Are We There Yet?

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 1:1-11 (day five)

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

There is a great promise found in Philippians 1:6.  God will bring His work to completion. He will get us there. Such hope, such assurance, such help.  Yet, there’s another side to this verse.  Remember when traveling with family, the question that gets asked a thousand times from the children?  “Are we there yet?”  The short answer was, “NO”.  The long answer was a little more complicated.  More miles to be traveled. More time in the car was necessary. More scenery to view. More patience required. The process of traveling was not over.  Some parts of the trip were easy, some were more difficult.
Same thing is happening in verse six. We are not “there” yet.  The work- His work- is not finished. Our faith journey is not complete. We are not finished learning, growing, refining, maturing, loving, trusting, and serving. Some parts of our faith journey are easier and others.  The great promise is that God will get us there. We will need humility, courage, patience, and trust (to name a few) as we travel!

Under Construction

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 1:1-11 (day four)

“…that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…”

Our church has been surrounded by construction for the past few years. It seems that everywhere you look from a church parking lot, you can see cranes or construction tape and cones in just about every direction. Some of that construction has even been in our own building. There are times that the effects of construction can be difficult or troublesome as it makes us change our routines or rethink how we go about doing things.

Now, imagine if construction on our West Hall had never been completed and was just stuck in a state of being “under construction.” There would be no joyous celebration when it was finished. There would be no ministry from that building if the doors couldn’t be opened. There would be no laughter and life in the halls. It would be just an empty building stuck in a state of disuse.

I’m grateful that God works in us to completion. Sure, the “working on us” part may be difficult at times, but God will finish the job. God will bring the work on us to completion every time so that we can be useful and ready to share the Gospel. God is faithful in our lives in what He has done, what is currently doing, and what He will do in the future. He will always be with us, working us to completion.

What are the ways in which God is currently doing construction in your life?

Jimmy Gunn
Associate Pastor, Preschool & Elementary

One

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 1:1-11 (day three)

“You all are partakers of grace with me.”

Paul began to see that the kinship of those awakened by Christ from the sleep of folly and illusion created something far greater than a crowd or a faction or a caucus or a movement. Here was a new kind of life which saw people nurture one another, honor the least among themselves, and which was perfectly suited for its environment. This kind of existence found expression in the metaphor of body – every part functioning for the good of all other parts. Therefore Paul, while acknowledging the profound hardships he endures in incarceration, doesn’t fail to notice that he is not the only one suffering: Paul has been deprived of his civil freedoms, and the church has been deprived of the presence of someone it loves. They suffer as one because they are one.

Participation in the Gospel

Re:Verse passage – Philippiand 1:1-11 (day two)

…in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. Vs. 5

Paul’s salutation to the believers at Philippi had some common elements that we see in his other letters, but it was this statement in the fifth verse that struck me today as I re-read it. Paul is not only addressing and greeting the church, but he is reminded of their no nonsense, elbows deep living out of their faith. He may remember how they gave time that they didn’t really have to pack a box of food for a hungry family in their neighborhood. Perhaps it was his memory of how they opened there homes for prayer meetings and area fellowships. He might have been buoyed by remembering their generosity to a mission work even when their giving was more than they could afford. Paul knew the cost of following Christ, and his affirmation to other believers was not lip service. It was genuine gratitude for fellow co-laborers in the work of the Gospel. Who are those people in your life. Send them some encouragement today.

Monday Re:Verse Blog Post – 8/31/2020

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 1:1-11 (day one)

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty and Associate Pastor Bryan Richardson walk us through Philippians 1:1-11 in our New Fall Sermon Series: “Pure Joy” a study of Philippians.

Baby Steps

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 5:22-25 (day seven)  

When people notice the deficiencies in their fruit, they attempt to add more things into their life to try to bring the fruit out. This becomes difficult because fruit is not a direct product of works.  However, Paul cleverly shows us how we can produce more fruit. Both the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit are sandwiched between two very important commands.

Verse 16 “walk by the Spirit”

Verse 25 “keep in step with the Spirit”

If you want to produce more fruit, you follow the Spirit. The more we follow the Spirit, the more we will be transformed into His likeness. As we become more like Him, our fruit will naturally become more prevalent. It doesn’t take more works to become more like Him. Scale back, listen, wait, watch, and follow. It’s just baby steps: put one foot after the other and follow the leading of the Spirit. Baby steps in the footprint of the Spirit will cause leaps in our production of His fruit.

Winning the War of Words

Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. Psalm 36:1

The Holy Spirit speaks. His role is to whisper (loudly) the words of God deep within our hearts. Fullness happens when we listen. And His words, like seeds, buried deep into the human heart bear fruit.

The spiritual battle that rages in the human heart is a war of words. After all Jesus said, “From out of the heart the mouth speaks.” The Psalmist would agree. (Psalm 36:1)

While sin can no longer condemn, it still whispers bullets in this spiritual battle. Lies and half-truths hurling like 9mm slugs. But as children of God, the Spirit offers us a new voice, defensive measures and counter attacks.

Hearing His voice is our superpower. And eventually His words turn battlefields into orchards.

Rhythm

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 5:22-25 (day five)  “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25. Scripture teaches that there is a Rhythm or movement of the Holy Spirit. The challenge from Paul to these believers is remarkable. The God of the Universe, through His Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to walk WITH Him.  There are “steps” we can measure that help us to be in stride with the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is both possible and beneficial. The prerequisite is that we live in the Spirit. The “Rhythm” of being in step with the Holy Spirit is not dependent on spiritual highs or lows, or good or bad circumstances, but rather daily living- faithful obedience. Throughout scripture importance is placed on walking with God on a daily basis. We must discover and practice rhythms that will keep us in step with the Spirit- prayer, worship, reading/meditating/memorizing scripture, serving others, just to name a few.

Conflict

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 5:22-25 (day four)

There is an obvious conflict in this passage—the Spirit and the flesh.  Our lives are going to be led by one or the other.  The conflict is not a congenial one either…when we belong to Christ, we crucify the flesh.  Crucifixion is a violent and painful means of death. There is a great conflict or clash between the Spirit-led life and the life led by the flesh.  Scripture says old things pass away, new things are come.  There is no room for the flesh in the life of the believer.

Paul writes to the Galatians that to belong to Christ, our lives will necessarily exhibit the fruits or qualities of the Spirit.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…all things we would want in our lives.  What are the character qualities that are evident in your life?  Can you give demonstration of having victory over the great conflict in your life?

Learn

Re:Verse passage – Galatians 5:22-25 (day three)

“Against such things there is no law.”

All good things seem to run up against a law of limits. We’ve never seen patience that won’t run out, peace that can’t be disturbed, joy than can’t be killed, love that someone can’t fall out of, faith that can’t be broken. But if these characteristics are only available while supplies last, then what we’ve called patience, or peace, or joy are not, in fact, those things. The real things do exist, though, and they are infinitely abundant. Paul says these traits are actually descriptors of life within the Trinity. They describe the way God lives. They are how the Father treats the Son, how the Spirit points to the Father, how the Son speaks of the Spirit. This is the life you have been called to learn. Do not be afraid. You’re God’s star pupil.