My Crown Is Called Content

In one paragraph

This message came from the final section of Philippians, chapter four verses ten through twenty-three. Pastor Ray walked the church through Paul's closing words to the Philippian believers, with the contentment Paul describes and the famous verse about doing all things through Christ as the center of the conversation. The service also included a baptism in the first service, a testimony from elder...

Read together

1. Philippians 4:8 command to think on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise
2. Philippians 4:9 Paul says to practice what they learned, received, heard and seen in him, and the God of peace will be with them
3. Philippians 4:10 Paul rejoices greatly that the Philippians have revived their concern for him
4. Philippians 4:11 Paul says he has learned to be content in whatever circumstances he is in
5. Philippians 4:12 Paul says he knows how to get along with little and how to live in prosperity, in any and every circumstance
6. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, discussed in context of contentment through adversity
7. Philippians 4:14 Paul tells the Philippians they have done well to share with him in his difficulty
8. Philippians 4:15-16 Paul recalls that after leaving Macedonia no other church shared with him in giving and receiving except the Philippians, who sent gifts even when he was in Thessalonica
9. Philippians 4:17 Paul says he does not seek the gift itself but the profit that increases to their account
10. Philippians 4:18 Paul says he has received everything in full, is amply supplied, and calls the gift a fragrant aroma and acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God
11. Philippians 4:19 my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus
12. Philippians 4:20 to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever, Amen
13. Philippians 4:21 greet every saint in Christ Jesus
14. Philippians 4:22 all the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household
15. Philippians 4:23 the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit
16. Philippians 1:12 Paul says his imprisonment has turned out for the greater progress of the gospel and become known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard
17. Philippians 4:4-7 rejoice always, let gentleness be known, do not be anxious but by prayer and thanksgiving let requests be made known to God, and the peace of God will guard hearts and minds
18. Philippians 2 Paul's teaching on the humility of Christ and his call to make his joy complete by being of the same mind
19. Ephesians 1:15-20 used as the closing benediction, prayer that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ would give the spirit of wisdom and revelation and that eyes of understanding would be enlightened, referencing the exceeding greatness of his power toward those who believe

Talk about it

1. Steve shared that the Holy Spirit felt like a bolt of electricity when he was a child, and he described it as a kind of 'air tag' that marked him as God's own. How have you experienced the Holy Spirit's persistence in your own life, even through moral failure or wandering?
2. Pastor Ray said that Philippians 4:8 has been the most helpful verse for him personally in calming his mind, and he described how thinking through what is true, honorable, right, and pure about a hard situation or a difficult relationship can change how we experience it. Has that kind of deliberate thinking ever shifted how you handled something? What got in the way when it was hard to do?
3. Paul says he learned contentment through going through both abundance and suffering, not by reading about it. What has taught you contentment, and do you think it can be learned any other way than by going through hard things?
4. Pastor Ray made the point that when Paul says 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,' the context is about enduring hardship and plenty with contentment, not about supernatural feats of strength. Does that change how you have heard or used that verse? How does the context shape what it means for everyday life?
5. Paul closed his letter by telling the Philippians to greet every saint, and Pastor Ray connected that to his practice of attending Ash Wednesday services at another congregation. Where do you find it hardest to recognize and greet saints outside your own circle, and what do you think gets in the way?