Author: Michael Lawson

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Isaiah 41:10 – Fear & The Faithfulness of God

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Is 41:10

We live in a world that often times fills us with fear and anxiety. The reasons are plentiful: Family. Finances. Work. Health. The moral deterioration of society.  The list could go on…and on…and on.

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Exegetical Notes 2: Corinthians 1:3-11

INTRO
My maternal grandfather, Papa, was a bit of a trickster and he was always teasing his grandkids and what not. He’d do the little thumb trick where it looks like you’re pulling your thumb off of your opposing hand, or he’d hide something in one of his hands behind his back and you’d have to guess which hand it was in.
Just like the guessing game my grandfather played, you never know what each day holds. It may be the best day ever. However, there are days that we encounter great suffering, difficulty, and heartache.
What do we do on the bad days? How do we help our friends in the midst of suffering? Paul gives us a great look at this in the passage below.

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Three-Dimensional Discipleship

Back when I was in my early teens, Dothan, AL built Wiregrass Commons Mall, and it immediately became a hotspot for shopping and more importantly for me, a place where teenagers flocked to hang out. In some of the display windows of the stores, you could often find a group of people staring at an autostereogram (Yes. I had to google it.). An autostereogram is one of those weird pieces of printed art that had thousands of odd shapes and if you looked at it long enough, crossed your eyes in just the right way, a 3D picture would emerge from the off pattern of shapes. I know this sounds weird, but it was the 80’s! 

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Journey Through Philippians: Chapter 4

4 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

  • “Therefore” – A word showing culmination and continuance from Paul’s discussion on the importance of knowing Christ.
  • ”my brothers” – Paul addresses them as friends. This is an important reminder regarding reconciliation.
  • “Joy and crown” – Paul’s source of pride is not in his own accomplishments, but in what God is doing in and through the Philippians.
  • “Stand firm thus in the Lord” –
    1. Gives a sense of belonging. (Our citizenship is in heaven)
    2. Strengthens our alegience to our Savior. (We do not set our minds on earthly things)
    3. Shows us that we do indeed have a Savior. In every sense of the word. He redeems us spiritually and will redeem us physically. (we await a Savior…who will transform…)

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Journey Through Philippians: Chapter 3

3 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

  • “Rejoice in the Lord” – Joy is a key theme throughout the letter. At no point should anything or any person bring me a greater joy than what I find in the Lord Jesus.
  • “To write the same things” – Spiritual reminders are beneficial in that they keep us from wandering from the truth of the gospel and tend to recenter our lives on what matters. ILL: When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper he said to “Do this in remembrance of me.”

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Journey Through Philippians: Chapter 2

1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 

  • Paul make a plea for Christian unity in the first 11 verses.
  • In verses 1-2, we see the basis for unity, followed by a brief summary of how to live in unity (v. 3-5), and concludes with an example of unity in v. 6-11.
  • “if” – although not repeated in the ESV translation the word is used 4 times in this verse, highlighting each phrase. The word would probably be best understood as the word “assuming” in our English minds.
  • Each phrase in this verse essentially highlights the blessings and benefits of Christian community. We should seek to foster these qualities within ourselves and guard and display them within the church. 1) encouragement, 2) comfort, 3) fellowship (working together), and 4) compassion and concern
  • Thus we should ask ourselves these questions as we “grade” our church membership…
  • 1) Am I a cheerleader or Debbie Downer when it comes to my church and it’s kingdom ministries?
  • 2) How am I displaying love to those in my church?
  • 3) Am I a sitter or a server? How am I actively participating in my church’s ministries?
  • 4)  Do I show genuine compassion and concern for the needs of those in my church?

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