Is there something you lack that, if you were to gain it, would secure your happiness?  In this episode, Jim Lovelady talks with Josiah Bancroft, diving into his latest book centered around the teachings of Philippians. Josiah opens up about his ongoing journey of re-learning to find joy and contentment in Christ, especially in the face of unforeseen suffering and hardship. Together, they explore the paradox of chasing happiness and how living in pursuit of Jesus is the path to the lasting joy we seek.

In this episode, they discuss… 

• What it looks like to re-learn core truths in each season of life [9:14]
• Why it’s difficult to find joy when life is hard  [15:53]
• Why Philippians is not telling us to to simply “Be Happy!” [23:00]
• Why our struggle to believe actually presents an opportunity [35:37]
• The real meaning of “I can do all things through Christ…” [40:09]
• What made Paul invincible, and how can that empower us as well [51:53]

Thank you for listening! If you found this conversation encouraging or helpful, please share this episode with your friends and loved ones. Or please leave us a review—it really helps!

Referenced in this episode:

• Philippians: Finding Joy When Life is Hard by Josiah Bancroft
• Sonship Week: October 22-27 in Hollywood, FL 
• Bible references: Psalm 1:1-3, John 11, and various passages throughout the book of Philippians

Credits: 

Our guest for this episode was Josiah Bancroft. Josiah served in Serge's executive leadership for decades. Now he and Barbara mentor and consult with leaders, couples, and pastors here and abroad. This episode was hosted by Jim Lovelady. Production by Anna Madsen, Aaron Gray, and Sunny Chi. Music by Tommy L. 

𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝑷𝒐𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒕 is produced by SERGE, an international missions agency that sends and cares for missionaries and develops gospel-centered programs and resources for ongoing spiritual renewal. Learn more and get involved at serge.org.

Connect with us!

• Instagram: @graceatthefray
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sergeglobal
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/GraceAtTheFray
• Tik Tok: @graceatthefray
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serge/

Sign up here to get notified when new episodes are released: https://serge.org/podcast/#subscribe

Questions or comments? Reach out to us anytime at [email protected].