God Centered Life

The book of Hebrews says that Jesus is better, or greater, 25 times. It's also better to keep meeting together, as this passage emphasizes. It's so important that Christians gather together in person to worship Christ.

Peter is putting on a mask. How do we take off these masks? The only way to not pretend is to realize that you are okay as you are now. You are accepted by God.

In the Bible, life doesn't simply mean existence. It means thriving, true life. One of the distinctives of Christianity is that it's not simply a set of rules to follow, it offers us a whole new life. Through faith in Christ, we come back to life.

Ultimately, what is a mid-life crisis? It reveals what idols you've been worshipping for the first half of your life. We need to be careful of burnout and have a good, biblical response to it.

At one point or another, the challenge will come. Will you give in completely to the identity of the world? Or will you take a stand? Somewhere, at some point, you have to say, "This is who I am."

Here Paul reaches out to the church in Phillipi and says that his joy will be complete, but the bigger goal is that the church please God. Together they will find joy in the process of ongoing, real unity.

Unity is not that complex. This is not a matter that stems from a high-flowing knowledge of the Scriptures or something that is based upon tough theological negotiations. But the witness that unity amongst believers has to a watching world is key.

Peter was afraid and hypocritical. We are to be the opposite. Instead of fearing man, we need to fear God. Instead of putting on a pretentious, hypocritical show, we need to take off the mask.

The trouble is, on its own, a message like "be joyful" can feel trite or too easyor too hard. It's such an important battle to fight for joy amidst trying circumstances. Phillipians will help us do that.

I sometimes wonder whether one of the signs of pride is a lack of rest or an increasing intensity. We do need to work hard and work for God. Yet where is the Sabbath principle in our lives? There is a temptation to take pride in how busy we areand wear it like a badge.