What if the way we see eternity completely changed the way we see today?
Most of us naturally evaluate our lives by what is happening right now. When things are going well, we feel good. When circumstances become difficult, our joy can quickly disappear. Suffering, disappointment, uncertainty, and loss can make us wonder where God is and what He is doing. But the Apostle Paul gives us a very different perspective.
This Sunday we begin a new four-week series called “JOY THAT HOLDS: Finding Christ-Centered Joy in Every Circumstance.”
Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while suffering and imprisoned. Yet instead of allowing his circumstances to define him, Paul repeatedly points to Jesus. His famous words capture the heart of our first week: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Paul isn’t pretending that suffering doesn’t hurt. He isn’t minimizing the difficulty of his circumstances. His perspective has simply been transformed by the Gospel. When Christ is the center of your life, even suffering cannot take away what matters most.
Over the next four weeks, we’ll discover how the Gospel gives us a joy that holds—through our circumstances, our relationships, our identity, and even our anxieties about the future.
Starting this Sunday, we’ll begin with a question worth considering: Are we living with eternity in mind? Because the answer can completely change the way we see life. Services are at 8:30 & 10am! Live Streaming available at 10am.
Pastor Wes Asheim
