Seven Mile Road

When have you felt so close to someone or a cause that you opened your wallet? What convinced you to actually give money to something or someone?

The next section of the letter of Philippians confronts us square in the face about our giving. Rather than sidestep this, we have the duty to unpack a theology of Christian giving. This isn’t a heavy handed ask that the apostle Paul is making, instead he is thanking the Philippians for giving and explaining why Christians give.

Here’s a spoiler: as we read along with what Paul says to the Philippians, we learn there are some pretty amazing things that are happening when we give to Jesus’ church. There is a lot for us to be excited about when we think about all the giving that is done at Seven Mile Road as well!

Philippians 4:14-20

This Sunday we unpack one of the most coffee-mugged verses in all of Scripture: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

Nope, this verse is not a promise that being a Christian means being able to actualize all our dreams and desires.

It's about something so much better --> learning the secret to being content in every possible circumstance or season of life, from the best to the worst.

(Hint: If we have Christ, we're good.)

Philippians 4:10-13

In Philippians 4:8, we hear the Spirit calling us to set our thoughts on "whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable."

To do this would require at least two things:
1. there needs to be an objective standard of truth, goodness, and beauty in our world.
2. we need to have the ability to actually pursue a life shaped by those things.

So ... are 1 and 2 true? 
Find out in this sermon!

Two of the most solid gospel women in the early church ... had a real big fight!

Does that surprise you? It shouldn't. Life lived by sinners in community with other sinners will inevitably be attended by conflict. So the question is never "How can we avoid all conflict?" but rather "How can the gospel inform how we move through conflict together?"

In this sermon the Sprit gives us some words meant to help us do just that.

Philippians 4:2-3 

This week the Spirit hits us with a helpful one-two punch. First, we are shown the dead-end of a life lived as an "enemy of the cross." Second, we are taught what our disposition should be toward those who do. Might not be what you are expecting!

If you had 48 unrushed, undistracted hours with a group of young men who were serious about living a gospel-centered life, what truths would you press with them?

On Sunday we’ll be inviting everyone into what our answer was this past weekend at our Young Men’s Intensive.

We walk through a handful of texts that cast a beautiful vision for Seven Mile Road being filled with tough and tender men who take responsibility for themselves, their homes, and their church, sweating and bleeding for the good of others.

In this sermon we were delighted to have Johnny Aleman and his wife Brianna from Highland in Fitchburg* with us at Seven Mile Road!! Johnny has been handling much of the pastoral work in this season of transition for their church, and doing it beautifully. He and his wife are committed long-term to the advance of the gospel in their city in whatever way Christ would have them be a part of it. In this episode we hear their story.

* This is the church who is considering finishing their course by streaming into the potential planting of a Seven Mile Road church in Fitchburg.