Bible Journaling: Book of Titus

In this book of Titus, we discover a pastoral letter from Paul to his co-worker and friend Titus who were ministering on the island called Crete. Look up a picture of this location and add it to your Bible by either printing it or creating one by drawing or painting.

For a broader view of this book of the Bible, we encourage you to watch this video:

Bible journaling tip: 

Today we can get overwhelmed by how much information and content is available right at our fingertips. You need to only type ‘Titus’ into Google to find countless videos, photos, podcasts, and devotionals about this one book. But do you know what can not be found by a Google search? Your personal experience of and encounter with God through that book of the Bible. The Bible is like a one-size-fits-all sweater, but it does not look the same on all people everywhere. There is something unique that God wants to say to you and through you.  

LOOK UP(information): encounter God through the Scripture 

Author:

Paul is the author of this letter and much of the other letters in the New Testament. See if you can list all the letters written by Paul. It might be helpful to create a list that you keep in your Bible that could contain the details of each Pauline letter like who it was written to, when it was written, why it was written, and where it was written.

Audience:

This letter was addressed to Titus and the church at Crete. But this letter still speaks to modern readers today. How do you understand the Bible as written for an intended audience yet also ministering to anyone who reads it now? How do you think God works through the authors of the Bible?

History:

In the book of Acts we read about when workers were sent out to help with famine relief. Titus apparently accompanied this relief mission with Paul. Mark all the characters in this letter in a bright color. 

Genre:

Titus is part of the Pauline Epistles (the letters written by Paul). Understanding genre is a helpful key to unlocking more of the Bible. It can be helpful to do a study on the different genres in the Bible and learning the core elements of each style of writing.

LOOK IN(revelation): contemplate / reflect on our own lives

Key verse:

Titus 3:5 NIV

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Inspiration:

This verse from Titus reminds us as nothing that we did not receive salvation because of anything we have done. What do you understand the word ‘mercy’ to mean? How can you show mercy to someone today? Do you sometimes forget this and try to earn God’s favor? What does the Bible say about being renewed by the Holy Spirit?

LOOK OUT(transformation): respond with creative worship action  

Drawing prompt:

For today’s creative prompt we are going to create a moodboard or collage about the book of Titus. You can compile all kinds of images that you find throughout the letter. 

For example, the characters, the setting, and any other examples used. If he writes about sound teaching you can add a picture of the Bible, and if he writes about how an older man or older woman should live in their relationships with younger men and women (chapter 2) you can illustrate that by adding a family tree or pictures of people of different ages. 

Bible Journey with JournalOwl:

Here are some questions / prompts provided by the JournalOwl community. 

• Who wrote this letter – 1:1? Summarize some things we know about him.
• Define “elect.” List other passages about the elect.
• Define “hope” – 1:2 What do Christians hope for?

Follow this link to dive into this book with an online Bible Study group.

Writing prompt:

Sometimes modern Christians will say things like “I wish the Bible gave me a clear list of what I need to do as a Christian”, or “The Bible is all metaphorical, it does not apply to real life”. Have you heard something like this? Have you said this? The letter to Titus is one of many books of the Bible that actually explicitly tells believers what to do and what not to do in order to live godly lives, blameless before God.

The short letter of Titus contains a lot of Do’s and Don’ts - Write two short paragraphs. One can contain all the instructions that believers should Do according to this letter. Paul writes about what an elder should do, but that also applies to all of us, because an elder is someone who lives in a godly way and according to a high standard. We cannot all be elders in the church, but we can all work to have those attributes in our life. 

On the other side of the paper, write a paragraph about all the instructions for what believers should Not Do. Paul is very clear about what is considered ungodly and impure. He talks a lot about false teaching. What is an example of false teaching today? He says our actions will show if we really love God.

Prayer:

God, I want to thank you for the book of Titus. Will you allow me to understand the depths of this book and see beyond the surface. Let my response to this text be worship unto you!