In honor of the Christmas holiday, I'm taking a break from our normal trek through Philippians to bring you something entirely different...

I'd like to share with you a play I wrote years ago, inspired by the extraordinary events in the hills outside Bethlehem on the original Christmas night. Although fictionalized, this account is drawn from my research into the story and background of the Bethlehem shepherds (as recorded in Luke 2), stirred together with some holy imaginiation of what it might have been like to experience that holy night, not to mention the years that followed...

Music by Julius H. from Pixabay

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I am convinced that one of the main differences between a thriving, flourishing, life-filled Christian, and one who is just barely surviving, comes down to the presence or absence of spiritual soul-mates. But where do friendships like that come from? They are forged in the fox-holes and battlefields of life. Today we will discover that one of the secrets of Paul's own power and effectiveness in ministry was the gut-level friendships he established on the front-lines.

Please, make my day -- send me a note! [email protected].

Music: "Most Holy Place," by Doug Beiden. https://www.beidenmusic.com/music.

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(Phil 1:7-8) Today I want to point out for you an element of Paul's character that you may never have seen in him before. And, my friend, it is critical that we get a very clear picture of it because it just may be the single-most important missing ingredient from the lives of Christians (and especially Christian men) in out country today. It is a character quality that is stunning and beautiful to read about, but it is even more important to actually experience, because I am convinded that it is crucial for sustaining mental, spiritual, and emotional health in our lives and our churches.

I'd love to hear from you! [email protected].

Music: "Most Holy Place," by Doug Beiden. https://www.beidenmusic.com/music.

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 (Phil 1:6) Who are you, really? When most of us tend to think of ourselves and our "identity" -- who we truly are -- as the person that we are right now. "I just am who I am," we assume, "nothing more, nothing less." The problem with that mentality is that it is all too short-sighted. If you want to think of yourself from a biblical standpoint (i.e., from God's perspective), then you'll need to take a step back and look at the much grander picture. From God's viewpoint, your identity is not defined by who you are right now, but by who you will become. True artists don't see their empty canvas. They see the masterpiece that will one day (and forever) be displayed on it. And that is how God sees us.

You, my friend, are God's masterpiece; unfinished, of course, but only for a brief moment. In God's eyes He can already see the perfect work of art that you will one day be. And that, my friend, is your true identity. This profound truth was deeply embedded in Paul's own heart and mind, and it is what brought him unending Joy even as he sat in a Roman dungeon. Join with me today as we listen to Paul reminiscing and rejoicing in this breathtaking reality.

I'd love to hear from you! [email protected].

Music: "Most Holy Place," by Doug Beiden. https://www.beidenmusic.com/music.

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(Phil 1:6) Quiverring knees or quiet confidence -- which best describes your heart when the storms of life overtake you? One of the many things I admire about Paul is the way he had learned to exude quiescent trust in the middle of circumstances that would have me quaking in my boots. I'll be honest: I'm a long way off from attaining apostolic levels of confidence in my life. But I think I've at least found a trail that leads there. And it starts by just taking some time to really ponder and probe the triumphant example that Paul left behind.

I'd love to hear from you! [email protected].

Music: "Most Holy Place," by Doug Beiden. https://www.beidenmusic.com/music.

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(Phil 1:5) The greatest news ever reported is wrapped up in one of the greatest words ever spoken: "Euanggelion". This ancient greek word may not sound familiar to you, but I'm sure you know the English translation. It is a word that has a history that reaches back thousands of years and stretches all the way to the end of time. It's a word that brought life-changing joy both to Paul and to the Philippians. Please join me today and we will spend the next few minutes unravelling some of the gorgeous threads in the history of this spectacular word.

I'd love to hear from you! [email protected].

Music: "Most Holy Place," by Doug Beiden. https://www.beidenmusic.com/music.

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An old man sits shackled, imprisoned in a Roman dungeon, with the very real possibility of execution in his near future. But what is bursting out of this man's heart is not grief and anxiety. Instead, he is filled with genuine, grateful Joy. What could he possibly be so thankful about? In today's episode, we will get a glimpse into one of the most priceless and valued things in Paul's life: his connection and partnership with the people he deeply loves. And, along the way, we will dust off a word that has grown far too dim and fuzzy in many of our lives. The word is: "Fellowship".

References from this episode:

Hebrews 2:14

Philemon 1:6 (Titus 1:4)

2 Peter 1:4 (1 John 1:3-7)

Acts 2:42,44

2Corinthians 11:9

Acts 18:5

2 Corinthians 8:1-4

Romans 15:26

I'd love to hear from you! [email protected].

Music: "Most Holy Place," by Doug Beiden. https://www.beidenmusic.com/music.

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"If God decided to grant a giant miraculous YES to all the prayers you've prayed for the last 6 months, how different would the world be?" This question challenges me to really take stock of how BIG my prayers are. Paul's example challenges me in the same way. Listen in today as we remind ourselves just how big and "ALL"-encompassing the prayer life of this Apostle were on behalf of those he loved.

I'd love to hear from you! [email protected].

Music: "Most Holy Place," by Doug Beiden. https://www.beidenmusic.com/music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(Phil 1:3) I firmly believe that one of the main reasons the Apostle Paul had such a profound and lasting impact on this world was because of his extraordinary capacity to love. If you have any desire to follow in his great example, I encourage you to lean in today and listen as he reveals the secret of two foundational pillars by which his love was so firmly established.

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I'd love to hear from you! [email protected].

Music: "Most Holy Place," by Doug Beiden. https://www.beidenmusic.com/music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(Phil 1:2c) Do you know what your name means? Do you care? If you don't, I don't blame you, because names these days typically don't have significant meanings. Most parents choose names for how they sound, or for someone else who shared that name. But in Bible times, things were different. Back then, people's names very often reflected something intrinsically important about their character or their story. So, when you were introduced to somebody by name, you immediately knew something about who they were.

Today, Paul is going to introduce you to his best friend, and the first thing he's going to tell you about him is his name: The Lord, Jesus Christ. Sometimes we fly by that name so quickly that we forget the powerful story that it tells us about who our Savior really is. But in today's episode, I'd like to invite you to linger with me for a few moments and really ponder the extraordinary meaning and power of the Name above all names.

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I'd love to hear from you! [email protected].

Music: "Most Holy Place," by Doug Beiden. https://www.beidenmusic.com/music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.