ENGAGED

VOLUME 2 ISSUE # 6

...In Favor
WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT: 2.6.11 2 TIMOTHY 1:6

Therefore I remind
you to stir up the
gift of God which is
in you through the
laying on of my
hands.
2 Timothy 1:6
The Body of Christ is a beautiful,
unique organism that is living and
active across the boundaries of time
and location. Jesus looked into the
future and saw the Church as His
body, functioning to care for itself
and to reach out into the lost world
serving as His hands and feet. He
prayed that we would be unified just
as He and the Father are one. He
also promised that His Spirit would
come to indwell His believers. With
the giving of His Spirit would also
come the endowment of spiritual
gifts, which would equip us to fulfill
our mission in the body. Our
engagement of these gifts is essential
to be the Church...to do the work
of ministry.
24/7 faith
Luke 19:13
Day 1
Let’s run back to the beginning of the chapter.   As we get to Personal
verse 5, we see the legacy of faith that is being passed along. This
is a legacy that begins with Timothy’s grandmother and then to
his mother and now ultimately to Timothy himself. Paul testifies that he is
persuaded Timothy is in the faith as well.   What could give Paul this
persuasion?  Can a man be convinced of another’s spiritual state?  We only
have clues…  Based upon proper clues, Paul was convinced Tim had genuine
faith. Based upon the clues, how would Paul characterize your faith? 
Sincere or an act?
Relational
To fully realize the impact of this week’s verse in light of our
relationships, we must put it into the context of all that Paul is
saying. Look at the verse just prior to verse 6. Timothy’s faith and
gifting was tied to his “faith family”. In his case, it was his mother and
grandmother. Who was your “faith family” that brought you to Christ?
Who is your “faith family” now? Are you pouring your life into someone, as
Lois and Eunice did?
Generational
Pastors are the same as any other person. There is nothing
special about any pastor. But they do feel called to ministry,
and to the responsibility of the spiritual care of all who are in the
church. How do you think that pastors feel the call?
Relational Faith Generational Faith

A 24/7 faith is the only faith that is authentic. It
is unselfish and God-centered. This type of
faith is personal and real. It is not produced by
community, but community enhances it. This
section is for the individual believer.
Relationships define who we are. God has
placed us in community with others with whom
we must relate. Whether it is marriage,
employment, social, civic, worship, etc., we must
learn to relate to others as Christ.
God expects us to pass on our faith to the
next generation. Scripture is full of commands
to leave a legacy of faith. However, it is not for
the faint of heart. This section will provide
fodder for you to talk about faith at home...
 Day 2 Personal
Day 3 Day 4
Personal Personal
Paul tells us where this kind So Paul begins in verse 6 with,
What are the proper clues?  of sincere faith comes from ‘Therefore’.   In other words,
Well, first I think we look at a in verse 5.   “IN” you.   It ‘because I am sure of your
confession of Who Jesus is.   That also dwelt ‘in' his grandmother and sincere faith that lives inside you at all
confession leads to an acceptance of times, ‘I remind you to stir up the gift of
mother. ‘Dwelt’ means to take up
God.’  Paul’s assurance of Tim’s faith gave
what He has done for us. Once we residence in, to inhabit.   In other him full assurance that Tim had God’s
personally accept Jesus’ Supremacy and words, sincere faith becomes a part of Gift (spiritual giftedness) that needed
His finished work for us, our last us and not a compartment of us. One churning.     Timothy struggled with a
response is partnership with Him.   So delusion of our Christian day is that the couple of things; his leadership at such a
the clear evidence/clues of our sincere spiritual life and physical life are young age and the acceptance of his
faith are found in our partnership with s e p a r a t e d . We l i ve w i t h i n t h e leadership among the churches.   So we
p a r a m e t e r s o f o n e a t a t i m e .  find Paul earnestly encouraging Timothy
Jesus, His Word and His Will.   We often concerning such things as being
Therefore, because our sincere faith is
accomplish this by our words, deeds strong, enduring hardness, and soaring
not dwelling in us at all times, we miss
and our exercise of Spiritual Gifts.   As many opportunities to partner with above ridicule over his age.   Here Paul
the church looks at the clues of your challenges Timothy to continually
God through using our personal
life, is there persuasion that your faith is remember, to rekindle the fire that was
spiritual giftedness.   Think about ways stoked in him.  Sometimes we forget the
sincere? What are those clues in your you may be able to use your precious fire.  When we forget the fire, we forget
life that would tip them off? gift in your ‘regular’ physical life this our response.   When our response is
Relational week. Begin using it and putting it into forgotten, so are the clues to our sincere
The word “therefore” is an action.   I want to hear about how it faith. (See Elliot & McCheyne quotes
important part of this week’s goes… below)
Relational Relational
verse. It means that Timothy
should stir up his gift in light of what Today, look at verse 7 in the What was Paul’s role in
verse five says. Read verse five again, context. Do you think Paul Timothy’s gifting? Involvement
putting it into the context of your own sensed some hesitation in Timothy to with other believers is vital to
life. Can you see in your own life how exercise his gifts? Do you have our spiritual development and
you hold the torch for the next hesitation in exercising yours? Who maturity. Who has been involved in
would lose (besides yourself), if you your life? Whose life are you involved
generation?
hold back? in?
Generational Generational Generational
What does As a family, pray for Randy
responsibility feel Pray today for our Lead
Kinnick, Dick Martin and Billy
like? Talk about what Pastor, Blaine, as he recovers
Ellis today. As the pastors who deal
responsibilities exists in your family, from his surgery. Do something primarily with adults, what are some
and how does it feel to know that as a family to let him know that things that your family can pray about
you are responsible for something. you are praying for them. for them today?
Day 5 Vance Havnor once wrote, “We must stir up the gift of God within us, that we may be burning and shining
lights. But it is the dynamic of the Spirit, not human enthusiasm – old Adam worked up to a high pitch. ‘Stir’
carries the idea of kindling the flame – doctrine that we may believe, discipline that we may behave and
dynamic that we may burn! That is the true New Testament Timothy, believing, behaving, burning!”  What are
we to stir?  Our ‘charisma = grace’, God rewards and bestows these gifts upon His people to use for the
edifying of the Body.  May we not neglect to keep aflame the gifts in us that God uses, so that our faith is
clear to the world in order for others to see His reflection through us…  Are you being faithful to your clues?
There is a gift in you, if you are a believer. But as Paul urged Timothy, we must stir it up, or pursue and develop it.
Challenge yourself this week to see yourself as gifted, as vital to someone’s spiritual growth and development. See
yourself as linked to other believers in spiritual life and community. Today, ask God to help you “stir up” your gift
in our community of believers.
Pray for Joel Lauckner, Allen Pointer and Adrian Holland today. How can your family pray for these
pastors who minister to those from the cradle to college?
Robert Murray M'Cheyne (who died at age 30)
Jim Elliot once asked... ‘Am I ignitable? God deliver me said that, ’The oil of the lamp in the temple
from the dread asbestos of 'other things'. Saturate me burnt away in giving light; so should we.’
with the oil of the Spirit that I may be a flame.’
NEXT WEEK: 1 Cor. 12:7