees.com/planyourvisit.

People of the Bible: Nicodemus

Who was Nicodemus?

Book of the Bible: John 3:1-15

Nicodemus is one of the first people we see interact with Jesus in the gospel of John. But after this initial encounter with him, we don’t see much more of him. Nicodemus was a religious leader during the time of Jesus. When Jesus was starting his ministry, these religious leaders wanted to see what he was all about. As we read through the gospels, we see that many of these leaders opposed Jesus very strongly.

We aren’t entirely sure what Nicodemus thought of Jesus, but we do know that he was curious. The Bible tells us that during the night, Nicodemus went to go see Jesus. The Bible makes it clear that he did not come during the day, but at night. That distinction has intrigued many people throughout history. We are left to wonder, why did he come at night?

There are a few different ways to look at it. Nicodemus could have come at night because he was afraid of what people would think about him. Jesus was not a popular figure within the religious leader group, to be caught talking to him could have done damage to his reputation. Some believe that Nicodemus went at night so that nobody else would know he went to see Jesus.

Another possibility is that nighttime was the time people gathered to have discussions with each other. If this were the case then Nicodemus was not hiding the fact that he was going to see Jesus, but he was simply operating in the customs of their culture.

One other possibility is that Nicodemus just could not wait until morning to talk to Jesus. His thoughts about Jesus could have been burning so deep within him that he had to go and find him immediately. Whatever the case, we do know that Nicodemus wanted answers, but what did he want answers to?

Nicodemus affirms Jesus by telling him that he is surely of God because of all the miraculous things he can do. But if we read between the lines, we can see that he wasn’t entirely sure what it all meant. And that is when Jesus went to the heart of the issue.

The religious leaders believed they had special rights through their lineage. They thought that because they were children of Abraham they were assured a place in God’s Kingdom. But in his typical fashion, Jesus takes this misunderstanding and turns it on its head. Jesus told Nicodemus that the only way to enter into God’s Kingdom and have eternal life is to be born again. Nicodemus questioned how anyone could actually be reborn, but Jesus specifies that it is a rebirth through the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that gives birth to spiritual life, and it is only through Jesus that this has been made available to us.

Another interesting fact is that Nicodemus appears only one more time, and it is at Jesus’s burial. We are led to believe that Nicodemus truly did believe in Jesus even though the other religious leaders had him killed. It seems that Nicodemus was experiencing the rebirth of the Holy Spirit that Jesus told him about years earlier.

Key Takeaways:

• We are called to be born again

• We received salvation and eternal life through Jesus

• Everyone Needs Jesus

Parents, 3treesKIDS will also be learning about Nicodemus, this Sunday, both in-person and online.

Be sure to check out their lesson at www.3trees.com/kids.

To find service times and locations, visit https://www.3trees.com/planyourvisit.