THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
We need water. Every day.
Water makes up 50-65 percent of a man’s body weight and 45-60 percent for women. To keep our bodies in this optimal range, we need to drink half a gallon of water a day. All this water protects our tissues, joints, and spinal cord. It aids our digestion and helps remove the waste. Every part of our bodies needs water.1
Without water, dehydration kicks in—and that’s not good for a body so dependent on water! Dry mouth, headaches, dry skin, dizziness, muscle cramps, and fatigue are all signs we need water. We can get by for several weeks without food, but at best, we can survive only about three to four days without water.
Sadly, too many of us experience spiritual dehydration. We need daily contact with our Father. Dry souls, irritability, and difficulty in our spiritual walk are a few of the signs that we need to be replenished through time with God. The cure is as simple as a time of prayer and praise to the One who keeps us going.
We need Jesus. Every day.
Philippians 4:4-5
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Many things can rob us of joy. Doubt, death, challenges at work, illness, relational difficulties, and numerous other problems can cause Christians to lose their joy. But we need not lose our joy. We do not rejoice in our circumstances; we rejoice in the Lord. Joy comes from our relationship with Jesus, not our circumstances.
Paul wasn’t writing this letter from a comfortable back porch swing. 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 the night praying and singing hymns of praise (Acts 16:11-12,22-25). Where did Paul’s joy come from? It came from Jesus Christ.
Paul didn’t tell us once to rejoice; he told us twice. He intentionally repeated himself. He viewed a spirit of rejoicing as critical in the Christian’s life. The word Paul used was chairo, a verb of action. The fact that it is a verb is telling. Rejoicing is not something that happens by accident or through osmosis. It is a daily decision to choose to find our joy in Christ—regardless of our circumstances.
Early in my walk with Christ, I outlined my prayers with wants, needs, and complaints. I ended my prayer time by reminding God what I wanted just in case He forgot. The entire prayer time was about me, myself, and I.
Rarely did I pray for others or praise God for who He is or thank Him for what He had done. When I made a choice to change that, my prayer life was enriched and my walk with Christ was strengthened. I chose to always start my prayer time with praise—even when I was feeling discouraged. Regardless of my state of mind or state of life, God never changes and for that I have a reason to praise.
- Rejoice because the King is still on His throne!
- Rejoice because death has lost its sting!
- Rejoice because we do not fight to gain victory; we fight because the victory has been won in Christ!
- Rejoice! What a way to start our day, rejoicing in who God is and what He has done.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
“Do not be anxious about anything.” We addressed the topic of worry in our previous session as we looked at Scripture where Jesus called us to pursue His kingdom and His righteousness. The antidote for worry comes as we center our lives on Christ, and in this passage, Paul gave us a key to centering our focus on Christ with three words.
- Prayer. Prayer seems like the obvious thing to do, but it’s often the most neglected spiritual discipline of the Christian life. Prayer is more than communication with God; it is communion with Him. Prayer includes a worshipful attitude in which we come before the throne of God.
- Petition. Prayer is communion with God, and petition is a part of that. It’s asking God for something specific. Paul was telling us to communicate our needs—and things that tempt us to worry—to God.
- Thanksgiving. Every night when my family sits around the dinner table, we share the highs and lows of our day, and then we discuss one thing we can each thank God for. I want my kids to see that life has inevitable highs and lows, but we can always be thankful to God. The highs and lows will change, but our God never does. With God on the throne, we always have a reason to be thankful.
Paul told us to run everything through prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. Everything. Not just the big things. Everything is to be filtered through prayer. Bring it all to the God who can handle it.
God’s peace flooded Paul’s soul through prayer. This peace transcends understanding. This peace comes when we lay our requests and worries before God and leave them there!
That is called trust. Too often we place our requests at His feet only to pick them back up the next day. Faith leaves them at the throne. God may not always answer our prayers on our own time schedule or with the exact answer we think is best. Faith trusts that God will answer at the right time. Faith trusts that God will give us the best answer—one that may even go beyond what we thought was best. Faith trusts and leaves the matter in the hands of our sovereign Lord.
Philippians 4:8-9
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 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.
