Needed: Titus 2 Women for Romans 1 World

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Kristie Anyabwile: Titus 2 living in a Romans 1 world. I’m going to talk about it in two ways and use to passages of Scripture, so I hope that you all will be able to track with me this afternoon. Living as Titus 2 women in Romans 1 world, first of all, we have to state the problem. The problem is, we’ll find in Romans 1 that we’re in a state of emergency. And then we’ll spend some time there, and then we’ll talk secondly, about the solution. The solution that I’m proposing this afternoon is older and younger women investing in each other, and we’ll look at Titus 2 for that portion. So let’s get it started. A state of emergency, as you’re well aware, is a situation normally of national danger or disaster, something big. Usually citizens are encouraged to change their normal behavior in order for government and other agencies to implement emergency plans. And often a state of emergency is declared during a time of natural disaster, human disasters, civil unrest, war, some other international or widespread conflict.

So an example, recent … A couple of examples, recently in our country, the California wildfires. Back in December, I know at one point, there were 21,000 acres had been burned by fires in about six communities. And then, if you think more recently, just about a few weeks ago, there was a state of emergency called for in Florida, with tropical storm, Alberto. It was bearing down on the state and the governor there issued a state of emergency. These are tragic events, and they call us to prayer. They call people to action, and they call us to be aware of the danger and then to run for safety. A state of emergency really is a worst case scenario come true. However, once the situation is neutralized, the danger is alleviated and order is restored, then the state of emergency can be lifted. Now, think about that idea, this state of emergency and as you think about our society today and how it’s becoming more and more morally ambiguous and relativistic. Any degree of femininity is shunned, a secular understanding of masculinity is celebrated.

Celebrates machismo and breeds misogyny, sexuality and gender are fluid. Independence indicates power, dependence is a sign of weakness. Our lives are completely private, except for what we showcase on social media and no one is to question or push against our personal ideas, or preferences, or goals. We pursue what we want, when we want, and how we want it. We’re very much living in Romans a 1 world. And I think in the Church, we … and particularly with women, are in a spiritual state of emergency that calls for us to neutralize the threat of secular thinking, to warn of the dangers of sin and judgment, and to restore biblical order to a society out of control. I’m going to read Romans 1 to give us context for this. Romans 1 beginning in verse 16. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, for what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, and birds, and animals, and creeping things. Therefore, God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, amen.

For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions, for their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature. And the men likewise, gave up natural relations with women, and were consumed with passions for one another. Men committing shameless acts with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.” It says, “They did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They’re gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them, but give approval to those who practice them.”

Not a great state of being. In this passage, I want to point out Romans 1, three things. I want to point out God’s revelation of righteousness and wrath from verses 16-20, and then man’s response of utter rebellion against God in verses 21-23, and then the tragic resolution that we’ll look at briefly in verses 24-32. So first, God’s revelation. In verses 16-17, we see God reveals His righteousness. You see it in 16-17, Paul is not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe, and it reveals the righteousness of God through faith in Christ. We also see that God reveals His wrath in verses 18-20. God’s wrath is being revealed against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, because He’s clearly revealed Himself to them, yet they suppress this truth. We see the suppression of truth in the relativism of our day, where the belief is that there is no absolute truth. But it’s pretty easy to see the foolishness that flaw that idea as the very statement itself is exerting an absolute.

Secondly, in verses 21-23, we see man’s response. So we see God’s revealing both His righteousness and His wrath, and now we see man’s response in verses 21-23. I’m just glancing over these verses to paint a quick picture for you. In verses 21-23, we see that humanity fell into idolatry because they failed to honor God and show gratitude to Him, exchanging the truth about Him for a lie. They didn’t give Him the glory that He’s due. They didn’t give Him gratitude, rather they presumed upon God’s kindness and took Him for granted. They were empty. The Bible says, devoid of reason and their hearts were darkened, and they displayed the height of foolishness by denying God’s existence, and then they fall into idolatry. And then lastly, verses 24 to 32, we see the tragic resolution to this state of rebellion. God left mankind to do whatever their evil heart’s desire, because of their disregard and rejection of Him. So we’re in the state of emergency. We’re in a state of emergency because what Paul was addressing in his day is the same for us today.

