Rejoice in the Lord Always

January 25, 2026 · Philippians

Series · Philippians · Week 38 of 47

Scripture referenced 15 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Philippians 4:4 rejoice in the Lord always, repeated as a refrain

4 Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!”

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Philippians 4:6

do not be anxious about anything, but by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God

6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

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Philippians 4:7

the peace of God which surpasses comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

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Philippians 4:8

whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue, anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things

8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.

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Philippians 4:9

the things you learned and received and heard and saw in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you

9 The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

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Philippians 4:10-11

Paul rejoices that the Philippians revived their concern for him, and says he has learned contentment in all circumstances

10 But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.

11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it.

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Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through him who strengthens me

13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

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Philippians 4:14

you have done well to share with me in my difficulty

14 However you did well that you shared in my affliction.

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James 1:2

count it all joy, even the hard stuff

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,

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Philippians 3:1

to write the same things again is no trouble, it is a safeguard for you

1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.

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1 John 1:9

if we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive them

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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Mark 9

man brings his son to Jesus, Jesus asks if he believes, man replies I do believe, help my unbelief

1 He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see God’s Kingdom come with power.”

2 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and brought them up onto a high mountain privately by themselves, and he was changed into another form in front of them.

3 His clothing became glistening, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.

4 Elijah and Moses appeared to them, and they were talking with Jesus.

5 Peter answered Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

6 For he didn’t know what to say, for they were very afraid.

7 A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

8 Suddenly looking around, they saw no one with them any more, except Jesus only.

9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he commanded them that they should tell no one what things they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

10 They kept this saying to themselves, questioning what the “rising from the dead” meant.

11 They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

12 He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised?

13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about him.”

14 Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them.

15 Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, greeted him.

16 He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”

17 One of the multitude answered, “Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit;

18 and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren’t able.”

19 He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”

20 They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth.

21 He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?” He said, “From childhood.

22 Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”

23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!”

26 After crying out and convulsing him greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead; so much that most of them said, “He is dead.”

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose.

28 When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?”

29 He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting.”

30 They went out from there, and passed through Galilee. He didn’t want anyone to know it.

31 For he was teaching his disciples, and said to them, “The Son of Man is being handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, on the third day he will rise again.”

32 But they didn’t understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

33 He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?”

34 But they were silent, for they had disputed one with another on the way about who was the greatest.

35 He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

36 He took a little child, and set him in the middle of them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them,

37 “Whoever receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent me.”

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”

39 But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me.

40 For whoever is not against us is on our side.

41 For whoever will give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ’s, most certainly I tell you, he will in no way lose his reward.

42 Whoever will cause one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if he were thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around his neck.

43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire,

44 ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’

45 If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that will never be quenched—

46 ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’

47 If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better for you to enter into God’s Kingdom with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire,

48 ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’

49 For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.

50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

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John 17:17

sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth

17 Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.

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Isaiah

though your sins were in front of me, God says he will put them behind him

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Micah 6:8

do justly and love mercy and walk humbly

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Pastor James walked through Philippians 4:4-14, pressing the congregation to see that rejoicing, gentleness, and freedom from anxiety are not wishful thinking but actual choices made possible by the Spirit of God. He came back from a week away having buried his uncle Jeff, and the personal weight of that week ran underneath everything he said.

What was said

Paul opens this passage by telling people to rejoice, and he says it twice. Pastor James noted that Paul had just finished asking two people in the church who were not getting along to get along, and then immediately turns to the whole church and says: rejoice anyway, in all of it. The repetition is not an accident. Paul even says in chapter three that repeating himself is no trouble because it is a safeguard. The joy he is talking about is not a feeling you wait for. It is a place you choose to live.

