Eyes Front!

While writing Philippians 1:27, Paul may have been thinking of Roman soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder while facing an enemy. Turning to face each other meant shifting their protective shields and exposing themselves and their army to the spears and arrows of their enemies. Do you find yourself distracted from the gospel message by your brother's actions?

Who's the prisoner?

The apostle Paul was famously imprisoned and yet wrote of his great joy (
Phil 1). When considering his situation, we might ask, who was really the prisoner? Paul, who was still preaching through his epistles and demonstrating the power of Christ, or his guards , who were forced to listen to him.

Praying for the problem-makers

We all have 'difficult people' in our lives that we don't like being around. The apostle Paul had more than his fair share of 'haters.' In his letter to the Philippians, Paul states that he gave thanks for all of the people in their church Phil 1:3 - this included those who meant to cause Paul harm Phil 1:12-18. Are you able to give thanks and pray for your 'difficult people?'

Peace comes by resting God's grace

The apostle Paul often opened his letter with words like "Grace and Peace." These words might seem ironic coming from Paul, who had suffered greatly throughout his ministry. Paul's willingness to forego his rights and pleasures in order to trust God more fully demonstrate a remarkable path to peace that comes from trusting the grace provided by God's perfect gift, salvation through Christ.

Does God Care?

All of us doubt God's existence, or worse, His interest in our lives. Because God is not visible, we often feel He is not present. Through faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, Christians can take comfort that God has made Himself visible and known to mankind, and that he cares about us as if He were our Father (col 1:15-16).

When sin comes calling

Part of being a Christian is being free from an obligation to sin (Rom 8:12-17). However, we often find ourselves falling into old habits or "answering sin's calls." How do you "hang-up" when Sin tries to call you back into self-destructive habits, like lying, envy, or hate?

Who's your daddy?

Rom 8 describes our relationship with God as a legal adoption. As a child of the most high, we have the privilege of relating to God as our loving Father. Do you rejoice to meet with your Father, or like so many of us, do you run from your Father's side distracted by the petty devices of the world?