The trajectory of humanity when left in their sin is toward more sin, deeper sin. Even settled, reveling in sin. And then, we also see in our day, our ability and even disinterest in pursuing the things of God, in pursuing godliness. Therefore, we need God’s righteousness to reign and rule in our day. If left unaddressed and unanswered, the fate of those in our day will be the same as those in Paul’s day. God will give them up. I know it’s not a great way to start off a workshop, but we need to be clear that there are real women in real danger of real judgment if we can’t find a way to neutralize the threat of sin, to alleviate the danger of judgment, and restore order to the lives of women whom we minister to everyday. “How do we do that?” You might be wondering, and, “What does Titus 2 have to do with it?” Good question.

I’m convinced that if older and younger women invest in each other’s lives, not only would we grow in our personal discipleship, but we would serve as outposts of the Great Commission to others who are in need of God’s rescue. So for the rest of the time … That was just to paint a quick picture in Romans 1, but for the rest of the time, I want to offer the solution. Older and younger women investing in each other’s lives, and we’ll do that by looking more carefully at Titus chapter 2. So you can turn there, or flip there, or tap there if you have your Bibles. But Titus 1, I’ll read 1-5, and then I’ll read 11-14. So looking at Titus 2, there’s a few things to keep in mind about the book. First of all, Titus 2, chapter 2 in particular, is gospel motivated.

If you look at verses 11-14 of chapter 2, it’s all about the good news of the gospel that frees us from sin, and frees us to live in a manner pleasing to God, not because of our works, but because of Christ’s perfect righteousness applied to us as we repent of our sin and turn to Christ by faith. Secondly, another thing to keep in mind is that Titus 2 is pastoral and relational. Because we see in verse 1 of chapter 2, the charge for the pastor, Pastor Titus, to teach what accords with sound doctrine. So you see that pastoral responsibility, but then in verses 3-10, it all happens in the context of discipleship. So you get verse 1 from Pastor, verses 3-10 to the pew. From Pastor to pew. And then thirdly, keep in mind that Titus 2 makes the Great Commission gender specific. What I mean by that is not just limited to men or pastors. Some people are like, “Oh well, it’s the pastor’s job to preach the gospel so why do I need to do it?”

Well, Titus 2 shows us that … and it gives us specific instructions to women in how to be both student disciple, and how to also be teacher in the things of God. Much of what I’m about to share for the rest of our time is part of a chapter that I co-wrote with Susan Hunt, in a book that is edited by both Gloria Furman, and Kathleen Nielson. Excuse me, and the book is called Word-Filled Women’s Ministry: Loving and Serving the Church. I think there’s copies in the bookstore if anybody wants to pick it up. But if you’re taking notes, here are three reasons why we need to have Titus 2 as our method for lifting this state of emergency. One, from verses 3-5, and also from Matthew 28, our responsibility to carry out the Great Commission. Two is that there’s redemptive purpose behind some of the practical concerns that we see outlined. We’ll see that in verses 11-14. And then also 11-14, we’ll look at, thirdly, there’s a return on your investment in the lives of women. We’ll look at, again, 11-14.

So let me … That said, let me read Titus 2:1-5 and then 11-14. And then I’ll tell you a story. “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love and in steadfastness. Or to women, likewise, are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the Word of God may not be reviled.” Verse 11, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age.

Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness, and to purify for Himself, a people for His own possession who was zealous for good works.” So here’s the story. I’m going to ask a question first. How many of you have had the opportunity to ask, as an older woman, a younger woman to walk alongside you in discipleship? Praise the Lord. Now, how many of you who are younger women have had the opportunity to ask an older woman to invest in your life in the ministry of discipleship? Nice, lots and lots of hands. This is amazing. I saw one statistic that said over 50% of the women here … 55 or something, are 20-30 year olds. And so there’s a lot of y’all, a smaller percentage of women who are in the 50 and over range. But we’re good, we’re okay. I asked the question because a lot of times, women really struggle with discipleship, they struggle with the ask.

