{"id":4167,"date":"2025-10-19T13:01:31","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T20:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/?p=4167"},"modified":"2025-10-28T12:47:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T19:47:23","slug":"sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cSound teaching\u201d \/ Text:  2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\/ Hope Lutheran Church"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8<br \/>\n<\/strong><strong>Theme: Sound teaching<br \/>\n<\/strong>___________________________<\/p>\n<p><strong>Intr<\/strong> \u2013 No,\u00a0it\u2019s not the pastor\u2019s snack time during the service\u2014I just thought of using a donut I made as an illustration for today. (It\u2019s actually a sandwich.)<\/p>\n<p>Is this not a donut? Don\u2019t you believe me? But why? Where is it written how a donut should be? You should just respect the way I made my donut and that\u2019s the end of it. Now I\u2019m offended\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Well, if that would help you believe me, let me put a Canadian flag on it. (Actually, it\u2019s a Brazilian one.)<\/p>\n<p>Now, here things are different. For a donut, there may not be an official rule, so one might still argue about my version of this Canadian treat. But for the Canadian flag, the rules are clear and precise\u2014and this one definitely doesn\u2019t fit them.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re talking about <em><strong>concepts, definitions, and how precise\u2014or not\u2014they are<\/strong><\/em>. Our world is full of them. That\u2019s what Paul calls Timothy to: <em>sound doctrine<\/em>\u2014not what pleases our ears, but what\u2019s anchored in the unchanging truth of God\u2019s Word. For if even a donut\u2019s definition can be fuzzy\u2014what about a sandwich-shaped donut?\u2014God\u2019s Word is not. It is clear. It is fixed.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Our itching ears<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When it comes to well established concepts, our ears usually don\u2019t itch. Would you believe that water is bad for your eyes, or carrots cure pneumonia? I guess not. The questions linger more in things that are not are clear and defined. Is the food pyramid prescribed in the 50s really correct? Should you ditch ultra processed food completely? Are animal fats bad for your health?\u00a0 How do we sift through right and wrong, sound and wobbly teachings, ideas, ideologies and doctrines of our world?<\/p>\n<p>Something similar happens in the spiritual field. It is not the \u201cDevil with horns and a fork\u201d or \u201cJesus didn\u2019t die to pay the price of sins\u201d or \u201cthe Bible is just a book written by humans\u201d that itch our ears. It is more subtle and usually what Suits our own passions, as Paul warns Timothy in the epistle today. Our human nature loves to perk its ears to teachings that confirm our desires or give us permission to believe things <em>our<\/em> way.<\/p>\n<p>After all, it doesn\u2019t matter what I did, good or bad\u2014the most important thing is that <em>I did it my way. Oh, <\/em>there it is! A phrase that itches our ears because it celebrates our deepest desire\u2014to be \u201ctrue to ourselves\u201d and judged by what we feel, rather than by objective truth from the sound doctrine.<\/p>\n<p>The same temptation that Paul warned Timothy about is alive today. We may not chase new gods, but we often chase new ideas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Nothing is wrong if it makes you and people around you happy.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Every person goes to a better place after death.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Keep your faith inside your church; we don\u2019t need it in the public square.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Jesus was a good teacher who taught love.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>There is only one God, so no matter your faith, it leads to Him.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>If your religion isn\u2019t engaged in a social cause, it isn\u2019t necessary.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>If it isn\u2019t measurable, it doesn\u2019t exist.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Love is love.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sometimes, you can\u2019t even use the same words anymore\u2014or the same symbols. To have a voice, you must change your vocabulary or adopt new social norms. (<em>Ill: thumbs up is considered rude or even offensive by some people in newer generations. <\/em>It that is for a thumbs up, imagine how the Church sounds when it speaks of the Trinity, or when it proclaims that <em>only Christ is the way to God<\/em>, that <em>there is salvation and condemnation.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Sound teaching<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Paul invites Timothy to be a faithful pastor teaching sound doctrine because \u201c<em>the sacred writings are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16\u00a0All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17\u00a0that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work<\/em>.