The reality of living in a sin-filled fallen world is that you often treasure what is not worthy of honor while neglecting to honor what is a true treasure.

1 Timothy 5:3-16 commands the church to honor widows in the church who are without any means of support and who have lived a testimony of faithful devotion to the Lord and the church's work. As Paul gives instructions for this support, we learn the responsibility of the household of God to honor members in need, the reason for this honor, and some practical truths about family, devotion to the church, and the God-honoring labor of raising children.

God inspired Paul to warn the church of demonic spirits that are working to deceive and lead some away from the faith. This danger remains a clear and present danger to the church today. Paul identifies the threat and then instructs the church to recognize and defeat these lies.

All relationships require some level of separation. Marriage requires "forsaking all others," citizenship requires "renouncing all other allegiances, and to be a child of God requires forsaking all other masters. Romans 10:9 declares that salvation comes from believing God raised Jesus from the dead and confessing Jesus as Lord. If Jesus is Lord of your life, you have forsaken all other lords and renounced all allegiance and fidelity to any other lord.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 is not a passage that is hard to understand, but it is one that offends the one who seeks to be friends with Christ and the world. It has two commands. One is a prohibition, and the other is a response to the transformation of the gospel. Both commands call the saints of God to live according to the righteousness of God and put away all defilements of the world.

This past weekend my family and I were in Athens, GA, because our son, Micah, performed with the Georgia All State Chorus on Saturday. The concert was wonderful, and we enjoyed worshiping with Watkinsville First Baptist on Sunday. I am very thankful for Greg Benfield, who is the Associational Missions Strategist for the Piedmont-Okefenokee Baptist Association. Greg filled the pulpit for me here at Central in Waycross so that I could be away.

Since I did not preach this past Sunday, the sermon this week is one out of the archives. In 2019 I preached a sermon series on families and began with a sermon from Colossians 3:18-19 titled Marriages that testify to Christ. I preached this on March 3, 2019. I hope that it will bless you today.

Being a pastor’s wife comes with some unique challenges. This week’s episode is a conversation with my wife, Dana Smith. Dana shares from her perspective the joys and struggles of being a pastor’s wife. With honesty about the struggles and wisdom for others, she talks candidly about her own life in the ministry married to a pastor. If you are a pastor’s wife, a pastor, or someone who cares deeply about the health and well-being of your pastor’s family, this episode is a must-listen.