Originally presented at Southern Union 2013 Student Leadership Retreat at Cohutta Springs, GA. Presentation. Presented to High-school students to assist them in effectively spiritually leading their peers.

1. “A Dying Man’s Last
Words”
Effectively Spiritually Leading Your Peers

2. Contact Info
Omar Miranda
E-mail: omiranda@rhpa.org
Cell. 770.354.2912
Web: insightmagazine.org
Powerpoint Presentation:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4cJJM9F6-
UVR3FQUlB3LXJzNW8/edit?usp=sharing

3. Getting to Know You
A little about me and my experience as a SDA Christian
& youth.
A little about you:
Are you from an SDA Christian family?
Why have you joined church?
Have you accepted Jesus?
Are you baptized?
Is there something in your life right now that’s keeping
you from going deeper with Jesus? Are you a hypocrite?
Why did you want to become a spiritual leader?
Why have you attended this retreat? What are you
hoping to receive from your time here?

4. Outline
Background Of 1 & 2 Timothy
Selected Passages
Helpful Resources
Question/Answer

5. Background of 1 & 2
TimothyTimothy was the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother. He joined Paul during one of Paul’s later missionary
journeys. Paul addresses Timothy in his first letter to him as "my true son in the faith.‖ He was probably no older
than late teens/early twenties when he joined Paul, but had already distinguished himself as faithful, so that the
elders noticed him. He probably heard the gospel when Paul came through the area on his first missionary
journey, but we don’t know for sure. Timothy served as Paul’s representative to several churches and he was
later a pastor in Ephesus.
Paul says Timothy had a ―genuine faith,‖ the same as that which lived in his mother and grandmother. They both
prepared Timothy to accept Christ when he heard of Him by teaching him the Old Testament Scriptures and
preparing him ―from infancy‖ to recognize the Messiah when He appeared. When Paul came preaching Christ, all
three accepted his teaching and committed their lives to the Savior.
During his fourth missionary journey, Paul had instructed Timothy to care for the church at Ephesus while he
went on to Macedonia. When he realized that he might not return to Ephesus in the near future, he wrote this first
letter to Timothy to develop the charge he had given his young assistant, to refute false teachings and to
supervise the affairs of the growing Ephesian church. A major problem in the Ephesian church was a heresy that
combined Gnosticism (doctrine that the world was created and ruled by a lesser divinity and that Christ was an
emissary of the remote supreme divine being, decadent Judaism, and false asceticism (lifestyle characterized by
abstinence from various worldly pleasures, often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals).
After Paul’s release from prison in Rome in a.d. 62 and after hi s fourth missionary journey, during which he
wrote 1 Timothy and Titus, Paul was again imprisoned under Emperor Nero c. 66–67. It was during this time that
he wrote 2 Timothy. In contrast to his first imprisonment, when he lived in a ―rented house,‖ he now languished in
a cold dungeon, chained like a common criminal. His friends even had a hard time finding out where he was
being kept. Paul knew that his work was done and that his life was nearly at an end. He is a prisoner. He's about
to be executed. And there is a man who is to take his place, his son in the faith, Timothy.
Paul had three reasons for writing to Timothy at this time:
Paul was lonely. Two key ministry members had deserted him. Three other ministry team members were away, and
only Doc Luke was with him. Paul wanted very much for Timothy to join him also. Timothy was his ―fellow worker,‖
who ―as a son with his father‖ had served closely with Paul). Of him Paul could say, ―I have no one else like him.‖
Paul longed for Timothy and twice asked him to come soon.
Paul was concerned about the welfare of the churches during this time of persecution under Nero.
Paul wanted to write to the Ephesian church through his letter to Timothy.

