Philippians
Philippians 1:1 6
August 29, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 1:1–6
I am excited to put the magnifying glass over Paul's letter to the church in a Greek city called Philippi! This was the first European city to receive the news of Jesus! Philippians is one of Paul's "prison letters" - yes, he wrote it while in prison awaiting trial which could end in his release or his death! This makes it even more astounding that this letter is so full of encouragement, reassurance, and joy! How is that possible? Without giving away too much, I can tell you that this little (only 4 chapters) letter is as important to believers today in America as it was to the believers in Philippi in 62 AD when Paul wrote it. The thread of this letter will lead us to important discussions regarding mental and emotional health! Topics like anxiety, contentment, negativity, and ambition are touched on along the way. What is the thread that ties everything together? How can I find mental and emotional well-being in the world we live in? How do I live a properly "centered" life? In a culture of narcissism and hedonism, we need the Word of God to help us break free from......?? If you want the answer, then...... http://......view and See!!!! Steve
Philippians 1:7-11
September 5, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 1:7–11
"Prayer: The First Step to Change" - Philippians 1:7-11 After considering the warmth of the relationship between Paul and the church people in Philippi, we will read and consider his prayer for them in vv 9-11. He has already said that he is confident in God to finish what He started in their lives. But he doesn't sit back and just wait for God to do it. He prays for the thing he knows God will do! There are four specific things Paul prays for the people, and his prayer is full of the potential that he knows is there because God is at work in their lives. That confidence is what undergirds the things he prays for. He is hopeful they will come closer and closer to reaching their potential! Potential for what? Others-centered living! Have you arrived at "full selflessness"? Are you as loving as Christ? If not, then you are in good company! And.....I think you will thoroughly enjoy the details of Paul's prayer. I promise you at least two surprises! http://.....view and See! Steve
Philippians 1:12-18
September 12, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 1:12–18
We will begin the "body" of Paul's letter to the people he loves in Philippi. As we read, we will make some observations about the way Paul thinks and what he is modeling for the young believers he is writing to! How does Paul handle situations that are out of his control? How does he find joy when people are intentionally trying to hurt him? "That's great! But http://pastor.....your http://title....your spelling needs help! Didn't you mean w-e-a-t-h-e-r?" Did I? Maybe I meant exactly what it is written! How's that? If you have a chance to read all of Ch 1, you will notice three times Paul recognizes the uncertainty of his outcome. This could go "this way" or "that way". But he is ok with either way..."whether" it's "this" or "that"http://.....there is a greater focus that affords him emotional strength. He knows how to do the mental work of finding joy in his life -- genuine joy. Do you know the secret? If not, then..... http://.....view and See! Steve
Philippians 1:19-26
September 19, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 1:19–26
"What's the Whether?" - Partt 2 We will turn our attention to the next section of Philippians 1 as we try to see life the way the apostle Paul saw life. Can we really experience joy? Can we really find confidence about our future even when we don't know the details? How confident are you about your future? Do you have anxieties about the future? Do you worry about your life? Do you worry about your death? Are you stressed about how things will turn out? An interesting word has popped up a few times recently in my reading and listening. It's not a "Bible word", but the concept is there for sure! It's a word that describes a skill that Paul seems to have perfected. What's the word? The word is "reframing". You see, our world and our lives are filled with events. How we talk about those events, and how we think about them, is extremely important. To put a frame around a picture -- to crop it -- is to decide what is central and how we view it. To "reframe" the picture is to place a different part in the center -- or to look at it differently. Paul, in my opinion, had perfected the skill of reframing. And in this section, we will see how he reframes matters of life and death. You know, if we live this way, it's not just the picture that is important! The frame matters too! There are many, many voices that want to tell you how to frame the events of your life. If you want to learn the secrets to skillful "reframing", then..... http://.....view and See! Steve
Philippians 1:27-2:4
September 26, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 1:27–30, Philippians 2:1–4
We come to the last of Paul's "whether" statements at the end of Ch 1. He is confident that, although he would prefer to be executed so he could be with Jesus, he is probably still needed to help the church mature. He thinks he will be set free and be able to visit them again! They have that to look forward to! But in the meantime..... Paul can't say for sure if, or when, he will be able to see them. He encourages them to live as good citizens of the heavenly kingdom, no matter what happens to Paul! Then he describes what that will look like! This is where things heat up. This is where we do some serious reframing. I will ask this question here and in the morning: How do you know you are living as a citizen of heaven? What is the proof of your salvation? If you asked four people you would get seven answers. What serves for Paul as "proof" of salvation? What has to be reframed? I will give you just enough to make you curious. If you want to understand how to reframe your http://pain...yes, painful experiences and feelings, then you will need to.... http://.....view and See!