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 All Scripture; not parts of it, not sections of it. The entire Book of God is fully God\u2019s Word.<\/p>\n<p>Paul asks Timothy, and us, to teach sound doctrine. He points us to teach things as they are from the Word of God. He is not supposed to avoid themes, change meanings or seek not to offend.\u00a0 He certainly is expected to be loving, moderate and pacifier. But always sound. For what sounds kind may not be true, and what is true remains true even when it doesn\u2019t sound kind.<a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>And what does God\u2019s Word do for us, day by day? Paul lists things that make it essential for our lives.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For teaching \u2014 Scripture educates. <\/strong>It teaches us who God is \u2014 not who we wish He were. In a world where truth is shaped by opinion, the Word of God remains the steady voice that tells us what\u2019s real, not what\u2019s popular.<a href=\"#_ftn2\" name=\"_ftnref2\">[2]<\/a> <strong>The Bible doesn\u2019t echo us; it educates us.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For reproof \u2014 Scripture confronts. <\/strong>It tells us when we\u2019re wrong \u2014 not to shame us, but to save us. When God\u2019s Word rebukes us, it\u2019s not a scolding parent but a loving Father saying, \u201cYou\u2019re heading toward danger; come back.\u201d <strong>God\u2019s Word doesn\u2019t scold to humiliate \u2014 it reproves to heal.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For correction \u2014 Scripture redirects. <\/strong>It doesn\u2019t just point out the wrong road; it turns us back to the right one. Like a GPS that says \u201cRecalculating\u2026\u201d when we\u2019ve taken a wrong turn, <strong>Scripture reroutes us toward grace and forgiveness in Christ.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>For training in righteousness \u2014 Scripture strengthens. <\/strong>It strengthens us to live faithfully in a world that\u2019s is far from faithful. We grow in faith the same way we grow in strength\u2014through regular exercise in the Word. <strong>Sound teaching trains strong disciples.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And here is what these four do: they equip us \u201c<\/strong><strong>for every good work\u201d \u2014 Scripture prepares. <\/strong>The Word doesn\u2019t just fill our minds; it equips our lives to live his love. Every \u201cgood work\u201d we do is not a ladder up to God but the fruit of His grace working in us. Scripture equips us\u2014not to earn salvation, but to live as those who already have it. <strong>We don\u2019t do good works to get to God; we do them because God got to us.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>That\u2019s why we need Scripture\u2014not as a book of old words, but as the living voice of God who teaches, corrects, and sustains us. Without the Word, we drift; with the Word, we are directed, corrected, and resurrected.<\/strong><a href=\"#_ftn3\" name=\"_ftnref3\"><strong>[<\/strong>3]<\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Where does our help come from?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>How hard is it for us to stay faithful? A lot. far beyond our strength. Where does your help come from?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Psalm 121<\/strong> answers: <em>\u201cMy help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.\u201d <\/em>Don\u2019t look to the hills, as the pagans did, or look down as if you\u2019ve already figured life out. Look above the hills\u2014to the Lord who keeps you. Life in this fallen world is full of blessings and struggles, joys and disappointments. But He is the One who keeps you faithful to the end.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Luke 18<\/strong> answers too. Jesus told His disciples a parable <em>\u201cthat they ought always to pray and not lose heart.\u201d<\/em> Pray. Do not lose heart. For even an unrighteous judge would grant the woman what she insistently requested, think about what our Righteous and Loving father will do in our life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Because Christ, the Living and Loving word remains faithful, even when we are not. We can rest in Him and be strengthened by His Word, who defines His teaching in a clear, solid and saving way. <\/strong><a href=\"#_ftn4\" name=\"_ftnref4\"><strong>[4]<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Cc \u2013<\/strong> Now in case you didn\u2019t know it, there are places where you can go to find a precise definition of what a donut is. The Merriam-Webster dictionary for example: \u201c<em>a small usually ring-shaped piece of sweet fried dough\u201d.<\/em><a href=\"#_ftn5\" name=\"_ftnref5\"><em><strong>[5]<\/strong><\/em><\/a> <em>(Shows a platter full of actual donuts, with a Canadian flag on it).<\/em> You may not like it, you may not agree with it. You may challenge it, but that wouldn\u2019t change the doughnut. The description corresponds to reality. <em>Reality doesn\u2019t change.