Most people have pursuits in life that they are deeply passionate about - hobbies, careers, education, relationships - the things that take up our time and money. But Paul challenges the Christian that real joy is found in a better pursuit, one that strains for more of Jesus. How passionate for more of him are we?

In Paul's letter, we see his loves and his affections. We see his deepest desires. We find what matters most to him. And his treasure is found in Christ. His heart is embedded in Christ, and so his joy is embedded in Christ as well. The question for me - where is my treasure?

Paul reminds the church that our role as believers is not to harshly judge the world or to retreat into our own Christian bubbles. Instead, we are called to live in unity, demonstrating God's love and pointing others to Jesus through our actions and words, to shine bright for Him.

In a world that often celebrates self-promotion and individual success, there's a countercultural path that leads to true fulfillment and joy. This path, exemplified by Jesus Christ, challenges us to rethink our priorities and embrace a lifestyle of humility and service.

Paul was not ruled by circumstances but by trust in the providence and faithfulness of God. This gave him peace, joy, and hope in all situations. He was focused on Jesus Christ—his redeemer and deliverer. As Christians, we must follow Paul’s lead, choosing to focus on and trust in God rather than our circumstances.

Christians are called to be people of hope and joy, who give hope to the hopeless and inspire joy in the hapless. We have been filled with life-giving Spirit so that we might live to “breathe life” into the dispirited! To live with joy might mean we are "defiant" of our current circumstances. Paul's letter of joy to a group of Jesus followers gives us a great model to follow.

We are not made to do life alone and yet, in some of life's biggest battles, when it gets hard with family, parenting and marriage, we tend to struggle solo. Let us not run from vulnerability but embrace the opportunity to be honest with God and seek out the ones he has given us to be in our corner.

There is an incredible foundation available for our families – the unshakeable, unbreakable love of God. No matter how hard life gets, no matter how difficult our circumstances become, no matter how broken the world around us might be, when we follow Jesus, nothing can separate us from God's love.

Even our favorite super-heroes have the capability of failure given the correct circumstances. Building a family of Godly values is not immune to failure either. Considering some of the possible paths to failure can reveal God's directions to a strong foundation.

We all have them and family can be some of the greatest sources of joy and disappointment. There is no such thing as a "perfect" family, so how do we set a direction for health and stability? Jesus shares what it looks like to build the right foundation for our families and marriages that can stand the storms of life.