Listen up, little ones
Listen for the words Christ Jesus.
Reading
1 Timothy 1:12-16—Amazing Grace
Keys for kids
- Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—like you/me.
- This wonderfully good news is to be fully believed.
- We never deserve God’s amazing grace!
Questions
- Who did Paul say was the worst sinner?
- What do you think he meant by that?
- How might you say his statement (v.15) about yourself?
Notes
(See Saturday for authors. Today’s notes are from a commentary on 1 Timothy by Kent Hughes.)
What a monumental effect 1 Timothy 1:15 has had! And well it should, for it gives us the gospel in miniature. There is no doubt whatsoever that it can make “bruised bones” leap for joy.
This verse sits in the center of a section of 1 Timothy in which Paul digresses about his sheer wonder and gratitude over his experience of grace and what God’s undeserved kindness means for the world. “Gratitude for Grace” is a perfect summary, but the passage is much more that—it is an expression of the awesome magnitude of the gospel that we preach. …
Some have accused the apostle of being disingenuous and projecting a false humility. The “worst” of sinners? The first (as the Greek says) of sinners? Numero uno? “Come on, Paul! There are far greater sinners than you! You never even dreamed of the sins I do.” But Paul was utterly sincere. What he says here is in perfect accord with what he says elsewhere of himself (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8). This is authentic Pauline psychology and theology. …
This is the very soul of the gospel—“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” This is the awareness of a graced heart.
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 32a, 134b
Prayer
- Rejoice that God saved such a sinner as you.
- Pray for a specific application from yesterday's sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.