From rejoicing, Paul moves to gentleness, and then to anxiety. The connection matters. Pastor James framed verse six as a real choice laid in front of the congregation: you can lie awake running through everything you do not know how to fix, or you can open up to God honestly, with thanksgiving alongside the pleading. The thanksgiving is not pretending things are fine. It is recognizing it could be worse, and that God is not surprised by any of it. The peace that follows, he said, is the kind you cannot explain. You just find yourself okay.

Verses eight and nine are the list everyone skips on the way to verse thirteen. Whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, praiseworthy: Paul says meditate on these things. Pastor James pointed out that these are Greek virtues, not specifically Christian language, which is part of the point. Paul is telling the Philippians to concentrate on what is genuinely good, wherever they find it. He was honest about his own reasons for stepping away from social media, not holding it up as a rule, but as an example of what it can mean to actually take that list seriously.

Verse thirteen is one of the most searched Bible verses there is, and Pastor James argued that it has been pulled loose from everything around it. The bodybuilders ripping phone books, the fighter with it written on his chest: that reading makes the verse about raw capability. But in context, the "all things" points directly back to the list in verses eight and nine. The claim is that through Christ a person can actually do true things, noble things, just and pure and lovely things, even though there is no righteousness in us on our own. Every bit of it is derived from God.

Verses ten and eleven bring the whole thing into real circumstances. Paul is in prison. The Philippians have sent support and he is genuinely moved by it. But he is careful to say this is not a request for more. He has learned, he says, and the word is learned, not arrived at naturally, to be content in abundance and in need both. That contentment is not detachment. He still says it feels good that they care.

Pastor James closed by circling back to his own week. Van had covered for him while he was gone, the whole church had prayed for the family, and he named that directly as an example of what Paul means when he tells the Philippians they have done well to share with him in his difficulty. He told the congregation that if anyone feels like the church is too busy to help, try anyway.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

The pastor talked about choosing joy even in hard circumstances, and mentioned that James says to count it all joy even in the hard stuff. What makes that kind of choice feel realistic or unrealistic to you right now?
The pastor said it is impossible to be anxious and grateful at the same time, and that you can choose to be grateful. What does that actually look like on a night when anxiety is keeping you awake?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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0:00 Speaker 1Eric Anderson up in Grable. And we went up to visit, and on our way up, I found out that my uncle Jeff had passed. He's seven years older than me, my closest uncle as far as age goes, and he just fell over dead. And I do a lot of funerals. You all know that.

0:16 I do a lot of weddings. I never have considered myself a ceremonial person, but it's kinda hard to deny that after a while. But they asked if I would do the funeral, and it was great blessing to be able to just get up and go and do that. So here and on Sunday evening and being there on Tuesday. Large visitation for he's very, very well loved.

0:37 In the South, we do funerals like this. Right? And so visitation was Wednesday, funeral on Thursday. And I just am thankful that I was able to go. Thank you for praying for me and for the family.

0:51 My aunt Deborah and their kids. Lauren and Ben and Sarah would still appreciate prayer. So, if y'all would be praying for him, I already am and Tanya is. But that's that was what was happening last week and Van jumped in and he went to Philippians three and it was great. Thank you.

1:09 Also, it snowed in Georgia last week. The little church that I was going to attend called me and said, we're not doing church today because of the snow. So, I was like, are you serious? And two inches of snow shut the whole place down. They're forecasting it again this week.

1:26 So this week, Carl's church doesn't have church. So Carl hey, Carl. They're they're watching because Cave Spring's not doing church this week. It's shutting down everybody. This Philippians three, I love to have context when preaching, y'all know that.

1:42 That's why we did this kind of continuous chronological study all these years. My next book that I'm wrestling with for the minor prophet series is Hosea, continue to pray for me. I don't have a good way of presenting that one, and I'm not gonna do it until I do. So it's coming, but pray for me. Okay?

2:02 It's not easy. Philippians three leads into Philippians four. That's where we are today. So here we go. We'll see how it goes.

