Titus 1:9
He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
1 Timothy 4:13–16
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
2 Timothy 4:1–4
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead… preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching… they will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
There are times when I like to ask people, “What is the primary job of the Secret Service?” or “Why were they created in the first place?”
Almost everyone answers: “To protect the president.”
Yes, they do protect the president and other officials. That’s the job most people recognize—ironically, because it’s supposed to be invisible. But even that duty largely involves coordinating with other agencies: local police, National Guard, etc.
So what is their original, primary function?
Protecting the United States’ financial system.
The Secret Service was founded shortly after the Civil War to combat the rampant counterfeiting that threatened to destabilize the economy.
Here’s the key insight: to learn how to detect counterfeit money, agents don’t study the fakes—they study the genuine article. Fakes come in endless varieties, but there’s only one authentic. Know it intimately, and the phony versions become obvious.
The same goes for Scripture.
We’ve all heard people quote, “God won’t give you more than you can handle.”
Can you find that verse?
Take your time—I’ll wait.
You won’t find it. It’s not there.
Same with Matthew 7:1. People love to quote, “Don’t judge, or you will be judged,” but they often ignore the rest of the passage. While the command is indeed a caution about judging, Jesus adds a qualifier: You’ll be judged by the same standard you use on others.
So if you’re hyper-focused on someone else’s sexual sin, maybe keep your own browsing history accountable. If you’re vocal about alcohol, take stock of your own intoxicants—whether that’s prescription meds, food, social media, or even your pride.
This isn’t about being flippant, and it’s not an argument for moral relativism.
But it is a reminder: these verses are directed first and foremost at believers.
Let’s get real: if your way of expressing love to someone is by metaphorically beating them with a Bible-bat, don’t be surprised when they recoil. Many people who are far from Christ already know they’re off-track. Most don’t feel great about it. They don’t need help feeling worse.
They need to see hope, mercy, and truth—and those only come from someone who has been changed by the Word.
Before we go around correcting people, shouldn’t we first have a real encounter with Scripture ourselves?
Being “ready in and out of season” isn’t just a catchy phrase—it’s a calling that takes work.
Daily study. Daily surrender. Daily transformation.
The beautiful part? When you immerse yourself in God’s Word, it changes you. You become spiritually saturated—“baptized” in the truest sense of the word (Greek: baptizó means “to submerge, to dip into”). You begin to carry His aroma, and that becomes attractive to others without you forcing it.
And when error comes—and it will—you’ll be ready. You’ll recognize twisted truth, ear-tickling messages, and shallow clichés because they won’t sound like your Shepherd.
That’s why I encourage people to ask others to show them chapter and verse when a “scripture” is quoted. You’d be amazed how many so-called “verses” simply don’t exist. What’s even more concerning is how often real Scripture is weaponized—used not to convict or correct in love, but to abuse, exclude, or control.
If your use of Scripture is about keeping people down—women, LGBTQ individuals, alcoholics, whoever—you’re using it wrong.
What’s the overarching message of Scripture?
Love God. Love people.
Immerse yourself in that truth, and the counterfeits won’t stand a chance.
Rooted & Reckoned 
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