Discipling Life

 Expendable Resources: Faithful Service to God Alan Swartz – 10/26/2025 – EUMC & BCUMC The second letter to Timothy holds a unique and strategic place within the New Testament. It is the final letter we have from the Apostle Paul, his last will and testament, penned from a prison cell as he awaited his own execution. Along with his first letter to Timothy and his letter to Titus, it forms a collection we call the “pastoral epistles”—letters written not to a whole congregation, but to individuals entrusted with the pastoral care and leadership of the burgeoning church. To truly grasp the weight of Paul’s words, we must first understand the deep relationship between the aging apostle and his young protégé. Timothy and Titus were young men in whom Paul had seen the promise and power of the Holy Spirit. He had recruited them early in his ministry, mentoring them not only in the foundations of the faith but also in the practical and demanding work of church leadership. He trai...

 Enduring Faith: A Call to Persevere October 19, 2025 – Proper 24c – EUMC & BCUMC Introduction: A Season of Endings, A Call to Endure Today’s scriptures converge upon a powerful and recurring theme: the certainty of endings. We are brought to stand with the prophet Jeremiah as he bears witness to the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem. We listen in as the Apostle Paul, knowing his death is near, pens his last words of encouragement to his young protégé, Timothy. And we follow Jesus, who has turned his face resolutely toward Jerusalem, marching steadily toward the conclusion of his earthly ministry, aware that the same crowds shouting “Hosanna” will soon demand his crucifixion. From these disparate and dramatic moments of closure, a single, unifying message emerges with profound clarity—the critical importance of perseverance and steadfast faith in the face of trial and persecution. This call to endure is not a passive suggestion but an active command, one that Jesus himself w...