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DAY 1 — THE CHAIN OF FAITH

"And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:2 (ESV)

Background: The Christian faith is not invented anew by each generation. It is received and handed down. Paul received the gospel from Christ (Gal. 1:11–12 ESV), he entrusted it to Timothy, and Timothy was to entrust it to others. This is the relay of truth: the baton of the gospel is passed hand-to-hand, heart-to-heart, generation-to-generation. Christianity is not a new idea each century but the ancient faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3 ESV).

Illustration: When John was about to go into surgery, scared he wouldn’t survive, he asked his mom, Susan:

“Am I gonna die?” Gripped with fear and the unknown, young John O’Leary looked to his mom for faith in a moment he couldn’t muster up his own. Susan replied, telling John to “take God’s hand and fight like you’ve never fought before.”

Her encouragement didn’t end there—she assured John she and his father would be there with him the whole time. Susan O’Leary was a beacon of faith for John in one of his darkest moments. She pointed him to the only Source of light and comfort—God. But Susan didn’t just tell John to pray... She told him that a battle lies ahead. That he had a choice to make to fight, but that no matter what, he wouldn’t be doing it alone. Intending to or not, Susan taught her son that night to cling fast to his faith, to fight, and to rest on the shoulders of those fighting alongside him.

Reflection Questions:

• Who handed you the faith? (Parents, pastors, mentors, authors?)

• Who are you handing the faith to so the chain doesn’t end with you?

Call to Action: Write down the names of three people who invested spiritually in you. Send one a note of thanks today.

Prayer: “Lord, thank You for those who ran before me and placed the baton in my hand. Let me not be careless with this trust. Make me a faithful link in the unbroken chain of the gospel. Amen.”