2:10 Philippians four thirteen. It's next on the list of most Googled Bible verses. Any list that you look at of what's the what are the ones people are wondering about? Now, some of that is because people are holding up signs at football games. Some of that is because of the makeup under somebody's eyes that has John three sixteen written on it and you're wondering about it.

2:32 But some of it is just because Christians know and hold on to things that are encouraging form and they'll sign off a note and put Philippians four thirteen, you know, at the bottom or put Romans eight twenty eight when you're going through a really really hard time. They are verses to hold to. There's nothing wrong with them. But a lot of times context helps you understand those verses a lot better. In this case, Philippians four six and maybe seven are also on that top 10 Googled.

3:04 So I thought we're doing Philippians four four through 14 today. Here we go. Rejoice in the Lord always and again, I'll say rejoice. How many of y'all grew up in church? Rejoice in the

3:16 Speaker 2lord always And again, I say rejoice. Rejoice. Rejoice. And again, I say rejoice. Rejoice.

3:28 Rejoice. And again, I say rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Now if

3:35 Speaker 1I did that twice, everybody who didn't grow up in church would be amazed that it starts into a round, and everybody automatically sounds like an orchestra. But I won't go any further. We got a lot to cover. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice.

3:52 He's saying this. Now, know there's context and if you go immediately before this, he's imploring a couple of people in the church that have had a hard time getting along to get along. Right? That's immediately before this. But he's saying there's so much joy in being a part of the fellowship and the people of God.

4:11 Rejoice in the midst of it all. James would say, count it all joy, even the hard stuff. He has already said this once. So rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, I'm I know I'm repeating myself, but finally my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.

4:27 To write the same things again is no trouble me. It's a safeguard for you. You've got to live in a place of joy. Now, we can begin to navel gaze and look at ourselves and feel like, oh, I'm incapable of righteous joys and I'm just a terrible, terrible example. Oh, woe is me.

4:44 I'm undone. Yeah. Get past that to God has saved you. He is sanctifying you and that is a joyful thing, right? God is working on you.

4:57 We're all works in progress. If we ever have a parade where I drive a car, I hope it's a rundown piece of junk. Not the shiny thing. We're all works in progress. All of us are.

5:09 So rejoice in that. God's not through with you. Let your gentleness or your gentle spirit be known to all people. Does it say pure theology? No.

5:24 Does it say? It says gentleness. Let your gentleness. Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near.

5:35 He's near and he is helping you with your gentleness. Right? If you are serious about looking at your own life, you will begin to feel down and then you say, but God, how long must I wrestle with my thoughts? How long must I have sorrow in my heart? How long, oh Lord, will my enemy triumph on me over me?

5:55 But I trust in your unfailing love. My heart rejoices that you save. Right? Living in a place of joy is really, really, really important, and it is possible. You think, well, how can I just choose it?

6:09 You can choose it. You can choose it if you have a right understanding of who you are and who God is. You can choose to be joyful in the moment. Four six, says this, don't be anxious about anything. How are y'all doing with that?

6:24 Lord, have mercy. Yeah. Don't be anxious about anything. Well, that's easy to say, Paul. Don't be anxious.

6:32 Well, he says, but instead of being anxious, this is this is your choice. You can choose to be anxious and just sit in and swim in and lie there at night and go, oh, I don't know how I'm going to deal with this. I don't know how I'm going pay for that. I don't know how I'm going to get through this. I don't know.

6:48 Or you can say, you know what? God, I don't know. Statement of humility. I don't know. But everything that I'm going through right now doesn't surprise you.

6:58 I'm opening up this line of communication intentionally, humbly, and I'm pleading with you. I'm also thanking you. Pleading, but with thanksgiving, recognize. It could be worse. And we might have catastrophized it to feel like it couldn't be.

7:19 Don't be anxious about anything request be made known to God. It's not going to surprise him. He knows. Sometimes, you don't even know what it is you need but he already knows and your openness with him about what it is that you need is very helpful for dealing with your anxiety. If you're hiding it and you're feeling like I should have done a better job with this, I really should have been better at this and God is upset with me.

