GUARD THE GOSPEL
The Book of Second Timothy #1
Keith O’Connor
Woodland Church
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
(2 Timothy 1:1-4, NLT) “This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus. I am writing to Timothy, my dear son. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.”
1. Paul was Called
(2 Timothy 1:1, NLT) “This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus”
(Acts 9:1-6, NLT) “Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So, he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
2. Paul was Sent
(2 Timothy 1:1, NLT) “I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus”
a. Eternal life
(1 John 5:11-12, NLT) “And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life”
(2 Timothy 1:1-2, NLT) “This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus. I am writing to Timothy, my dear son. May God the Father and Christ Jesus ourLord give you grace, mercy, and peace”
Christ Jesus (3x’s)
Christ – Anointed One, or Messiah
(John 1:40-41, NLT) “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”)”
(Mark 14:61-62, NLT) “But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven”
Paul first encountered Jesus as the Risen Lord, unlike writers like John or Matthew who use Jesus Christ, which Jesus is His human name, they walked with Jesus the man first, and then they found out His deity.
3. Personal Letter
(1 Timothy 1:2, NLT) “I am writing to Timothy, my dear son”
(Philippians 2:20, NLT) “I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare”
4. Grace, Mercy, and Peace
a. Grace is God’s favor toward the unworthy
b. Mercy is the gift of God’s undeserved kindness and compassion
c. Peace is a goodness of life that is not touched by what happens on the outside
5. Paul is Thankful
(2 Timothy 1:3-5, NLT) “Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again. I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.”
a. Paul was thankful for Timothy (v. 3)
b. Paul was thankful for Timothy’s Genuine Faith (v. 5)
c. Paul was thankful for Timothy’s Grandmother and Mother (v. 5)
(2 Timothy 3:14-15, NLT)“But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus”
6. A Godly Heritage is a Great Blessing
7. Prayer is Powerful
(2 Timothy 1:3, NLT) “Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers”
a. Make a prayer list you pray over daily
b. Make prayer a priority in your life
c. Prayer specific prayers for specific people
8. Be Bold
(2 Timothy 1:6-7, NLT) “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline”
a. Stir up or rekindle the gift of God
(2 Timothy 1:7, NLT) “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline”
9. Don’t be Ashamed
(2 Timothy 1:8, NLT) “So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him”
(2 Timothy 1:12, NLT) “That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return”
(2 Timothy 1:16, NLT) “May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains”
(2 Timothy 1:8, NLT) “Be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News”
(2 Timothy 1:12-14, NLT) “That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you”
10. Focus on Jesus
(2 Timothy 1:9-10, NLT) “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News”
a. God Saved Us
b. God Called Us
c. WHY? To Live a Holy Life
d. WHEN? The Beginning of Time
Growthwork
- Fan the flame of your faith. Don’t let fear quench it.
- Guard the truth and pass it on faithfully.
- Pray and encourage others.