Skip to content The Happy Prisoner - Part A Dec 12 · 26 min ...more
The Happy Prisoner - Part A
December 12, 2025 · 26 min
How can you stay joyful when life feels confining? Pastor Skip helps you see how joy doesn’t depend on your circumstances—it depends on your Savior.
Series Connect with Skip Heitzig Podcast December 12, 2025 · 26 min · Connect with Skip Heitzig Podcast
How can you stay joyful when life feels confining? Pastor Skip helps you see how joy doesn’t depend on your circumstances—it depends on your Savior. ...more Show the full description Show less How can you stay joyful when life feels confining? Pastor Skip helps you see how joy doesn’t depend on your circumstances—it depends on your Savior.
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Skip Heitzig ministers to over 15,000 people as senior pastor of Calvary Church in Albuquerque. He reaches out to thousands across the nation and throughout the
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0:01 This is Connect with Skip Heitzig. Thanks for joining us today. Here at Connect with Skip, our mission is to help you know God's word and apply it to your life through clear, practical bible teaching and real0:12 encouragement every day. And if you'd like to keep growing in your walk with Jesus, sign up for pastor Skip's free weekly devotional. You'll receive biblical insight, teaching highlights, and exclusive resource offers0:24 straight to your inbox. Everything designed to help you stay strong in your faith. It only takes a minute to sign up. Go to connect with skip dot com and join the list today. That's connect with skip dot0:35 com. Now let's dive into today's teaching from pastor Skip Heitzig.0:40 So a guy went to prison. And on his first day, he heard somebody yell out of 1 of the cells a number. He said, 43. And the0:52 whole cell block broke out in laughter. He thought, well, that's odd. And a few moments later, another prisoner yelled out, 75, and1:04 everybody broke out in laughter again. And then 56, and everybody broke out in laughter. So he turned to his cell mate, who had been there a long time. He goes, I don't get what's happening. What1:16 am I hearing here? He says, well, you know, we've been here so long, and we've been telling the same jokes to each other over and over and over again that we've just numbered them1:28 all. So now all we have to do is yell out a number, we think of that joke, and we laugh. So the prisoner said, wow, can I try that? And he said, sure,1:39 give a shot. So he shouted out, 12 dead silence. Again, 12 dead silences. What's happening? And the guy said, I guess some guys just can't tell a joke.1:54 In Philippians chapter 1 verses 12 through 14, I'm giving this a message titled, The Happy Prisoner. Now that sounds like an2:06 oxymoron, because you don't associate happiness generally with being in prison. In fact, prison is a place where usually joy is absent. It's a place where life2:18 is unpleasant. It's a place where dreams go to die. I found a website for the criminal justice system called Corrections dot2:29 com, in which this statement was on it. Most prisoners are unhappy, and many of them are unhappy all the time. Many contemplate or2:41 attempt suicide or self mutilation. The suicide rate for American prisoners is between 5 to 15 times greater than it is for the general American population,2:53 end quote. I'm sharing that with you to begin with because I just want you to keep in mind that we are reading the letter of a prisoner, somebody who3:05 is incarcerated for his faith in Christ. Let's look at our verses this morning and we'll see what he has to say. Chapter 1, verse 12, it's a new3:17 paragraph of thought now. But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace3:29 guard and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ. And most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold3:40 to speak the word without fear. So Paul is a prisoner. He's a prisoner in Rome. These are not the best conditions that he has ever been in.3:53 This is not the happiest place. Paul is physically bound. And Paul's ministry is severely restricted. And yet,4:05 do you remember what the theme of this book is? Tell me what it is. Joy. It's a letter oozing with joy. 4 chapters, 104 verses,4:17 and 1 of the themes, the major themes, is joy. Let's look at a few things. Look at verse 3 of chapter 1. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,4:29 always in every prayer of mine making requests for you all with joy. Verse 18, what then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or truth, Christ is preached, and in this4:41 I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice. Chapter 2, verse 17, yes. And if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your4:53 faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Chapter 3 verse 1, finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Chapter 4 verse5:04 4, rejoice in the Lord. And I'd say it again, rejoice. So he's a prisoner incarcerated in a jail saying,5:16 rejoice, rejoice, I'm glad, rejoice. Now either he's a nutcase, he's been beat up 1 too many times, so now his brains are addled, Or number5:28 2, he's lying through his teeth. He's putting on a good Christian face. Oh, Christians are supposed