Sunday - Philippians 2:5-11
October 10, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 2:5–11
If you Google "the key to everything", you will find little agreement on what that key is. The suggestions of what might be "the key" include love, communication, family, patience, teachability, and maybe some might add coffee to the list! I have taken a bold step to title the message "the Key to Everything", and I would argue that our topic for tomorrow would truly lay at the foundation of things like happiness, success, and peace. It is the key to success in marriage and parenting and learning, and relationships. That's not just me talking. It is the thing that God points to over and over and over in the Bible as a thing He responds to with grace. More than that, and in connection to the picture I included above, it is essential to the nature of Jesus and should also be essential to our existence. Do you recognize what that is a picture of? How does that connect to our passage? I would go so far as to say that it is the key element that is missing from American culture and if reintroduced, would produce radical changes. I am not alone in this observation. It's absence is noted by sociologists and psychologists. It's absence is also noted as a sign of life in the "latter days" according to the Apostle Paul. What is this "key to everything"? Seeing it and knowing it will be easy. Having it will require a new way of thinking that is utterly counter-cultural. But if you grasp it in your heart, it will transform your life. I pray the sermon will do justice to the passage. If you want to know the "key to everything", then...... http://.....view and See Steve
Sunday - Philippians 2:12-18
October 17, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 2:12–18
"Humility: A Joint Venture!" - Philippians 2:12-18 In this message we take the mountaintop experience of Jesus' humility and see how it looks on us! We have seen that, for Jesus, humility was a choice. But that's Jesus, and you might say, "I am not Jesus". Can we really hope to overcome pride? The answer is, "Absolutely"! But God won't do it without your participation, and you can't do it without His participation. Humility is a joint venture! If it was up to us, then we could be proud of how humble we have become! Isn't that funny!? Instead, we are only responding to the work that is already being done by God inside of us. In this short section, we will identify the signs of pride and how they contribute to conflict and make the church a poor witness to the world. The world is filled with intellectual pride, arguing, and opinions. Pride comes naturally. It's humility that has to be worked out in our lives! If you want some sure ways to spot pride and cultivate humility, then..... http://......view and See Steve
Sunday - Philippians 2:19-30
October 24, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 2:19–30
"Two Examples of Selfless Living" - Philippians 2:19-30 In this message, we meet a couple of guys that were an important part of the apostle Paul's ministry team. Since Paul was being held under Roman guard, he couldn't do much for himself. He never operated alone, though. Let me introduce you to..... Timothy, a young man who was like a son to Paul. No, they were not blood relatives, but they shared a very, very special relationship! Paul says that Tim served him like a son with his father. What does that mean?? And then there is...... Epaphroditus is also special to Paul. He, along with Timothy, provide examples of men who have lived self sacrificially, and not for self preservation. Wait until you see what happened to Epaphroditus! As you read between the lines of this section, you seek people who really care about each other. Paul cares about the Philippians. Timothy cares about Paul. The Philippians care about Epaphroditus. They all care about Jesus. There are SIX WORDS that will change every relationship. What are they? You know I'm not telling. Noooo, not those five words (you-know-I'm-not-telling)!!! I'll give you the six word secret......tomorrow! That means you will have to tune in if you want to find out! View and See..... Steve
Sunday - Philippians 3:1-11
November 7, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 3:1–11
