Archive for month: June, 2023

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Philippians 4:1-9, which is full of good verses to remember.  Let’s go!
 
Philippians 4:1 (NIV)
1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! 
 
On verse 1: You can feel Paul’s affection for his church in Philippi by the tender words he uses to describe them: “you whom I love and long for”, “my joy and crown”.  This tells me two things:
 
1. If Paul’s affection for his church in Philippi is a reflection of Christ’s affection for His Church (see 1:8), then to Jesus you are his joy and crown, one whom Jesus loves and longs for.  You are the object of Christ’s affections.
 
2. To be an effective pastor, your heart has to be in it.  That is probably the biggest reason why pastoring (or shepherding people) is a tough gig.  It’s because from time to time your heart will be tested, challenged, stretched, and even broken, pierced and stepped on, both by the people around you and by the situations you face.  Pastoring is certainly not for the faint of heart.  But if you’re called to it, there’s also nothing more rewarding and nothing that brings more fulfillment and joy.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Philippians 3:12-21.  Let’s go!
 
Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV) 
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

On verses 12-14:  In verse 12 Paul says that Jesus took hold of him so that he could take hold of something.  What is that thing Paul is pressing on to take hold of?  It’s the full knowledge and experience of Jesus and His resurrection power (see v10-11).  As much as Paul knew the Lord and experienced His power, Paul was not content with what he already knew and experienced.  He wanted to know Christ and His resurrection power in all its fullness.  That’s why Paul says, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Philippians 2:19-30.  Let’s go!

A big theme in the book of Philippians is humbly putting others before yourself for Christ’s sake.

In chapter 1 Paul talks about how he personally wished he could depart and go to heaven, but for the benefit of his church he is committed to staying.  Paul was putting the interests of his church ahead of his own.

In chapter 2:1-18 Paul talks about how Jesus put our interests ahead of his own.  Although he was in very nature God, he took on the nature of a servant and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Now in these verses Paul cites two more men who exemplified this same attitude of humbly putting others before themselves.  They are Timothy and Epaphroditus.