This Sunday we begin our look at Paul and his concerns for a church he cannot visit for whatever reason. Timothy, his son in the faith, is sent to see how they are holding up under the pressures of being new Christians in a culture that dislikes them and their new way of living. As he is encouraged by what Timothy brings back for a report, Paul begins the discipleing of this church, and as we will see in chapter four, it sets the stage for some tough, yet clear teaching.