"The Balance Sheet of Life" - Phil 3:1-11 Based on the title, this message sounds like a boring sermon on accounting. Balance sheet of life?? What can that be about? Before you you "write it off" [notice purposeful accounting humor]http://....let's see what the passage will address! Have you ever made a bad financial decision? Maybe you paid too much for a car or house and now it was burying you financially? Or maybe you declared a major in economics, but halfway through you fell in love with nursing. Now what? There are times when we have big decisions to make about how we have spent. But now we are not talking money, but life. There are times when we have to "cut our losses" by walking away from one thing so we can go in a more profitable direction. Sell the car. Drop the major. Ouch. These are painful decisions made with a new and better direction in mind. Is it worth it? I guess that is a question only you can answer. It will depend upon how much you value what you are making of your life vs what your life in Christ provides. Paul has no problem making that choice and uses very colorful language to explain it. Paul hits home once again and I can only hope to do justice to the power if his words and the pictures he creates. By the http://way.....have you ever felt torn over taking out the garbage? Do you ever feel tempted to hold onto the trash instead of throwing it away? It's doubtful. What does that have to do with the balance sheet of life? If you want to know, then.... http://.......view and See
Sunday - Philippians 3:12-16
November 14, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 3:12–16
"Relentless Pursuit" - Philippians 3:12-16 Imagine a horse, utterly, physically, stretched out, exerting maximum effort on the journey to the finish line! "So what", you might say? In the next section of Philippians, Paul is illustrating to the church how he sees his past and future. Twice he uses a word that speaks of relentlessly pursuing something in order to grab it and hold onto it. The example is of a runner, or a horse, at full stride with every muscle stretching and pulling with maximal effort. What is the secret to this kind of life? What is the goal Paul is striving for? There are some real nuggets in this section! You and I will consider where we are right now in our walk, how we should deal with our past, and how to think about the future. Are your best days behind you? Do you talk more about how life used to be? Are you regretful about the the things you had before you were a Christian? Do you get jealous of the worldly accomplishments of people who are living for their own glory? This next passage will be right on time for someone who is finding it difficult to make progress in the Christian life! If you want to know more, then.... View and See..... Steve
Philippians 3:17-4:1
November 21, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 3:17–21, Philippians 4:1
When you read the subtitle, "Christian Education", what was your first thought? Did you immediately think about a classroom setting where a teacher lectures about all things relative to a Christian worldview? I believe it is one of our weaknesses as a culture that we have come to believe that to learn, one must sit in a classroom and be given information. What we have forgotten, or neglected, is that human beings are wired to learn through imitation in relationship! You know...."monkey see, monkey do"! When children are first learning to write the letters of the alphabet, they are given a pattern to trace, to learn the motor pattern. How do you explain the letter "G" without explaining it and demonstrating it? The same principle holds true for everything from carpentry to clarinet. People learn by example! That is even true of "soft skills" like compassion and humility! Does a person need to read and comprehend the whole Bible before they can start to live as a Christian? How does a person learn how life and community in Christ look before they have much information? It takes a village to raise a child and a church to raise a Christian. In both cases, you have to make sure you choose the right kind of village or the right kind of church! Not every example will lead you in the right direction. Be careful little eyes, what you see. As usual, I believe you will walk away encouraged and challenged by what we will discuss in this session of God’s Word. So, View and See..... Steve
Sunday - Philippians 4:2-7
November 28, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 4:2–7
"FINAL MATTERS" - Part 1 - PHIL 4:2-9 As we come to the close of this "thank you" letter from Paul to the church in Philippi, there are some "final matters" that Paul will address. These include joy, anxiety, peace, conflict resolution, and proper management of the thought life. THESE ARE MATTERS OF MENTAL HEALTH! So, I'll give you some stats, but I don't think you need data to tell you there is a mental health crisis in America. A crisis. It turns out, the Spirit of God has much to say about mental health from a heavenly perspective. Isn't that good news? Paul did not sit down to give them a pamphlet on mental health. But he was concerned for their well-being as a church and community in relationship. Spiritual life