Have you ever been in a toxic environment where you feel like people weren't doing the right things for the right reasons?
Sports are a great way to teach you how to work with people, but it can also be a very toxic environment where people are selfish and only look out for themselves.
It is important to know who you are, and what you want to get out of sports and have a good value system so you can stay on track.
Paul's 2nd letter to Timothy was written because Ephesus had turned into a selfish, toxic city infiltrated by false teachers who were spreading erroneous doctrines.
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city founded in the 10th century BC and was one of the most important cities in the ancient world. Ephesus was a major port city and a center of trade and commerce. It was also a religious center, and the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was located in the city.
Ephesus was also an important center for early Christianity. The apostle Paul lived and preached in Ephesus for two years, and the city was home to one of the first seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation.
But when Paul wrote the 2nd book to Timothy, there was trouble in Ephesus. As stated by Dr. Bill Mounce in his sermon about 2nd Timothy, "The leadership in the church had gone bad. The wolves were attacking the sheep, the behavior of these elders was reprehensible, and their teaching was heretical. So Paul sends Timothy to Ephesus to try to deal with the problem."
In 2nd Timothy 3, Paul writes that the scripture, the words of the Bible, were breathed out by God, and because they were, it is profitable to us for learning, for training, and for correction:
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Because the scripture, the Bible, comes from the mouth of God, we know it is true. We also know it is authoritative.
It tells us how to live, what to do, and what not to do. All we have to do is read the Bible and learn from it, and it will have the answers we need to live the life we want.
When the world says, "Fit in. Do what makes you happy. Be like us," The Bible says, “Be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” (Philippians 2:15)
The scripture is God's word. It is our ability to read how God wants us to live. If you read it and live by it, you can have the love, joy, and peace that God wants you to have.
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