Grace and Goodbye

Having completed the task for which the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write the epistle, the Holy Spirit also inspired Paul with the ending salutation.  There are three important points in these three verses: First, we will see that the word “saint” refers to every believer in Christ Jesus.  Second, we see that if there could be committed believers serving in the household of Nero, then there is no excuse for not being committed Christians in whatever place or time we are living.  And third, we are reminded that God’s grace through Christ Jesus is sufficient to ensure that we gain and maintain our victory.

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It’s Good to Know That Someone Cares

Paul wasn’t soliciting resources from the Philippians so that he could be at ease while they were struggling.  He said that through Christ, he could find contentment with a full belly or an empty belly.  He appreciated their giving, but he also wanted them to know that through their generosity, they themselves would be blessed.  After all, it was Jesus who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Ac 20:35).

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Go To Your Happy Place

The world wants to bombard us with negative images and stories.  But when we think only about the bad things happening in the world or in our lives, it has a negative effect on our physical, mental, and spiritual health.

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Don’t Worry, God’s Got This

Paul told the believers, “The Lord is at hand” (v. 5), and then he said, “Be anxious for nothing” (v. 6a).  The Greek word translated as anxious is merimnao, which means to worry about something or to be constantly anticipating that something bad is about to happen.  Paul said, “Don’t do that.”

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Stand Fast!

Paul was genuinely concerned about the believers in Philippi because he knew forces inside and outside the church were trying to tear them down and destroy their faith.  In light of these attacks, Paul said, “Stand fast in the Lord.”  The Greek word translated as “stand fast” is steko, which means to stand firm or to be immovable; figuratively, it means to persevere and never waver under pressure to compromise.

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Somebody is Always Watching: Father’s Day

Someone once told me that when it comes to our children, more things are caught than taught, meaning that we can teach all the right things, read our Bibles, pray with our children, and take them to church, but in the end the way we live our lives in front of our children will have a much more profound impact on them than all the words we speak or the lessons we teach. 

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THE UPWARD CALL

As we used to testify in our little West Virginia dirt-road church, “I’ve come too far to turn back now.”  I’m not going back; I’m pressing forward and upward.  It’s the dog that returns to the vomit and a hog that returns to the wallow (2Pe 2:22), and I’m not a dog or a hog.  I’m not going back.  I’ve put my hand to the plow and now it’s full steam ahead till Jesus comes.

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The Great Exchange

The Apostle Paul was dealing with people who were saying they believed in Jesus as Messiah, and saying they believed He died for their sins, yet they insisted that certain elements of the Law of Moses should be retained as necessary for salvation.  These people were called Judaizers, and they included both Jewish people and Gentiles that had converted to Judaism.  For the Judaizers, Christ alone was just not enough.

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Beware! But Be Glad (Pentecost Sunday)

We are covenant people, not because of the externals, but because God, through the Holy Spirit, transforms our hearts and draws us into a powerful relationship with Himself that lights a fire in us that makes us a light to the world; a city on a hill that cannot be hidden; and salt with savor as living witnesses of Jesus our Savior.

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Epaphroditus: The Selfless Servant

EPAPHRODITUS: THE SELFLESS SERVANT Mark E. Hardgrove, PhD Philippians 2:25-30 25 Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; 26 since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was...

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