has a intimate connection with mental health, and you are not a helpless victim. We will look at FIVE THINGS that matter regarding mental health, and won't even bill your insurance company! It's free counseling. Here are some questions to answer before viewing. How would rate your mental health? With a 1 being very poor, and a 5 being amazing, where would you be? How did you even come up with a number? Are you generally in a good mood or a bad mood most of the time? Do you worry too much? Do you experience a lot of anxiety? Do you spend a lot of time "losing yourself" in social media or entertainment? Do you have unresolved conflict in your life? Are you harboring grudges and holding onto the past? This final section of Philippians is......amazing! So, grab a notebook and your bible, and lets dive in together. http://.....view and See! Steve
Sunday - Philippians 4:8-9
December 5, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 4:8–9
"What You Feed Your Mind Matters" - Philippians 4:8-9 In this message we are discussing some "final matters" that Paul wanted to address with the church. Issues like anxiety, and joy, and conflict. It seems they are things that deal with mental health! With mental health being a huge topic, I am slowing down to a snail's pace and covering just two verses tomorrow. These verses explain how to manage and direct our thoughts! What things in your life require care? What things do you give the most care and attention to? Is it the house? The car? The kids? -- they need a lot of care. Maybe your body? Do you take good care of your body? Is there a connection between how much you value something and how much you do to protect it and guard it's safety? How http://about......wait for http://it.....your mind!!! Isn't that pretty valuable? We live in a world where people seem to be losing their minds? Are they losing them, or giving them away? Are we passive victims of mind theft, or are we negligent with our attention? Hold onto your hats and be ready to be challenged regarding the care you take to manage your thought life. Maybe you have been waiting for God and praying for God to make changes in your life. To be honest, we want God to change our situation without us trying to change our habits! Maybe if you change your habits, God will change your mental health. Maybe? How do we find spiritual and mental health and peace while things seem to be so out of control? How can we better manage our thought life so God can work in us to will and do for his good pleasure? It's SO important that you will have to.... http://....view and see!
Philippians 4:10-13
December 12, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 4:10–13
Proverbs says, "A man's heart plans his way, but God directs his steps." I guess God wanted us to discuss contentment this morning! I will be socially distanced, masked, and filling the pulpit. I have no symptoms and my Covid test as of 6 am is negative. I will explain more when I see you. All is well. This is a spectacular passage about a crucially important mental health issue - contentment! http://....view AND SEE!
Philippians 4:14-23
December 19, 2021 • Pastor Steve Feden • Philippians 4:14–23
"Sound Investment Advice" - Philippians 4:14-23 Have you ever been given advice you failed to take? Did you look back and regret it? When I got my first job, my dad taught me about the power of "compound interest". He urged me to start putting away just a little each month from a young age. I didn't listen. I regret it. Maybe someone suggested a few years ago that you invest in Tesla, or Bitcoin. If only you had taken the advice, things would be different for you. An opportunity missed. Ugghhh, regret! At the close of Paul's letter to the Philippians, he gets around to thanking them for their support. It is an awkward sort of thank you, and Paul goes to great lengths to make sure he is not misunderstood as he commends them for their help at various times in his ministry. Paul and the Philippians enjoyed an affectionate, caring, relationship that went both ways. It was mutual. If you have ever felt like churches are always hitting people up for money, and it has turned you off to generosity, then I guarantee you will enjoy this message. Expect a perspective on generosity and giving that might be refreshing, and maybe a little needed this Christmas. Paul goes out of his way to make sure they know he is not laying on the guilt because he is in dire straits! Then why give?? If you think you regret not buying Tesla stock, then I have some very important investment advice you might want to pay attention to! It's free advice, but you have to show up or tune in to get it! You don't want to be kicking yourself eternally! http://....view AND SEE! Steve