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Titus 3 Devotional – Day 4

ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness

GOD IS OUR COMFORTER
Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Comforter,” and the apostle Paul writes that the Lord is “the God of all comfort.” 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Praise God the Comforter
Praise God because He sees and understands our sorrows. Praise God because He comforts those in trouble. Praise Him because He is present and He cares. Praise Him because He brings comfort through His people.

CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100

SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.

  • Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
  • Today is the last day of Kids Camp at River. Pray for the kids as they listen to the gospel message. Pray for kids to turn to Christ and for kids to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

SCRIPTURE READING:
Titus 3 – The Message
He Put Our Lives Together
3 1-2 Remind the people to respect the government and be law-abiding, always ready to lend a helping hand. No insults, no fights. God’s people should be bighearted and courteous.

3-8 It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, easy marks for sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

8-11 I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone. Stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you nowhere. Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him. It’s obvious that such a person is out of line, rebellious against God. By persisting in divisiveness he cuts himself off.

* * *

12-13 As soon as I send either Artemas or Tychicus to you, come immediately and meet me in Nicopolis. I’ve decided to spend the winter there. Give Zenas the lawyer and Apollos a hearty send-off. Take good care of them.

14 Our people have to learn to be diligent in their work so that all necessities are met (especially among the needy) and they don’t end up with nothing to show for their lives.

15 All here want to be remembered to you. Say hello to our friends in the faith. Grace to all of you.

Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:

When do you speak the truth with courage? When do you hold your tongue and remain quiet? When is a “discussion” unprofitable and useless and when it is helpful? Paul told Titus to avoid foolish controversies and arguments, and yet he himself weighed in often on controversial subjects in his letters. Part of the answer is in looking at who he was talking to in his letters and why he was writing them. He was talking to people with whom he had some level of a trust relationship with. The reason he was writing them was out of a heart of concern for them and for the glory of God. As you consider whether or how to weigh in on a potentially controversial topic with someone ask yourself if there is ample trust there for the level of engagement you are considering. In addition, search your own heart to make sure you motivation is, as best you can tell, for their good and not just self-serving reasons. You may still need to have the conversation because your bad motivation doesn’t mean it is a bad idea. However, before having the conversation ask God to change your heart on the matter. This is important because we can misread Paul’s message to Titus in the passage as a reason for us to avoid difficult but important conversations. We must take the Scripture in balance. There is a time to hold our tongues, even when we don’t want to. There is a time to speak truth boldly, even when we don’t want to. Pray that God will help you know the difference.

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