After Christmas, when we have focused so much on joy, giving, love, hope, kindness, and grace, we have to go back home where we encounter all sorts of nasty things, negative people, events, problems, messes, illnesses, and crap that seem to suck the joy right out of us.      Joy takes work! It does not grow on trees! If you want to keep hold of that joy as you start into 2020, you need to be learning the lesson that Simeon gave Mary and Joseph all those years ago. The main point is this: the blessings of God are not meant to keep us on the mountaintop, they are meant to keep us going through the next valley.   

            Of all the men in the town of Nazareth, why do you think God chose Joseph to be Jesus’ father figure? He was a carpenter and probably made enough money to provide food, clothing and shelter for his family but there wasn’t much left over. As far as we know, he was not well-educated. If someone today was looking at possible families to adopt their unborn child, I don’t think Mary and Joseph would be the first choice of many people. But God looks at things differently than we human beings.             As we look this morning at how Joseph related to God and Mary, we will see his godly convictions and character traits that God was, no doubt, looking for in the man who would be responsible to help raise Jesus, the Son of God. These traits are also important for us today; not just in men and fathers, but in each of our lives.

            This is the final message in our series paralleling our small group study by Chip Ingram called Doing Good based on Paul’s letter to Titus. Paul talks quite a bit in this letter about the importance of not just church leadership but every Christian striving to live in a way that honors God and teaching and helping others to do the same. That lifestyle is to include doing good to others.            Today we’re going to focus on Titus ch. 3. We will look at what Paul says about the relationship between doing good and salvation - which leads to which? Some examples of doing good through our words and actions will also be mentioned. Lastly, our motivation for doing good will be addressed. What things can we remember and appreciate that will encourage us to reach out to love and serve God and others practical ways?

   The last two weeks in Titus 2, we have looked at the importance of the older men and women coming alongside and mentoring younger men and women. Paul mentions that it is a “way of life” we should be teaching and modeling. He describes some of the characteristics of that way of life and some areas that the older men and women can encourage and help others to grow in.    Today we are looking at ch. 2:9-10 where Paul addresses how slaves are to be submissive to their masters. But we’re not slaves. What do these verse have to do with us today?    The general principal Paul is teaching is how we are to be submissive to the authorities in our lives whether parents, teachers, or bosses. We will look at five ways he tells us we are to honor and respect those in authority.

   Last week in our study of Paul’s letter to Titus, we looked at the necessity of spiritual leadership in the church, and really every Christian, being solid in our biblical beliefs. One reason is so we are able to refute false teaching as it tries to lead us and God’s people astray.    We also saw that there is such a thing as absolute truth and it is found in the Bible which is God’s Word to us. In Titus 2:1-2, 6-8 for today, Paul writes to Titus about the need for spiritual mentoring or the making of disciples.    A few thoughts about discipleship or mentoring in general will followed by addressing the importance of men helping other men and teens grow in their relationship with God.    We will also look at some things that hinder many men from being involved in discipleship. Next week we see what Paul says about women discipling other women.