“Who should I ask? Can I ask? What happens when I ask? What am I getting myself into?” And so on and so forth. “I don’t know what I’m doing.” And so on and so forth. Well, the first two older women I asked to mentor me, they both said, “No.” I know. I can smile about it now. But at the time, I was devastated. I knew both women pretty well, we served together in the same church for a number of years, we enjoyed fellowship with one another all the time. And they were women who when you read Titus 2 and you look at verses 3-5, their names are written all over it as models of women who are reverend, and self-controlled, and lovers of their husbands and children, and so on and so forth. And many women already in our church were learning from their lifestyle and from their faith, so I was excited about the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with one of these ladies. So you might think then, “If were already learning from them, then why were you looking for … What else were you looking for? What more were you looking for?”

I think at the time, I’d only been a Christian for a couple of years, or short number of years and I was looking for an older woman who I could just lay my life before her as an open book. I wanted somebody to hold my hand while walked out my faith in the callings that the Lord had given me as a young wife and mother. And I felt like I needed a spiritual mom, someone who could help teach me and train me to live for the glory of God in all of life. So when I made the first request, we met at a local restaurant and already knew what I wanted to order for breakfast because I had everything all planned out. I nervously scanned the menu stalling for time, because I knew I had to ask this question, or praying for boldness and just the right words to express to her my desire and what I was hoping for. I prayed for God’s wisdom and asked Him to show me who I could ask to walk with me in this way. So I thought I was good.

I placed my order, I put away the menu, took a deep breath, then I said something like, “Thanks for coming to breakfast with me. I’ve been so encouraged by your life and your faith. I’ve been learning so much from you already by watching how you raise your children and your grandchildren, and teaching toddlers at Sunday school, and all of this, and how you care for your husband. You’ve just been a model to me in so many ways, but I know that there’s more that I need to learn. I’ve been praying for mentor and I believe that the Lord directed me to you to ask if you would consider …” I don’t even think I used the word “discipling” back then, I think I might have said mentor or something, “… to mentor me and help me grow in my walk with the Lord.” I did just like that. There was silence, awkward pause. This godly woman took a deep breath and she said something like, “Honey …” You have to know, well she calls everybody honey.

She said, “I’m honored that you would make such a request of me.” She said, “But I have to say “No” right now.” She’s from North Carolina too, so she has a country tweng. She said, “I got my grandkids keeping me busy and I have work, so I just don’t think I have time right now.” I’m like, “Okay.” So I’m embarrassed, I’m hurt and trying to play it off. I try to let her off the hook and I was like, “That’s okay. I understand.” I didn’t. “If your schedule changes in the future, you can let me know.” I wasn’t hopeful. And she says, “I sure will, baby.” She calls everybody baby too. So I finished that breakfast as fast as I could, drove home in a flood of tears. And in that moment, I made a promise to the Lord. I said to the Lord, that by His grace … I feel like I’ve been able to keep for over 20 years now as a Christian. And that promise was, if any woman ever came to me in my local church asking me to mentor her, or to walk with her, or disciple her, or whatever word I was using at the time, that I would never say “No”.

I would find some time, some way to invest in her life. And you know what happens when you make promises to God like that, right? Well, it wasn’t long when a young college student … Well, she wasn’t a college student at the time, she worked in college ministry. I had been married a few years and she was a newlywed. And she might have been pregnant at the time, I can’t remember. But she was like, “I was just wondering if I could just come to your house sometime and sit with you and cook with you over dinner, and just ask you questions and stuff.” And I was like, “Sure.” I mean, I got to a cook and I like to cook, and I like to talk. I wasn’t sure what the questions were going to be about, but I was hoping it was going to be about food because I knew that.

So what developed was just a beautiful relationship of me and this young lady cooking together over dinner every once a week or once every other week or so, and her just asking me questions about life, and about marriage, and about motherhood, and about stuff I knew answers to and stuff I didn’t know answers to. We prayed together, we cried together, we laughed together, we did all the things. What do young people say now? We did life together. Is that right? Okay. Fast forward years later, I was in conversation with this godly woman who told me “No” and we were talking about the needs for discipleship among younger women, actually. It was years later, come on. I have forgiven her. But she got very quiet. And after a moment of reflection, she said, “You know, honey, I remember when you asked me to disciple you.” She said, “Honestly, I had never been asked that question before and I didn’t know how to respond.” She said, “I wasn’t too busy for you.” She said, “I was scared, because I didn’t think that I could do what you were asking of me.”

