Paying Attention to People

In one paragraph

Pastor Nathan closed out the series in Titus by working through the final four verses of the letter, paying close attention to every person Paul names in his sign-off. The through-line of the message was simple: God builds His church through ordinary, obedient people, some well-known and some barely mentioned, and our job is to pay attention to them and to the needs in front of us. Paul's closing...

Read together

1. Colossians 4:7-8 describing Tychicus as beloved brother, faithful minister, and encourager sent by Paul
2. Acts 20:4 listing Tychicus among those who accompanied Paul from Macedonia
3. Acts 18:24-26 describing Apollos as eloquent, competent in scripture, taught more precisely by Aquila and Priscilla
4. 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 Paul's appeal for unity against divisions among those claiming to follow Paul, Apollos, or Cephas
5. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 Paul and Apollos described as servants, one plants one waters but God gives the growth
6. Acts 16:1-3 Paul meeting Timothy at Lystra and circumcising him because of the Jews who knew his father was Greek
7. Galatians 2:1-5 Titus not forced to be circumcised despite pressure from false brothers seeking to bring believers into slavery to works
8. Ephesians 2:8-10 saved by grace through faith not works, created in Christ Jesus for good works God prepared beforehand
9. Titus 3:12-15 the closing verses of Titus naming Artemis, Tychicus, Zenas, and Apollos and ending with grace
10. Titus 1:1-4 Paul's opening greeting naming himself servant and apostle, addressing Titus as true child in a common faith
11. Titus 2:11-12 used as the benediction, grace of God offering salvation and teaching self-controlled godly living

Talk about it

1. Pastor Jonathan compared Timothy and Titus as two very different people whom Paul trusted for very different assignments. What does it tell you about how God works that He used both a reticent, empathetic man and a bold, direct man to build the same church?
2. Paul told Titus to see that Zenas and Apollos lacked nothing as they passed through, and Pastor Jonathan connected that to how First B tries to care for missionaries and people in urgent need. What does it look like practically in your own life to be ready for that kind of giving?
3. The Princeton Good Samaritan study found that being in a hurry was the biggest factor in whether seminary students stopped to help a suffering man, even when they were on their way to give a talk about the Good Samaritan. Where do you see that pattern showing up in your own week?
4. Pastor Jonathan shared the story of stopping to help a stranger in Wichita and discovering an unexpected connection to their town in Mexico. Have you had a moment where slowing down for someone turned into something you did not expect? What happened?
5. Pastor Jonathan pointed to Ephesians 2:10, that we are God's workmanship created for good works He prepared beforehand for us to walk in, and said we should not be so busy that we miss the people in front of us. What would it take for you to actually slow down enough to notice those opportunities this week?