A life of daily praise and prayer puts our focus where it needs to be: on Jesus Christ, the One who replenishes us with the living water. Jesus said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37-38).
We can’t stay focused on Christ if we allow the wrong things to crowd our minds. We have got to lose the harmful junk that crowds out the things of God. We carry around a lot of unnecessary baggage, but if we lose it, what takes its place? God wants us to fill our minds with His Word. We need God’s Word to saturate our thoughts daily so that our minds may be renewed and we will be kept from grievous ways. Paul called us to think on those things that are . . .
. . . 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.
When we think on these things, we can “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). Surrender your thought life to Jesus; don’t allow it to drift into the gutter. Wrong thoughts will still want to invade your mind, but take them captive instead!
In addition to thinking praiseworthy thoughts, Paul called us to follow godly examples. “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice” (v. 9). Imitate believers who set their minds on our Creator and Redeemer. Watch them. Pay attention to their lives, what they read, topics of their conversations, and what they value. As a result of striving to be like other believers, Paul said that each follower would know more of God’s peace.
When we focus and trust in Christ, we have peace. Peace is the natural by-product of a mind that spends time with God every day. Dwelling on His Word and the things of God draws our hearts closer to Him, and intimacy with Christ takes on a new meaning when we saturate our daily thoughts with the things of God.
LIVE IT OUT
What steps are you willing to take in order to deepen your walk with Christ? Consider the following applications:
- Praise daily. Begin your day—every day—with praise. Praise puts the day ahead of you into perspective.
- Pray daily. Set aside time every day for uninterrupted prayer where you give God your full attention. Consider using a prayer journal to help you stay focused. Prayer is a daily decision. Pray about your day, and pray for the challenges others are facing. Let the peace of God rule your heart as you leave these needs in His hands.
- Read daily. Get into God’s Word daily. Choose a Bible reading plan, and/or use this book as a guide for your daily focus in God’s Word. Partner with others in your group to support and encourage each other in your daily prayer and reading.
Make a daily choice to do these things, and intimacy with Christ will naturally follow. Spiritual dehydration will be a thing of the past!
Hope to see everyone this Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Hope to see everyone this Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Teacher Notes:
Simplicity: Finding Contentment in a Busy Life.
When did things get so complicated? Too many activities, too many possessions, too much ambition, and not enough time to do it all. Behind all this is really a focus on ourselves. When we let go of all these things, deny ourselves, and focus simply on Christ, we find contentment.
1. Simplicity and contentment begin with a Centered Life – Who is at the center?
- We were told to: Not worry, trust God, and seek God’s kingdom above all.
- Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
- Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Now let me stop there and ask you, how is that working for you? Have you stopped worrying, do you trust God, and are you seeking God’s kingdom above all else? These were the words of Jesus.
This week our lesson says that Finding Contentment requires a Daily Pursuit.
Paul tells us in Philippians how to live a life free of anxiety/worry.
- Let’s call it a daily prescription for worry. You want to live a life free of worry/anxiety, then you must pursue Jesus on a daily basis! Paul says a life of simplicity starts with how we begin our day.
- When your alarm goes off in the morning, what are the first few things you do?
- Because we are convinced, we have so much to do, we tend to jump immediately into the day’s tasks. Paul says, “Don’t do that!
- Begin each day with God, dwell on Him and seek His presence throughout the day. He will help you stay focused on the day’s work and lead you to know a greater sense of contentment with what you accomplish.
Paul says to begin each day with: right praying, right thinking, and right living. By doing this, we will know and experience God’s peace and joy.
Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 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.
I. Right Praying
We begin by praising God for His faithful love and the blessing of each day.
Philippians 4:4-5
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Where was Paul writing this letter from?
- Paul wasn’t writing this letter from a comfortable back porch swing. He was in prison.
How was Paul able to Rejoice in the Lord, given his circumstances?
- Paul focused all his attention and energy on knowing Christ.
- Where did Paul’s joy come from? It came from Jesus Christ.
- He viewed a spirit of rejoicing as critical in the Christian’s life. Rejoicing is not something that happens by accident or through osmosis. It is a daily decision to choose to find our joy in Christ — regardless of our circumstances.
Paul chose to praise God first in his daily prayers.
