Picking back up in our series “Joy Filled Living” in the book of Philippians the apostle Paul is writing to a church that he started and that is doing really well. Its a good church, a growing church and obviously a pretty mature church based on the unity we find there. I have read this book, all four chapters, all 104 verses countless times now in my life and I am always amazed at the apostle Pauls joy. To think he is writing this book from a roman prison cell and the major theme of his writing is joy. 19 times Paul mentions joy.

Have you discovered in your own life that people more than circumstances have a tendency to rob us of our joy. I remember Pastor Chuck Smith sharing at a Senior Pastors Conference years ago (half kiddingly) he said, “the ministry would be great if it went for the people.”