Is contentment in any circumstance truly possible? For Paul, the secret to contentment through beatings, imprisonment, and ridicule was a belief in Christ that always gave him strength. According to Paul, he could face having an abundance or nothing as long as he remembered that his strength was found in Christ. Three questions can help you determine if this is also true for you. Do you believe that Christ is the source of true contentment? Do you actions show it? What is currently at the center of your contentment or discontentment with life?

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven. What could Jesus possibly mean by comparing the kingdom of heaven to these small items? So often we look for the big ways in which God is working. We love to see huge numbers of baptisms and salvations. We love stories of traveling all over the world for mission trips. Jesus tells us though that the kingdom is something that starts really small and is even hidden out of sight. Give it enough time however and it will become a blessing for everyone. 

Help others, rejoice in the Lord, seek Christ when anxious, Paul continues in chapter 4 to build on his argument that Christ should be over everything in our lives. It can seem overwhelming to read Paul tell his readers to not be anxious about anything. Paul wasn't trying to give the Philippians a magic pill to remove all of their concerns though. Instead he wanted to encourage them with a formula to battle the concerns in their lives. When they felt anxious Paul wanted to let them know that over time they can find encouragement in prayer and presenting their requests to God. We can find this same encouragement today when we feel anxious. It may not be immediate, but over time it can be effective.

Help others, rejoice in the Lord, seek Christ when anxious, Paul continues in chapter 4 to build on his argument that Christ should be over everything in our lives. It can seem overwhelming to read Paul tell his readers to not be anxious about anything. Paul wasn't trying to give the Philippians a magic pill to remove all of their concerns though. Instead he wanted to encourage them with a formula to battle the concerns in their lives. When they felt anxious Paul wanted to let them know that over time they can find encouragement in prayer and presenting their requests to God. We can find this same encouragement today when we feel anxious. It may not be immediate, but over time it can be effective. 

Who doesn't love a good feast? The food is ready, the decorations are out, and everyone's invited. The only problem is that one by one all of the guests start cancelling at the last minute. What are we going to do with all of this food? Jesus often uses very common circumstances to tell extraordinary stories. In the parable of the great banquet Jesus' listeners are right about one thing, it is a great blessing to feast in the kingdom of God! But what if they have already declined their invitation?

Paul emphasizes a very simple but profound message in the second half of chapter three; forget the past and strain for the future. Paul wants to remind his audience that the sins of their past are to stay in the past. That means turning away from participating in them, but also from added shame or guilt for what they've done. Instead they should strain forward to the glory of Christ. There is a day coming in which our bodies will be transformed to be like Christ and we should celebrate the coming glory instead of dwelling in the past.

Paul emphasizes a very simple but profound message in the second half of chapter three; forget the past and strain for the future. Paul wants to remind his audience that the sins of their past are to stay in the past. That means turning away from participating in them, but also from added shame or guilt for what they've done. Instead they should strain forward to the glory of Christ. There is a day coming in which our bodies will be transformed to be like Christ and we should celebrate the coming glory instead of dwelling in the past.

Have you ever thought life would be easier if God would just remove all the bad stuff? We know He will one day, but why not now? Jesus tells a story in Matthew 13 about some weeds and wheat that are growing side by side but the owner of the field warns his servants not to pull up the weeds because they risk pulling up the wheat too. We spend far too much time trying to determine who is a wheat or a weed when we should really focus on just producing good fruit.

Is following Jesus worth giving up everything? This is the question Paul invites the church in Philippi to consider in Philippians 3. Paul has achieved great levels of status inside of religious circles, but it all led to nothing in comparison to knowing Jesus. If we were honest with ourselves today, what would we say holds us back from knowing Jesus more? Do we fully believe Jesus is worth giving up everything for?

Is following Jesus worth giving up everything? This is the question Paul invites the church in Philippi to consider in Philippians 3. Paul has achieved great levels of status inside of religious circles, but it all led to nothing in comparison to knowing Jesus. If we were honest with ourselves today, what would we say holds us back from knowing Jesus more? Do we fully believe Jesus is worth giving up everything for?