And she said, “Baby, I’m sorry for how I responded to you that day.” And that conversation left me thinking and praying a lot about how older women could be encouraged to embrace their calling to train younger women according to the instructions of Titus 2. I don’t know if any of you have had similar experience, I won’t ask you to raise your hand. But it’s pretty painful to … It’s a vulnerable moment to ask someone to enter into your life that way. And if any of you have had experience similar to mine, I know that feeling of pain and even fear of, “Oh my gosh, can I do it again? And what if I get another no?” And I didn’t get to no’s, but anyways. I love them both, and they’re still different. But if we look at Titus 2, first of all … and I’m going to also look at Matthew 28 in a second as well. We see this responsibility to carry out the Great Commission. So my heart was for bold steps.

I wanted older women to take the bold steps of faith to mentor, and I wanted the younger women to take the bold steps of faith to ask for help. And to be clear, I don’t see these bold steps as recommendations, I see them as requirements for every Christian to be making disciples, and teaching disciples, and living as disciples. As a matter of fact, disciple literally means what? Student, learner. So until Christ returns, all of us in this room, and all of us on this planet who are His are required to be both teacher and student, obeying the commands that Christ handed down to us in the gospel through His disciples. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus went to His disciples and said, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all that I’ve commanded you. And behold, I’m with you always to the end of the age.”

Now, if you were a disciple of Jesus at that time, can you imagine the pressure they must have felt when they heard Jesus say, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”? Then He says, “Teach them to obey all I have commanded you.” I imagine they would have felt crushed under the weight of that kind of responsibility. But the Lord, Jesus reminded them that His expectation of them would always be accompanied by His presence, “I Am with you always to the end of the age.” Now, if you believe you have wisdom to share, then pride is going to surface that you’re going to have to deal with. But if you believe the Lord is with you, and because He is with you, He will give you wisdom by His Spirit, then you don’t have to worry about expectations. “Can I do this? Will it be enough? Will I be effective? How can I measure up to their standards, or to the standards I hold up for myself or even to God’s standard? Am I doing a saying the right thing?”

Ladies, trust that the Spirit will do His work in and through both you and the woman that you’re discipling. Don’t try to be perfect, just try to be faithful. Faithful to the Word of God, faithful in prayer, faithful in your commitment to the women that God has placed in your life. However, it is true that younger women can expect a lot. I mean, they expect a lot because they need a lot. Granted, some expectations can be unrealistic, or unbiblical, or inflexible, or self-centered, and all the things at times. But this is precisely why they need older women. You can add balance to maybe expectations that are out of balance, by pointing them to Christ by reminding them of His deficiency, and encouraging them to place their hope in Him above all things. So in order to alleviate or in order to lift this state of emergency, we have to be great commission, gospel-centered women. We have to be women who boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, boldly going forth to make disciples, and to teach disciples, and to live as a disciple of Christ. Secondly, there’s a redemptive purpose behind this practical concern.

I’m sure if you’ve done any study of Titus 2, you’ve most likely broken down each characteristic of the older woman and the younger woman, you probably spent a lot of time expounding traits like reverence, and self-control, and working at home, and so on, and tried to make those qualities practical to daily life. And this is good, and it’s right. How we live before God and man matters. Paul teaches that faithfulness in these practical matters makes the Word of God attractive, and is evidence of the grace of God at work in us. We are, as he says many times to pastor Titus, to devote ourselves to good works. But if we settle for taking care of practical concerns only focusing on our roles and our conduct, then we fail to grasp the greater redemptive purpose in our practice. There’s a big question why in verses 11-14 of Titus 2, that must be answered as we carry out these important good words. The answer, of course, is the gospel.

We see it here presented very clearly in 11-14, “The grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age. Waiting for our blessing hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself, a people for His own possession, who are zealous for good works.” So when we’re talking about being Great Commission gospel-focused women, we’re talking about almost elevating Titus 2, moving from the very practical, necessary good and right concerns that are there. But to answering that question, why? Why should we be able workers at home? Why should we love our husbands and children this way? Why should we be kind and all of those things? Because the grace of God has appeared through His Son, Jesus Christ. He teaches us how to live uprightly in this present age, and these are the things that we communicate to one another in our Titus 2 discipling relationships. And then finally, there’s this return on your investment.

