While some believers embrace their divisive and prideful intellect during a church conflict, the Apostle Paul models the proper church discipline with two faithful workers, free of judgement and always focused on the goal of unity in Christ and relationship reconciliation. "Unity" that abandons spiritual growth and ignores a biblical conviction of the heart cannot rightfully be called peace, as believers cannot be equally yoked with those who desire discord. Pastor John calls us to guard against pursuing unity with those who oppose the truth of who God is and what His Word states. Satanic double agents who display flagrant disobedience must be called out in the church in order to maintain the body of the church as holy and unified. Believers must agree in the Lord with our allies, while avoiding the "friendly fire" of the enemies of Christ.

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Regardless of worldly circumstances, believers who are rooted in the Lord can live a continual life filled with peace and joy. The Apostle Paul encourages us to rejoice in all things brought on by our broken and sinful world, as we belong to an unchanging sovereign God whose standard of living is totally unrelated to the circumstances of this world. Listen as Pastor John reminds us this week that our joy in the Lord is like rain on a parched earth as we find respite from the enemies of fear and anxiety. He provides some practical, biblical strategies to unleash the holy joy in us through praise and worship, as the world struggles with numerous disorders that chain them to their anxiety. God grants believers a deep and abiding peace that surpasses human understanding, protecting our hearts and minds while we trust in His holy presence .

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Quality mentorship is imperative for the spiritual growth of believers, as your age and the number of years professing your Christianity does not dictate the wisdom of a person. Surrounding yourself with godly people in a world full of chaos requires discernment, discipline, and a desire to grow in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul calls for believers to live as citizens of heaven here on earth, imitating faithful followers of the Gospel, and boldly resisting worldly influences. Listen as Pastor John encourages believers to live with an eternal perspective, teaching others the Word of God, and sharing wisdom in order to strengthen each other and the body of Christ. He guides us to seek godly counsel for our lifetime and to follow the holy example of the perfect mentor, Jesus Christ.

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Christians are not perfect people, we are just forgiven people who recognize that mankind is fatally flawed and that we need a Savior. Believers have heard the liberating call of Jesus Christ to be gloriously authentic, pressing toward the mark of spiritual maturity, always reaching for holy ambition. Listen this week as Pastor John takes us to the Apostle Paul's letter to the church at Philippi regarding our identity in Christ. The world creates identity traps with their phony pretense, their Sunday masks, and their religious facade, while Jesus offers grace and restoration for our faults and sins. We have been called out of the darkness to grow in His glorious Light ~ so carry the weight worthy of the strength we have been given in Jesus Christ.

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The Apostle Paul performs a savage take-down of the inadequate and corrupt religious crowd in the early church era. He proudly proclaimed in the book of Philippians that all his former religious accolades and laws were rubbish compared to the joy of his new heart and his new life in Jesus Christ. Listen as Pastor John urges us to understand the distinction between religion and faith-based relationship, being well aware of the traps that the modern-day religious sect sets for authentic Christians. While the arrogant and hypocritical religious people narrowly define the legalistic, inflexible rules of the church, those in real relationship with Christ are practicing love, joy, grace, and forgiveness. Bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit is the transforming outcome of a true believer's heart, as we know our righteousness comes only from Jesus Christ, our Savior.

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The world is mourning the loss of some very influential, kingdom-building Christian leaders at this current time, those who unapologetically shared the Word of God. Carrying this burden of such devastating and heart-breaking loss brings believers closer to Jesus, and in the depth of our collective grief, His eternal promises bring much needed hope. Listen as Pastor John upholds Epaphroditus, a loyal friend of the Apostle Paul, as a biblical model of the deep, spiritual brotherhood and sacrificial service that we are to seek in our Christian lives. He asks the congregation to embody the same truthful, loving, and servant-hearted characteristics for each other and for the local churches that are under persecution and spiritual warfare, always demonstrating the eternal hope of Jesus Christ.

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What would it be like to be part of a genuine dream team for your church? The Apostle Paul singles out a brother in Christ, Timothy, as a model for the kind of leader the church should value - those who put Christ and others first in all they do. The struggle to locate purely selfless men was as evident in the early church as it is in modern times. While sinful humans revel in their desire for status, prestige, and power, hiding behind their Sunday smiles and nice suits, Pastor John encourages us to release our white-knuckle grip on our idols of worship and allow God to transform us to be a selfless member of HIS holy team. The Holy Spirit compels us to radical faith, to unwavering trust, and to bold courage to lock arms and shields with believers, leaving behind our selfish rebellion and moving forward for the kingdom mission of the gospel.

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This vile and broken world that we inhabit is full of warped and wicked displays of behavior, and the disgusting evidence from our current news cycles show a continuous downward spiral of moral decay. We have witnessed the evil of lost souls who celebrate the death of a Christian martyr, who harbor bitterness and anger in their hearts, and who stand boldly against any responsibility or accountability of their actions. The Apostle Paul witnessed these same sinful abominations in his early church-building era, and he warned Christians to stay blameless and pure in the face of a twisted and crooked generation. Listen as Pastor John uses Paul's letter to the Philippians to bring peace and hope to all believers in these perilous times, imploring us to be the reflection of the light of Jesus while standing firm on His gospel truth. A church filled with the beacons of light who shine brightly against the evil of our lost and dying world will become a catalyst in building the kingdom of God.

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