Here & Now: How To Live Well In Your Present Season

Reflection??

INTRO…

Look Around at the Current Season we are in…

Paul and Philippians Background

- This is 1 of 4 Prison Epistles Paul wrote.

- He planted this church on his 2nd Missionary Journey.

- 1st Church on the European Continent!

- Thank them for the gift & then Encourage them in How to Live!

- Paul has reached the end of his letter & he’s giving them some

“Concluding Thoughts!

Philippians 4:1 NLT

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

In other words, Look at how I’m living and Live like this.

1st thing he does is break up a fight.

Philippians 4:2–3 NLT

Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.

Contradicting Lifestyles

5 Healthy Practices on How to Live Well in Your Present Season

1. Practice Healthy Relationships

A. Doing life with people is really, really hard.

People are messy, plain and simple! Most people don’t know how to live in healthy relationships and healthy conflict, etc.

They don’t know how to get along / forgive / work through issues

B. In every season, our relationships change & we have to learn and grow with them.

Obsession w/ authenticity.

C. We, as a church, feel a responsibility to help you live well in your relationships!

Relationship Series - This Fall (Life Change Happens in the context of Relationships)

D. 2 Thoughts

Fight for unity in your relationships.

We will never see everything the same!

But we can be in unity.

Keep Prioritizing Relationships when they don’t go well!

E. The temptation as we move through the seasons of our lives is to give up on relationships, especially if they’ve gone bad!

Living in community is a GIANT piece of growing in our relationship with God.

2. Practice Rejoicing

Philippians 4:4 NLT

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

Rejoice means return to joy.

A. This is the next verse after relational conflict.

Paul is saying: “Your world is never going to be perfect w/ no drama in your relationships, so you have to learn how to return to joy.

B. In every season on your life, there’s always going to be something. Period.

Something that needs fixed, changed, tweaked, out of alignment, rearranged, minimized, expanded, remade, rebuilt, forgiven, overlooked, or retooled.

Let’s stop being surprised when it comes.

C. Paul says, “You can make a conscious decision to rejoice, no matter what!”

D. How do we live well through the season we’re in?

Practice gratitude everyday!

It establishes the right spirit within you!

3. Practice Gentleness

Philippians 4:5 NIV

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

A. Paul says, “Our gentleness should be EVIDENT TO ALL!”

Everyone who looks at us should see gentleness

Who are those people that it is difficult to show gentleness? Or what internal emotions lead to an external irritation.

B. Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 NLT

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

C. Consider how people around you see gentleness

Demeanor, expression, tone.

4. Practice Alleviating Anxiety

Philippians 4:6 NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Reminder: The good news of God is that we are loved before we have accomplished anything.

Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus, and—even if you fail in your efforts, God’s love for you will never fail.

A. Interestingly, Paul says it as a command!

If you’re anxious, you can’t make yourself NOT be anxious, right?

Blood pressure go down! I command you.

Nervousness…Stop! I command you.

My story with anxiety.

B. Unless…you can! How? He tells us!!!

Philippians 4:6 NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

C. In every situation…

By prayer

By petition??

With Thanksgiving (Gratitude)

Present your requests to God

D. This is how we alleviate anxiety!

Prayer and petition

E. This has been my strategy.

Philippians 4:7 NLT

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

That’s the promise!!

5. Practice Proper Thinking

Philippians 4:8 NLT

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

A. In every season of my life, it has been necessary to take captive every thought in every direction.

With proper thinking, God creates the capacity to respond to challenges and the capacity to grow and learn from those challenges at the same time.

Take control of my thoughts!

B. We can develop a natural propensity to negative thinking.

We have to choose differently.

Philippians 4:8 NLT

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

C. Categories

Is it true? It is actually true?

Is it honorable? Is it viewed as Holy?

Is it right?

Is it pure? Is is polluted?

Is it lovely? Worth the price to have?

Is it admirable? Can I be proud of my thoughts?

D. We have to give careful attention to our thoughts because they drive our lives.

Philippians 4:9 NLT

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

RESULT: We can live as the example in every season.

Church - We can be the model and example for those around us.

Our family / our workplace / our school

In every season / even when your kids are small / even when we’re going through what we’re going through, we can still be the model!

CHALLENGE: How are you living right now in your present season?

Practice at Relationships

Practice Gratitude

Practice Gentleness

Practice Alleviating Anxiety by Seeking Him

Practice Proper Thinking

BOTTOM 2: Focus on these from now to Easter!! Watch what happens!