7:49 God only wants for you to connect with him. He wants for you to be honest with him. The whole thing about your sin in first John one nine where it says, if we are agreeing with God, confessing our sins to him, he's already forgiving them. So, if you feel like, oh, should've been better at this. I'm ashamed that I didn't do what I should've done.

8:07 Well, the Lord says, confess that to me. Lord, I'm ashamed of what I've done with what you've given me. Would you, lord, forgive me and help me get through this without all this anxiety? Would you help me? Would you show me the opportunities, lord, me to get better, to do better, to understand you better?

8:27 Would you show me, lord? He will. Don't be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer, open communication with God, listening as well as speaking, pleading with thanksgiving, Let your request be made known to God and this says in the peace of God which surpasses all of your comprehension will guard your hearts and it'll guard your minds in Christ Jesus. If you hadn't memorized this one, do. It's really really helpful when you wake up with the anxious thought with the standing on your chest sort of how is this going to happen?

9:02 Lord, all things are possible to him who believes. Do you remember that passage from Mark nine? The guy brings his kid to Jesus' disciples because Jesus wasn't around. Who knows what he was doing? The disciples were not able to help the guy.

9:21 They were not able to heal the son. When Jesus comes back, he says, do you believe? All things are possible to one who believes. Do you believe? And the guy goes, I do believe.

9:33 Help me with my unbelief. That's the most honest prayer I can think of in the New Testament, right? I do believe but help me with my he brought him. He thought Jesus could help. He brought him to Jesus.

9:42 We know y'all are sitting here this morning, right? You know that this is a place to gather and gain strength even if it's within this body gaining strength. Prayer and pleading with thanksgiving. Let your request be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses. I don't know why I'm okay, right?

10:00 I honestly, I'm away one week. I get so nervous before getting up here and then I start saying what it says and that's all you have to do and it smooths out. The peace of God surpasses comprehension. It's guarding my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus right now and it works and I've said this few times recently. I keep on reading studies about it.

10:25 It's impossible to be anxious and grateful at the same time and you can choose to be grateful. Counting your blessings one by one like evidence this morning. Counting your blessings one by one really does help. So let's be doing that together. Now, finally brothers and sisters, this is a new American standard translation right here.

10:48 Think I'm gonna swap over in a minute to New King James because I think it's helpful. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there's anything excellent, if there's anything that's worthy of praise, be thinking about these things. Okay. This should this is convicting. Right?

11:09 How are we spending our time? Where are we spending our time? Are we thinking about these things? True, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise. Are we?

11:23 Then Paul goes on in nine and says, as for the things you've learned and you've received and you've heard and you've seen in me, be practicing these things and the God of peace will be with you. This is an echo of the peace that he mentions that if you'll just connect directly with God. Now, Paul recognizes that not everybody's at the same place in their walk with God and for those of us who are little further down the road that we've been involved for a longer time. We understand and we have come to trust in God. It's easier for us to open to him.

12:01 It's easier for us to go to him because we've tested and tasted and seen that God is good and that he is an ever present help in times of trouble. If we are doing that, Paul recognizes. He says, follow after me as I follow Christ. He doesn't say follow after me because I'm wonderful. He says, follow after me as I follow after Christ.

12:24 I've learned how. I still go wrong. I still get off track sometimes but if you see anything that's in me, if you've received anything from me that gives you any, the God of peace is going be with you. Be practicing these very same things. So, Imma switch over here to New King James.

12:40 I like the old New King James. Actually, for this funeral when I went, my my uncle, Jeff, I I thought that we're baptized on the same day. We weren't. He was two years ahead of me and in my downtimes and in my hard times, when the devil would sort of attack in my life just throughout my whole life since I've been a believer. There is a pesky little thing that the devil does where he tries to convince you that you're not a child of God.

