THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Do you have at least one problem in your life? You probably do. In fact, you may be saying, “I wish I had only one problem!”
So how do we face the multiple challenges in our lives? One approach Norman Vincent Peale popularized in the 1950s was to engage in positive thinking. Over the years, other authors and speakers have also promoted the idea Peale presented in his book, The Power of Positive Thinking. But is that really what we need for life?
In reality, we can’t mask our problems or fix them by just “thinking happy thoughts.” But we can have joy. And the presence of joy does impact how we think about and deal with life’s challenges.
In this session, we’ll take a peek into Paul’s pastoral study—one that just happened to be in a prison cell. Bound in chains, Paul didn’t engage in positive thinking; instead, he focused on Christ. In Philippians 4, Paul showed us that, when we focus on Christ, we experience joy and peace no matter what challenges we face.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Philippians 4:4-5
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
Many things can rob us of our cheer. Doubt, death, challenges at work, illness, relational difficulties, and numerous other problems can cause Christians to lose their song. But we need not lose our joy.
That’s because we don’t rejoice in our circumstances; we rejoice in the Lord.
As we’ve discussed, Paul wasn’t writing this letter from a sweet beach house. He was in prison. Some of the Philippians surely remembered when, right there in their own city, Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned. Yet the two evangelists spent that night praying and singing hymns of praise (see Acts 16:11-25). Joy isn’t about getting what you want; it’s about being grateful for all you have in Christ.
Paul went on to say, “Let your graciousness be known to everyone.” The word for “graciousness” carries the idea of having a gentle spirit with others. It’s the opposite of being contentious and self-seeking.
Jesus displayed that spirit perfectly throughout His life and ministry (see 2 Cor. 10:1), including His attitude toward those who reviled and crushed Him (see 1 Pet. 2:23). We’re called to be like Jesus, which is why Paul said in Philippians 4:5 that believers should display this gracious, gentle spirit with one another and before the watching world.
Paul then added, “The Lord is near.” The apostle may have been speaking of the Lord’s return, or he may have been drawing attention to the fact that God is always nearby, ready to assist us. Both are certainly true! Christ’s return should cause us to want to live holy lives every day, while knowing Christ is near should encourage us to call on Him for help.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Paul’s instructions here might catch you off guard: “Don’t worry about anything.” Of course, a degree of worry—more accurately defined as “concern”—is positive when it motivates us to carry out our responsibilities (see 1 Cor. 12:25; Phil. 2:20).
Negative worry is different. This kind of worry almost always deals with the future—something we don’t possess. Negative anxiety can immobilize us and squeeze out our joy. Worries are like false prophets who tell us God isn’t good, sovereign, or wise.
Instead of worry, we’re called to pray. Paul began his Letter to the Philippians with a joy-filled prayer (see Phil. 1:3-11); now, he instructed his readers to pray in the face of anxiety.
We need to take steps to battle worry in our lives, as well:
- Accept that we shouldn’t have a heart filled with negative anxiety. Paul simply said, “Don’t worry about anything.” Worry should no more be part of a Christian’s life than gossip, envy, covetousness, or sexual sin.
- Cast all of our cares upon God (see 1 Pet. 5:7). The most basic remedy for anxiety is prayer. Paul said peace comes only through prayer. God never worries. He is in control, so we can give Him our burdens.
- Pray with thanksgiving and intercession. Paul didn’t deny that we’ll have hard times, but he knew we can still give thanks. We should also offer up our petitions to God when in need. We can offer our prayers and petitions confidently and “with thanksgiving,” knowing God is faithful and will provide.
- Fight anxiety by praying with faith in God’s promises. “And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Once we pray and give our burden to God, we can be surrounded and sheltered by the peace of God.
And it all starts with keeping our focus on Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
Finally, Paul addressed the Christian’s thought life as a pathway to peace and joy. For Christians to grow in likeness to Jesus, we need a renewed mind (see Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:23).
Because David knew people had to change their thinking to accomplish real change, he prayed for God to examine his thoughts: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns” (Ps. 139:23).
