People will do almost anything to live. Diets, exercise, incredible feats of courage...all to stay alive. But what are you living for? Many people, sadly, have absolutely no clue! 2,000 years ago, a guy sitting in a prison cell facing his own possible execution tells us exactly what it is that’s worth not only living for, but dying for. Paul connects our joy with relying on Christ, which allows us to live courageously. He encourages us to live a life worthy of the gospel by living in unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ, living fearlessly, and suffering well for the cause of Jesus. To live is Christ, to die is gain. Jesus was everything to Paul. That’s who he lived for and it unlocked incredible joy and freedom in his life. What are you living for?

Last week we saw the incredible and unlikely start to the church in the city of Philippi. Paul loved these brothers and sisters deeply! This week we pick back up in this powerful little letter as we uncover deep-rooted truths like the power of authentic community we experience when we join God’s family. We see counterintuitive truths that help us understand the purpose of suffering in our lives. Paul shows us that our trials can serve to not only advance the gospel of Jesus but also embolden other believers to follow Jesus in the storms of life. Paul also demonstrates for us the primacy of gospel advancement, and the fact that our ego and reputation must be laid down so that we can see Jesus made famous in Asheville and around the world!

Paul wrote to the Philippian church in a way he wrote to no other church. His affection for these believers was amazingly deep. This rag-tag church plant that began with a wealthy fashionista, a demon-possessed slave girl and a violent soldier was about as unlikely a group as you could imagine. They were undoubtedly persecuted and suffered for their faith in pagan Philippi. Paul writes to them to encourage them and gives them the key to navigating the ups and downs of this crazy life as a Jesus follower. That key? Indestructible joy. This entire letter will unlock the mystery of joy in all circumstances. This little book is a power-house and life-changing in so many ways!

Our series concludes with a panel discussion addressing questions submitted by our congregation.

I Doubt It -Can I Really Know God Personally? Chris Dillon, Lead Pastor 06 02 19 by New Life of Asheville

One of the biggest questions about the Christian faith is based on whether or not the Bible is historically accurate and reliable. How can smart people believe a book written long ago by flawed men, especially when it contains so many offensive things? Wasn’t it manipulated and changed over time by church leaders trying to consolidate power for themselves? These are good questions, and we have good answers not just from the Bible, but by looking at history objectively. We will see that we have great reasons to believe that the Bible is historically reliable and accurate. We’ll tackle the primary objections to the Bible’s accuracy and show why it’s trustworthy historically, and why it’s the one book that introduces us to God in a way that nothing else can.

The question of the existence of evil and suffering and why God allows it is probably the most challenging question for atheists, skeptics and even Christians to answer. In fact, there is probably no answer that would completely satisfy us. God, through the Bible, does not seem to give us the satisfaction of His complete answer, yet having a functional and confessional theology concerning suffering is important. While we may not have a complete understanding of suffering and evil this side of eternity, we can experience and discuss suffering’s transformative power and how God can graciously use it in our life.

Isn’t saying that Jesus is the only way to God intolerant? What about all the kind and morally upright people in other religions? Does this exclusive claim make Christians bigoted, narrow-minded bigots, as our current culture seemingly implies? The reality is that God provided a way for everyone to get to Him. You could say that Christianity is the most inclusive, exclusive worldview on the planet. Most every religion teaches that humanity has to sacrifice to get to God. But the gospel of Jesus teaches us that God sacrificed Himself to get to us. This should make Christians the most humble, loving people on earth. The door is open for all to enter into God’s Kingdom through Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the life!

Have you ever wondered if God really exists? It’s such a simple question but a challenging one nonetheless. Is faith just a tradition that’s been handed down to us by our parents or wishful thinking? Or is there actual evidence in our world that points us to the existence of God? Fortunately, there is much evidence that points us to God! We will look at creation, morality and personal experience as some of the primary evidences that point us to God. Once we establish that the evidence points us to the existence of God, we are ready to discover who He really is!

This week we start our new series called: I Doubt It. We’ll start by talking about doubt, and whether or not it’s ever okay to experience doubt or to have troubling questions about God or life. The 1st step to answering many of our doubts, begins with answering the foundational question of purpose. Why am I here? Is there a point? Am I a part of a bigger story, or does my life really matter at all in the grand scheme of things? All other questions really flow from this one—and until we answer this, we’ll have a hard time working through anything else. The good news is that God has something incredible to say about our purpose, and when we discover that, everything else begins to make more sense.