13:12 And one of the things that he used that the devil tries to use in my life is you just love your uncle Jeff so much and when he got baptized, that's all you wanted to do. Now, that's not true. It was two years. If I look back in my, you know, I thought it was the same day but if I look back, it was two years ahead of that. I didn't walk the aisle because he walked the aisle.

13:32 I walked the aisle because God was drawing me to himself but the devil has a way of reframing things that are not true. He has a way of reframing things that didn't happen that way and then when you look over em in your head and you mull over and the devil says, is that really what God did? It's the same trick since the beginning. He doesn't have any new tricks. There's no new news.

14:01 It's just old news happening to new people, as Mike says. Right? This is really, really good. I love it in the New King James. My aunt Laura gave me a Bible.

14:11 I used that one when I did this funeral this time. It's a New King James Bible, 1982, fresh off the presses. It just took out the these and thous and said you, basically, but it's pretty good translation. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true. This is why I like this translation.

14:29 Whatever things are true, this is this. Whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are love, whatever things are of good report. If there's any virtue, if there's anything praiseworthy or meditate on these things. That's a lot of things. It's just it's the repent.

14:53 I like the New King James because the poetry because it sounds like the Bible. It doesn't sound just like a bland fourth grade text. Right? The things which you learned and you received and you heard and you saw in me, these things do, and the God of peace will be with you. 10, I'll come back to.

15:12 11, I'll come back to. 12, I'll come back to. And then 13 is this, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. How many of y'all are old enough to remember the power team? Do y'all know the power team?

15:25 Just a few of you. The power team toured The United States Of America, and they were bodybuilders, muscle guys. And it was sorta like the WWF, but they didn't wrestle. They ripped phone books in half while quoting this verse. I can do all things.

15:41 I cannot rip a phone book in half. I cannot tear quarters in half. Those guys could do that and did do that. But this was their thing. I I saw a fighter the other day standing nose to nose with his opponent, and on his chest it said, Philippians four thirteen.

15:57 I could do all things. I don't think that's what it means. I'm pretty sure that the things that he's talking about here are those things in that list. Right there. I can do true things.

16:13 Vile human that I am. Because of the spirit of God living in me, I can do true things. Because of the spirit of God living in me, noble. I can do things that are just and righteous. Though there's no righteousness in me, every little bit of righteousness that I have is derived.

16:35 Righteousness derived from a holy and good God who delights to give his children good things. So, if I'm to do anything righteous or just, if I am to do justly and love mercy and walk humbly, it's going to be because of the spirit of God and it's possible because of him because Christ strengthens me. I can do that. I can do pure things. I can do lovely things.

17:03 I can do things that are of good report and I can do virtuous things and I can do things that are praiseworthy. Now, Paul says, be meditating on these things. So, whatever is true, true, unconcealed, true, walking in the light is the truth, right? Walking in the light. Worthy of credit, truthful, what can't be hidden.

17:27 It stresses the undeniable reality when something is fully tested, when something is known to be true, sealed, certified, bonafide if you will. Like the word of God, sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. If we're to think on these things, should we be paying attention what scripture says? Yes.

17:51 It's really helpful. It's really good. Even if you just spent the 10 most Googled. Look it up. It's amazing.

17:58 It's amazing Bible study. It might be a series before long. Yeah. While I work on Hosea. Whatever things are noble, noble, venerable, honorable, grave, serious, dignified, weighty, they're deeply respected, they're viewed as majestic because they have some gravity.

18:16 There is a way to step into the gap and do something that's noble. It might be a selfless act on behalf of someone else. Whatever is just, just is or it's just especially what is just or righteous in the eyes of God. It is righteous or righteousness. Whatever is pure, Hagna, Hagna.

