One who lives in a manner worthy of the gospel will stand firm by striving and not being afraid.-----The stewardship of opportunity is important. The individual believer, and the church family, must constantly ask, 'What opportunities is God giving us today-' Instead of complaining about the obstacles, we must take advantage of the opportunities, and leave the results with the Lord.- Wiersbe, W. W.

Because we are citizens of heaven, the gospel now governs our lives. We daily repent and believe.

Paul weighs the benefits of life against the benefits of death. He sees death as very much better than living. Yet, living is more necessary for the sake of the Philippians.-In the end, Paul decided he would rather live than die before his work for the Lord was done.

Paul will rejoice in prison, regardless if he lives or dies, because his life or death will exalt Christ.---As Paul suffers in his chains waiting for his trial, he is unsure whether he will live or die. Yet, Paul is not stuck between a rock and a hard place. For Paul, life or death is the ultimate win-win scenario.---How would you describe your life- Fill in the blank- -for me, to live is ----------.- Anything other than Christ is a distraction.

The Church will have unity and joy when it prioritizes Christ and the gospel.----Paul rejoices because he is confident that his trials with sanctify his character and because he will exalt Christ, instead of being put to shame.

When Paul faced challenges from inside the church, he was able to rejoice, because the advancement of the message, not the advancement of the messenger, incites joy-----God doesn't promise that your circumstances will be fair. What happens to us can serve to advance the gospel. And the joy of life comes when we can honestly say, -It's not about me, Lord. It's all about you. It's only about you.-----SINCE PAUL SEES HIMSELF AS A SLAVE OF CHRIST, HE WAS CONCERNED ONLY THAT HIS MASTER BE EXALTED. It was of little concern to him that others preached to add to his suffering if by it Christ and the gospel of Christ was advanced. Paul's comforts mattered little when the most excellent thing of the gospel is at stake.

-Bethel Baptist Church exists to glorify God by exalting the Lord, --edifying and equipping the saints, and evangelizing the world.-

God is holy--Man is sinful--Jesus is Lord and Savior--You must repent and believe

Despite Paul's circumstances, his imprisonment helps spread the gospel.----Paul realized that his current circumstances weren't as important as what he did with them. ----Maybe your life lacks joy because your life lacks gospel urgency.----You need to think twice before you complain about your adversity. It might just be that God uses that adversity to reach the lost with the gospel.

Paul prays that the Philippians would have pure motives and not cause others to stumble. This leads to righteous fruit, which results in the glory and praise of God-