Lately, I have been reading a book called The Titus Ten: Foundations for Godly Manhood, where the author explains that there are 10 key principles that we can apply from the short book of Titus in the Bible:
- Dominion
- Gospel
- Identity
- Assignments
- Authority
- Character
- Doctrine
- Mission
- Zeal
- Investments
Here are some of my thoughts on the first chapter…
Chapter 1: Dominion
This chapter focuses on four main domains that we, as men, are called to take dominion over: the flesh, the church, the family, and the workplace.
I won’t go in depth into each of these, but a quote that stuck out to me was, “The church is the body of Christ. The church is the bride of Christ. The church is the house of God. The church is the family of God. God uses those metaphors so we might understand His love for the church.”
The book of Titus shows us how the church is built. Paul leaves Titus, an early Christian disciple and missionary, on a small island called Crete to bring order to various unstable churches in the area. He does this not through big platforms or spectators, but through people living out sound doctrine and strong leadership. (Titus 1:6-9)
Although Titus was written nearly 2,000 years ago, the message is still relevant today. Serving the local church still matters. You do not need to be in full-time ministry, a perfect communicator, or an extrovert to serve the church. You just need to have a willing spirit. Psalm 92:13 says that those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish.
Honestly, there are times when staying committed to serving the local church is hard for me. I will come up with excuses like I’d rather sleep in, or I’m not in the mood to be social, or there are things I need to get done around the house. But when I feel like this, I remind myself that when following Jesus, serving people becomes the mission. (Mark 10:45)
Yes, it will feel uncomfortable and will require sacrifice, walking by faith, and learning to overcome offense because the church is full of broken people just like you and me. But at the end of the day, the more we stay planted in the house of the Lord, the more we see that growth doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens with faithfulness, consistency, and community.
The Bigger Picture: We flourish by planting ourselves in God’s family and faithfully serving the church.
The Bigger Picture 