God has blessed His church with His Word as a primary means of purifying our minds. Jesus prayed: “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). We need God’s Word to saturate our thoughts so that our minds may be renewed and we will be kept from grievous ways.
In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul urged the church to think on admirable things. He wanted disciples of Jesus to focus on that which is:
- True, not false.
- Honorable, not dishonorable.
- Just, not unfair.
- Pure, not obscene.
- Lovely, not unlovely.
- Commendable, not wrong.
- Morally excellent, not corrupt.
- Praiseworthy, not shameful.
In addition to thinking praiseworthy thoughts, Paul also encouraged his readers to follow godly examples: “Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.” In other words, emulate leaders who think holy thoughts. Imitate believers who set their minds on our Creator and Redeemer. Watch them. Pay attention to their views, what they read, what they talk about, and what they value. By doing so, Paul said we will know more of God’s peace.
When we focus and trust in Christ, we have peace. And when we focus and trust in Christ, we have joy. Don’t miss out on either of those precious gifts.
LIVE IT OUT
How will you let the truths in the passage transform your life this week? Consider these suggestions:
- Pray. What are your biggest challenges right now? Make a list and pray daily about each one. As you pray, ask the Lord to grant you His peace and graciousness. Memorize.
- Memorize Philippians 4:6-7. I don’t know of a better way to get a proper perspective on the challenges of life and the need to give our burdens to God than to saturate our minds with this passage.
- Think. Seek out a trusted friend who can help you be accountable with your thoughts. Specifically, what are some darker thoughts currently in your mind that need to be replaced with something more noble?
Take it from me: there’s not much power in positive thinking—not the kind the world wants us to engage in, anyway. But there is power in Jesus. Just as important, we can find peace and joy when we focus our lives on Him.
Teacher's Notes
Will technology ever replace love?
Why did the baby quit crying?
Do you typically see the glass as half-empty or half-full?
Our lesson says today, that the way we perceive something is the way we will receive it. We make a choice to look at a situation as a glass half full or half empty. We can look at how big our problem is or we can look at how big our God is.
What is Bonhoeffer saying here?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Bonhoeffer was transferred to the extermination camp at Flossenbürg. On April 9, 1945, one month before Germany surrendered, he was hanged with six other resisters.
- It’s not your love that sustains the marriage but rather, the marriage that sustains your love. Love doesn’t hold you together, the commitment does and love is the benefit. Joy and even happy thoughts don’t sustain your life but rather, it’s your relationship with Christ that sustains your life. Joy comes from the relationship, the commitment and focus we have in Christ.
The Apostle Paul: We can focus on our circumstance or we can fix our eyes on Christ. We can look at our overwhelming situation or we can look at our overcoming Savior.
You know, we use this same thought process when we measure our potential in life. Truth be told, you can’t even fathom your full potential. Only your Creator can. Only God, the one who made you, knows all you are capable of being. Your parents, your spouse, your friends, your boss — they only get a glimpse of your potential.
Only God knows what you’re truly capable of doing and who you’re capable of becoming.
Paul shares 3 important truths in today’s lesson about how we unlock our full potential by practicing joy.
I. Learn God’s Word Philippians 4:4-5
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.
God won’t unlock your potential until you actually open the Bible and learn it. You won’t unlock potential by osmosis. You’ll start to do it by learning what the Bible says.
Paul was writing from a jail cell. What kinds of things could he have said?
- I don’t deserve to be here, it’s cold, stinky, and totally unpleasant. Curses on those who put me here, I’m mad at God … why did He let this happen.
- Instead, what does Paul say? Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say again: Rejoice!
What is your initial reaction to the command to rejoice?
- yeah, sure … easy to say, harder to do in the midst of a crazy-hectic life. I’m too busy to rejoice, life is a circus – the one with the scary clowns. I feel like I’m in a grinder, nothing to rejoice about here.
How can we rejoice even when things aren’t going well?
