Profile of a prize winning Christian.  In this podcast Charlie looks at Philippians 3:12-16 and how Paul presses on to the prize, the upward call towards Christ. But what does that look like in practice, what is the profile of a prize winning Christian? What work is involved and what lies ahead?  

Charlie continues his walk through Philippians and focuses on two verses today. Chapter 3 verses 10 and 11.  In this passage Paul provides wonderful insight in how God wants us to know Him and understand Him. Many think that when you become a Christian your freedom is over, that you have to live by a set of rules or regulations in order to be a "good" Christian. But is this what it means to know Christ or understand Him? Find out what is truly involved in knowing Christ. 

Continuing in Philippians chapter 3 verses 1-9 Charlie focuses on trading rubbish for righteousness. What are you depending upon as the basis for your relationship with the Lord in the now and for eternity? If you're on the right path you will experience joy. The wrong path will steal joy and it will end in eternal tragedy especially for people who have trusted in their own efforts. Join Charlie as he walk through this important message about keeping your most important thing the most important thing. 

Continuing our study through Philippians, Charlie focuses on a very practical message in terms of recognizing servants for God; what markers are there? How do you spot them in others and yourself?  Many people base their service on their degree of comfort as opposed to the degree of need. Can we really serve the way Christ served us or the way Paul served the churches? Join Charlie as he walks through the six marks of a person God uses.

Do you live with a gap between how you behave and what you believe. Many of us do to some degree, but the goal is to close that gap and make sure our ministry matches our message. In this podcast Charlie continues in Philippians where Paul is encouraging the believer to live up to the gospel that we've been given.  

In this podcast series, Charlie walks us through the book of Philippians. Today the focus is Philippians chapter 1 verses 1-8. We live in an age with "super-connectivity" where everyone is quickly and easily reached. But the problem that has arisen in the culture is we are actually more disconnected than ever. This causes a lot of isolation and loneliness which is a significant problem and only getting worse. In the attempt to not feel lonely people turn to drugs or fill their lives with things in order to fill that void of loneliness. As Charlie points out we are made for relationships; specifically with God and other people. God has a provision for real relationships; it's called fellowship. So listen as Charlie takes us through what true fellowship is about and the commonality that we have in the Christian life, Christ in me and Christ in you. We may be different but if we have Christ as the basis, we have a shared close relationship. As you'll see, this is the kind of relationship Paul had with the Philippians. 

Good things happen when we give. Sharing our finances can be a delicate subject to talk about, but the Apostle Paul wanted the Philippian Church to know the reality of his and their situations. When Paul first met them, he did not ask for financial support, but they were generous with him. Like the Philippians, though not rich, we can still give out of poverty. When we do, the recipients of our giving are blessed, God is blessed, and we are blessed. Not only are needs met, we have the promise of God to meet our own needs. Have you learned to both give and receive?

Is your goal to attain to full Christlikeness? It was for the Apostle Paul. When he describes his pursuit, we see a profile of a Christian determined to win the prize of a deeper intimacy with Christ.  Like Paul, we must be dissatisfied with our present condition, devoted to a single goal of pursuing Christ, directed in our advance towards Him, determined to persist, and disciplined in mind and body. Listen and see if you fit this profile and learn how you can.

How should we view the nation of Israel today in light of their past rebelliousness, present disobedience, and future salvation? Do they deserve the full unmitigated support of Christians? Charlie talks to Arnold about this and other subjects like the importance of dispensationalism when discussing Israel, understanding anti-Semitism, and the significance of the recent war with Hamas. Dr. Fructenbaum has a calm and measured response to these issues. We would do well to heed his words. He is founder and director of Ariel Ministries, which reaches out to Jews with the gospel of grace. See https://www.Ariel.org

When you hear Dr. Fruchtenbaum tell of his journey from Poland to Siberia, to Poland, to Germany, to the United States, you will see that it was truly an epic geographical shift that led him to a greater spiritual shift from Judaism to Christianity. This did not please his Hasidic parents so they kicked him out of the house. But God put Arnold on a path to a Bible education and eventually the founding of Ariel Ministries which shares the gospel and issues of Messianic importance with Jewish people. You can find out more about Dr. Fructenbaum and Ariel Ministries at https://www.Ariel.org.