As much as younger women want to learn from older women to be encouraged, and equipped, and exhorted to live for the glory of the Lord, remember that the Lord is going to do in you, what He enables you to do in the lives of the younger women you disciple. We don’t have it all together, but God does and He will encourage and equip and exhort you as much as you do the same for others. So there’s more than just … It’s not a one-sided deal where the older woman rains down all her wisdom and years of knowledge and experience, and Christian maturity on the younger woman, and the younger woman just soaks it in, takes it all in and it’s a one-way show. No. It’s a relationship. So as much as an older woman is putting in, the Lord is going to be filling her. I know … I’m just going to go off for just a little rabbit trail for a second here. Here’s the thing.

I think older women can … What I see this day and age … I’ll put it this way, is I see a lot of young women who are zealous, who are eager. We have a church plant, and so I’ve talked to a lot of young women who are also in church plants. And there’s this hunger, and this thirst, and this longing for older women. I don’t know why church plants are really young, the average age is 30 or something. So I talk to a lot of women in church plants who say, “They are no older women in our church. I’m 33, and I’m the oldest one.” And that kind of thing. So there’s this longing for older women to be involved in their life, so I’m going to issue a little challenge. If you consider yourself to be an older woman … I ain’t going to tell you what that is. But if you consider yourself to be an older woman, can I encourage you to really pray?

The next time your church sends out a church plant, really pray with your husband and your family about whether or not He would be calling you to go to that young church plant. I’m telling you, I’m telling you, these young church plants need older women, they need older me. They need people who are mature in the faith, who can walk with them, and encourage them in the faith. So church plant ladies, you’re welcome. Also, in addition to that, I see on the other side, a lot of younger women who maybe they come out of parachurch ministry, maybe they’re fresh out of college, they got all the knowledge. They know the theology, they know the old guys, they know the young guys, they know the Spurgeons, and the ones whose names start with A-E, and stuff like that, they know big words.

And it can be intimidating to try to … As an older woman who may not have had that kind of theological training or background, it can be intimidating and feel almost like you don’t have anything to offer. Because man, she knows all the stuff. Well, guess what? She ain’t as old as you are, so there are things that you know, and that you’ve learned by sheer Christian experience. I think whether you’re an older woman and you’ve been saved three years or you’re an older woman and you’ve been saved 45 years, the Lord works beautifully in using that combination of age and devotion to Him in a way that ministers to younger women. So don’t feel like you have to compete or compare, or even hang with all the knowledge that you think a younger woman may have that you don’t, give them what you got. Christian experience is valuable in the lives of younger women. Okay, back on. And also, remember … This is an encouragement, but it’s not going to sound like it. Remember that you are inadequate. And again, I don’t say that to discourage you.

I say that to encourage you to depend on the Lord, and to know the sufficiency of Christ to help you in your inadequacy. “What if they ask me a question I don’t know the answer to?” Well, you could say, “I don’t know. But let me pray about it, ask around, think about it, I’ll get back to you.” Or, “Let’s study it together.” Or something like that. “What if they ask me a question that I should know the answer to?” Well, you can still say, “I should be able to answer that, but it’s not coming to me clearly. So let me think about it and get back to you.” Now, if they ask you a question, “What’s the gospel?” And you can’t answer that, then take that bold step and ask someone else you know who can clearly communicate and articulate the gospel, and have her walk you through it. There’s humility and vulnerability in this. So you might say … Somebody say, “Well, what’s the gospel?”

And you’re like, [inaudible], “I know the gospel. Wait a minute, hold on, it’s coming.” And then you have someone to walk alongside you and they explain a full gospel presentation or message to you, and it’s like, “Yeah, I knew that. I just didn’t know how to explain it to someone else.” I think that that can happen, that it can happen that there are things that some people think are basic to the faith, that we know to a certain extent, but we’re not able to communicate it … or to articulate it, I should say. We’re not able to articulate it clearly. So get help with that, ask somebody. And you know what? If you really don’t know the gospel and someone explains it to you, and then you realize, “Oh, wait, actually, I didn’t know that.” Then praise the Lord, repent and trust in Christ. That’s what they were there for, to bring you to Jesus.

