1 00:00:02,700 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:13,500 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening 3 00:00:13,540 --> 00:00:18,180 Speaker 1: to Daily Devotions with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:22,790 Speaker 1: today's devotion is inspired by Titus 2, verse 2, which says, 5 00:00:24,090 --> 00:00:30,770 Speaker 1: Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, 6 00:00:31,340 --> 00:00:37,659 Speaker 1: in love, and in steadfastness. God's Word gives us excellent 7 00:00:37,740 --> 00:00:41,820 Speaker 1: counsel for every season of our lives. Children are encouraged 8 00:00:41,860 --> 00:00:44,419 Speaker 1: to listen to the instruction of their parents and not 9 00:00:44,540 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 1: act in a wild or disobedient way. Adults are encouraged 10 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,260 Speaker 1: to be examples of faith and to display the fruit 11 00:00:52,300 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit in their interaction with others. Older 12 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,220 Speaker 1: men are likewise encouraged to be examples of what it 13 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:04,570 Speaker 1: looks like to trust in Jesus Christ. When Jesus becomes 14 00:01:04,610 --> 00:01:08,810 Speaker 1: your Lord, He leads and directs the course of your life. 15 00:01:09,569 --> 00:01:13,890 Speaker 1: Through faith in Him, your outlook and temperament changes. The 16 00:01:13,930 --> 00:01:17,789 Speaker 1: way you react to stress and conflict matures, and the 17 00:01:17,870 --> 00:01:21,610 Speaker 1: steady nature by which you carry yourself is used by 18 00:01:21,670 --> 00:01:24,610 Speaker 1: the Lord to bless others who look to you as 19 00:01:24,670 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: an example. An older man who follows Jesus should have 20 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: a sober mind that isn't overcome by disorienting substances or worldliness. 21 00:01:35,410 --> 00:01:38,330 Speaker 1: He should display dignity in how he speaks to women 22 00:01:38,670 --> 00:01:41,490 Speaker 1: and those who are younger than him. His faith and 23 00:01:41,610 --> 00:01:45,010 Speaker 1: love should serve as a testimony to his desire to 24 00:01:45,209 --> 00:01:50,490 Speaker 1: use his life as an ambassador of Jesus. Someone is 25 00:01:50,610 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: copying you. Someone looks up to you. someone may be 26 00:01:55,780 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: modeling their life after what they see in you. Is 27 00:02:00,940 --> 00:02:09,139 Speaker 1: your life pointing that person to Jesus? Let's pray. Lord, 28 00:02:09,180 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word. And we thank you 29 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: for the privilege that it is to be able to 30 00:02:13,060 --> 00:02:15,490 Speaker 1: look at this portion of scripture today from the book 31 00:02:15,530 --> 00:02:19,070 Speaker 1: of Titus. And Lord, you show us here a variety 32 00:02:19,110 --> 00:02:21,970 Speaker 1: of things. that those who are in a position of 33 00:02:22,169 --> 00:02:26,169 Speaker 1: influence would do well to be mindful of. In this 34 00:02:26,230 --> 00:02:30,010 Speaker 1: particular scripture, Lord, you tell us about older men and 35 00:02:30,070 --> 00:02:32,570 Speaker 1: how they're to carry themselves in this world. You say 36 00:02:32,710 --> 00:02:37,190 Speaker 1: older men are to be sober-minded, they're to be dignified, self-controlled, 37 00:02:37,430 --> 00:02:42,250 Speaker 1: sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. And Lord, 38 00:02:42,290 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: this is great counsel for all of us. but in 39 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: particular those who are in a position to influence others, 40 00:02:48,660 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: which essentially is all of us. Lord, we realize that 41 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,260 Speaker 1: there are people who are copying us and we may 42 00:02:56,340 --> 00:02:59,660 Speaker 1: not even know who they are. There are people in 43 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,100 Speaker 1: our lives who are making decisions about how they interact 44 00:03:03,139 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: with others and how they go about life and how 45 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,750 Speaker 1: they relate to you through the example that they learn 46 00:03:08,820 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: from us themselves. So Lord, we pray that we would 47 00:03:12,300 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: model what it looks like to have genuine faith. We 48 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,500 Speaker 1: pray that we would demonstrate that to others. We pray 49 00:03:18,540 --> 00:03:21,350 Speaker 1: that we would encourage others in their walk with you 50 00:03:21,830 --> 00:03:26,770 Speaker 1: through what they are able to see in our lives. Lord, 51 00:03:26,810 --> 00:03:29,130 Speaker 1: we pray that that would always be a big deal 52 00:03:29,190 --> 00:03:32,389 Speaker 1: to us. And we pray that we would delight in 53 00:03:32,590 --> 00:03:37,250 Speaker 1: encouraging others to know what it means to follow you. Lord, 54 00:03:37,290 --> 00:03:40,470 Speaker 1: we're grateful for the examples that you've given us. people 55 00:03:40,510 --> 00:03:42,770 Speaker 1: that we were able to follow, people that we were 56 00:03:42,850 --> 00:03:46,710 Speaker 1: able to model certain aspects of our lives after because 57 00:03:46,750 --> 00:03:48,870 Speaker 1: they provided an example of what it meant to be 58 00:03:48,990 --> 00:03:54,550 Speaker 1: sober-minded and self-controlled and sound in faith. Lord, we pray 59 00:03:54,570 --> 00:03:57,590 Speaker 1: that we would never take our privilege to influence the 60 00:03:57,630 --> 00:03:59,950 Speaker 1: lives of others and the privilege that you've given to 61 00:04:00,130 --> 00:04:04,490 Speaker 1: us to point others toward you for granted. We don't 62 00:04:04,530 --> 00:04:07,090 Speaker 1: want to take that privilege for granted because it matters 63 00:04:07,170 --> 00:04:11,330 Speaker 1: so much. So again, we're thankful for this portion of 64 00:04:11,390 --> 00:04:14,230 Speaker 1: Scripture that reminds us what it looks like to be 65 00:04:14,270 --> 00:04:17,420 Speaker 1: a godly example. And we thank you for the people 66 00:04:17,450 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: that you've placed in our lives who need that example 67 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: and who we have the opportunity to practice the teaching 68 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,820 Speaker 1: of this Scripture in front of. We're grateful for all 69 00:04:27,860 --> 00:04:32,450 Speaker 1: of these things, and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.