to act this way. Rejoice, smile, wee. Or he's onto something.5:41 And we need to find out what it is that makes him so joyful. And so that leads me to give you a statement that I think sort of encapsulizes the whole book,5:53 and that's this. Spiritual maturity can be measured by what it takes to steal your joy. Spiritual maturity can be measured by what it takes to steal your joy.6:05 What does it take to end the experience of joy as a believer to the area of anger, bitterness, whatever it would be? Spiritual maturity6:17 can be measured by what it takes to steal your joy. The other night, my grandson spent the night. It's always a joy. And we got up in the morning. I was making breakfast for him. And so he6:28 was watching cartoons. And he came and goes, I'm looking for Winnie the Pooh. We love watching that, and we both love Winnie the Pooh. So well, we didn't find it, but that's what we were looking for. But I've6:40 often wondered, if life were a Winnie the Pooh episode, what character would you be?6:52 Would you be perhaps the timid piglet? Would you be Pooh Bear himself who likes to eat a lot? Would you be the important but pushy rabbit?7:04 Would you be the wise but boring owl? I'll tell you who Paul the Apostle would be. You know who he'd be? He'd be Tigger. Paul the Apostle would be that7:16 exuberant, ebullient, resilient, bouncy tiger character named Tigger. You see, Paul has every reason7:27 to be Eeyore. He has no outward reason at all to be joyful, but he is joyful. I found an article I wanted to put up and have you see it as I read it to7:39 you from Psychology Today that said, quote, people are unhappy because they view their lives as prisons. Many people feel trapped by aspects of their life, trapped in7:51 an unhappy relationship, or trapped in an unfulfilling job, or generally unhappy with their life despite basic needs being met, end quote.8:04 So don't you find it interesting that this dude is in prison? He is not licking his wounds. He is not sending out invitations to a pity party. But he's saying, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice.8:15 Now to find out why, we need to follow the progress of his thinking in these 3 verses. So I'm glad we only have 3 verses, because we're going to begin with his passion,8:28 move on to his problems, and end with his perspective. You have to understand his passions to really understand his problems because 1 led to the other. But then we'll end with8:40 his perspective. And there's enough information here for me to draw out 3 principles. Let me share the first with you. Godly passion is commendable. Godly passion8:52 is commendable. Paul had a passion in life. That seems to be a very popular question. What's your passion in life? Paul had 1. He had a master passion. If9:04 you know anything at all about Paul the Apostle, you know he was a pretty determined guy. He had what we would call a type A personality, highly motivated with a single focus. And9:15 generally, people like that are highly successful people because they never quit. They never say die. They never give up. Everyone, including you,9:28 has a master passion. What drives you? What does your mind think of when it's in neutral and you've got nothing going on? All the activities are gone. What is the 1 thing9:40 above everything that you want or seek for or want to do more than anything else? For some people, it's a career. And for those people who make that their master9:52 passion, everything else takes a back seat. Sadly, even relationships will often take a back seat. For other people, it's power. For other people, it's money.10:04 Let me remind you of what Paul's passion was. Paul's passion can be summed up by 2 words, the gospel, the gospel, the gospel, the message that changes people's10:16 lives was what he lived for. It was his master passion. How much was this on his mind? Well, look at verse 5. For your fellowship10:27 in the gospel from the first day until now. Now look at verse 7. I have you in my heart and as much as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.10:39 You are partakers with me of grace. Look at verse 12. I want you to know, brethren, the things which have happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel. Verse 17, but the10:51 latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. Look at verse 27, only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, So11:03 that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in 1 spirit with 1 mind striving together for the faith of the11:14 gospel. Now that is only this chapter. If you were to add up all of the times in all of Paul's writings that he mentions the gospel,11:26 it's 72 times. The gospel, the gospel. How are doing, Paul? The gospel. What's up? The gospel. What do you want out of life? The gospel. What are you doing? The gospel. That is his master passion. Now that11:38 can be summed up by 2 verses both found in the book of Romans. The first is Romans 1 15, where he says, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to11:50 you who are in Rome also. Did you get that language? As much as is in me to the fullest extent of my being. It's what I want. That's my12:02 passion.12:02 You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. As 20 25 