Scripture referenced 22 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Psalm 103:2-5 opened the service: 'bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity...'
2 Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits;
3 who forgives all your sins; who heals all your diseases;
4 who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;
5 who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
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Keep this verse
1 John 3:1
read before the offering: 'see how very much our Father loves us for he calls us his children'
1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.
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1 Timothy 6:5
starting point for the passage: imagining that godliness is a means of gain
5 constant friction of people of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. Withdraw yourself from such.
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1 Timothy 6:6-10
godliness with contentment is great gain; love of money is a root of all kinds of evils
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out.
8 But having food and clothing, we will be content with that.
9 But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
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1 Timothy 6:11
flee these things; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness
11 But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
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1 Timothy 6:12
fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of eternal life
12 Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.
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1 Timothy 6:13-14
charge to keep the commandment until the appearing of Christ; Christ's testimony before Pontius Pilate
13 I command you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession,
14 that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ;
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1 Timothy 6:15-16
God the blessed and only sovereign, king of kings, who dwells in unapproachable light
15 which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.
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1 Timothy 6:17-19
charge to the rich not to be haughty; to be generous and store up treasure as a good foundation
17 Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be haughty, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy;
18 that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share;
19 laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.
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1 Corinthians 6:18
flee sexual immorality; every other sin is outside the body
18 Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
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1 Corinthians 10:13
no temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man; God provides the way of escape
13 No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
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1 Corinthians 10:14
flee from idolatry; speaking to sensible people
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
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2 Timothy 2:22
flee youthful passions, mentioned briefly as covering materialism, sexual immorality, and idolatry
22 Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
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Amos 5:24
let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream
24 But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.
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Amos 7
Amos tells Amaziah he was not a prophet nor the son of a prophet but the word of the Lord came to him
1 Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me: and behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and behold, it was the latter growth after the king’s harvest.
2 When they finished eating the grass of the land, then I said, “Lord Yahweh, forgive, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small.”
3 Yahweh relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” says Yahweh.
4 Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me and behold, the Lord Yahweh called for judgment by fire; and it dried up the great deep, and would have devoured the land.
5 Then I said, “Lord Yahweh, stop, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small.”
6 Yahweh relented concerning this. “This also shall not be,” says the Lord Yahweh.
7 Thus he showed me and behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand.
8 Yahweh said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I will set a plumb line in the middle of my people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more.
9 The high places of Isaac will be desolate, the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the middle of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words.
11 For Amos says, ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’”
12 Amaziah also said to Amos, “You seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there:
13 but don’t prophesy again any more at Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a royal house!”
14 Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was a herdsman, and a farmer of sycamore figs;
15 and Yahweh took me from following the flock, and Yahweh said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
16 Now therefore listen to Yahweh’s word: ‘You say, Don’t prophesy against Israel, and don’t preach against the house of Isaac.’
17 Therefore Yahweh says: ‘Your wife shall be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be divided by line; and you yourself shall die in a land that is unclean, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of his land.’”
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Amos 5:18-19
warning about the day of the Lord; as if a man fled a lion and was met by a bear
18 “Woe to you who desire the day of Yahweh! Why do you long for the day of Yahweh? It is darkness, and not light.
19 As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; Or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.
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Micah 6:8
what has God required: act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
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Genesis 39
Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife as an example of fleeing sexual immorality
1 Joseph was brought down to Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh’s, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hand of the Ishmaelites that had brought him down there.
2 Yahweh was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. He was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 His master saw that Yahweh was with him, and that Yahweh made all that he did prosper in his hand.
4 Joseph found favor in his sight. He ministered to him, and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
5 From the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake. Yahweh’s blessing was on all that he had, in the house and in the field.
6 He left all that he had in Joseph’s hand. He didn’t concern himself with anything, except for the food which he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome.
7 After these things, his master’s wife set her eyes on Joseph; and she said, “Lie with me.”
8 But he refused, and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, my master doesn’t know what is with me in the house, and he has put all that he has into my hand.
9 No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
10 As she spoke to Joseph day by day, he didn’t listen to her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11 About this time, he went into the house to do his work, and there were none of the men of the house inside.
12 She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” He left his garment in her hand, and ran outside.
13 When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had run outside,
14 she called to the men of her house, and spoke to them, saying, “Behold, he has brought a Hebrew in to us to mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.
15 When he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
16 She laid up his garment by her, until his master came home.
17 She spoke to him according to these words, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me,
18 and as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment by me, and ran outside.”
19 When his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me,” his wrath was kindled.
20 Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.
21 But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
22 The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever they did there, he was responsible for it.
23 The keeper of the prison didn’t look after anything that was under his hand, because Yahweh was with him; and that which he did, Yahweh made it prosper.
