the book of titus

The book of Titus is another pastoral epistle wherein the apostle Paul teaches Titus how to paster the church in Crete and encourages Titus in his faith.  In this episode, we look at the ways Paul taught Titus about church leadership as well as discuss what this book means for those who aren't pastors or preachers.

Information discussed in the podcast:

• Titus teaching a church in Crete (ESV)
  • Island in the mediterranean sea (now an island in Greece)
  • Notorious for violence and sexual immorality
• Titus was Paul’s “partner and coworker” (2 Cor 8:23)
  • Most likely converted through his ministry (Titus 1:4)
  • Greek Gentile background (Gal 2:3)
  • Spent time in Corinth and involved in the church there (2 Cor 8:6)
• Big ideas
  • False Teachers in the church
    • The leaders taught outward purity, but they lived in a way that proved they did not know God (1:16).
    • Gospel should produce godliness
  • Theme of belief and practice—you cannot have faith without also living it out. Unbreakable link between the two.

Seeing elders established in a local church is an excellent blessing! As we recognize the gift of leadership God has developed in members of the Destination Church family, it's an opportunity to also look at what Jesus and the early apostles taught regarding elders and leadership in general. Radically different than many Western Christians may assume, elders are not domineering CEO-types, but servant leaders who help the church fulfill its calling.

Jesus knows the root of all of our struggles, weather it be comfort, control, power, or approval. He doesn't plan for us to go through these struggles alone. God intended for the church to be like a family, and if we really are a family then we have each other to lean on in the hard times. We have people we can learn from and be influenced by, and we have people that learn from us. Who is God wanting you to learn from? Who is God reaching with your story?