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Re-Joice

RE-JOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS

I've been spending some time in Philippians 4 preparing for our Wednesday night Young Adult study. It is such a good passage for this day and time. Paul writes Philippians which is often called the Epistle of Joy from a jail cell. Explain to me how that's possible?

We know the answer is, that it's not humanly possible. It is however possible by the supernatural result of remaining in the Spirit of God. Like Paul says in Philippians 1:9-11 "He prays that these believers in Philippi, are filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ."

Sometimes in life we can get knocked off our rocker. We can end up feeling beat down, tired, frustrated and ready to throw in the towel. That's when we need to be reminded to Re-Joice! I know that's not how you spell it but I think it comes across better that way when we say we feel like we have lost our joy and we need to find it again.

Joy is there for us. Not joy in this world or joy in tacos but the true joy that is found in Jesus. The joy that we all desire.

We are RE-Minded so many times in scripture of Satan's plan for us. One that includes "stealing, killing, and destroying our joy(John 10:10). That same verse also tells us that Jesus wants the opposite, he came so we could have life and have it in abundance. That abundance includes a life of JOY.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness[a] be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

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Young Adult Ministry Launch!

Today is a new day in my journey as a pastor. I start a new job as Young Adult Pastor. I have served since July 2018 as Student Pastor and today I make the move to a new ministry. I am excited to see how God uses this new chapter in my life and ministry.

I have always felt a strong call to encourage and equip. So as I have been praying and planning with the leadership at our church, First Baptist Panama City I feel like this is a great new role for me. I love to build relationships and disciple people and at this stage in my life this seems like a good move for me.

On Sunday March 6, 2022, we had an initial meeting with some of the young adults in our church and got some good feedback as to where to start. The goal of this initial meeting was to see what the needs and desires of the current young adults in our congregation are. I feel like I have a great place to start.

Ultimately I started out by saying we will take our starting point by looking at the early church in Acts 2. Our ministry will be focused on the Word of God and connecting with the family of God. I figure since the Bible is a good place to start.

As we discussed the following items came up.

  • Outreach & service opportunities
  • Missions
  • Discipleship & Deeper Bible study
  • Community & Fellowship
  • Intergenerational Church involvement

As a result of our meeting we will begin by doing the following:

  • Wednesday March 30 6pm - Spiritual gift discussion/Where to serve and get plugged in.
  • Sunday Night April 3 6pm - Young Adult Volleyball Night
  • Wednesday Nights April 6-27 - 6pm YA Discipleship Class

This is just the beginning for our YA ministry. It's a good place to start. Please pray with me and for me as I seek God's vision and other leaders.

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Hope in the midst of Confusion and Doubt

Can you imagine loosing the most important person in your life and not being able to say goodbye? Then that person coming back and you miss it? How much guilt and shame, doubt and confusion would their be? A lot.

Thomas is one of the guys who we blame for having little faith and believing as the others who actually saw Jesus did but, can we admit that you and I probably would have been in the same boat as "Doubting Thomas". I mean resurrecting was not a common theme and certainly not something you would expect to happen. So don't get all upset with Thomas just because he had a hard time taking their word for it.

Think of the confusion they were all feeling. they followed Jesus and put their lives on line to do so. They left jobs, families, and home towns to be His disciples and then he was gone. Just like that gone. They were probably thinking "it's over, let's just go back home." Many of them did. But to the ones who stuck around they were in for a treat.

Jesus did make good on his promise and show up for them in the midst of doubt and confusion. His resurrection did not require their belief, It was God's plan regardless of that. His resurrection is what gives is hope in the midst of doubt and confusion. Even though we don't understand it and have a hard time believing it, it still happened.

It happened so we could be forgiven. It happened so we could find hope. It happened so we could have life, abundant life!

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24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called [e]Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” 26 [f]Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been [g]shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be to you.” 27 Then He *said to Thomas, “Place your finger here, and see My hands; and take your hand and put it into My side; and do not continue in disbelief, but be a believer.” 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you now believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

John 20:24-29

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Delight Yourself In The Lord

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Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm 27:1-4

I want to delight in the lord and his word. When I do a sense a diference in my life. A difference that others can sense too.

It is hard to do that consitently because of all the turmoil that is in this world. That turmoil can show up in and outisde the home. Spats with family or the craziness of the world around us can lead to us worring about all kinds of things. Right now a lot of our worry comes from the actions of other people, specificly those in leadership who should know how to act but seem to continue to make bad decision that effect not only themselves but those who elected them to office.

But this verse says... they will soon fade like grass. In other words the psalmist is telling us to play the long game. To trust in the Lord and do good.

What are you doing that is making the world a better place? Your commenting or commentary on the current political climate is not it. There are plenty of others who are far more qualified than you to do that.

So Again I ask. What are you doing that is good for this world? Are you looking for ways to encourage others? Are you seeking out people who are in need?

Continuing on in this passage he urges the people to dwell in the land and some translations say "feed on faithfulness". That can speak of God's faithfulness but also our faithfulness to God and doing good. Making the place that we dwell better because we lived in it. Part of that is delighting yourself in the Lord and the things that he delights in. When you do that your desires change and they end up matching with the things that God desires. So you as you delight yourself in the Lord he gives you the desires of your heart because they are His desires.

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