Patience might be everyone's least favorite fruit of the Spirit. Unlike the three fruit that precede it in the Apostle Paul's list in Galatians, patience is something few of us really desire to have. It is a fruit developed through the pains of frustration, disappointment, regret, and even sorrow. But as Pastor Caleb explains, the fruit Paul describes bears little resemblance to what we often understand patience to be. Less a tolerance of difficult situations or people, we see in Scripture that patience is a fundamental aspect of God's character – an expression of his love for us, and a costly one at that. The God who loves us and saves us delights in seeing us grow as we learn to walk with Him. Though missteps along the way might frustrate us, they do not surprise God or set Him in a panic. When we truly see His patience for us, we start to look at our days differently, and we find that the greatest value of any moment is spending it in the company of God. For us, patience becomes trusting that no part of our life is ever wasted in God's hands and expressing that trust, meeting others as Christ meets us.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Psalm 103⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

The Garden's Lent Guide is available for download at ⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠. For more resources and ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

We continue our Lent series through the fruit of the Spirit with a look at Peace, a particularly timely subject given recent global events. Jesus says he gives us his peace, and not like the world gives it. What kind of peace does Jesus offer us? How do we find this peace in such an anxious world? And how do we share it with others? Pastor Caleb shows us how life in the Spirit can keep us in God's perfect peace through whatever comes to threaten us, and how that same peace that reconciles us to God can work through us to turn enemies into friends.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Colossians 1:19-23⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

The Garden's Lent Guide is available for download at ⁠⁠this link⁠⁠. For more resources and ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Our Pastoral Resident Nate Garza continues our Lent series through the fruit of the Spirit with a look at Joy. As Nate points out, joy that comes from the Holy Spirit is not a thing we have to generate but a gift we receive as we trust in God. It's because the joy of the Lord is beyond our power to create or control that we can count on it carrying us through the ups and downs of life and bonding us together as the family of God.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John 3:22-30⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (ESV)⁠⁠⁠

The Garden's Lent Guide is available for download at ⁠this link⁠. For more resources and ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

Pastor Caleb kicks off a new series for Lent on the fruit of the Spirit listed by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians. After describing the activities of the flesh – selfishly motivated works of sin and segregation – Paul contrasts them not with opposing activity but opposing identity. Those in Christ Jesus have a new life to live, and the Spirit present in them means that they lack nothing that would motivate pride or greed. Contrary to what we often think when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit, we are not responsible for chasing the growth of these things in our lives. Fruitfulness is the natural byproduct of the life of the Spirit, which is at work in those who believe. Beginning with the fruit of love, we see that Paul's command to walk with the Spirit is encouragement to live out the freedom we have in Christ. Any fruit we have to show for our faith is simply the hidden life of God breaking out, made to bear for the care of those around us. That kind of love, divine love, changes everything, from the inside out.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Galatians 5:13-25⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

The Lent guide mentioned at the start of this sermon is available for download at this link. The video referenced near its end can be viewed here. For more resources and ways to connect with us, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thegardensa.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ today.

As his letter to the Philippians draws to a close, Paul leaves his beloved brothers and sisters with a word of encouragement founded on the nearness of Christ. Rather than minimize their heartache and suffering, brought about by persecution and rejection, Paul points to God's faithful presence with us. It is the space of prayer and the posture of reverence that cultivates a greater awareness of God's work in us and around us. As Pastor Caleb discusses in concluding this series, the secret of contentment Pauls shares is there is no situation, brought by circumstance or consequence, in which God will not give all of Himself to you and in which you cannot give all of yourself to Him. When we hold this truth, we are liberated in the security of God’s abundant love to be willing, generous, faithful, and trusting with all we have.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philippians 4:4-23⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

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When Paul encourages his brothers and sisters in the church in Philippi to imitate him, he is not speaking with pride in himself but with confidence in Christ. As he has said elsewhere, it is not he who lives but Christ who lives in him. We see this in the kind of life he is encouraging the Philippians to: humble, committed, and forward-facing. As Robert Saenz shares in his sermon, Paul’s words here and his deep concern for division in the church point us to seeking Christ as our source of unity and seeing and celebrating Christlikeness in the examples present with us in our community of believers.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philippians 3:18-4:3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

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Paul writes to beloved friends in Philippi who are experiencing the pain of persecution, the temptation to wander from the way of Jesus, and the strains of maintaining authentic fellowship. He warns of the danger of corrupting faith by holding to what privilege and performance bring, and encourages instead clinging to Christ and his cross as our great, enduring inheritance. What do we hold dear? What holds us. If it is Christ we trust, Christ we treasure, our lives should look like his. Does your life bear the humility, joy, and fellowship of Jesus? What can change for that to happen? Pastor Caleb walks us through Paul's answers to these important questions.

NOTE: As mentioned at the start of this episode, inclement weather prevented our weekly in-person gathering. To continue together in the fellowship of the Spirit, we provided a liturgy for home worship, which you can access at this link.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philippians 3:1-14⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

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What do people see, feel, and receive in the Church that is unique in our world? In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul sets the foundation for Christian community on the character of Christ. When his mind, heart, and hands are evident in the fellowship of his people, we find a life of true, resilient joy. It was for the joy of communion that Jesus emptied himself of status and pretense, choosing a life of humble service. It was at his lowest, on the cross, where the radiance of God's glory and the depth of his love was most clearly revealed. Jesus shows us the image of God, and he shows us what it looks like to live reflecting that image. Paul encourages all believers to strive for unity in imitating Christ, seeking opportunities to put others first and regularly examining our lives for the selfishness and self-centeredness that threaten to withdraw us from the work of the Spirit in us.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Philippians 2:1-18⁠⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

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Is ambition a good thing? For some, ambition is to be avoided, a temptation to worldly endeavors. Others embrace it as the only path to finding purpose and flourishing. The Apostle Paul does not denigrate ambition but helps us separate worthy, Kingdom ambition from worldly, selfish ambition. With his one goal to draw himself and others closer to Christ, Paul was liberated from a life of chasing purpose, worth, and results. Everything he needed was present in Christ. In the freedom that comes with trusting him, even the hardest circumstances can offer a chance to receive and share the hope of the Gospel. Paul encourages us not to set our lives after what a broken, hyper-competitive world calls success, but instead to unite together in the the work Christ is doing in all the places the world doubts to see him. Witnessing God glorified in ways few expect and none can dismiss is an ambition worthy of our sacrifice, service, and surrender.

⁠⁠⁠⁠Philippians 1:12-30⁠⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

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We kick off a new year and a new series with a look at Paul's letter to the Philippians. At the start of his message to this beloved congregation, Paul takes time to discuss the work God does in us. Called out of darkness and rescued from alienation, we are gathered and formed together as the body of Christ. Paul's encouragement for the church in Philippi and all believers is to rejoice in this good work of redemption, to reconcile ourselves to that work within us and among us, and to reflect regularly on the faithfulness of Christ to carry us to the end. With a clean slate and a blank calendar before us, Paul's words provide a great opportunity to reassess the character and trajectory of our relationships, goals, and hopes for a new year.

⁠⁠⁠Philippians 1:1-11⁠⁠ (NRSV)⁠⁠⁠

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