There are a thousand different dangers in the Christian life. This is one reason we must renew our minds with God’s Word and regularly meet with other Christians. As we are in the Word and with others, we are helped in our journey.

For some at Double Branch Free Will Baptist Church (where I’m Pastor), one avenue for this is our Men’s Group. I love our Men’s Group. We meet basically twice a month on Saturday mornings, learn from the Scripture, and have times of great fellowship together. We have normally gone through a Christian book as a group, but right now we are going through 1 Timothy. It has been a really good time for us, I believe.

One truth recently has impressed itself on me: Christianity is practical. It is meant to be lived out. We all have different dangers that we must watch out for. For some, they are always serving but haven’t given as much thought as to how they can serve in a biblical way. But for others, their danger is more towards gaining knowledge and yet not putting much of that knowledge into practice. This area is where I have recently been helped in.

Our latest Men’s Group was on 1 Timothy chapter 5. As I see it, there are three main teachings in this chapter:

1. How to speak to one another (5:1-2)

2. Taking care of widows (5:3-16)

3. Matters concerning Pastors (5:17-25)

All three of these are very practical. It’s hard to get more practical than how to speak to one another. Paul writes to Timothy (and by application, all of us) about how to speak to both men and women of different ages. The longest section is about taking care of widows. Who is a widow “indeed”? Who should first take care of a widow indeed if they are able to financially? When you remember that basically from the beginning of the Church (Acts 6:1-6) the taking care of widows has been of great importance, we are helped to see how practical Church life really is. Then Paul teaches about Pastors (Elders). He says things about how you shouldn’t and should receive an accusation against a Pastor, how if one continues in sin they should be publicly rebuked in the presence of all, how a Pastor can take care of his health, and other practical matters. This chapter is very practical!

Here is maybe the main thought I have: we must be practical Christians. We must work. It is not enough to have knowledge; we must use this knowledge to work for the Lord. Yes, that will look different in our own situations. But each of us still has the responsibility to practically serve each other, and by doing so, serve the Lord.