2 Timothy 1:6-8

Coward or Courageous

The most dangerous place to be in is the safe place

How do you mature?

How do you tackle the challenge that is right in front of you?

Culture of safe spaces

overbearing mothers

never letting children take risks

fathers who never take a stand

for their family

for truth

Send kids off to colleges where safe spaces are available

Are you a coward?

Let me ask you a question

Are you a coward?

Let me ask another. Are you a coward?

When it comes to doing what God has asked you to do, are you a coward?

2 Timothy 1:8 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,”

We are called to suffer

To not play safe

We are asked to be courageous

It begins with knowing who to fear

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Isaiah 51:12 ““I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass,”

Luke 12:4–5 ““I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”

Hebrews 13:6 “So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?””

Men and women in scripture who were not afraid of man.

David

Goliath

Faced the army of Israel

King Saul

Then the giant

Esther

For such a time as this

A Spirit of Cowardice

a state of fear because of a lack of courage or moral strength—‘cowardice, timidity.’ οὐ γὰρ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς πνεῦμα δειλίας ‘for God has not given us a spirit of timidity’ or ‘… a spirit of cowardice’ 2 Tm 1:7. ‘Cowardice’ is often rendered by means of an idiom, for example, ‘to have a fallen heart,’ ‘to have a soft heart,’ or ‘one’s heart has disappeared.’

living in a state of fear

lacking courage or moral strength

fallen or soft heart

or no heart

Gift of God

1 Timothy 4:14 “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.”

Supernatural or not?

beside the point

Gifted to do what God has put before him

Does the Lord not supply?

So we can boast in Him

Three aspects of a spirit of courage

Power

Power

Power, force, might, strength

The ability to do the task

Love

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

Parents bring up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord

Do you love your toddler enough to discipline

So many scared of saying no or setting boundaries

We seek diagnosis over discipline

Teaching them to love the word of God and his truth

Do your love your preteen and your teen enough

to walk them through the difficulty of messing up

pornography

wrong friends

Adult children

Children who have gone astray or are in danger

I don’t bring it up because

It only causes strife

I’ll wait

for what tomorrow?

Will you or they or anyone be here tomorrow?

Not true believer can answer that question

Out of a superficial love

do you facilitate their behavior?

Why, you fear them more than the Lord

With the church member

we don’t allow them to walk in sin

With the outsider

don’t deviate from the truth because you think it may offend

Self-Control

Defined

to behave in a sensible manner

moderation

Sound judgment