- Inner attitudes don't have to reflect outward circumstances.
- ultimate joy comes from Christ dwelling within us.
What difference does it make when we start our prayers with praise?
Early in my walk with Christ, I outlined my prayers with wants, needs, and complaints. The entire prayer time was about me, myself, and I. Rarely did I pray for others or praise God for who He is or thank Him for what He had done. When I made a choice to change that, my prayer life was enriched and my walk with Christ was strengthened.
What can we always rejoice in and praise God for?
- Rejoice because God is still on His throne!
- Rejoice because death has lost its sting!
- Praise Him for the day He has given to you.
- Praise Him for the joy that comes from being in right relationship with Him.
- Praise Him for opportunities to act with graciousness toward others.
- Praise Him that He is present and near.
- Praise Him for the hope that comes from knowing He will come again—maybe soon!
II. Right Thinking.
We pray and leave our concerns in the hands of God, believing He will provide for us.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Peace comes when we lay our requests and worries before God and leave them there! But what do we often do?
- We place our requests at His feet only to pick them back up the next day. Faith leaves them at the throne.
- Paul gave us a key to centering our focus on Christ with three words.
- Prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. Run everything through prayer, petition, and thanksgiving. Everything. Not just the big things. Everything is to be filtered through prayer. Bring it all to the God who can handle it.
Why do you think some people neglect to bring the little things before God?
- God may not always answer our prayers on our own time schedule or with the exact answer we think is best.
- Faith trusts that God will answer at the right time. Faith trusts that God will give us the best answer—one that may even go beyond what we thought was best. Faith trusts and leaves the matter in the hands of our sovereign Lord.
What difference does it make to pray with thanksgiving or with a grateful heart?
- A heart of gratitude shapes effective prayer. Grateful hearts lead us to a clearer impression of what we actually need. As a result, our long prayer lists will usually be distilled into only one request: Give us today our daily bread. Matt. 6:11 (Salvation, Presence, Word, and Provision)
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
What does this mean to you?
- When we pray, we take our concerns to the Lord and leave them with Him. We trust Him to answer our prayers in His own way and time. While we wait for answers, He gives us a sense of His peace.
- When we go to Him with our needs and concerns, we remain confident He will answer our prayer. While we wait for His answer, He gives us His peace, a profound sense of His presence that settles and strengthens us.
- Even though we can’t comprehend God’s peace, we can experience it.
What are some lasting truths that come from Philippians 4:6-7 that can help influence our daily time with Him?
- Do not be anxious about anything.
- Prayer is God’s alternative to anxiety. Worry less, pray more.
- Our anxiety decreases in proportion to our increase in worship and trust.
- Peace is a gift of God given through Jesus Christ.
III. Right Living.
Fill your minds with the things of God, by reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word.
Philippians 4:8-9
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 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.
A life of daily praise and prayer puts our focus where it needs to be: on Jesus Christ.
How can we focus on Christ when our mind is crowded with wrong things?
- We can’t stay focused on Christ if we allow the wrong things to crowd our minds. We have got to lose the harmful junk that crowds out the things of God. We carry around a lot of unnecessary baggage, but if we lose it, what takes its place? God wants us to fill our minds with His Word. We need God’s Word to saturate our thoughts daily so that our minds may be renewed and we will be kept from grievous ways.
- When we think on these things, we can “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). Surrender your thought life to Jesus; don’t allow it to drift into the gutter. Wrong thoughts will still want to invade your mind, but take them captive instead!
Remember:
- Think praiseworthy thoughts.
- When we focus and trust in Christ, we will have peace.
- Peace is the natural by-product of a mind that spends time with God every day.
- Dwelling on His Word and the things of God draws our hearts closer to Him.
Conclusion: According to the angels’ announcement, Jesus came to bring “peace on earth.”
That peace doesn’t come from a large bank account, a secure position in a company, satisfying relationships with family and friends, or even a clean report from the doctor. It comes from a focus on Jesus daily.
Begin each day with the Lord, and His joy and peace will flood your lives.
1. Praise God for His faithful love and the blessing of each day.
2. Leave your concerns in God’s hands, believing He will provide.
3. Fill your minds with the things of God, by reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word.