- Paul finds himself with this same decision. In 2 Corinthians 6, he starts by listing how bad his situation is “in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger.” But Paul doesn’t stop there. In the second half of verse nine, he writes, “dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” Paul chose to see the positive in everything that he went through. He chose to look at his situations in faith and not fear. How was Paul, after everything he had been through, able to look at the glass as being half full? Better yet, how can we take this same perspective on our lives? Well the Paul who wrote 2 Corinthians is the same Paul who wrote Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Paul knew that God would work everything out in his life for God’s glory and for his good. He believed that if it wasn’t good, it wasn’t over.
What evidence might others see in a person’s life that he or she is living in the joy of the Lord?
- Pleasant greeting, smiles, lack of angry replies, even when everyone else is upset. Kind responses to not so nice attitudes of others, react in kindness even for harsh responses to them. Sense of humor, even when things are falling apart.
As believers, why do we have much to celebrate?
- Sins forgiven, God at work in our lives, the joy of the Lord, knowing that God is in control.
- We know the end of the story … GOD WINS!
- Peace with God, peace within ourselves.
Point: We don’t rejoice in our circumstances, we rejoice in the Lord.
Paul didn’t say to rejoice in your circumstances, but in the Lord. Paul knew as well as anyone that life isn’t always fair. God’s love for us never changes. We can always rejoice in Him, even during difficult circumstances. Our joy in the Lord is not based on circumstances but is a product of our relationship with Him. Our joy comes from the Lord, but it is also directed toward Him.
II. Accept God’s Word Philippians 4:6-7
6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
The Bible has to be the authority in your life. You may not like what you’re reading, but — if you want God’s best for your life — you need to accept what it says as the final authority for how you live. Paul says, Don’t worry about anything…pray about everything…the peace of God, which surpasses every thought. Notice the superlatives – words that are all inclusive.
How can someone not worry about anything?
- Paul’s instructions: “Don’t worry about anything.” Of course, a degree of worry—more accurately defined as “concern”—is positive when it motivates us to carry out our responsibilities. Negative worry is different. This kind of worry almost always deals with the future—something we don’t possess. Imagine never being “anxious about anything”! It seems like an impossibility – we all have worries on the job, in our homes, at school. But Paul’s advice is to turn our worries into prayers. Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray. God’s peace is different from the world’s peace (John 14:27). True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. Our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we can have victory over sin. Let God’s peace guard your heart against anxiety.
Why is prayer so important to our worry and how does it help?
- Scriptures say it cannot add to your height nor lengthen your life. It is the opposite of faith … it concentrates on the problem, not on the person of the solution (Jesus). It can actually paralyze you from accomplishing anything useful.
- How does it help? Paul says to pray instead of worrying. You’re talking to Someone who can do something about the problem. You are focusing on Jesus who knows you, understands you, understands the problem and knows the solution. Worrying is not faith … Romans 14:23b, “and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Praying is acting in faith … telling God you are trusting in His power, authority, and love to meet the need.
What does Paul say will be the results when we do praise God and bring your needs to Him, despite the problems?
- God’s peace will guard your hearts and minds. This peace is beyond your understanding … it will be peace in the midst of turmoil. When your mind is full of the problem, God can protect it, guard it from destructive thoughts and motives. The storm of life may be raging all around, but God will give you a little pocket of peace, right in the middle of all that.
- The peace of God is greater than our understanding. Understanding why something happened does not always comfort the pain.
Point: If you want to worry less, accept God’s Word and pray more.
Prayer is God’s alternative to anxiety, and with it comes peace. Pray and replace anxiety with peace. Christians should not be anxious about anything. Our anxiety decreases in proportion to our increase in worshiping and trusting the Lord. Peace is a gift of God given through Jesus Christ. The peace of God within stands guard as a sentinel against anxiety and worry.
III. Obey God’s Word Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
You can’t just learn God’s Word and accept God’s Word. You have to do what the Bible teaches. You don’t get blessed for the parts of the Bible you know. You get blessed for the parts of the Bible you do.
How can we practice the things Paul taught in the passage? How do you keep your focus on godly thinking that leads to godly living?
