PHILIPPIANS 1:3-8 Just as a car needs gas, a fish needs water, a plant needs soil, and a human needs oxygen, a believer needs joy. The call to joy is not a mere suggestion or a neat idea; it’s a biblical imperative. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good...

PHILIPPIANS 1:27-30 In chapter one, Paul has explained how joy can be seen in various areas of our lives. He first tells us that we can joy in the church; then he teaches that we can have joy in our gospel partnerships; we can have joy in our adversity. In addition,...

PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11 Paul has already given us several patterns. In verses 1-2, he gives us a pattern of a joyful church. In verse 3-8, he gives a pattern of a joyful life; now, he gives us a pattern for prayer. The ironic backdrop cannot be ignored, though. He is...

PHILIPPIANS 1:12-18 To many of you that thought evokes a lot of emotions. Suffering is the last place we would expect to receive joy. God obviously views suffering in an altogether different way than we do. We think suffering is intended to destroy us, but God intends...