comes to a close, generous support from friends like you is vital to keep Connect with Skip Heitzig strong in the year ahead so more people can hear God's word12:14 and find real hope in Jesus. Your year end gift today helps reach even more hearts with verse by verse teaching and resources that connect people with God's love. To thank you for your generous gift of12:26 50 dollars or more, we'll send you pastor Skip's new resource, the daily God journal, along with the digital companion devotional, the daily God book. These resources will help you align your heart with12:37 God's, let go of anxiety, and grow in steady faith through his word each day. So give your year end gift today at connectwithskip dot com slash offer, or call 8 0 0 912:49 2 2 1 8 8 8. Now let's get back to today's teaching.12:54 The second is in Romans 15, verse 20, where he said, for it has always been my ambition. You could substitute the word passion.13:07 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ is not known, lest I build on another man's foundation. Question why is that his passion? Why would that13:18 thing that at 1 time he tried with all of his might to stop be now his passion? Remember, Paul went around putting out the fire of the13:30 gospel, keeping it from spreading. He went to Damascus to stop the gospel. Why is this now his passion? Simple to answer that, because the gospel was the only thing that could13:41 change him. Nothing else could. Nothing else did. On that Damascus road, when he saw that light and heard that voice and he received that Jesus, his life13:53 was never the same. That's important, because until you've experienced the gospel's power, you will never have a gospel passion.14:06 It's only people who have seen and felt and experienced the power of the gospel in their own lives that it becomes to them a passion. William Booth, who started the Salvation14:18 Army, said some men's passion is for gold. Some men's passion is for art. Some men's passion is for fame. He said, my passion is for14:29 souls. If Paul would have stood there when Booth said that, he'd have stuck out his hand and said, put her there. You and I track. Because that was Paul's passion as well.14:41 In fact, Paul said, Romans chapter 1 verse 16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God to14:52 salvation to everyone who believes. Paul had seen its power. Now Paul has its passion. Let me just say that a godly15:04 passion like this is commendable, so much so that I look for it in people. And I've gotten good at noticing it when I15:16 find it. And whenever I find it, I exploit it. If I find some young person who's got that fire in their eyes, that sparkle, that real deep desire to know God and15:28 serve Christ and learn the Bible and preach the gospel, I want to bring that person as close as I can under my wing and train that person, equip that person to get out and do what is15:40 their passion. So godly passion is commendable. But that brings up a second movement. We go from Paul's passion to Paul's predicament15:52 or his problems, and he mentions them in verse 12. Before we jump into the verse, let me just say that 1 always brings the other. A godly16:03 passion always invites great problems. Did you hear that? A godly passion always involves or invites great passion. Why is16:15 that? Well, because when you're passionate about souls, you are entering a battleground on which Satan has been fighting a long16:27 time. He's got a lot of experience. So when you say, I am passionate about the gospel, I want to save souls, you are painting a bull's eye on you.16:40 You are a target. Satan will be after you. It's a war he's been engaged in. So the Great Commission will always bring great16:51 conflict. In fact, Jesus even said faith can sometimes be fatal. He promised his disciples, then they will deliver you up to17:02 tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. So here is Paul. He's got this passion, the gospel, the gospel, the gospel, the gospel. But then he says in verse17:14 12, but I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me stop right there. Something happened to Paul. He's mentioning it.17:26 Something happened to this passionate man. What was it? He's in jail again. That's what happened to17:38 him. He's been there many times before. He's been beaten many times before. He's had hardship many times before, all because of his passion for the gospel. That's what happened to17:50 him. So now he has a jail ministry, a prison ministry, but not like he expected. You know, if you have a prison ministry, you go to the prison, you visit the prisoners, you go18:02 home, and have a nice meal with your family. Not Paul. He lived there. That was his prison ministry. It is not what he expected. Now, sitting in a Roman prison, he does not have the18:14 freedom to go out and plant churches and share the gospel here and train up leaders there. He's stuck. You should know that Paul, he's in18:25 Rome. He always wanted to go to Rome. It was part of his passion. He wrote to the Romans, and he said, pray for me that I may come to you with joy by the will of God18:37 and may be refreshed together with you. But that's not exactly what happened. Something bad happened to this man. And here's18:49 what