Titus 2 for Life
Titus 2 For Life: The LFL Connection
HISTORY
Titus 2 for Life (T2-4Life) was built over a period of several years and includes “for life” for a reason. God sets before us “life and death, blessings and curses.” He wants us to trust Him and “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20). This choice has a hopeful and generational influence. As national president of LFL, Linda Bartlett carried this message across the country. But, the speaker became the listener. She learned that biblical manhood and womanhood have taken a beating in the battle of worldviews. Evolution, militant feminism, and education in sexuality have produced bitter consequences. Linda heard cries of disappointment and pain, but also longings for change and a future of hope. She stepped down from the role of LFL president to begin T2-4Life. Her first grandchild helped her better appreciate the positive impact of God’s model for mentoring in Titus 2:1-8. Today, this ministry works in cooperation with LFL’s Word of Hope (www.word-of-hope.org).
WORLDVIEW
The worldview of T2-4Life is shaped by the truth of Creation, The Fall, and Redemption through Jesus Christ. "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits (false teaching) of the world, and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).
MISSION STATEMENT
Titus 2 for Life encourages men and women to live in this present age eager to glorify God and mentor generations of hope.
PURPOSE
The purpose of T2-4Life is to help women:
- Understand that we are engaged in spiritual warfare
- Value and trust our identity
- Contrast ideologies of the world with God’s Word, and
- Appreciate that wise and foolish women are in need of the covering of Jesus Christ.
FORMAT
At this time, T2-4Life is a retreat for women. Small groups meet in homes; larger groups at B & B establishments or cozy retreat centers. Retreats may begin on Friday evening and conclude Saturday afternoon or run all day Saturday.
LESSONS & OBJECTIVES
Part I: We Are Vulnerable
Objective: To recognize spiritual battle (Genesis 3:1), understand that we are more vulnerable when deceived by the world, and trust God’s Word for mentoring generations of hope.
Part II: We Have Identity
Objective: To affect the culture by trusting our identity as a creation of God, daughter of Eve, helper (ezer), and treasure (Genesis 1:27, 2:18; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Matthew 13:44).
Part III: Light in the Darkness
Objective: To no longer be deceived by ideas of the world, but shine light in the darkness and adjust every attitude and behavior to glorify God.
Part IV: We Are Wise or Foolish
Objective: To understand that, at any given time, we are either wise or foolish women; both in need of the covering of Jesus Christ.
Part V: Opportunities of Hope
Objective: To put God’s Word to use and, with suggestions from “Ezer’s Handbook,” faithfully build a future of hope.
BUT, DID GOD REALLY SAY ...?
The first woman was deceived, doubted God, and not only spoke for Him but added her own words. In a fallen world, the daughters of Eve rebel against God’s Word and His created order. We exchange the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25). A T2-4Life discussion presses some “hot buttons.” As time allows, the following statements are considered in light of God’s Word: “Genesis is just a story,” “Equal means being the same,” “It’s all about me,” “Children should feel comfortable with their sexuality,” “It’s my body, my choice,” “Abortion is legal, therefore right,” “Marriage is repressive,” “Gay marriage is legal, therefore right,” “I’ve done it all, what does it matter now,” “My sin is too big for God to forgive,” “It’s my right to dress how I please,” “Anything boys do girls can do better,” “A woman has the right to serve in combat,” “Nothing changes when women compete with men in the workplace,” “I will never teach my daughter to trust a man,” and “There are no biblical reasons why women can’t be ordained.”
RETREAT MATERIALS
Each T2-4Life retreat participant receives a three-ring binder Study Guide complete with “Ezer’s Handbook” and assorted pro-life and family resources.
OTHER T2-4LIFE RESOURCES
T2-4Life provides a variety of resources including a web site www.titus2-4life.org , blog www.ezerwoman.wordpress.com, reproducible Bible studies including Men, Women & Relationships and Dressing for Life: Secrets of the Great Cover-up, and a selection of brochures available from Lutherans For Life.
COST & OTHER DETAILS
To learn the cost of a T2-4Life Retreat, you may request “Titus 2 for Life: Planning a Retreat” from
T2-4LIFE IS COUNTER CULTURE
This mentoring ministry is counter culture because it follows the created order. It honors the equal, but different, roles of male and female. It resists self-gratification and seeks to glorify God by serving others. It exposes the darkness of evolution, twisted feminism, child sexualization, abortion, and attacks on marriage and family with the Light of Jesus Christ. T2-4Life explores woman’s vocation of ezer (“helper”) and strives to help women build a culture of life.
T2-4LIFE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH LFL
God’s Word in Titus 2 relates to a variety of life issues:
Choosing Life: God’s Word in Titus 2 tells women to live their lives in a way that shows they are dedicated to God; to show love to husbands and children. Being dedicated to God means hungering after Truth, trusting it and putting it to use. It means seeing God as the Master Designer, not only of each human life, but of the way each life should be lived. God brings order out of chaos. A Titus 2 woman appreciates the protective covering of a man’s name which encourages her to choose life for her child and, therefore, build a family. Families are the foundation for healthy, thriving societies.
Healing from abuse and abortion: God’s Word in Titus 2 encourages older women (in age, experience, or spiritual maturity) to teach younger women. Women who have been wounded by past abuse and/or abortion, but then experience the forgiveness and mercy of their Savior, Jesus Christ, can lead other women away from choices of death. An older woman can offer hope to the younger woman who lives in denial or despair.
Dating & courtship: God’s Word in Titus 2 does not pretend that men and women are the same. It tells older women to be self-controlled and examples of virtue. In this way they will teach young women to use good judgment and to be morally pure. A Titus 2 woman helps a younger woman find her identity and purpose in God; to discern between the ways of God and the ways of the world in matters of speech, dress, behavior, and life choices.
Marriage & family: God’s Word in Titus 2 emphasizes the importance of the created order when it tells women to place themselves under their husbands’ authority. The biblical woman understands this in light of Genesis 2:18; 22 and Ephesians 5:25; 33. She strives to resist her fallen nature and, instead, trust the God of order who leads away from chaos. She sees the role of homemaker as a noble vocation with generational and societal impact.
Bioethics & End of Life: God’s Word in Titus 2 tells older women to instruct younger women in kindness. God’s kindness is sacrificial. It is true compassion. God came to earth not to remove suffering, but to suffer with us. To suffer for us. God’s saving kindness has appeared for the benefit of all people. When we practice His kindness, we build a culture of kindness.
WHAT IS THE HOPE OF THE TITUS 2 MODEL?
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works" (Titus 2:11-14). When St. Paul was inspired by God to write the young pastor named Titus, the prevailing culture was immoral and embraced pagan ideas. Titus and his congregation needed a model that would resist false teachers and build the household of God. We, too, live in a culture that embraces immoral and ungodly ideas. We, too, are in need of a model that will not only resist evil, but influence for good. That model is Titus 2.