18:40 It's a cognate of holy, properly it is pure all the way to the core, virginal, chaste, unadulterated, pure inside and out. It's holy because it's uncontaminated or undefiled from sin. Now, if I look at myself and I think, oh, that's not me but it is because God is pure. God is holy and he has given his spirit to me. I can dwell on things that are pure or I can choose to dwell on things that are completely and totally unimpure.

19:14 Without spoilation, even within, even down to the center of one's being, it's not mixed, unmixed with guilt or anything condemnable. And you think, well, I have guilt though. I have guilt. If you agree with God about your guilt, believer, he is taking it and throw it in as far as the East is from the West. Now, I'm not a believer in sinless perfectionism that you get to a place where you just don't sin anymore but I am a believer in walking in victory.

19:44 There will be a new way that you sin. There will be a new thing that comes up that you didn't even know about and then you look back and go, oh, that was it. Be careful lest you fall. Right? Pride is one of those silent secret kind of things that's back there that you don't see it most of the time and then you'll realize, oh my goodness, that was all for my own glory.

20:04 Yep. God says and that one's forgiven. Far as the East is from the west, remember no more. In the sea of forgetfulness, remember no more. Though your sins were in front of me, God says in Isaiah, I will put them behind me.

20:17 Oh, almighty God. Whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, lovely. Prosphile. From prosth extending toward and phileo, affectionate, caring. Properly, it is worthy of personal affection.

20:32 Hence, it's dearly prize worthy of the effort to have and embrace. It's only used here in the New Testament. Now, this is interesting to me and it because of this list, I started thinking, how does this coincide with the the fruits of the spirit? These are all Greek virtues. What?

20:55 Even Paul, when he's speaking to the Philippians, he is using be meditating on these things that you already know to be good. It's apart from Christianese. Right? Be meditating on these things. It doesn't have to be just within the family.

21:08 When you see something wonderful or lovely or it gets to praiseworthy, virtuous. Yeah, think on that for a little while. Wow. God is good and he causes his rain to fall on the just and the unjust. You know, the good things.

21:22 He gives blessing. He causes the sun to rise on the just and the unjust. He is lovely. Ultimately, God is lovely. Of good report, well reported of, spoken of in a high, kindly spirit, laudable, reputable.

21:35 It's something that people would give a good report about. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. That is my mama. If you think, oh, not say that. Maybe don't say it.

21:54 Maybe don't say it because when you hear yourself say it out loud, it just gives you a little more ammunition for the next time you wanna say something like that. Hold on to it. If it's a good report, go for it. Virtuous. Moral goodness.

22:10 A gracious act. Virtue uprightness. Praiseworthy. Enthusiastic knowledgement of of what deserves praise. That's good.

22:21 When somebody does something great, one of our tendencies as human beings is to try to tear them down just a little bit so they don't get the big head. But if somebody does something that's praiseworthy, give them a pat on the back. Think on it. Think on, wow, that was an amazing thing they did. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, whatever.

22:47 If there's any virtue, if there's anything praiseworthy, be meditating. It says meditate instead of just think on these things. I think both of them are reliable translations but think on things seems a little less involved than meditating on these things. He doesn't stop there though. Let me let me pause here for a second and let's think about spending time concentrating on something.

23:13 Would you all agree that that's meditating? Okay. Just wonder. What are we watching? What are we reading?

23:29 Is it true? Is it noble? Is it just? Is it pure? Is it lovely?

23:36 Is it of good report? Is it virtuous? Is it praiseworthy? I don't know about y'all's algorithm. I had to quit all that.

23:51 I'm not I'm not bragging. My my preacher said when I was little that he didn't have a television, I just couldn't believe it. Flat couldn't believe it. I'm not telling y'all not to. I had to.

24:00 I had to, you know, and I'll I'll download them again at some point, I'm sure because I'm a human being. But I had to get rid of it because it's making me mad and I'm not generally a mad person. I'm generally, I think, I think, fairly jovial but man, it was making me mad and I didn't like who I was. So, I had to get rid of it. Not saying you do but if you meditate on these things, those are the things you're going to be doing.

