Titus 2 for Life

Helping ourselves and others transform the culture.

Adopted... by the Father

We Are Sons and Daughters of God! 

It is simply too amazing to comprehend!  You and I are adopted by the Father God!  In Christ, we are firstborn sons of God!  Whether male or female, we all receive the inheritance of eternal life because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.  The Spirit in us calls out, “Abba, Father!”  (Galatians 4:4-7)

It’s true!  I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.  (2 Corinthians 6:18)

Does this Truth change the way you see yourself?  Does it change the way you live?  It can… and should!  Satan knows that if we believe we are sons and daughters of God, we will not let our heads be turned by the world.  So, he is busy.  He is very, very busy.  Just as he tempted the first man and woman, so he tempts us today with his hissing question, “Did God really say . . .?” 

Did God really say . . . I created you.

Did God really say . . . My ways are not the ways of the world.

Did God really say . . . There is hope in the midst of despair.

Did God really say . . . My love covers all sins.

Sons and daughters of God can answer, “Yes!” even while the battle rages for our very souls between two fathers – the Father of Truth and the father of lies.  Jesus, indeed, the very Word of God, describes satan this way: He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the Truth, for there is no Truth in him . . . he is a liar and the father of lies.  (John 8:44) 

I must admit.  I have been tempted by the father of lies.  He knows my weaknesses.  He presses on my soft spots.  He tells me lies about my origin, gender, and freedom.  He tries to turn my head so my behaviors are influenced by the world.  But, because of what Jesus has done for me, I am an adopted daughter of God!  And, as a daughter of God, I see the wisdom of the world as foolishness! (1 Corinthians 1:20; 3:19)  The Spirit of God equips me to live counter-culture!

Titus 2 for Life, the mentoring model of LFL’s Word of Hope, encourages sons and daughters of God to live counter-culture.  Opportunities abound for Titus 2 for Life to encourage women to trust their identity as daughters of God who think, speak, dress, and live differently than the world.  Because of Jesus Christ, wrong choices of the past are forgiven, failures are forgotten, and hope is new everyday!

Titus 2 for Life uses Law and Gospel to instruct, encourage, and share hope with men and women of all ages and spiritual maturity.  It contrasts “trendy” ideas with the unchanging Truth of God’s Word.

Titus 2 for Life offers six opportunities to encourage Biblical womanhood: 1) One or two-day retreats for small groups; 2) Training retreats for women who want to carry on a local Titus 2-style ministry; 3) the purity lifestyle show and educational fundraiser, “Dressing for Life;” 4) the ten-lesson Bible study, “Dressing for Life,” for young women in youth groups, catechism, or retreats; 5) the 12-lesson Bible study Men, Women, and Relationships; and, 5) the web site www.titus2-4life.org for daughters of God who want to make a difference in their world.

Biblical manhood is encouraged through Men, Women, and Relationships and a second, shorter study entitled Called to Remember ( www.lutheransforlife.org

The purity lifestyle show, “Dressing for Life,” has reached approximately 2300 girls and women in Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, and Nebraska.  This mentoring model has raised approximately $20,000.00 for Word of Hope (the healing ministry of LFL), local caring pregnancy centers, abstinence programs, and Titus 2 for Life.  The “Dressing for Life” Bible study is being used by moms and daughters as well as youth groups.  Earlier this summer, a pastor’s wife used portions of this study with her volleyball girls at camp.

Fifteen “teas” or day retreats, six overnight retreats, and seven training retreats have been hosted in homes, lodges, churches, or bed and breakfast establishments in North Carolina, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nebraska, Montana, and Wyoming.  College-age women, mothers, single women, and grandmothers come together for a time away from the chaos of the world.  In quiet places, we fill ourselves with God’s Word before returning to do battle with the world. 

What are women saying about this mentoring model?

• The world and modern feminism disgraces the role of women, but Jesus respects women and connects us to our Father . . . using your model, I am inviting girls from my dorm to a Titus 2 “sleepover;” then, hopefully, we can hold one another accountable.  (Beth)
• The retreat helped me realize, on a heart level, how perfect God’s plan is and how much I am valued and loved by my Father even though I fall short . . . I now better understand what a godly woman is and the kind of influence a Titus 2 woman can have on society.  (Sandy)
• A lot of women don’t realize how much they’ve been influenced by worldly ideas . . . I loved the way you presented a host of information to us and led thoughtful discussions . . . I’m encouraged to have our own Titus 2 event.  (Sherry)
• As a young mom, I see how much “stuff” has crept into our thinking and leads us further from the Truth of God’s Word . . . I was encouraged by your passionate and kind delivery of material that flows – right from Genesis into our modern lives . . . [T]he resistance to this Titus 2 message tells me that it is on track and very much needed by seminary wives, young Christian moms, and women who’ve been hurt by abortion.  (Stacey)
• I am so encouraged to know there is a movement of women who want to live counter-culture by dressing modestly, encouraging Biblical manhood, and influencing society as homemakers!  (Brenda)
• It’s been hard to swim against the current, so I . . . appreciated being reminded that I have hope in Jesus.  No matter what we’ve done, we are a new creation in Christ.  (Christine)
• You provided encouragement for me as I consider the responsibility and honor of passing Truth on to my daughter.  (Debra)

The father of lies was busy in Titus’ day.  As a young pastor, Titus was in need of a model that would help his congregation stand against the pagan ideas embraced by the culture.  St. Paul was inspired to offer Titus and his congregation the gender-specific model found in Titus 2:1-8.

We, too, live in a culture that embraces the immoral and ungodly ideas perpetuated by the father of lies.  But, the model given to us by our Father, the God of all Truth, helps us raise a generation of men and women who know how to live in a way that pleases God and even begins to transform the culture. 

What is the promise?  God’s saving kindness has appeared for the benefit of all people.  It trains us to avoid ungodly lives filled with worldly desires so that we can live self-controlled, moral, and godly lives in this present world.  At the same time, we can expect what we hope for – the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He gave Himself for us to set us free from every sin and to cleanse us so that we can be His special people who are enthusiastic about doing good things.  (Titus 2:11-14)

By Linda Bartlett

First published in LifeDate, Fall 2007 Issue

www.lutheransforlife.org