How to identify helpful Bible discussions
Daily Scripture
2 Timothy 2:14-16, 22-25
14 Remind them of these things and warn them in the sight of God not to engage in battles over words that aren’t helpful and only destroy those who hear them. 15 Make an effort to present yourself to God as a tried-and-true worker, who doesn’t need to be ashamed but is one who interprets the message of truth correctly. 16 Avoid their godless discussions, because they will lead many people into ungodly behavior,
22 Run away from adolescent cravings. Instead, pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace together with those who confess the Lord with a clean heart. 23 Avoid foolish and thoughtless discussions, since you know that they produce conflicts. 24 God’s slave shouldn’t be argumentative but should be kind toward all people, able to teach, patient, 25 and should correct opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will change their mind and give them a knowledge of the truth.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Last weekend was Matthew’s Ministry weekend at Resurrection. Don’t miss today’s inspiring Insights blog by Liz Bartow, whose sons Tim and Elliott are active Matthew’s Ministry participants.
The apostle Paul, Timothy’s mentor, urged him to “Present yourself to God as… a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” He knew Bible study is not a passive, “anything goes” exercise. Done carefully, it takes all your mental firepower. Paul wrote that the holy scriptures, accurately grasped, “help you to be wise in a way that leads to salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). That deep truth will always stretch your understanding.
- United Methodists believe that “The Bible’s authority is, therefore, nothing magical. For example, we do not open the text at random to discover God’s will. The authority of Scripture derives from the movement of God’s Spirit in times past and in our reading of it today.” * How, and how often, do you open your heart and mind to let God’s Spirit, who guided the Bible’s writers, also guide you to let the Bible authoritatively shape your life?
- Verse 14 said, “Remind them of these things….” Paul didn’t just call Timothy to study the Bible for himself but to accurately share its truth. How is what you learn in the Bible shaping how you interact with others in your family, school, neighborhood, or workplace? What helps you grasp the Bible’s central message, not just bits here and there? How can an informed, Christ-centered study of the Bible help you sift truth from falsehood among all the religious ideas that swirl in our world?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for the long procession of dedicated followers of yours who wrote or copied or translated the Bible as the primary source for me to study to learn the way of salvation. Amen.
GPS Insights
Elizabeth Bartow
Liz Bartow is the single mother of four children; two of whom have disabilities. She is also the proud grandmother of a granddaughter and grandson. Liz and her sons Tim and Elliott have attended Resurrection for 10 years. They first attended Resurrection Downtown and, after learning about Matthew's ministry, they joined the congregation at Resurrection Leawood. Liz is the Senior Vice President of The Barstow Schools and resides in Waldo. She holds an MEd from Lesley University and a BA from University of New Hampshire.
As a part of Matthew’s Ministry week, I am honored to be able to write for the GPS Insights blog. I have two sons who have disabilities, Tim and Elliott. Somehow watching my sons perform at the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services on Sunday took me back to their early years in church. We struggled to find a church home for many years. In each of the Matthew’s Ministry Sundays, parents have shared similar testimonies. In fact, my daughter was present at last Sunday’s service and was able to hear her brother Elliott sing a solo. Her eyes welled up with tears when listening to Cathy Jurgensmeyer’s story of what Matthew’s Ministry has meant to her son and their family. The story was so familiar to Samantha.
As my sons grew and their special needs became more obvious and problematic for church goers, we searched for a church that would be a good fit for us. We met with the clergy before attending all of the churches we visited and were promised a warm, supportive, welcoming congregation. In each case, we were welcomed with open arms, but the welcome waned at each church. One of my sons has vocal tics so it was understandable that his presence might be bothersome. My other son’s physical challenge made maneuvering older church facilities very challenging. In every case, little effort was made to accommodate my sons’ increasingly challenging needs. I felt myself with an urge to argue with those who I felt should be helping. Instead of staying put, though, and gently and patiently teaching those around my sons about their gifts and the importance of acceptance, I left.
From 2 Timothy 2: 24 God’s slave shouldn’t be argumentative but should be kind toward all people, able to teach, patient, 25 and should correct opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will change their mind and give them a knowledge of the truth.
I look back on that experience now and wonder what it might have been like had I stayed and taught gently and patiently? How many lives might have been changed by trusting my ability to articulate Tim and Elliott’s gifts and God’s way of shifting people’s understanding of special needs? Additionally, my sons Tim and Elliott have so much to teach the world about patience and gentleness.
They know what it’s like to be misunderstood and have experienced foolish and thoughtless discussions around their special needs and have learned, with their belief in God, how to rise above it. Tim is a wheelchair user and has cerebral palsy. He is a bright, creative man with aspirations just like most 36-year-olds, but people often treat him like a child. The same goes for Elliott who, while having cognitive challenges, has so much to teach the people around him about unconditional love and kindness. Some of the comments made by people who didn’t understand Tim and Elliott, and didn’t take the time to learn about them, were foolish and thoughtless.
From 2 Timothy 2:23: Avoid foolish and thoughtless discussions, since you know that they produce conflicts.
The beauty of Church of the Resurrection was that Adam Hamilton said “yes” to Matthew’s parents. He expected acceptance and understanding, and he got both. He knew what it would take to fully welcome and integrate them into Church of the Resurrection and was willing to do the work and provide the opportunities for people like TIm and Elliott to find their forever church home. He saw the gifts that people with disabilities would bestow on his church.
