The Apostle Paul wrote this passage from prison, under guard, in chains, unable to be out taking the gospel to Spain as he was so desperate to do and suffering opposition from preachers on the outside, yet he says he rejoices in his situation. It's his perpective and courage that make all the difference.

The goal of the christian life is growth into the likeness of Jesus - it' growing for glory. Hwo do we know if we're growing? Well, look at the content of your prayer and the focus of your study. A sure sign of a community that is growing in love for each other is regular prayers of thankfulness and biblically informed acts of love for each other.

Jesus, his Gospel and his church were central to the Apostle Paul's life and he desired for that also to be true for the church in Philippi as he wrote them from prison. This diverse church had a beautiful legacy of seeing and knowing the power of the gospel of Jesus to save and transform in the most spectacular ways. God wants the church today to know and the see his power and grow in maturity just like the church in Philippi did.

Jesus brings peace from God and peace with God, a peace that all of humanity need.

Jesus brings us joy - true joy even in the darkest and hardest of circumstances.

Jesus puts on human flesh and in so doing, brings light into the deep darkness which humanity are trapped. The light that he brings shines through his death and resurrection which open the way to freedom from our enemies sin, satan and death - our response? Repentance and Joy.

When we talk about God's Sovereignty, He is the biggest, greatest, most powerful being, he is all powerful, all knowing, all wise, all true, and he is good. Nothing happens in creation without God's prior Knowledge or permission. He is in complete control. That control extends over everything, including our will to believe or reject him as Lord.

At the same time, the bible is crystal clear that you and I are responsible for our own actions.

Our storms can be brutal but God does not waste one wave that crashes over his people. Trust him, that he knows what you need, he knows what he is doing and that he has a beautiful purpose for every drop of pain, suffering and emotional struggle. When we do, is it there that we will find great rest, joy and peace for our weary souls.

Christians are brought into the body of Jesus through all that he has accomplished through in his life, death and resurrection. This body is not a club - it is a means of God helping us through life. It's here that we lead each other to see Jesus and we help each other see ourselves and our sin more clearly. We cannot live this life without Gods son, or his body, so let's throw ourselves in!

There are a chorus of voices that are trying to lead us in the storm. Listen to Jesus; the one with power and authority, the only one who knows the future and the one who truly understands how we feel. To listen, we need faith in Jesus and if you're a christian, you have it, you received it from God at your salvation-maybe its time you began to walk it.