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Neither does God\u2019s Word. Its Sound Teaching teaches us, equips us and saves us.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>_____________________<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a> We\u2019re not talking about practice, <em>adiaphora<\/em>, or preferences. There\u2019s certainly room for different ways of teaching, confessing, and living our faith. The history of the Church is a 2,000-year journey of adapting to different cultures and customs. But when it comes to <strong>sound teaching<\/strong>, every time someone tried to shift a major teaching of the Church, she had to deal with it\u2014and sometimes even excommunicate, as the Bible commands when false teaching threatens the flock (Romans 16).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref2\" name=\"_ftn2\">[2]<\/a> <em>Ill: <\/em><em>If you walk into a donut store and ask for a <strong>donut filled with raw salmon and topped with soy sauce<\/strong>, or for a parmeggiana donut, what are the chances you\u2019ll get it? The clerk might be calm, polite, and kind\u2014but they\u2019ll decline your order. No matter how much businesses want to please their customers, they still have a menu\u2014a set of rules <\/em>and recipes they follow. <em>And even when place carries a dill pickle donut, sushi donut, pizza donut\u2026 they are variants that veer off the original donut. Well, think about the name\u2026dough-nut &#8211; <\/em><em>type of pastry made from leavened fried dough.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>The Church isn\u2019t a restaurant changing the menu to please every taste<em>. We love serving people \u2013 but what Christ Himself has given. <\/em>No matter how much the world would press the Church the chance its menu, to be more tolerant and open-minded, to change the filling or the topping of its teaching, we will politely, pacifically, but steadfastly decline the order. We will continue to preach sound doctrine. \u00a0 We don\u2019t rewrite the recipe; we serve what Christ prepared.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref3\" name=\"_ftn3\">[3]<\/a> It is important at this point to say that there\u2019s room for genuine disagreement among faithful Christians on secondary matters. That doesn\u2019t make us careless about sound teaching\u2014it makes us <em>more<\/em> careful. The core truths of Scripture can never change.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s also important to say that not everyone who embraces different teachings does so out of malice or rebellion. Many times, people are hurting. They\u2019re lonely. They\u2019re searching for belonging, for meaning, for community. And that longing is real and deeply human. The enemy of our souls knows this\u2014he doesn\u2019t usually tempt us with what\u2019s obviously false, but with half-truths wrapped in compassion, with doctrines that tell us what we <em>want<\/em> to hear.<\/p>\n<p>Our task as the Church is to recognize this reality with compassion, even as we stand firmly on truth. We can hold both\u2014a tender heart toward the struggling and an unmovable commitment to sound doctrine. In fact, <strong>true love demands both.<\/strong> False teaching may feel kind, but kindness without truth leaves people ultimately abandoned. So we speak the hard truths\u2014not harshly, but clearly\u2014because we love people enough to tell them what\u2019s real, what endures, and what truly saves.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref4\" name=\"_ftn4\">[4]<\/a> Sound doctrine\u2014teaching it with steadfastness, respect, and love\u2014is our calling. This is what we do as Christians, and as a Church. That\u2019s why we\u2019ll keep the doors (and hearts) open\u201424\/7\u2014offering this life-giving taste of God\u2019s Word, so that many may drive through Christ into the arms of the loving Judge who saves.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref5\" name=\"_ftn5\">[5]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/doughnut\">https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/doughnut<\/a><\/p>\n<p>_____________________________________<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Christian responses to truisms of our time<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cNothing is wrong if it makes you and people around you happy.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f <em>Response: <\/em>Happiness is a gift, but it\u2019s not the measure of right and wrong. God\u2019s Word, not our feelings, defines good and evil. Sometimes living with Christ leads to sorrow or sacrifice, yet that\u2019s where lasting joy is found (Luke 9:23; John 15:10\u201311).<br \/>\nThe Law reveals sin, not emotions (AC II). The Gospel gives peace with God, not the approval of others.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cEvery person goes to a better place after death.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f <em>Response: <\/em>Scripture teaches that salvation is through Christ alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). God desires all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), and Christ truly died for all \u2014 but His gift is to be received through faith. Those who are not in Christ go to the worst place, hell, prepared for the devil and his demons.