Because God delights in faithfulness, He has a system for rewarding faithful workers and believers. This episode is a call to step into the true church and an encouragement to hold fast to the commands, revelations and instructions we have received from the Lord.

Paul compares the Christian life to a warfare, a race and to farm labour, all pointing to the necessity for faithfulness and endurance.

In this follow-up episode, we unpack in more depth, the meaning of these metaphors, the emphasis that they provide us with and conclude with knowing how to bear the cross faithfully.

In this study, we look at what it takes to endure to the end, the disciplines of needed to be part of Jesus' army and how to draw on the faithfulness of God.

We explore the reasons we are often ashamed of the Gospel, the main one being the offence of the cross. Through this study, we navigate this offence and reframe it to the power and wisdom of God that is hidden in the message of the cross.

We hope that this episode empowers you to boldly share your faith and establishes you further in the core foundations of the faith.

The opening verses of this second letter highlight some crucial thoughts and truths for us to following including:

Paul's aim in this final letter of his active ministry is to provide Timothy and us with additional building blocks to lay on the foundation of faith and a good conscience in order to maximize the hope of God's calling in our lives.

Timothy, a youthful pastor, had to direct and correct the young and the elderly, relate with younger women faithfully, and address crucial problems around caring for widows and keeping elders accountable.

In this chapter, Paul hands Timothy and us practical tools for dealing with the major obstacle to godliness - relationships.

In these verses, Paul reveals that there is profit to godly living, and shows us how to develop a godly life and uncover the value in godliness.

In these verses, Paul highlights the two main streams of error that the church and believers will contend with in the last days as revealed by the Holy Spirit.

We consider these the twin problems of license and legalism and the key that unlocks balanced and mature Christian living in the face of the temptation to be drawn to one or the other.

We also look at the issue of "departing from the faith", what the root causes are and how to avoid such an outcome in our lives and those who hear us.

Paul goes on in this chapter to outline the qualifications for Bishops, Elders, Pastors & Deacons in the church, and the heart of these qualifications is to live blamless life.

Such a life is founded on the principle of reverence and submission to God, and grows out into soberness and self-control towards ourselves, others and the world.

Blameless living is supposed to be part of the normal Christian life because of the living presence of the Holy Spirit in each of us.

Paul discusses the role of prayer and intercession in facilitating the ministry of the church to the world and the place of submission in ensuring the order that God desires in the home and the church, which eventually flows into society.