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Paul, 
an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope:

To Timothy, my true son in the faith. 

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Timothy 1:1-2 CSB
Paul wraps Tim in to his whanau here. Reminds him that no matter what circumstances he finds himself in, no matter what pressure he might be under, no matter how lonely he might feel, Timothy has someone who has his back, will fight for him in the spiritual battle, and in life.
Paul was an apostle which kind of puts him on a different level from the rest of us, and calling someone your true child in the faith feels a bit presumptuous or something, but maybe there's someone who needs to know that you have their back, that you're on their team, they're in your heart, they belong, they're whanau.
Who needs to hear that from you?

When Jesus said he would leave the 99 safe and go to find the lost 1, when he said he was the way, when he said he is coming back again, when he went to the cross he was saying to us you're in my heart, you belong, we're whanau.
#sunday
#worship
#thisisourGod
#loveGod
#lovepeople

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