<br \/>\nWe confess justification by grace through faith alone (AC IV). To say \u201ceveryone goes to heaven\u201d denies both sin and grace \u2014 if all are saved automatically, Christ\u2019s cross becomes unnecessary.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cKeep your faith inside your church; we don\u2019t need it in the public square.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f <em>Response: <\/em>Faith cannot be confined to Sunday or to church walls. Christians are called to live their faith in every vocation \u2014 as citizens, neighbors, workers, and family members (Matthew 5:14\u201316).<br \/>\nVocation: God works through His people in all stations of life (Large Catechism, First Article). Our faith is public because our love serves the public.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cJesus was a good master who taught love.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f <em>Response: <\/em>Yes, He taught love \u2014 but He is far more than a teacher. He is the Son of God, the Savior who died and rose again for our redemption. His love isn\u2019t just instruction; it\u2019s <strong>atonement<\/strong> (Romans 5:8).<br \/>\nThe Creeds and the Augsburg Confession (AC III) affirm that Jesus is true God and true man, who reconciles us to the Father.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cThere is only one God, so no matter your faith, it leads to him.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f <em>Response: <\/em>There is one God, but only one way to Him \u2014 through Jesus Christ, the Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Faiths that deny the Son also deny the Father (1 John 2:23).<br \/>\nLutherans affirm the exclusivity of Christ\u2019s saving work against all syncretism and universalism (AC I, XX).<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cIf your religion is not engaged in a social cause, it is not necessary at all.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f <em>Response: <\/em>Christians are indeed called to love their neighbor and seek justice \u2014 but that flows from faith, it\u2019s not the foundation of it. The Church\u2019s first mission is to proclaim forgiveness in Christ; from that, loving service flows (Matthew 28:19\u201320; James 2:17).<br \/>\nFaith alone saves (AC IV), but faith is never alone \u2014 it bears fruit in love (FC SD IV).<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cIf it is not measurable, it doesn\u2019t exist.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f <em>Response: R<\/em>eal things in life often can\u2019t be measured \u2014 love, forgiveness, eternity, grace. Faith is the assurance of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). It this axiom is true, the universe itself doesn\u2019t exist, for it is not fully measurable.<br \/>\nWe live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). The means of grace \u2014 Word and Sacraments \u2014 are visible signs delivering invisible gifts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cLove is love.\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong>\ud83d\udd4a\ufe0f <em>Response: <\/em>God is love (1 John 4:8) \u2014 but not all love is godly. Real love is shaped by truth and seeks the other\u2019s eternal good, not just their comfort. The truest love was shown on Jesus&#8217; Cross.<br \/>\nGod\u2019s Law orders love toward Him and neighbor (Ten Commandments). The Gospel shows love fulfilled and redeemed in Christ.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q &amp; A<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Q:<\/em><\/strong><em> \u201cPastor, I agree with sound doctrine, but how do we defend it without sounding arrogant or judgmental?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/em><strong>A:<\/strong> That\u2019s a good concern. Paul calls us to \u2018speak the truth in love.\u2019 We defend the faith not to just to win arguments but essentially to bear witness. Firm doctrine and gentle hearts are not opposites \u2014 they belong together in Christ.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Q:<\/em><\/strong><em> \u201cSometimes at work or school I just stay quiet about my faith because it\u2019s easier. Does that mean I\u2019m denying Christ?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/em><strong>A:<\/strong> Not necessarily. God gives wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent. But pray for courage \u2014 small words of faith, spoken with love, can make a big difference. The Spirit will help you. If not in words, you can also witness in works and deeds that point to the Word.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Q:<\/em><\/strong><em> \u201cYou talked about \u2018sound doctrine.\u2019 Isn\u2019t that kind of rigid? Don\u2019t different churches read the Bible differently?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/em><strong>A:<\/strong> Good question. \u2018Sound\u2019 means healthy, like sound bones. Sound doctrine is teaching that keeps us alive in Christ. The Bible is clear about salvation through Him; that\u2019s what holds everything else together.