Bridging The Gap

 Last time, the apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to be fit for the Master’s use by keeping himself pure and fleeing youthful lusts. Today, we’ll see Paul offer a little more encouragement in that direction. Let’s open our Bibles now to Second Timothy two, beginning with verse twenty.

Today we return to the marvelous epistle of Second Timothy.  In the latter portion of chapter two, we encounter three metaphors.  One dealing with a workman, the other centers around a vessel, and the third is a servant.  It’s important for us to absorb the great truths we find here - they all center around being a vessel of honor. Honor is a sometimes forgotten commodity in the year 2023, even within the walls of the Christian church. Let’s see what Paul has to say on the subject! 

Did you know that it’s possible to have an extensive knowledge of the Bible and still not believe it? There are countless professors of Religion or Theology that know the Bible better than most Christians, but have chosen to turn their hearts away from the truth.They’ve been blinded by the lies of the world. It’s been said that a small amount of heart knowledge is much more valuable than a large amount of brain knowledge.

 In Second Timothy Chapter two, we run across a challenge not only for Timothy but for each of us who are under the banner of Christ.  Be diligent to present yourself approved by God, as a workman who does not need to be ashamed. Hard work and real commitment seem to be on the endangered list these days, but it must not be so or the Christian. There’s a great deal for us to take away from this Scripture, and Pastor Lloyd Pulley is here to point that out to us.

Today, we’ll receive a refresher course, if you will, on some of the basics and essentials of our faith in Christ.  In doing so, this will serve as a wonderful protection for our lives to help us detect false teachings that come our way. 

 Hard times are on the horizon for each of us. That makes me sound like a pessimist, but difficulties are really a part of life.  Maybe for you’re going through such a stretch right now.  What’s going to keep us strong and help us endure?  We’re about to find out as we turn together to Second Timothy two.

The apostle Paul used a metaphor of a hard working farmer to show us what Christian life and ministry is to be like.  Today on Bridging the Gap, Lloyd Pulley continues his study of Second Timothy by having us consider the first seven verses of chapter two. It is here that we observe what an effective minister has in common with a farmer, an athlete and a soldier.

Paul in writing to Timothy encouraged him to look to the soldier, athlete and farmer for characteristics to apply to his life and ministry.  And these are words we really need to hear today as well.

I think we can all agree that there’s been an increase in hostility toward Christians in the last couple of decades. The media has been especially obvious in their contempt for anything that has to do with the worship of Jesus Christ. Do you sometimes feel like you’re fighting a losing battle? Well, pastor Lloyd is going to encourage us to hold fast in our faith today as we finish up our look at Second Timothy chapter one. 

Pastor Lloyd has an encouraging study in store for us today from the first chapter of Second Timothy.  Maybe you’re going through a really hard time right now, and could use a good dose of encouragement?  Well Second Timothy certainly has that for suffering saints. Whatever you’re going through, allow the Lord to speak to you from His Word, and bring you the encouragement you need today. 

 When we’re in the midst of suffering, questions start rolling through our minds.  Have you ever thought, “What is God up to!”  Is there purpose behind the pain?  Second Timothy chapter one provides some insights and through this study we pray that you’ll see you have nothing to be ashamed of, but plenty of reason to rejoice and be thankful in Christ. 

 At times we’ll suffer for doing right in God’s sight, and we shouldn’t be ashamed when that occurs!  That’s the message Paul wanted to emphasize to Timothy in the passage before us.   pastor Lloyd Pulley is in Second Timothy one, verses eight through twelve.

Today, Lloyd Pulley continues to highlight the first seven verses of Second Timothy, chapter one.  The theme here is encouragement, and couldn’t we all use a healthy dose of that right now? With everything going on in this world right now, encouragement is sorely needed, so let’s join pastor Lloyd for part two of a message titled “Be Encouraged”!

For all too many, the flame we experienced when we became saved needs rekindling to get it back to the roaring blaze it once was for Christ. This was true for a man named Timothy and today on Bridging the Gap, pastor Lloyd Pulley kicks off a new study in the book of Second Timothy.  This was the apostle Paul’s last letter, and he certainly saved some of the best for last.

Today on Bridging the Gap we take you to Exodus thirty four as we wrap up our series through Exodus.  Today we’ll notice how the sins of the Fathers sadly affected their children.  It still happens today. 

We’re about to dive into the sea of God’s blessings available to us in Christ, and we hope you will see your appreciation of Christ grow as you join us for today’s message.  Pastor Lloyd Pulley is in Exodus thirty four today, and his message is titled “Experiencing God Personally”.

Just after the people of Israel committed idolatry by worshipping a golden calf, the Lord said that He was not going to bless them with the fulness of His presence.  He would no longer personally escort them into the Promised Land.  As you might imagine this upset Moses greatly, and so he’s going to speak with the Lord about this.  We may not be worshipping golden statues of animals today, but we still have idols in our lives, and that greatly displeases the Lord.

Pastor Lloyd Pulley is leading us through Exodus chapter by chapter, and as we enter chapter thirty three, we are right on the heels of the Israelites sinning through their worship of the golden calf.  After you sin and fail the Lord, have you ever wondered if God will give you another chance?  Well, He will... and then some.  But there are consequences for our actions as we’re about to discover.

One of the reasons our country is in the mess it’s in is because of the idols we have in our lives. Money, cars, houses, spouses.... the list goes on and on. Today pastor Lloyd brings us the conclusion of a message about the idolatry problems experienced by the people of Israel - and the trouble they got into because of it.

Today on Bridging the Gap Pastor Lloyd Pulley looks back to Exodus thirty two. Think Idolatry is a problem unique to the year 2023? Oh, no, it’s been around for as long as man has been around. Moses didn’t even make it down the mountain with the ten commandments before the people started worshipping a false idol.