Monday
1 Timothy 6
Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be blasphemed.
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Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful to them on the ground that they are members of the church; rather they must serve them all the more, since those who benefit by their service are believers and beloved.
Teach and urge these duties.
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Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness,
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is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions,
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and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
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Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment;
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for we brought nothing into the world, so that[
d
] we can take nothing out of it;
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but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
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But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
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For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.
Tuesday
1 Timothy 6
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But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.
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Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
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In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you
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to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
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It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
Wednesday
1 Timothy 6
As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
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They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,
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thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
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Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge;
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by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith.
Grace be with you.
Thursday
2 Timothy 2
You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus;
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and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.
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Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
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No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer.
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And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules.
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It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops.
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Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in all things.
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Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel,
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for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.
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Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
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The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
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if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
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if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
Friday
2 Timothy 2
Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.
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Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.
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Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety,
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and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
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who have swerved from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting the faith of some.
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But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.”
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In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary.
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All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work.
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Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
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Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.
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And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient,
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correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth,
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and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.
