Pastor Brennan Aschleman from CC Northeast Columbia with bring the message today from God's Word.

Pastor Joel will teach us about leadership roles in the church. Paul was clear that the roles of Bishop/Pastor and Elder are restricted to Biblically qualified men.

As Timothy confronted false teachers in Ephesus and pressed back to preserve the authentic gospel against legalistic agendas, Paul encouraged him to pray for all men, and to keep preaching the gospel.

It was important for Timothy to hold the line on real gospel doctrine in Ephesus. Paul writes to show his own transition from legalism to grace in Christ...which serves as a pattern for the Ephesian believers. They should not revert to legalism, but should be moving towards a rest in grace.

Pastor Joel begins a new series this week in the Pastoral Epistles. In our reading today, we'll see that Timothy was charged with keeping the doctrine of the Ephesian church gospel centered. Often, well meaning people can revert to a legalistic version of Christianity that leaves behind the gospel. It is important for believers to serve the Lord because of grace, and not to get into God's good graces.

As we prepare for the new year, Pastor Joel will talk to us about resolutions form the parable of the prodigal son. A resolution is simply a decision, based upon an analysis, that leads us to an improvement.