Give Hope Part 2 – Where is Your Timothy?

While keeping with this theme of “Give Hope” I came across this statistic… “About two-thirds of violent crime in America is committed by young men between the ages of 15 and 25”. That fact lays heavy on my heart in regards to the church and how we are seeing a generational gap grow further and further and the “twenty-something” demographic is disappearing from our pews.

Now, by no means am I perfect but looking back over my teen years I have seen my faith in Christ grow expediently and I wonder to myself what kept me here. I can account this primarily to two things. First, if nothing else is the overwhelming grace of God that He has kept me close and has opened my eyes to what the cross of Christ truly means in my own life. Second and the topic of this Freedom Fighter is the issue of discipleship. I can truly testify that if it wasn’t for a group of Godly men that came along side me over my teen years guiding me and teaching what it truly meant to be a follower of Christ I cannot honestly say where I would be today.

A special relationship to me on this topic is the story of Paul and Timothy. In the book of Acts we see the apostle Paul took the call to not only ministering to the unsaved and equipping the saints but investing in someone younger then himself to share his knowledge, character and passion for the gospel of Christ. Paul understood that in order to preserve the ministry God had called him he would need to disciple and mentor someone younger in order to carry on the great commission.

My challenge to you is this, as a follower of Christ; discipleship is not a choice but a command from Jesus Himself. (Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. ~Matthew 28:18-20).

We are a generation that needs hope and a purpose and if it is not in Christ we will find it somewhere else and this world is welcoming us with open arms.  [In Romans it says this (“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”).

As a Church we have been called by God to preach the overwhelming grace and mercy of the Gospel of Christ and we can no longer sit on the sidelines watching our young people fall by the way side. We are the future of the church and the only way we will press forward is if the Paul’s of today stand up and disciple today’s youth.  So ask the question, where is your Timothy? – Graeme Wilson serves on the ministry team at America’s Keswick in the area of Social Media and IT.

Daily Bible Reading: Numbers 26-28; Matthew 2

Quote of the day: It’s not the pastor’s job to fill the pew. It’s his job to fill the pulpit. Adrian Rogers

Bible Memory: “In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth.” Psalm 119:88