The North Church Women

Gospel Transformation Leads to Good Works to All

This week, we will see how that transformative work of grace by the work of the Trinity in our own lives shouts the gospel to the world through our good works. When you belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit is faithful to renew your heart, sanctify you, and make you ready for every good work as heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Thank the Lord for the Spirit who empowers us to “be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people!” (Titus 3:1–2).

Parenting has a way of exposing what's really in our hearts. In this talk, we'll explore the sinful patterns that often emerge in our responses to our children, consider the heart motivations behind them, and learn how to receive the hope and help God so graciously offers.

In our passage this week, Paul presents the theological foundation for everything Titus is to teach. Titus 2:11–15 does not present specific instructions for godly living, a command we are to obey, or anything we have already done or can do in the future. It is not dependent on age, stature or status. At the very heart of what Paul calls Titus to teach, and what we are also called to teach, is what God has done in Christ. We examined this by looking at three realities of God’s grace at work in our passage: Saving Grace, Transforming Grace, and Hope-infused Grace.

In contrast to the false teachers, Paul instructs Titus to “teach what accords with sound doctrine”(Titus 2:1). The following verses in chapter 2 then provide specific instruction for the believers in the Cretan churches. All believers are to live out the practical application of sound doctrine in their daily lives. Titus 2:10 then concludes, “so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” May we live in ways that accord with sound doctrine and put the gospel on display for the world around us.

When we embrace the beautiful truth that our times are in God’s hands, we gain the clarity and vision needed to glorify God as we shepherd our families and intentionally disciple others.

The Power of a Godly Life

Reverence demands a fitting response to the true nature of things—whether persons, circumstances, or natural wonders. Someone who is reverent respects the respectful, laughs at the laughable, mourns over the mournful, and glorifies the glorious. ~Andrea Hoglund, The Loveliness of Reverence

A fitting response to the true nature of things. Doesn’t that sound like whatever accords with sound doctrine? A reverent woman lives a life that reinforces truth. A reverent woman knows the appropriate way to behave in a variety of situations. And with God’s help, good teaching, within a community of godly women surrounding us, and with constant awareness that we live and work our entire lives in God’s presence, we can become women like this: women who are reverent in behavior whom God sees as splendid, holy, glorious, and set apart for sacred purpose.

Titus Week 4: Doctrine Opposed & Protected

Paul’s priorities in his instructions to Titus are to guard and protect the clarity of the true gospel. We will also see the heart of Paul shine forth for the lost, as he instructs Titus in how to respond to those living with wrong doctrine, wrong motives, and wrong actions. Paul opens his instructions in Titus 1:5 with: “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.” The true backdrop to the qualifications for elders in Titus 1:5-9 will become clear as we examine Titus 1:10-16. “[The Elder] must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it (1:9).”

The Church and the Home: Partnering to Disciple the Next Generation

A vision for how the local church and the home partner together in teaching the next generation to know, love, and treasure Christ in all of life. Whether you are navigating the early years of parenting, single mothering, or carrying a heavy burden for a wayward child, we will explore how a deliberate church-family partnership shapes our homes and strengthens the church body.

Our study in Titus continued this week with Titus 1:5-9. In Titus 1:5, Paul wrote, “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.” He then provided Titus with a list of qualifications for elders. Those qualifications reflected godly character traits necessary for men who would aspire to be elders in the church. We can also aspire to these godly character traits as we seek to grow in spiritual maturity today.

A Word to Live By: Paul’s Greeting to Titus

As we walk through the first four verses of this letter, in one sense we are simply reading the opening phrases of a traditional ancient correspondence. We see the letter’s author, the letter’s recipient, and the letter’s formal greeting. But packed into those standard structures are some powerful shaping realities about the purpose and identity and foundation of God’s people, including us today. This is a far cry from “To Whom It May Concern.” In addition, these four brief verses also provide the bones and themes of Paul’s full message, like a topical index of the content to follow.