In the sermon text for this Lord’s Day (1 Timothy 5:3-16), the apostle Paul continued his instructions about how the church should live as members of the household of God. The focal point of this passage is the church’s benevolent aid given to the neediest members in the church. The passage runs surprisingly contrary to modern assumptions about the benevolent work of the church. Those whom the church helps are its members who are 1) utterly destitute and 2) utterly reliant on the goodness of the Lord.