Useful Again

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
Print, Study and Apply

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Title: Useful Again ------------------------ Date: 1/10/2001
Keywords:    "Barnabas" "John Mark" "Paul"

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Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

Passages: 2 Timothy 4:9-11; Mark 1:1*

9. Make every effort to come to me soon;

10. for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

11. Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service…

1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Questions

1. The book of 2 Timothy was the apostle Paul's last book. The fourth chapter is the last chapter of 2 Timothy. As a part of his final instructions to Timothy, Paul asks that John Mark be brought to him. Why? (look at verse 11).

 

2. What does this tell us about John Mark's development?

 

3. Who wrote the second Gospel account? What does THAT tell us about John Mark's development?

 

Practical help

To review yesterday's study, John Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas on the church's first missionary journey. He abandoned them in the middle of the trip and went home. Barnabas still wanted to invest his life in John Mark, but Paul didn't, so the dynamic duo of Paul and Barnabas split up, with Paul starting the second missionary journey without Barnabas and Barnabas going with John Mark to Cyprus.

How did it all end up? 2 Timothy, chapter four tells us that John Mark made a remarkable recovery! He became -- even in the eyes of Paul -- "useful for service." We agree. Anyone who has ever read the second Gospel account (Mark) knows how useful John Mark became.

There is hope for all who struggle with failure in the story of John Mark! God is able to restore ANYONE to usefulness. Even those who abandon ship in the middle of a missionary journey. Even those who have fallen into the trap of Internet porn. If you feel that you are permanently "on the shelf" for God -- think again. You, too, can become "useful for service."

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Copyright 2001 by eXXit
*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."