Sue J Love
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- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 5,254
1 Timothy 4:12-16 BSB
“12Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.
14Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders. 15Be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”
For Men Only?
Now, these words were written to Timothy by the apostle Paul, both of whom were men of God, called of God to his ministry. But God doesn’t just call men to his ministry, and he doesn’t gift only men with Spiritual gifts, and he doesn’t assign body parts to only men, and he doesn’t give the gift of prophecy (preaching, proclaiming the Word of God) only to men, either. But are women to usurp authority over men? No! Are they to instruct men in positions of authority over them? No! But there may be some exceptions.
[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter 2:9,21; James 5:19-20; 1 John 2:6]
We are All Different
I have already covered the subject of women in ministry recently, so it is not my intention to go into that subject in full in this writing. But the point here is that Paul’s words to Timothy here can and do apply to women, as well. We are not to let people despise us and treat us as though we are nothing just because we are women, or because we are young or old, either. But we, too, must set a good example for all believers in Christ in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. For we are to follow the example of Christ.
Now we all have our own personalities, and our own individual ways of communicating with other people, so we are not all going to be exactly the same as one another, and so we will not be exact replicas of Christ, either, in how we say things. For he had his own way of speaking, too. But our speech needs to be within the confines of the laws of God as to the things we should or should not be saying. We should be those who speak truth, and not lies, but truth spoken in love. For love does not deny the truth. It speaks truth!
God’s Daughters Will Preach
Now, the Scriptures do not prohibit women from teaching the Scriptures, whether out in the public or in a small group setting, unless they are usurping authority over men, and they are speaking out of turn and are not submitting to the authority of godly men who are in positions of rule over them within the gatherings of the church. For Peter quoted the prophet Joel in teaching that both God’s sons and daughters will prophecy (preach), which is what they all did in a mixed group on the day of Pentecost.
So, we who are God’s daughters, who have been called of God to prophesy, i.e. to preach, to proclaim the Word of God to the people, should be doing what God has called us to do wherever we are given permission to do so by those in authority over us, which, if out in the general public, it would be just the authority of God unless we are in a public location where there is another authority. But here on the internet we are under the authority of whoever is in charge of whatever internet sites we might be posting on.
Sharing the Gospel: [Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 9:23-26; John 4:31-38; John 10:27-30; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 10:14-15; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-14; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:9,21,24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Don’t Neglect Your Gift
But we are not to neglect the gift (or gifts) that are in us, which we have received from the Spirit of God. But we are to pray to God for opportunities to share with the people the Word of God and what lessons it has for us to follow, as those who profess faith in Jesus Christ. And we are to pray for openings from God for us to serve in our body part assignments given us by God. For not everyone is going to receive us. And there will be people who will despise us, just because we are women, who will “toss us to the curb.”
So, just because some people may put the “smack down” on us, thinking that we are to remain absolutely silent, and to let only the men do the talking, we should not run away in discouragement and in defeat. For if we are called of God, he will make a way for us which will not be contrary to his will and purpose for us. For he used women to share the gospel, and he honored women, and he valued them, and Jesus sent them out with the message of the gospel to be shared even with men. So God will make a way.
God Will Make a Way
We should never try to force our way into a situation, but we should pray for God to show us where we can go, and where we can proclaim his Word to the people. And then we should be diligent in obeying our Lord, and in doing what he has called us to do. For, honestly speaking, we live in a day and time when there is a huge shortage of godly men who are teaching the gospel as Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught it. And so we women are needed if we are teaching the biblical gospel of our salvation, not lies.
But we need to be on guard, for Satan is going to come after us in any which way he can to try to defeat us, and to try to get us to give up and to walk away because it just got too hard. And it will be hard. It will not be easy. But we must make certain we are operating in the Spirit and not from our own flesh, and that what we are teaching is the truth, and not the lies which are spreading so rapidly in our day and time. And we must persevere in these things, for by so doing we will save both ourselves and those who hear us.
God Will Make a Way
By Don Moen
God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way
By a roadway in the wilderness, He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and Earth will fade but His Word will still remain
And He will do something new today
Caution: This link may contain ads
An Encouragement for Godly Women
An Original Work / July 2, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
“12Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.
14Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders. 15Be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”
For Men Only?
Now, these words were written to Timothy by the apostle Paul, both of whom were men of God, called of God to his ministry. But God doesn’t just call men to his ministry, and he doesn’t gift only men with Spiritual gifts, and he doesn’t assign body parts to only men, and he doesn’t give the gift of prophecy (preaching, proclaiming the Word of God) only to men, either. But are women to usurp authority over men? No! Are they to instruct men in positions of authority over them? No! But there may be some exceptions.
[Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18,42-47; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter 2:9,21; James 5:19-20; 1 John 2:6]
We are All Different
I have already covered the subject of women in ministry recently, so it is not my intention to go into that subject in full in this writing. But the point here is that Paul’s words to Timothy here can and do apply to women, as well. We are not to let people despise us and treat us as though we are nothing just because we are women, or because we are young or old, either. But we, too, must set a good example for all believers in Christ in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. For we are to follow the example of Christ.
Now we all have our own personalities, and our own individual ways of communicating with other people, so we are not all going to be exactly the same as one another, and so we will not be exact replicas of Christ, either, in how we say things. For he had his own way of speaking, too. But our speech needs to be within the confines of the laws of God as to the things we should or should not be saying. We should be those who speak truth, and not lies, but truth spoken in love. For love does not deny the truth. It speaks truth!
God’s Daughters Will Preach
Now, the Scriptures do not prohibit women from teaching the Scriptures, whether out in the public or in a small group setting, unless they are usurping authority over men, and they are speaking out of turn and are not submitting to the authority of godly men who are in positions of rule over them within the gatherings of the church. For Peter quoted the prophet Joel in teaching that both God’s sons and daughters will prophecy (preach), which is what they all did in a mixed group on the day of Pentecost.
So, we who are God’s daughters, who have been called of God to prophesy, i.e. to preach, to proclaim the Word of God to the people, should be doing what God has called us to do wherever we are given permission to do so by those in authority over us, which, if out in the general public, it would be just the authority of God unless we are in a public location where there is another authority. But here on the internet we are under the authority of whoever is in charge of whatever internet sites we might be posting on.
Sharing the Gospel: [Matthew 5:13-16; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 9:23-26; John 4:31-38; John 10:27-30; John 13:13-17; John 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 10:14-15; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-14; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:9,21,24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10]
Don’t Neglect Your Gift
But we are not to neglect the gift (or gifts) that are in us, which we have received from the Spirit of God. But we are to pray to God for opportunities to share with the people the Word of God and what lessons it has for us to follow, as those who profess faith in Jesus Christ. And we are to pray for openings from God for us to serve in our body part assignments given us by God. For not everyone is going to receive us. And there will be people who will despise us, just because we are women, who will “toss us to the curb.”
So, just because some people may put the “smack down” on us, thinking that we are to remain absolutely silent, and to let only the men do the talking, we should not run away in discouragement and in defeat. For if we are called of God, he will make a way for us which will not be contrary to his will and purpose for us. For he used women to share the gospel, and he honored women, and he valued them, and Jesus sent them out with the message of the gospel to be shared even with men. So God will make a way.
God Will Make a Way
We should never try to force our way into a situation, but we should pray for God to show us where we can go, and where we can proclaim his Word to the people. And then we should be diligent in obeying our Lord, and in doing what he has called us to do. For, honestly speaking, we live in a day and time when there is a huge shortage of godly men who are teaching the gospel as Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught it. And so we women are needed if we are teaching the biblical gospel of our salvation, not lies.
But we need to be on guard, for Satan is going to come after us in any which way he can to try to defeat us, and to try to get us to give up and to walk away because it just got too hard. And it will be hard. It will not be easy. But we must make certain we are operating in the Spirit and not from our own flesh, and that what we are teaching is the truth, and not the lies which are spreading so rapidly in our day and time. And we must persevere in these things, for by so doing we will save both ourselves and those who hear us.
God Will Make a Way
By Don Moen
God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me
He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way
By a roadway in the wilderness, He'll lead me
And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and Earth will fade but His Word will still remain
And He will do something new today
Caution: This link may contain ads
An Encouragement for Godly Women
An Original Work / July 2, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
