What are some of the things we celebrate in life? We usually think about big events or achievements that we celebrate and while those are worth celebrating, the Apostle Paul calls us to celebrate ordinary obedience in Christ. Through Philippians 2:12-18, we can discover how keeping the goal of growing closer to Christ in mind can help us celebrate the ordinary things of life.

Just as unity is essential for healthy relationships, unity is essential for healthy churches.  In today’s study on Philippians 1:27-2:11, we will learn how unity is not only a way of life but also a matter of heart, as exemplified by Jesus.

What matters most to you in life? Is it health? Is it wealth? Is it some other kind of success? We'll see from Philippians 1:12-26 what mattered most to Paul and what didn't matter quite as much to him. And even though his life and his trials were quite different from ours today, we can see how we can strive to be similarly focused on what matters most in our lives.

The Apostle Paul had plenty to stress about.  He was persecuted, prosecuted, and chained to a Roman guard while awaiting trial in Rome's highest court:  appearing before Caesar himself.  He faced the likelihood of losing his case and being executed for his faith in Jesus.  Amazingly, Paul did not worry or complain; instead, he wrote letters to build up some of the churches and people he loved so much.  The church later called these letters the Prison Epistles.  One of these letters was written to the Philippian church, and this letter exudes with joy.  We are struck on how Paul had so much joy in the face of so much hardship and uncertainty.  We will spend the next nine messages on this book, focusing on Paul's sources of joy and how he chose to live based on that joy. 

 

We will begin our study looking at Paul's joyful relationships with the Philippian church:  what these relationships are based on, how they take commitment, how they are intentional and how they are mutually beneficial.

Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:9, “We have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.”  We, followers of Christ, have also been made a theater to the world to demonstrate God’s power, love, and grace through the gospel.  We are not acting but living our life.  Our life is the theater.  1 Corinthians 4:1-13 helps us learn our role, what is required of us, and what message God intends us to convey to the world on the Stage of Life.

Bringing our series on Jonah to a close, guest Pastor Jacob Park expounds on Jonah's reaction to God's mercy for the Ninevites. He reminds us how easily we could all be guilty of expecting God's grace and mercy to be bestowed on those who we deem as deserving. Ultimately, God graciously teaches Jonah, and us, that His grace is for everyone.  Today's passage is from Jonah 4:5-11.

God is a God of love and compassion. In Jonah 3:4-10, we learn about God’s desire for all people to repent, to be delivered from judgment and to come to have a relationship with Him.

After obeying God and preaching to the Ninevites, Jonah was upset at God for being God. In fact, upset may be too mild a term for how Jonah felt. Yet in this encounter between Jonah and God in Jonah 4:1-4, we can see how God is willing to work with Jonah in processing his anger and eventually helping him see the bigger picture. Let's explore together how we are like Jonah and begin to face the ways in which we might be unhappy with how God does things.

Jonah was far from the perfect prophet. In the book of Jonah, we find that God was exceedingly gracious to those who didn't deserve it. God gave Jonah a second chance and He chose to use Jonah for His purpose in spite of his imperfections. Surprisingly, we find that even within the prophetic message that Jonah gave, it seems that there was a glimmer of hope for the Ninevites. God, through Jesus Christ, has also offered humanity a second chance. And as believers, God works in and through our imperfections for his mission. Are we willing to trust and obey?

Two weeks ago, we left off in Jonah chapter 1 with Jonah being tossed overboard into the sea, to an almost certain death. But this week, we see how God miraculously sends a giant fish to swallow him up and spare his life. From inside the belly of the fish's belly, Jonah cries out to God, both lamenting the situation he was facing, yet confident in God's salvation. Though we may never face being in the belly of a fish, there are many lessons we can learn from Jonah's prayer that we can apply to our own lives when we face hardship.