Kelly - 2 Timothy 3

The long, constant faith.

vv. 14-15 "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you have learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

I love Timothy because his life is like mine. He grew up on the faith. He wasn't born yet when Christ walked this earth. He heard the stories of faith and was part of the church because his mother was, and his grandmother was. And he became a church leader from a very young age because he chose that...based on the scriptures and the lives of those he knew in the church.

Timothy didn't have scales fall from his eyes and God speak to him directly as Paul did. Timothy wasn't on the mountaintop with Christ during the transfiguration like Peter was. Timothy didn't see the healings or fall asleep in the garden before the crucifixion. Timothy just heard the stories from those who loved him and grew up in the church and learned to follow Christ and preach love.

I have had my mountain-top experiences that have helped to form my faith, and I will have them again. And Sue and Matthew and others have just returned from their mountaintop. And like the disciples, we have all learned that we simply cannot fully explain the passion of the mountain to those who weren't there.

But Timothy had faith because those stories of other people on the mountain were there. And Timothy had faith because he saw those around him who had been on the mountain work to live out what that means in the "real world." Timothy watched Paul preach and teach because of the scales that had fallen from his eyes. Timothy had faith because he was surrounded by those who loved him and told him he was loved by God. And I suppose Timothy had his own mountaintop times as well, to strengthen his faith and help it evolve.

But Timothy's life was one of the long, constant faith. Not based on the mountaintop explosion. Timothy's faith grows from the church - the community who supported him and loved him and taught him.