The key to gaining freedom from fear is to get the focus off of oneself and onto others. We need a transcendent anchor for our soul in order to do this. We need security, affirmation and love from outside of ourselves. We need Jesus Christ!

What is the message? It is unspeakably valuable. God loves us despite what we have done, not because of what we have done. We are loved, not loveable. Jesus chose to give His life as an incredibly heroic act of love. Why should anyone share this message? This is transcendent truth. It is a beautiful message. It has supernatural power to change lives. How can we share this message well? Prepare to suffer and be rejected. Get the focus off your fears, and onto God's transformative power. Remember that it is all worth it!

Discipleship is building a friendship centered on God with the goal of getting equipped to reach others with the love of Christ. Both Jesus and Paul commanded and practiced discipleship. God's intention is that every Christian experience discipleship, both as one being discipled and as one who disciples another. It is a meaningful and fulfilling purpose to help others grow in their ability to love God and one another.

When Paul tells Timothy to suffer hardship with him, he is asking him to make a voluntary choice to suffer for the cause of Christ. The question is whether this suffering is really worth it. Paul argues that it is and gives three metaphors that demonstrate that the sacrifice and suffering indeed are all worth it. He describes the sacrifices a soldier, an athlete and a farmer all make to reap the benefits that come later. The real question is do you believe it?

Paul argues that if Jesus is real, it is only logical to dedicate our lives to His message. God places a high value on truth. If truth matters, then we should be deepening our own convictions about the claims of Christ and living out our lives in light of those truths.

In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he discusses how thoroughly messed up the world will be in the end. People will be lovers of self rather than lovers of God. When everyone is living for self, everyone is profoundly disappointed in life. When we put God at the center of our lives, we have substantial healing, healthy marriages and families and a right relationship with our Creator.

One common objection to believing in the God of the Bible is questioning the reliability of the bible which was written by men. There is significant evidence that the Bible is a trustworthy representative of God's very words. 1. The Gospels are relatively reliable historical documents. 2. In the Gospels, Jesus claimed to be God. 3. Several independent lines of evidence verify Jesus as supernatural. 4. Jesus (God) taught that all Scripture was true and inspired.

Paul, knowing that his execution was near at hand, charges Timothy to preach the Word in season and out of season. Here are three questions we can ask ourselves regarding making a lasting impact. What has God given us to make an impact in our world? What is our role in making an impact? What is our primary motivation for making an impact in our world?

Near the end of his life, Paul reflects upon the joys and pains of close relationships. He recounts the pain of betrayal of former friends and the joy of faithful friends. Loving this present world instead of our future eternal home, is often what leads friends to desert their walk with the Lord and their friends in the Body. We are not destined to become one of these types of friends. We get to choose what sort of friend we will be.