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On this weekend we celebrate the birth of our nation and the freedoms we enjoy. The sacrifices made on our behalf by the many who gave their all have provided us with these freedoms. Jesus gives us true freedom. Through His death and resurrection we are free from the bondage of sin and death. In the way we live our lives we can honor the many who have died for these freedoms. Above all we must honor the greatest sacrifice ever made, Jesus, the Lamb of God who gave all for you and I that we may have eternal life.
Jesus defines who is our neighbor. He told the parable of the Good Samaritan to show us that love extends beyond wealth, religious titles, the color of our skin, and education level. Our neighborhood is as wide as the love of God. Being a neighbor, loving our neighbor means acting on behalf of others regardless of who they are or where they are from. Join us this weekend for worship as we once again discover who is our neighbor?
Scripture is clear, we are to love one another in the Body of Christ. And although the Spirit dwells in us, love still needs to be perfected. To be like love from brother to brother and sister to sister— love as family. Love from the Father through the Son that is activated in our lives overflows into our speech and deeds. Join us this week in worship as we discover the Only Jesus— Brother and His love in the family of God.
You may be familiar with the good old hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” but what does having Jesus as our friend mean? Is he really our buddy? Jesus as our friend means he is close to us, we are united. It is a very personal thing for Jesus to be that close to us. Jesus even said that we were no longer servants, but friends because we know him. How close do you know Jesus?
Do you want to know the truth? Do you want to know the way? Do you want to know life? The answer can only be found in Jesus. You’ve probably heard it been said in Christian circles that to have Jesus is to have everything— and guess what? That is true. Everything, absolutely everything is found in Jesus Christ. Join us this week as we discuss how it is Only Jesus where we can receive life eternal, the truth of God’s word, and the way toward righteousness.
We are in battle whether or not you want to acknowledge it. We have to be prepared for this battle by putting on the armor of God Paul speaks about in Ephesians 6. Are you equipped for spiritual warfare? To fight the good fight of faith means that we abide in the word by faith, regardless of what we feel or what we think we understand. To fight for faith means we stand firm on the Word of God and allow Him to lead the way.
Everyone needs encouragement and the Church at Philippi is no stranger to needing guidance and support from Paul and one another. In his final words to the church, Paul tells them to rejoice in the Lord at all times, pray with thanksgiving, and guard their hearts and minds. The Christian life requires practice and we as believers will focus on what is good, lovely, excellent, and praise-worthy as we are encouraged in the Lord.
We can rejoice knowing that it is through the righteousness of Christ and our faith in Him that we are redeemed people of God. We find out this week it takes perseverance in faith to stay on track, to set our eyes on the goal of knowing Christ. There will be some who come along our pathway and try to lead us off the mark set before us. Let us remember we are people who are growing in their knowledge of Christ and growing in our understanding of just how powerful God is. It is in His strength we find the assurance to stand firm, to press on, to journey toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
What are your thoughts about suffering? We tend to stay away from it, we try to remove ourselves from it, yet it is through trials and suffering that we still can have the mindset of an opportunity to bring the Gospel— maybe to someone who is suffering more than us. No, no one likes suffering but as Jesus taught us, there will be trials in this world, but He has overcome the world.
As we enter the book of Philippians, we need to start with a solid foundation. Every book of the Bible is put there to help and assist us to know God more intimately through His Son Jesus Christ and to encourage us to stand firm in the faith. Philippians is no different. This letter written by Paul to the Church of Philippi is a friendship letter. He knows them intimately and therefore knows what they are going through as an early church, believers following Jesus. Take this journey with us as we walk through Philippians and learn what it means to partner with Christ.
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