MSG: Train Your Replacement: Wage Good Warfare: 1 Tim. 1:18-20

This message was presented November 17, 2013 as part of the 1 Timothy series.

When a lioness is hungry, she’ll scope out the landscape for easy prey. When she sees an antelope herd, what does she do? She does not go for the main herd. She doesn’t look for the strongest antelope. She looks for the one that is straying or lagging behind, especially if it is wounded. Continue reading

MSG: Training Your Replacement: Burst Forth Declaring Jesus! 1 Tim. 1:15-17

Why do people go where they go on vacation? Lots of people go to the coasts of Florida, because they love the warmth of the sun and sand and the smell of salt water in the air. There are many who love the grandeur of the Rockies, so they travel out to Colorado. Some like the finger lakes of New York or the hills of Tennessee and some like the bayous of Louisiana or the islands of Hawaii. Continue reading

MSG: Training Your Replacement: Grace Greater than all Guilt: 1 Tim. 1:12-14

Guilt is a good and a bad thing.

The scene was a Kentucky court. Two men were on trial for armed robbery. An eyewitness took the stand, and the prosecutor moved carefully to begin his examination: “So, you say you were at the scene when the robbery took place?” “Yes.” “And you saw a vehicle leave at a high rate of speed?” “Yes.” “And did you observe the occupants?” “Yes, two men.” “And,” the prosecutor boomed, “Are those two men present in court today?” At this point the two defendants from Kentucky both raised their hands… and sealed their fate. Continue reading

MSG: Training Your Replacement: How to Keep People Tracking Truth 1 Tim. 1:6-11

When I was training as an infantry officer at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1979, one of the exercises we often practiced was platoon tactics.  They were training us to lead a platoon of 120 men into combat.  Often they sent us on reconnaissance patrols.  Depending on whether it was day or night, what kind of terrain, and situational awareness of enemy intelligence, we were trained on what formation we should use.  During daytime, we used a wedge formation, but during the night in dense forest, we’d go single file. I remember one night exercise we were in black conditions.  Continue reading