- Paul urged the people to dwell on godly things. He was not talking about “the power of positive thinking.” Thinking positive thoughts does not change reality. On the other hand, your thoughts do often determine your actions. As Vance Havner used to say, “What’s down in the well will come up in the bucket.”
- On what things, should we dwell? “True” – Things that are truthful and in line with God’s Word. “Honest” – Things that are honorable and worthy of respect. “Just” – That which is morally right. “Lovely” – That which calls forth love. “Of good report” – Or praiseworthy. “Virtue” – Moral excellence.
- Must make the choice as to what you read, look at, think about. Keep busy … when your mind is idle, it’s too easy to follow after things that are on the negative side of our list… “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop (playground)”
- Fill your mind with God’s Truth … daily reading and meditating on God’s Word.
- What we put into our minds determines what comes out in our words and actions. Paul tells us to program our minds with thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. We should examine what we are putting into our minds through television, books, conversations, movies, and magazines. We should replace harmful input with wholesome material. Above all, we should read God’s Word and pray. Ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure. It takes practice, but it can be done. It’s not enough to hear or read the Word of God, or even to know it well. We must also put it into practice. Exposure to God’s Word is not enough – it must lead to obedience.
- Paul addressed the Christian’s thought life as a pathway to peace and joy. For Christians to grow in likeness to Jesus, we need a renewed mind (see Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:23). God has blessed His church with His Word as a primary means of purifying our minds. Jesus prayed: “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). We need God’s Word to saturate our thoughts so that our minds may be renewed and we will be kept from grievous ways. In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul urged the church to think on admirable things. He wanted disciples of Jesus to focus on that which is: True, not false. Honorable, not dishonorable. Just, not unfair. Pure, not obscene. Lovely, not unlovely. Commendable, not wrong. Morally excellent, not corrupt. Praiseworthy, not shameful.
How does thinking on these things affect the way we act.
- Recall the computer terms “Garbage In, Garbage Out” … the topics we think about the most show up in the way we act. If I focus on sports most of the time, then I will be involved in sports, talk about them, use sports terms, collect sports stuff, spend my money on sports - same thing is true for the virtues in Paul’s list. Contrast to focusing on some of the opposites … if we think about those things, then we act in ways that cause us harm and do not glorify the savior.
Paul had kept his joy in spite of hardship.
- In addition to these qualities Paul taught about, he also modeled them before those around him. Who in our lives needs to see us model these qualities? Children, grandchildren, people we work with, neighbors, and young believers in our church.
Point: Best translation of the Bible: When you translate it into your life.
Someone once asked what the best translation of the Bible is. Here is the answer: When you translate it into your life. That’s what Bible study is all about. If you’re not translating God’s Word into your life, you’re not studying the Bible the way God intended. God gave us the Bible to transform us, not simply inform us. It should give us a bigger heart, not a bigger head. James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (NIV). In other words, God wants our beliefs turned into behavior. When life is out of order, the remedy is charting a course of right thinking and disciplined practice that manifests Christ. The acceptance of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to be translated into practical living – where it serves as a testimony to the gospel’s power to affect lives.
LIVE IT OUT
When we focus on Christ, joy and peace will flood our lives. When our lives lack joy and peace, then we need to refocus on Christ. Paul’s message from the Lord in this session helps us know to do that.
1. God’s Word says to Pray.
- Is your tendency to try to fix your problems before praying about them?
- Pray about these burdens first.
- As you pray, ask the Lord to grant you His peace and graciousness as you deal with them.
2. Memorize Philippians 4:6-7 and accept it.
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
- Get a proper perspective on the challenges of life
- Give your burdens to God and saturate your mind with this passage.
3. Obey God’s Word and fill your mind with it.
- Maybe there’s something you need to stop viewing?
- Maybe there’s some dark thoughts you need to replace with noble thoughts?
- Maybe you need some accountability from a trusted friend.
Think about it, you were made for much more than you ever imagined.
Your glass should be ALWAYS half-full.
The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “What God has planned for people who love Him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!” (CEV).
So, open up God’s Word, and get ready to do what only God can imagine.
When I focus on Christ, joy and peace flood my life.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
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