Secure Hope

1 Pet 1:3-5
Hope: a joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. Peace that what is behind me is secure so I can have peace in looking forward.
Mercy: God's grace in action towards a hopeless being. Lam 3:22
New birth: it's no longer about us, it's about His Will in our lives. 2 Cor 5:17
Living Hope: we can walk through our lives in hope. It's not based on our circumstances.
Resurrection - Game Changer!! Jesus' resurrection secures our future resurrection.
We have something awesome to look forward to, our inheritance.
There is nothing that can get in between the hope we have in Jesus Christ.
Our Hope and inheritance is being protected by God's power.
The same faith that saved us, secures us.
Jesus is my rock solid foundation and always will be. Lk 24:19-21, Jn 21:7
Go as fast as I can to the feet of Jesus!!!

Philippians: Giving Thanks

Phil 4:4-9
The prescription for happiness and joy starts with thanksgiving.
1. Declare: Every good thing that I have is a gift from God. Jas 1:17 Don't let the gifts I've been given become the norm, and then start searching for something else to make me happy.
2. Choose thankfulness by not letting what we want rob us from the gifts we have.
3. Make a conscious effort to realize every gift God has given us.
Our circumstances don't need to change for us to be happy, our perspective needs to change.

Philippians: Unity Among Believers

Phil 4:2-3
Everywhere we go in life, we will have to deal with conflict. Conflict - a difference in opinion or purpose that frustrates someone's goals or desires.
- Conflict avoiders (peace fakers)
- Conflict aggressors (peace breakers)
- Conflict agitators (peace manipulators) Prov 26:20-22
- Peacemakers - seek to resolve their differences and restore their relationships. Mt 5:9; Jas 3:18
1. Glorify God. Ask: How can I please and honor God in this situation? 1 Cor 10:31
2. Get the log out of your own eye. Ask: How can I show Jesus' work in me by taking responsibility for my contribution to this conflict? Mt 7:5
3. Go and be reconciled. Ask: How can I demonstrate the forgiveness of God and encourage a reasonable solution? Mt 5:24; 18:15-17.
- Pray (a lot)!
- Quit placing unrealistic expectations on people. People can only offend you if you allow them to offend you.
- Seek God's wisdom (through prayer and His Word).
- Seek wise counsel.
- Don't let people fool you or play on your emotions. Prov 18:17. Your input should always exceed your output.
- Pray some more!
1 Pet 2:12 "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

Philippians: Press On

Phil 3:10-14
1. Our goal is being like Jesus. v13. Rom 8:28-29. Every day, with everything we have, we want to become more like Jesus
2. We must forget what is behind. v13. One of our greatest hindrances to becoming more like Jesus is our past. Satan reminds us of that all of the time. It doesn't matter what our past contains, we are loved by God, forgiven, righteous, and a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Jesus changes everything about us. We need to forget our past failures and successes, and pursue the spiritual prize. "The clearest vision belongs to those who forget the past."
3. We must press on. v14. Run in such a way as to get the prize.
4. There's work to be done. v12. Paul said he hadn't even arrived at the finished line. Continue to work toward the prize. All of our work should include and be all about Jesus. Don't let Jesus get pushed to the back burner, make it all about Him! You are not going to become more like Jesus accidentally, it has to be intentional. You will be constantly frustrated at how much progress you make in a day, but if you keep pressing on, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much progress you make in a year or two or three...