Joy of Growing Up

Subject:   Growing in Christ       Occasion:        Sunday Worship

Theme:           Philippians Joy                          Date:               Oct 26 2008

Speaker:         Patrick Shively                          Place:              LIFE Com. Church

Joy – Growing Up

Philippians 1:3-11

Intr.:    Philippians

1.      Letter from prison

2.      Joy – only found in a dynamic relationship with Jesus and knowing God is able to turn adverse circumstances to our good and His Glory.

3.      Paul’s Joy

a.       Teamwork (vs. 5)

b.      Salvation (vs. 7)

c.       Growth (vs. 6)

4.      Growing up = Maturity (life, work, high school, and faith)

Prop.:  Paul prays for the church to grow in maturity

T.S.:    Growing in maturity is found in the joy of our relationship with Jesus.

I.          Growing in Him (vs. 9)

□        Love may abound more (vs. 9)

□        “What we teach you to love is more important that what we teach you to know” – Seth Wilson (Bible College professor)

□        It’s the greatest thing – as we love more we grow in Him more.

II.        Knowing more of Him (vs. 9)

□        “Knowledge, depth of insight…”

□        Presence (knowledge of relationship)

□        Promise (insight of the His character)

III.       Living for Him (vs. 10)

□        “Pure and blameless”

□        Can’t do it of your own decision

□        Die to self, live for him (Galatians 2:20)

IV.       Living Like Him (vs. 10)

□        “discerning what is best”

□        Not a matter of good vs. bad – good vs. best

□        Motivated by love, informed by relationship, from the distractions of self…

□        Doing what’s best…

Concl.: We can live lives that are confident, full of joy, expectant of more and better things, because of our relationship with Jesus Christ.  He is the way the truth and the Life and teaches us how to live in unshakable joy.