6. Key Passages
1 Timothy 4: 7b-8, 12-16 (NIV) ― . . . train yourself to be
godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but
godliness has value for all things, holding promise for
both the present life and the life to come. 12 Don’t let
anyone look down on you because you are young, but
set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in
love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote
yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching
and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was
given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid
their hands on you. 15 Be diligent in these matters; give
yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your
progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely.
Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both
yourself and your hearers.‖

7. Principles
Godliness/Holiness takes time & training. It
doesn’t come naturally and you have to work at
it.
Don’t let anyone look down on you b/c you’re
young. Take this stuff seriously. Take yourself
seriously, b/c if you don’t, then nobody will.
Don’t stop . . . Never stop! Constant
perseverance will mean success and salvation
for yourself—and for others.

8. Application

9. 1 Timothy 6:6-12 (NIV)
―6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we
brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing
out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be
content with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into
temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful
desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.
Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the
faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But
you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and
gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold
of the eternal life to which you were called when you
made your good confession in the presence of many
witnesses.‖

10. Principles
Learn to be content and you’ll be happier and
holier
Love God more than anything
Stay far away from Christians who are worldly
and materialistic and actively pursue holiness

11. Applications

12. 2 Timothy 1:7-8, 13-14
(NIV)
― . . . fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you
through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit
God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us
power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be
ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me
his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the
gospel, by the power of God. 13 What you heard
from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with
faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good
deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the
help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.‖

13. Principles
Don’t be timid, embarrassed or afraid to use the
Spiritual gift that God has given you.
If you choose to fully and boldly use your
Spiritual gift(s), you will be persecuted.
Use your Spiritual gift(s) responsibly and take
them seriously. Use every opportunity you have
to develop them and make yourself better and
better trained for God’s service. Never stop being
a life-long learner.

14. Application

15. 2 Timothy 2:1-5, 15, 22-26
(NIV)
― . . . be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the
things you have heard me say in the presence of many
witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to
teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of
Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in
civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.
5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not
receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the
rules. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one
approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who
correctly handles the word of truth. 22 Flee the evil desires of
youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along
with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t
have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because
you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must
not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to
teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in
the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a
knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their

16. Principles
Teach others to be disciples
You’re here to do God’s work. You are His
servant! Don’t get distracted.
Take every opportunity to understand how not
just to read the Bible—but to study it!
There will always be people who oppose you, but
you must interact with them respectfully and
effectively. Don’t argue disrespectfully with them.
Don’t fight fire with fire.

17. Application

18. 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 12-17
(NIV)―But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous,
without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its
power. Have nothing to do with such people. 12 In fact,
everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad
to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you,
continue in what you have learned and have become
convinced of, because you know those from whom you
learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy
Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.‖

19. Principles
There will be many ―Christians‖ who act like non-
Christians—have nothing to do with them.
If you seek to be holy, you will be persecuted.
Continue to press on in your quest for holiness
and continue to do what you’re supposed to be
doing.
All of the Bible will give you what you need to
effectively handle all of life!

20. Application

21. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NIV)
―4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will
judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing
and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the
word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct,
rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful
instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not
put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own
desires, they will gather around them a great number of
teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn
aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations,
endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge
all the duties of your ministry.‖

22. Principles
There is urgency to your ministry: Jesus is coming
back soon—and He will hold you accountable for what
you did and didn’t do!
You need to be prepared at anytime to tell others
about Jesus. Sometimes this means helping mistaken
people rightly understand the Bible—but always
respectfully and kindly.
People don’t want to hear the truth. They want a
watered-down gospel—the Gospel-light! It doesn’t
matter! You tell the whole truth and nothing but the
truth. Obey God and let Him handle the
consequences.

