No Higher Calling Podcast
A Study of Titus
It was an absolute joy to spend a year studying through the book of Titus with my spiritual mentor, Denise Palmer. Through this study, we saw the emphasis God placed on the aged women teaching the younger women. The same is still true today! We need women who are mature in their faith to bring those behind them along on the sanctification journey.
Throughout these episodes, Denise and I share much of what God was teaching us throughout our time spent in Titus. I pray this study will bless and encourage you as much as it did us!
Episode 1: Lessons Learned from Titus
What a joy it is to have my spiritual mentor, Denise Palmer, joining me once a month for a Titus 2 Talk! On these special episodes, Denise and I will be doing a deep dive into the truths God has taught us through the book of Titus.
This first episode is an overview of the entire book, and we discuss lessons that God has taught us through our study. We look at the spiritual condition of Crete, the command God gave to the aged and younger women, what it means to live a well-ordered life, and how we can model a “pattern of good works” to others.
This overview will lead us into discussing the Titus 2 command that God gave to women. What do you do if you don’t have a Titus 2 mentor? How do you find a younger woman to invest your life in? What is the purpose of a Titus 2 ministry? What blessings come from obedience to God in this area? What consequences come when we fail to obey God’s command to disciple others? We look forward to addressing these questions straight from God’s Word!
Episode 2: The Aged Women
On this second episode, we discuss the characteristics that God says the aged women are to pattern their lives after. In pursuit of a well-ordered life, God gives clear instruction on how that is accomplished. We share what God taught us from out study of Titus 2:3 “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;”
Time does not cause a life to be defined by these characteristics. These become the life of a believer as one moves grows in obedience and faith. As a woman continues in her sanctification process, holiness, a guarded tongue, Spirit-control, purpose, and the desire to influence others will take root in her heart and overflow into her actions.
Episode 3: The Young Women, To Be Sober
On this episode, we start walking through the things God has commanded the aged women to teach to the younger women. We discuss …
-What does is mean to be sober?
-Is there a specific reason that God lists this first?
-Our desperate need to have our minds rooted in Christ vs our emotions
-Personal examples of how God has used the Titus 2 relationship to encourage us to be sober-minded
Episode 4: The Young Women, To Love Their Husbands
On this episode, we start walking through the things God has commanded the aged women to teach to the younger women in regards to loving our husbands. We discuss …
-How God uses trials to mature our marriage relationship
-Allowing your husband to hold the place only Christ should in your life
-The influence a wife has over her husband
-The role of the wife as a helpmeet
-Trusting God to make our husbands the spiritual leaders of our homes
-The importance of prayer in marriage
Episode 5: The Young Women, To Love Their Children
On this episode, we walk through the things God has commanded the aged women to teach to the younger women in regards to loving our children. We discuss …
-The sanctifying work of motherhood
-The sacrifice of motherhood
-The stewardship of motherhood
-The sweetness of motherhood
Episode 6: The Young Women, To Be Discreet
On this episode, we define and discuss the word discreet. This character quality shows discernment or good judgment in our conduct and speech. As we study through this, Scripture reveals that this is not an exterior adornment; it is an interior heart work. When we pursue biblical womanhood, the Holy Spirit will develop a deeper Christlikeness in us. Mark 12:34 writes that Christ Himself answered discreetly.
This episode presents the challenge for each of us to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of our lives where we are not showing discretion. We then move beyond that to asking Him to show us how we can mentor those younger in the faith to also exhibit discretion in their Christian life.
Episode 7: The Young Women, To Be Chaste
On this episode, we discuss the word chaste. This word means to be pure of carnality, chaste, modest; immaculate; clean. So often, ideas of purity are connect with the outward. How do we dress? How do we present ourselves? Do we outwardly portray biblical womanhood? While all these things are important, the most important aspect is much deeper. We will not live a chaste outward life if we do not have a chaste heart. What does is say to our God who gave everything for us if we rest on Him for our soul’s salvation, yet we continue to allow the filth of this world to reign in our hearts? As women who are seeking to conform into the image of our Savior, we must live lives defined by chastity.
We transition to several practical areas in which women today might struggle with being chaste, inwardly and outwardly. . .
-Pornography amongst women
-The influence of entertainment/media on our purity
-Guarding your relationships (as a married and unmarried woman)
I Thessalonians 4:3, 7 “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”
Episode 8: The Young Women, To Be Keepers at Home
The ideology of our culture has caused us to cringe when we hear “keepers at home.” Does this mean that God’s design is for women to be stuck at home doing menial tasks? Absolutely not! That actually couldn’t be farther from the truth. If we deem home as menial, it shows our own lack of understanding of God’s beautiful design for the home and womanhood. Every meal made, shirt washed, and floor swept is a part of God’s work in this world. How can that be possible? Because it is through this loving care that souls are nourished and cultivated.
Denise and I dig into this little phrase “keepers at home”, and we seek to share with you what God taught us- that we have a high calling! There is really no higher calling! Whether you are married or not, whether you have children or not, we all have homes that God intends for us to use for His glory and for the advancement of the Gospel. This study challenges us to do all to the glory of God!
What if we decided to work hard and pursue excellence in our homemaking? The only way to purse excellence is to pursue Christ. What place does He have in our hearts and homes?
Psalm 127:1 “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”
“The home is the beating heart that powers everything else.” -Rebekah Merkle
Episode 9: The Young Women, to be Good
As Denise and I continue our study through Titus 2, we come to the word “good.” What does this word mean? Strong’s concordance says that this is the widest and colorless work with this meaning. So what does God have for us to learn about being “good”.
Denise compares Scripture with Scripture and draws out the connection that God is making between this command for the aged women to teach the young women to be good and the Proverbs 31 woman who uses her tongue for kindness. Who is to be the recipient of our good/kind speech? It should be our husbands, children, and others God has put in our sphere of influence!
God has much for us to learn in the word “good.” We pray that it will convict and challenge your hearts as much as it did ours!
Episode 10: The Young Women, to be Obedient to Their Own Husbands
Denise and I come to the final command the aged women are given to teach the younger women. When we hear words like “obedient” or “submissive”, we tend to bristle. In this episode, we study what God’s heart was as He inspired Paul to write this letter to Titus. As we have learned, God does everything decently and in order. Everything He does is for His glory and our good. Our sinful flesh can balk at His divine boundaries, but God desires that we find freedom and joy as we follow His ways.
Episode 11: Titus: An Example of the Believers
I Timothy 4:12 “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Throughout our study of Titus, we have been looking at the commands and characteristics God’s given to women. In today’s episode, we look at the list of characteristics God gave to Titus as the pastor of the church in Crete. There are parallels in Paul’s instruction to Titus and Timothy, and as it says in I Tim 4:12, pastors are to be an example of the believers.
We do a deep dive Bible study into the characteristics listed for a pastor in the book of Titus, and learn how they are also to be a part of our lives. As pastors follow Christ, they give a Christlike example for us to follow in.
Episode 12: Final Recap
What a journey it has been for Denise and I to walk through the book of Titus alongside you listeners throughout this year! God has taught us many things throughout this study, and we pray He has done the same for you. We recap our takeaway truths, and give a charge to continue on in your study of God’s Word. As we are on the precipice of a new year, we present the challenge to ask God to put a book of the Bible on your heart to study in 2023. Denise shares several ways to do that as we wrap up our study of Titus.
Psalm 119:103 says, “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” As you dig into God’s Word and do the work of mining out His truth, you will find that there is great sweetness to be found.