How to Live
Following Jesus in the Real World
A Crazy Start
February 24, 2019 • Scotty Priest
"The gospel is bigger than any barrier. Jesus takes strangers and makes them family." As we start our new teaching series, How to Live, Pastor Scotty Priest sets up this new series by teaching the context for why Philippians was written. A letter doesn't make sense without knowing the audience of who it was written to. "I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3
A Life Worth Living
March 3, 2019 • Scotty Priest
" . . . for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11b As we continue in our new teaching series, How to Live, a six-week study through the book of Philippians, Pastor Scotty Priest dives into the first chapter of Philippians explaining the difference between happiness and joy. It is grace every single day that sustains us. Joy versus happiness: happiness is external and joy is internal. Happiness is based on circumstances and joy is based on Christ. Happiness is based on chance and Joy is based on a choice. Joy is about refocusing on what matters most. It's about looking around and seeing challenging situations hard circumstances. But joy is not dependent on those things. In challenging situations, we need to refocus on what really matters. Am I living a life worthy of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus? 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Philippians 4:11, Deuteronomy 30:19, Philippians 1:9-14, Philippians 1:21, John 16:35
Divesting Our Interests
March 10, 2019 • Blake LaMunyon
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves . . ." Philippians 2:3 As we continue in our teaching series, How to Live, a six-week study through the book of Philippians, guest speaker, Pastor Blake LaMunyon talks about choosing the path of humility. It's "better to be humble than to be humbled." Surrendering our wants in needs gives room for humility to take root in our lives. To choose the path of humility, we must follow Jesus' example of descending to humility through choosing the path of sacrifice, taking on the role of a servant, willingly submitting to others, and encountering seasons of suffering. Suffering is the manifestation of God's grace and favor. Acts 16:32, Acts 16:37, Acts 20:24, John 13:14, Luke 9:23, John 16:33, John 3:30, Luke 22:42, 1 Peter 3:18
Garbage
March 17, 2019 • Rick Lawrence
As we continue in our teaching series, How to Live, a six-week study through the book of Philippians, guest speaker, Rick Lawrence dives into Philippians chapter 3. "When we taste the goodness in His heart, everything else seems like . . . garbage." Some of the greatest words ever said were embedded in Philippians 3. "For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him." Philippians3:8b-9a During our live sermon two video clips were played from the hit TV series "The Good Place" and the movie "The Horse Whisperer." Due to copyright reasons, these videos are not available in the above recording, but you can view them below.
Anxiety
March 24, 2019 • Scotty Priest
As we finish our teaching series, How to Live, a six-week study through the book of Philippians, Pastor Scotty Priest finishes in chapter 4 of Philippians preaching about anxiety. "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:8 "The mind is a battlefield. Anxiety and worry are both attacks on the mind that distract us from serving the Lord." God doesn't want us to be in debilitating anxiety about the future. "Worry never made anything better." "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19