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Isaiah 43
theme verse for VBS: when you pass through the waters I will be with you
1 But now Yahweh who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel says: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you.
3 For I am Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you have been precious and honored in my sight, and I have loved you; therefore I will give people in your place, and nations instead of your life.
5 Don’t be afraid; for I am with you. I will bring your offspring from the east, and gather you from the west.
6 I will tell the north, ‘Give them up!’ and tell the south, ‘Don’t hold them back! Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made.’”
8 Bring out the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, “That is true.”
10 “You are my witnesses,” says Yahweh, “With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me.
11 I myself am Yahweh; and besides me there is no savior.
12 I have declared, I have saved, and I have shown; and there was no strange god among you. Therefore you are my witnesses”, says Yahweh, “and I am God.
13 Yes, since the day was, I am he; and there is no one who can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who can hinder it?”
14 Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: “For your sake, I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing.
15 I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”
16 Yahweh, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters says:
17 who brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick):
18 “Don’t remember the former things, and don’t consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs out now. Don’t you know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
20 The animals of the field shall honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people which I formed for myself, that they might declare my praise.
22 Yet you have not called on me, Jacob; but you have been weary of me, Israel.
23 You have not brought me of your sheep for burnt offerings; neither have you honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, nor wearied you with frankincense.
24 You have bought me no sweet cane with money, nor have you filled me with the fat of your sacrifices; but you have burdened me with your sins. You have wearied me with your iniquities.
25 I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
26 Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Declare your case, that you may be justified.
27 Your first father sinned, and your teachers have transgressed against me.
28 Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; and I will make Jacob a curse, and Israel an insult.”
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Matthew 6:33
seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added
33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
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Matthew 6:24
you cannot serve both God and money; lay up treasure in heaven
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.
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Titus 2:11-12
closing: the grace of God has appeared offering salvation; teaches us to say no to ungodliness
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
12 instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age;
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Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This message from 1 Timothy 6 called the church to be honest about what we are running from, what we are craving, and what we are actually pursuing. Pastor drew a straight line between the warnings Paul gave Timothy and the pressures people in Jackson face today. It was, as he put it, more of a preaching message than a teaching message, and he meant it that way.
What was said
the preacher opened by dropping back into the end of 1 Timothy 6, where Paul tells Timothy that some have "wandered away from the faith" by craving material things and have "pierced themselves with many pangs." He had covered the love of money the week before, but he came back to it here because it sets up everything that follows. Money itself is neutral, he said. It is the love of money, the craving for it, that becomes the root of all kinds of evils.
From there he traced the four times the word "flee" appears in the New Testament. Paul tells Timothy to flee materialism in this passage, flee sexual immorality in 1 Corinthians 6, flee idolatry in 1 Corinthians 10, and flee youthful passions in 2 Timothy 2. The point he kept returning to is that when God says flee something, it is because we were not designed to withstand that particular temptation. The guy in the video clip who looked up from his phone and ran from a black bear was, he said, the right instinct.
He spent time on idolatry in particular because it is the easiest one to dismiss. A plain dictionary definition, he noted, is not just bowing to carved stone but "extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone." Theologically, it is anything that takes the place of God in a person's life. He pointed to the prophet Amos, who was warning Israel that their comfortable religion had become exactly that, God displaced by wealth, politics, and a distorted hope for the day of the Lord that left no room for mercy toward others.
Because fleeing something only gets you so far, the bulk of the message turned to what Paul tells Timothy to pursue instead: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. He lingered on gentleness because, after a week of watching television while his family was away, he noticed it is almost entirely absent from public life. He connected it to Paul's word to the Corinthians, "why not rather be wrong," and to Jesus standing before Pilate, gently telling him that the only power he held was what God had given him.
He returned at the end to Paul's closing charge about the rich, noting that $32,400 a year puts a person in the top one percent of earners worldwide, which means the instruction applies to most of the room. The charge is not to condemn wealth but to refuse arrogance about it, refuse to set hope on it, and be generous and ready to share. He told a story about a man he had buried who had seen his banker father lose everything in the 1929 crash, and who never forgot that riches are uncertain and God is not.
He closed with a quote from Oswald Chambers asking whether we are becoming nobler, more humble, and more helpful as we get older, and whether people who spend time with us can tell we have been with Jesus. The three questions he left the congregation with were the ones he had been carrying all week: What are you desiring? What are you craving? What are you fleeing?
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- The pastor talked about Amos delivering an unpopular message to people who thought things were going well for them. When has God's word confronted you at a time when life felt comfortable, and how did you respond?
- Paul tells Timothy to flee materialism, and the pastor applied that directly to life in Jackson. What does fleeing materialism look like in practical terms where you live and work?
and 3 more questions in the guide
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