\u201d If that sounds rigid, that\u2019s how it\u2019ll sound, for it can\u2019t be changed according to the context.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><strong><em>Q:<\/em><\/strong><em> \u201cYou said not everyone automatically goes to heaven. That sounds harsh. Why would a loving God not let everyone in?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/em><strong>A:<\/strong> That\u2019s one of the hardest truths \u2014 but also one of the most loving. God sent His Son to die and resurrect for every single human being, and He offers salvation in Jesus to <em>everyone<\/em>. The gates of heaven are wide open in Jesus \u2014 no one is turned away who trusts in Him. The person who doesn\u2019t believe in Jesus is excluding him\/herself from the blessing of eternal life.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Q:<\/em><\/strong><em> \u201cIsn\u2019t \u2018sound doctrine\u2019 just your interpretation? Why should your view be the right one?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/em><strong>A:<\/strong> Fair question. Our teaching isn\u2019t based on personal opinion but on Scripture interpreted by Scripture, which finds also support throughout the History of the Christian faith \u2014 what the Church has confessed for centuries. We don\u2019t claim new truth or a particular special interpretation. We hold to the truth that\u2019s already been revealed since the beginning.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Q:<\/em><\/strong><em> \u201cYou said not everything measurable defines reality \u2014 but science is based on what we can prove. Isn\u2019t faith just wishful thinking?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/em><strong>A:<\/strong> Science helps us understand how creation works. Faith helps us know <em>why<\/em> it exists \u2014 and who stands behind it. Outside of Jesus, we would agree, faith is just wishful thinking. In Jesus, faith is trust based on God\u2019s faithfulness in His Word, His love shown in the history of His People, and above all, in the fact of Christ\u2019s life, death and resurrection.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Q:<\/em><\/strong><em> \u201cSo basically, staying in the Word is how we keep sound doctrine?\u201d<br \/>\n<\/em><strong>A:<\/strong> Exactly. Scripture is God-breathed \u2014 it trains us, corrects us, comforts us. The more we hear it, the less our ears itch for half-truths. There is no other source of sound teaching for the Christian faith.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8 Theme: Sound teaching ___________________________ Intr \u2013 No,\u00a0it\u2019s not the pastor\u2019s snack time during the service\u2014I just thought of using a donut I made as an illustration for today. (It\u2019s actually a sandwich.) Is this not a donut? Don\u2019t you believe me? But why? Where is it written [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":4168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u201cSound teaching\u201d \/ Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\/ Hope Lutheran Church - Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cSound teaching\u201d \/ Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\/ Hope Lutheran Church - Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8 Theme: Sound teaching ___________________________ Intr \u2013 No,\u00a0it\u2019s not the pastor\u2019s snack time during the service\u2014I just thought of using a donut I made as an illustration for today. (It\u2019s actually a sandwich.) Is this not a donut? Don\u2019t you believe me? But why? Where is it written [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-19T20:01:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-28T19:47:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/Donut.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"259\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"329\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"lalbrecht\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"lalbrecht\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"lalbrecht\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5cd2e1ff76a245ed8413878a425bbedb\"},\"headline\":\"\u201cSound teaching\u201d \\\/ Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\\\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\\\/ Hope Lutheran Church\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-19T20:01:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-28T19:47:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3070,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Donut.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/\",\"name\":\"\u201cSound teaching\u201d \\\/ Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\\\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\\\/ Hope Lutheran Church - Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Donut.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-19T20:01:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-28T19:47:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5cd2e1ff76a245ed8413878a425bbedb\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Donut.