Philippians 4: 4-13
As I do every month, I write a blog to introduce my monthly podcast. January's podcast covers what is, for me personally, one of the most meaningful sections of the Bible and hence one of the Himalayas of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul shares with his dear friends at Philippi some of the key lessons he has learned in his faith walk with Jesus.
There are three parts to cover in this section of Philippians 4: 4-13:
How to deal with anxiety, uncertainty, and negative events.
How to focus your mind in the midst of chaos and temptation.
How to deal with the live that we are given, whether it is a life of prosperity or a life of poverty – and by that, I do not necessarily mean the measure of our wealth.
There are many famous verses in this section with which you'll be familiar. We'll read "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The song, "I've Got the Joy Joy Joy Joy Down in My Heart" is based on one of the verses.
It is good to look freshly at these verses, because like so many famous verses, they can just roll right past us because we've heard them before. In this podcast, I dive into them more deeply to show how important joy, prayer and self-control are in our 7-day practical faith, applying scripture to our daily lives.
Philippians has been called "The Book of Joy." In just four chapters, Paul uses a version of the word "joy" 16 times. Paul tells us to rejoice in every circumstance, positive or negative, because the Lord is always near to us.
Paul gives us new insight into prayer. It's not enough just to throw words at God when we are anxious; he teaches us to thank God for listening and being present. Paul is confident that God answers every prayer, but not in the way you might think. Whatever the request is, and whether that request is granted or not, we will always get something significant out of prayer if we approach it correctly.
There are so many things in life that we can't control, but Paul instructs us to control ourselves. It starts with controlling our minds, focusing on the right things. Self-control extends then into how we approach our circumstances and station in life. We do all this, accompanied by the peace of God and the strength of Jesus.
Please listen through the entire podcast at the following locations:
Apple podcasts, searching for "Cecil Taylor Monthly Podcasts"
Spotify podcasts, searching for "Cecil Taylor Monthly Podcasts"
Podbean at https://ceciltaylorministries.podbean.com/
IMAGE: Cho Oyu. Since Philippians is an easy letter to understand because it is so relatable to us today, it reminds me of the sixth highest mountain in the world, Cho Oyu. Just 12 miles west of Mt. Everest in the Himalayas, Cho Oyu is known as one of the easier mountains to climb, despite its peak of nearly 27,000 feet.
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