[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-sweet-sound-of-sound-doctrine":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-sweet-sound-of-sound-doctrine-surround":86},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":14,"columnName":68,"date":69,"description":20,"extension":70,"image":71,"meta":72,"minRead":73,"navigation":74,"path":75,"postType":76,"publication":77,"publicationUrl":71,"seo":78,"stem":79,"topics":80,"__hash__":85},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-sweet-sound-of-sound-doctrine.md","The Sweet Sound of Sound Doctrine",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11,12,13],"2 Timothy","1 Kings","Acts","Titus","Luke",{"type":15,"value":16,"toc":64},"minimark",[17,21,29,32,35,42,45,48,51,58,61],[18,19,20],"p",{},"Have you ever been ashamed of your work?",[18,22,23,24,28],{},"I still remember failing a test when I was in high school. My English teacher had asked the class to read Shakespeare's ",[25,26,27],"em",{},"Julius Caesar",", but instead I spent the evening playing basketball. Unable to answer most of the test questions the next day, I failed miserably. When the teacher handed my paper back, my face turned red with embarrassment (matching all those red marks on the test!).",[18,30,31],{},"When I was 16, I spent the summer working for a construction crew and made a lot of mistakes because of my inexperience. After all these years I still feel embarrassed when I drive past one of the houses I helped to build. I wonder if the swimming pool in the back still contains a footprint where I accidentally stepped in the concrete.",[18,33,34],{},"I have saved the sermon outlines I used during my early years of preaching. Sometimes I look at those notes and think, \"Did I really say that?\" This question is particularly vexing, because teaching God's Word is such a solemn responsibility. The apostle Paul told Timothy, \"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth\" (2 Timothy 2:15).",[18,36,37,38,41],{},"\"Correct handling\" translates the Greek word ",[25,39,40],{},"orthotomeo",", which meant to cut a straight line or to guide along a straight path. This term was used to describe the way a farmer would plow a straight furrow across his field, and the way a mason would carefully cut and square each stone. When Solomon had the temple built in Jerusalem, his workers carefully cut all the blocks at the quarry and made them exactly the right size and shape, so each stone fit into place at the construction site without any further cutting. That's why \"no hammer, chisel, or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built\" (1 Kings 6:7).",[18,43,44],{},"Health-Giving Instruction",[18,46,47],{},"To rightly divide the word of truth, we must be concerned about sound doctrine. Unfortunately, many Christians today have little interest in doctrine—or they mistakenly assume that doctrine refers to man-made rules and traditions. \"We don't want to talk about doctrine,\" they say. \"Let's just talk about the Lord.\" This position, though, confuses doctrine with dogma. Doctrine is a good word. It simply means teaching (a very positive thing when it harmonizes with Scripture), while dogma refers to crystallized opinions based on human deductions. Jesus himself was a teacher, and members of the early church were devoted to the apostles' doctrine (Acts 2:42).",[18,49,50],{},"Others think doctrine is boring and impractical—aimless theorizing that doesn't relate to everyday life. But the Scriptures prove otherwise. Books like Romans, Ephesians, and Colossians begin by laying a doctrinal foundation (great truths to be believed), then unfold a variety of applications (practical truths to be lived). C. S. Lewis compared theology to a roadmap. You'll never go anywhere if you just sit around reading the map; but it's foolish to set out on a journey without consulting the map to see where you need to go!",[18,52,53,54,57],{},"Titus 2:1 says, \"You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.\" \"Sound\" (",[25,55,56],{},"hugiaino",") literally meant \"in good health.\" Doctor Luke used this word when he quoted Jesus' saying, \"It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick\" (Luke 5:31). Sound doctrine promotes spiritual health.",[18,59,60],{},"Preachers need to devote the hours necessary to prepare and present messages that blend solid biblical content with practical application. All of us must be careful students of the Word, but those called to be teachers should be especially careful to instruct others with accuracy and enthusiasm so that the sweet sound of sound doctrine will be heard in every church.",[18,62,63],{},"For God calls us to be workers—unashamed.",{"title":65,"searchDepth":66,"depth":66,"links":67},"",2,[],"First Look","2004-10-31","md",null,{},4,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-sweet-sound-of-sound-doctrine","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":20},"articles\u002Fthe-sweet-sound-of-sound-doctrine",[81,82,83,84],"Biblical Theology","Church Leadership","Discipleship","Spiritual Formation","FnZ30yLVEfSxzFdMy22-HfQi00ctyNHOXfbFTLKQ1Nc",[87,92],{"title":88,"path":89,"stem":90,"description":91,"children":-1},"The Surprising Power of the Second Mile","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-surprising-power-of-the-second-mile","articles\u002Fthe-surprising-power-of-the-second-mile","Why are the hamburgers square at Wendy’s? Founder Dave Thomas insisted, “We don’t cut corners.” Years ago when my wife, Candy, worked as a waitress, the restaurant manager cut corners. He instructed the servers to dip ice cream so the scoops were hollow in the middle—cheating customers out of a few spoons of dessert. (Candy gave full scoops anyway.) When I was a college professor my students would sometimes ask, “How long does my research paper have to be?”—which meant, “How short can I get by with?”",{"title":93,"path":94,"stem":95,"description":96,"children":-1},"The Sword in Your Chest","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-sword-in-your-chest","articles\u002Fthe-sword-in-your-chest","Do you realize that you currently have a sword in your chest? Sounds uncomfortable, doesn’t it?"]