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/Donut.jpg\",\"width\":259,\"height\":329},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u201cSound teaching\u201d \\\/ Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\\\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\\\/ Hope Lutheran Church\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/\",\"name\":\"Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam\",\"description\":\"Active in Love, Growing in Christ\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/5cd2e1ff76a245ed8413878a425bbedb\",\"name\":\"lalbrecht\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/325c4f32896843c658963a5a48e8aa0bbd55a4fa0b340726ff348a8bee4f9196?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/325c4f32896843c658963a5a48e8aa0bbd55a4fa0b340726ff348a8bee4f9196?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/325c4f32896843c658963a5a48e8aa0bbd55a4fa0b340726ff348a8bee4f9196?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"lalbrecht\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/hopelcs.ca\\\/church\\\/author\\\/lalbrecht\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u201cSound teaching\u201d \/ Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\/ Hope Lutheran Church - Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u201cSound teaching\u201d \/ Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\/ Hope Lutheran Church - Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam","og_description":"Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8 Theme: Sound teaching ___________________________ Intr \u2013 No,\u00a0it\u2019s not the pastor\u2019s snack time during the service\u2014I just thought of using a donut I made as an illustration for today. (It\u2019s actually a sandwich.) Is this not a donut? Don\u2019t you believe me? But why? Where is it written [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/","og_site_name":"Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam","article_published_time":"2025-10-19T20:01:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-28T19:47:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":259,"height":329,"url":"http:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/Donut.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"lalbrecht","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"lalbrecht","Est. reading time":"14 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/"},"author":{"name":"lalbrecht","@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/5cd2e1ff76a245ed8413878a425bbedb"},"headline":"\u201cSound teaching\u201d \/ Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\/ Hope Lutheran Church","datePublished":"2025-10-19T20:01:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-28T19:47:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/"},"wordCount":3070,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/Donut.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/","url":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/","name":"\u201cSound teaching\u201d \/ Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\/ Hope Lutheran Church - Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/Donut.jpg","datePublished":"2025-10-19T20:01:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-28T19:47:23+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/5cd2e1ff76a245ed8413878a425bbedb"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/Donut.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/10\/Donut.jpg","width":259,"height":329},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/sound-teaching-text-2-timothy-314-45-psalm-121-luke-181-8-19th-sunday-after-pentecost-hope-lutheran-church\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u201cSound teaching\u201d \/ Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 121 Luke 18:1-8\/ 19th Sunday after Pentecost\/ Hope Lutheran Church"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/#website","url":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/","name":"Hope Lutheran Church Port Coquitlam","description":"Active in Love, Growing in Christ","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/#\/schema\/person\/5cd2e1ff76a245ed8413878a425bbedb","name":"lalbrecht","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/325c4f32896843c658963a5a48e8aa0bbd55a4fa0b340726ff348a8bee4f9196?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/325c4f32896843c658963a5a48e8aa0bbd55a4fa0b340726ff348a8bee4f9196?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/325c4f32896843c658963a5a48e8aa0bbd55a4fa0b340726ff348a8bee4f9196?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"lalbrecht"},"url":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/author\/lalbrecht\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4167"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4191,"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4167\/revisions\/4191"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hopelcs.ca\/church\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}