Kobe Bean Bryant famously said, “Job’s not finished.” Whether in sports, work, and even in our faith, there can be a tendency to settle or take it easy, thinking we have done all that is needed to be done. But as we journey in our faith, in the “already, but not yet,” we are called to press on and seek to be more like Christ. Join us this Sunday as we conclude our two-part series in Philippians 3 and hear what it means to press on towards the prize that is in Jesus Christ.

This Sunday we begin a two-week mini-series in Philippians 3. As we approach Thanksgiving, it is worth pondering why so often our lives can feel joyless and thankless. As CS Lewis wrote, “the unmistakable mark of Hell is the unsmiling concentration on the self.” Clearly, our self-focus is stealing our joy. But why does that keep happening, even among Christians? And how do we fight for lasting joy in our lives? Let’s talk about “The Thief of Thanks” (Php.3:1-11).

We finally come to the end of our series in 1 John. He ends by simply saying, Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. John is not just throwing out one more command, like a parent saying "buckle up; don't speed!" as you walk out the door. No, he is summing up the entire goal of his letter. Grace has an agenda: that we be both happy and holy. Let's talk about "Keep Yourselves From Idols" (1 John 5:13-21).

We are nearing the end of our series on the letter of 1 John, and he returns to his main concern. John wrote this letter because he perceived a serious threat from the emerging ideas of Gnosticism, which were beginning to seep into the Church. While that may sound incredibly distant from us, there are significant parallels to today. They were twisting the historical truth of Jesus' life to match the prevailing ideas of the surrounding culture. For example, spiritual truth was seen as an inward experience (rather than an historical reality), and they separated mind from body (much like some pitting psychology against biology today). Yet John's ire wasn't merely a counter-cultural tendency. His concern was what we lose about Jesus when we twist our faith to match current prevailing ideas. And that equally applies today. But note well - this letter is written to the Church about a problem within the Church, not a shot at those outside it. Let's talk about why it is essential that we hear "God's Testimony" over any other (1 John 5:6-12).

Why does following the rules so often feel burdensome, especially when it comes to God's rules? This week in our series in 1 John, he is addressing precisely that problem. John insists God's commands are not burdensome, but the fact that they feel that way is exposing something in us that makes them feel enslaving. Only to the degree that problem is addressed will we increasingly experience joy in obedience. How do we get there from here? Let's talk about God's commands as "Not Burdensome?" (1 John 5:1-5)

"God is love" -- seemingly one of the most agreed-upon ideas about God in Western society. However, what people tend to mean by that phrase might better be stated "Love is God." In other words, 'whatever ideas someone has about love... God must be like that.' Ironically, the idea that "God is love" primarily comes from Scripture, especially 1 John 4, which states that exact phrase. However, John is not appealing to his audience's pre-existing ideas about love (to make up a god who matches them). Instead, he explicitly intends to say the opposite: God defines love by who He is. Not only is that potentially offensive in our society, it would equally have been a challenge to his original hearers. So how could it have been good news for them? When our mistaken notions of 'love' get shattered -- especially through suffering -- we rarely embrace it. We certainly don't see it as a joy. So why did they? Let's talk about the joy of who "Love" is (1 John 4:7-21).

Who is the Holy Spirit? What does he do? Is this just "May the Force be with you" or is something more going on? This week in our study of 1 John, he gives us a test for the Holy Spirit. And clearly he expects the Spirit to have a very practical and personal role in our lives. Modern Christians tend to have one of two misunderstandings: either basically to ignore the Spirit or alternatively to focus way too much on the Spirit. So where does that leave us? How do we experience the hope John intends - that he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world? What is the joy we are missing? Let's talk about "The Holy Spirit" (1 John 3:24-4:6).

This Sunday, as we continue our series in 1 John, we return to one of John's cyclical themes: love one another. But this time, instead of just stating the idea, he gets personal: you cannot love God and hate your brother. Cain and Abel get a reference. John even calls out the problem of just giving lip service. You get the sense that he knows his people are genuinely struggling to love each other. Grudges are being held. And he wants them to understand why that is so dangerous - not just relationally but even inwardly. If the early Church, on heels of walking with Jesus, struggled to embody that love, is it really surprising that we do too? So how did they fight for healing instead of just fighting one another? Let's talk about it: "Am I My Brother's Keeper?" (1 John 3:11-24)

Last Sunday we considered the joy of adoption. This Sunday we talk about the challenge of living an adopted life. To that point: it is simple enough to get the child out of the orphanage, but it is much harder to get the orphanage out of the child. Or to put it more practically: how do we actually change? Even if I know what I should do, I often continue doing the same old things. Theologians call this process mortification (dying to our sins) and vivification (growing in our new life). But what does it look like? How can spiritual orphans like us grow into our new family life? Let's talk about "An Orphan's Life #2" (1 John 3:1-10).

This Sunday, as we continue in 1 John, he talks about adoption into the family of God. For any child, being adopted has enormous implications -- past, present, & future. It is intensely personal and wondrously life-altering. Or is it? As John writes this passage, he seems to feel the need to remind them of something they have forgotten. How could we begin to sleepwalk through a gift that should create so much joy? Why would an adopted child choose to live like an orphan instead? What are we missing? Let's talk about "An Orphan's Life" (1 John 2:28-3:3).