24:29 So, the things which you learn and you receive and you heard and you saw in me, Paul says, these things do. Now, Paul is meaning and he says, follow me as I follow Christ, right? He's he's already cleared that up early in the book. This the things which you learn and you receive to me. He's not saying, if you do like me, everything will be okay.

24:46 He's just saying, if you're meditating on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, if there's any virtue, anything praiseworthy, and some of y'all's algorithms are just pure that puppies and rainbows and everything's wonderful. I know that. Because my wife says that way. These do. And the God of peace will be with you.

25:06 He's already said that God of peace will be with you if you just have open communication with him and you're grateful. And you let him know what you're anxious about. Okay, back to ten and eleven. Now, this all happened in the context of the real world. Paul has been traveling all about.

25:23 He's been to Philippi and they were really good to him while he was there and then when he's away from there, he says, you know what? I rejoice. I'm I'm telling you to rejoice in the Lord always and again, I say rejoice but also, I rejoice greatly that now, at last, y'all have revived your concern for me. I'm not even there. I'm not even there.

25:43 I'm stuck where I am in prison. I'm stuck, and y'all revive your concern with me. You were concerned before, but I I figure you lacked an opportunity to act on that concern. Not that I'm speaking from need. Do you get me?

25:56 I'm not saying to send me more. This is not a missionary support letter. Some people see this as just a missionary support letter. It's not. Not that I speak from need, for I've learned to be content whatever circumstances.

26:06 I mean, I I know how to get along with a little. I know how to get along with a lot. In any and in every circumstance, I've learned that the secret of being filled and and going hungry, both having abundance and suffering need. I'm fine. But man, it make it feels good that y'all care.

26:25 You know? Now, I I personalized this one. You can do all of these things that I mentioned through Christ who strengthens you. Yes. I'm not promising you can rip a quarter in half.

26:36 I don't think you can rip a phone book in half. I don't I hope you don't fight anybody any time soon and win. But you can do these things, these true things, these noble things, these just things. You can act justly. You can love mercy.

26:58 You can walk humbly because of Christ who strengthens you. You can do these pure things. Although you think, oh, I'm a wretched sinner and I'm impure but God has called you holy. He's imputed to you the righteousness of Christ. To deny that is to deny the very gospel.

27:16 You can do lovely things through Christ who strengthens you. You can do things that are of good report through Christ who strengthens you. You can do virtuous, praiseworthy things through Christ who strengthens you. You can do that and Paul said, you can and he said, the things that I've done, I can't even believe I've gotten to be a part of this. I was an enemy of God.

27:38 I'm the chief of sinners for crying out loud and yet, he's the one who wrote most of the New Testament as far as human beings go. And then he I'll close with this. This is not the close of the letter but nevertheless, out of all that, the two top 10 Googled verses all in in one chapter. Right? And then he goes, nevertheless, you all have done well to share with me in my difficulty.

28:00 And I wanted to stop right there because last week, Fan jumps up on the stage and he hadn't been here well all week, you know. Just getting his getting himself settled, family settled. All the whole family had the flu last week. Van comes over. He said, pray for me that I don't get the flu before I have to get up there.

28:16 Right? Jumps up. Y'all are so gracious and I appreciate that so much. Nevertheless, you've done well to share with me in the midst of my difficulty. It feels good to know that people are praying for you.

28:30 It feels good to know that we've got people with you. And I want you to know that you've got people with you. I want you to know that we want to be helpful in any way that we can. So, really, if you feel like, oh, they're too busy for that, just try us. Try it anyway.

28:44 How how can we help? We want to be helpful to you. Would you stand? I'm going ask the band to come back up. The altar is always open for prayer and I'm going pray right now.

28:59 Lord, it is for your glory. It is for your glory that we gather. We we we want it to be for your glory and lord, you say that it's for your glory and for our good. What's the chief end of man? Right?

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