23. Application

24. The Little Old White Lady
―To hate and reprove sin, and at the same time to show
pity and tenderness for the sinner, is a difficult
attainment. The more earnest our own efforts to attain
to holiness of heart and life, the more acute will be our
perception of sin and the more decided our disapproval
of any deviation from the right. We must guard against
undue severity toward the wrongdoer, but we must also
be careful not to lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness
of sin. There is need of showing Christ like patience
and love for the erring one, but there is also danger of
showing so great toleration for his error that he will look
upon himself as undeserving of reproof, and will reject it
as uncalled for and unjust. (E.G. White, Acts of the
Apostles, P. 503-504)

25. The Little Old White Lady
―The apostle does not here refer to the openly irreligious,
but to the professing Christians who make inclination
their guide, and thus become enslaved by self. Such are
willing to listen to those doctrines only that do not rebuke
their sins or condemn their pleasure-loving course. They
are offended by the plain words of the faithful servants of
Christ and choose teachers who praise and flatter them.
And among professing ministers there are those who
preach the opinions of men instead of the word of God.
Unfaithful to their trust, they lead astray those who look to
them for spiritual guidance.‖ (E.G. White, Acts of the
Apostles, P. 503-504)

26. The Little Old White Lady
What the church needs in these days of peril is an army of
workers who, like Paul, have educated themselves for
usefulness, who have a deep experience in the things of God,
and who are filled with earnestness and zeal. Sanctified, self-
sacrificing men are needed; men who will not shun trial and
responsibility; men who are brave and true; men in whose
hearts Christ is formed "the hope of glory," and who with lips
touched with holy fire will "preach the word." For want of such
workers the cause of God languishes, and fatal errors, like a
deadly poison, taint the morals and blight the hopes of a large
part of the human race. As the faithful, toilworn standard-
bearers are offering up their lives for the truth's sake, who will
come forward to take their place? Will our young men accept
the holy trust at the hands of their fathers? Are they preparing to
fill the vacancies made by the death of the faithful? Will the
apostle's charge be heeded, the call to duty be heard, amidst
the incitements to selfishness and ambition that allure the

27. Christian Army?
What if half the soldiers in an army were idling or asleep
when ordered to be on duty; the result would be defeat,
captivity, or death. Should any escape from the hands of
the enemy, would they be thought worthy of a reward?
No; they would speedily receive the sentence of death.
And is the church of Christ careless or unfaithful, far
more important consequences are involved. A sleeping
army of Christian soldiers—what could be more terrible?
What advance could be made against the world, who are
under the control of the prince of darkness? Those who
stand back indifferently in the day of battle, as though
they had no interest and felt no responsibility as to the
issue of the contest, might better change their course or
leave the ranks at once.—Testimonies for the Church
5:394. {ChS 82.3}

28. Famous Second-to-Last
Words
―In order that the work may go forward in all its
branches, God calls for youthful vigor, zeal and
courage. He has chosen the youth to aid in the
advancement of His cause. To plan with clear mind
and execute with courageous hand demands fresh
uncrippled energies. Young men and women are
invited to give God the strength of their youth, that
through the exercise of their powers, through keen
thought and vigorous action, they may bring glory
to Him and salvation to their fellow men.‖ (E. G.
White, Evangelism, p. 478).

29. Famous Last Words
―Preachers, or layman advanced in years,
can not have one half the influence upon the
young that the youth, devoted to God, can
have upon their associates." "With such an
army of workers, as our youth, properly
trained, might furnish, how soon the
message of a crucified, risen, and soon
coming Savior might be carried to the whole
world." (E.G. White, Messages to Young
People, Nashville: Southern, 1930, p. 204,
196)

30. Resources
• ―Steps to Christ‖ Youth Edition by: E.G. White (Advent
Source)
―Connection‖ by: Steve Case
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/connection-how-to-have-
relationship/id435293705
• ―Messages to Young People‖ by: E.G. White
• ―The New How to Study Your Bible‖ by: Kay Arthur, David
Arthur & Pete DeLacy
(http://precept.org/about_inductive_bible_study)
• ―Communicating for a Change‖ by: Andy Stanley & Lane
Jones (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GSVSfaCyf8)
• ―The 7 Best Practices for Teaching Teenagers the Bible‖ by:
Andy Blanks

31. Question & Answer