So you might discover that you hearing and understanding the gospel for the first time, praise God. And man, what could be more beautiful than to finally understand that you are indeed a sinner and in need of a righteousness outside of yourself that can only come from Christ, who lived the perfect life that you can never live and died the death that you deserve for your sin, and who rose from the dead three days later so that you might not die, but be given eternal life with Him? We cannot leave our sisters in the state of emergency. When women are not connected in meaningful discipling relationships, they’re in danger. They’re in danger of being disconnected from the body, they’re in danger of being swept away in sin, they’re in danger of being discouraged or lonely. And not only is that woman’s spiritual care in jeopardy, but the women, and men, and boys, and girls who don’t yet know Christ are missing out on her evangelistic witness in their lives. We need every part of the body making disciples, teaching disciples, and living as disciples.

And even though in my early years of being a Christian I didn’t have a spiritual mom or mentor to disciple me, the Lord used the writings of godly women to teach me spiritual disciplines and to root me in God’s Word. He also used older and younger women in my life to help me grow as a wife and a mom, watching and learning from their lives. So the Lord taught me. He taught me from Mandy, extreme discipline, and diligence in caring for her home and in caring for her body. He taught me from my friend, Nadia, just how to raise my daughters. Our children were about the same age, but she’d been a Christian longer than me and I learned so much from her just watching her raise and train her children and also loving her husband. My friend, Nancy, is a Bible teacher and taught me to look deeply into the Word of God for His wisdom and instruction, and to really be zealous about teaching other women the truth that God was teaching me.

My friend, Sarah, taught me so much about prayer and about going to God in prayer in a moment. Going to God in prayer in joy and in sorrow, grabbing the hand of a sister, and not saying, “Hey, I’m going to pray for you, I’m going to pray for you.” Grabbing the hand of a sister and saying, “No, let’s pray right now. Let’s pray and intercede on her behalf.” My friend, Kim, taught me as a pastor’s wife how to support and encourage my husband when he became a pastor. My friend, Eli, just oozes wisdom from the Word of God. She’s taught me a lot. My friend, Carr, is young and sweet, and just evangelistically zealous. She loves her husband and children so well, and she’s taught me so much about being gracious, and kind, and gentle, and being bold and sharing my faith.

My friend, Nicole, has taught me a lot about organization and writing for the glory of God. My friend, Mora, stirs up in me greater zeal to know God better and to dig deeper into His Word. Just seeing her energy and seeing her love for the Word, and seeing her grow in the knowledge of God, that fills me. My friend, Chanae, just teaches … I learn so much from her about just having fun, making the joy of the Lord my strength. Enjoying life and enjoying God’s people, and fellowshipping with them. And I can go on and I’m sure you can go on, talking about the people that God has placed in your life near and far, who have been an influence in your life for good. God was at work in my heart though the no, may He be at work in your heart to say “Yes”, and to take Titus 2 seriously because we’re in a state of emergency. People are dying in their sin every moment, and we have the message of life.

If we take that message of life, pour it into the life of another, and then teach her the things that God is teaching us, and then she becomes … She joins another woman and does the same thing and multiplies it, just think about the growth of God’s Kingdom and the soon return of our Savior. We have to get to work and be busy about taking Titus 2 seriously and investing in the lives of our sisters. Let’s pray. Father, we thank You so much for this afternoon, for this time just considering Titus 2 afresh and thinking about, Lord, that this isn’t some optional activity that we can choose to involve ourself in. But Lord, this a command directly from You though Your Word as You call us to make disciples and then to teach disciples. Give us a heart for this, Lord, give us zeal for this, give us vision for this. Make us prayerful in considering whom we can invest in, and who might be able to invest in us.

Lord, build Your Kingdom from these relationships by growing us in maturity and in our knowledge of You, and then helping us to reach out to others who are not yet Christians and are not yet followers of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Father, do this for Your glory we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.