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Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 2 Timothy 2:8. Paul encourages Timothy to preach the gospel message, calling it "my gospel." This is because if the good news is powerful and true, the reader must make the gospel their own by believing every word. Paul compared Christians to soldiers, athletes, and farmers. Soldiers who do not fight never see victory. Athletes who quit before the finish line never win a race. Farmers who stop working in the fields never see a harvest. The Christian sees the good news as a real relationship with God, through the finished work of Christ on the cross. For if we are dead with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we suffer with Him, we shall reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us. Yet He is faithful and cannot deny Himself. We must study the word, which rightly divides truth from lies. Church alone on Sunday is not enough to protect from the fiery darts of Satan during the other six days of the week. You will learn more from consistent reading of your Bible than you will learn in church. The battle is real for those who oppose evil, but to those who are blind, it is foolishness. Amen.