happened. After his third missionary journey, he goes back to Jerusalem. He's in the temple area with another fellow going through a ceremonial ritual. Some of the leaders spot Paul there.19:01 They start a riot, and they attack him. A Roman soldier arrests Paul, not to punish him, but to protect him from the mob. Takes19:13 Paul, is about to have Paul beaten. Paul pulls his Roman citizenship card out, so you can't beat me. I'm a Roman citizen. So he is then taken from Jerusalem19:24 to Caesarea by the sea, where he spends 2 years. And he goes through 3 trials in 2 years. He stands before Felix. He stands before Festus. He stands before Herod,19:36 Agrippa. And after 2 years, he finally says, I'm done. This judicial process is crazy. I appeal my case to Caesar in Rome. Every Roman citizen had that right. So they put him19:48 on a ship. It is not a cruise ship. It's not a princess cruise. It is a prison cruise. And they put him on this boat. They send20:00 him to Rome. He almost doesn't make it to Rome. The ship sinks. He has to swim to shore. But he finally goes to Rome, where he's put in jail again. All of that is under this banner, but the things which20:12 happened to me. That's what he is referring to. Now that set of circumstances is enough to change any tiger into an eeyore20:23 pretty quickly. You know that incarceration will always challenge your joy. Restriction of any kind is a challenge to your20:35 joy. Confinement of any sort will challenge your joy. Some of you feel chained to a job. It's a tyrant to you. Some of you feel chained to a relationship or a set of20:47 responsibilities you didn't sign up for. And maybe because of that, your passion is gone. It's dried up. This is not what you had in mind. You're thinking back to that moment when20:59 you finally said, I surrender my life to you, Jesus. And I don't know, it just means salvation. Maybe you came to the point after salvation where you said, now I'm going to get serious. I'm going to really live for21:09 Christ from this day forward. But here you are today, and you're thinking back to that day. This is not what you had in mind that day. In fact, could it be is21:21 it possible that when you said, Lord, I surrender to your plan, that you said that like the couple who went to the architect and asked the architect to design a house for them. The21:33 architect discovered the couple already designed it for themselves, just wanted the architect to sanction it. Maybe when you said, Lord, I surrender my life to you, what you meant is I21:44 surrender my will. I hope it is your will, Lord. Here are my plans for my life. I just want your stamp on it, because you must want what I want. And now you're21:56 going, this is not what I thought I signed up for. Well, Paul is about to say something very revolutionary. This is where we really need to listen. So we22:08 move from his passion to his problems to his perspective. How does he view all that has happened to him? Now as we dive into this, I'm just going to review. What is the theme22:20 of this letter? Joy. 16 times, 16 times in this letter, the word joy, the word rejoice, or the word rejoicing are found. No less than22:32 16 times. We've already seen the object of Paul's joy, the gospel. We've seen the challenge to Paul's joy, the things that happened, the prison, the beatings, etcetera. Now let me22:44 show you the reason for his joy. And that can all be summed up by a single word in verse 12. It's the word furtherance. But I want you to know, brethren verse 1222:56 that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard and to all the23:07 rest that my chains are in Christ. And most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without23:19 fear. Now back to that word, furtherance. You may have a Bible that doesn't say that. It might say advancement, or advance, or spread, or progress.23:31 Those are all good translations. Mine says furtherance. The Greek word is prokope. And prokope means to advance or to make progress.23:43 But it means something very, very unique. It means a forward movement in spite of obstacles. Obstacles are involved. It makes motion forward, but in the23:55 midst of obstacles. So the word prokope was used of pioneers cutting their way through brushwood, cutting the undergrowth away so you could go on it. It was also used for24:07 soldiers advancing through obstacles. It was also sometimes used as a nautical term for ships making headway while there was a headwind.24:19 You get the idea? There's always an obstacle involved. It's going forward, forward, forward, but in the midst of obstacles. So what Paul wants them to know is, I want you to know,24:31 brethren, that all that has happened to me the incarcerations, the beatings, the mistrials, the further incarceration none of that has stopped the advance of the gospel.24:43 In fact, it cleared the way. It actually furthered in. It made progress in it.24:52 Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before you go, don't miss your opportunity to request the daily god journal along with the companion digital devotional, the daily god book. These25:04 resources are our thanks for your generous year end gift of 50 dollars or more to help connect with Skip Heitzig finish 20 25 strong and reach more people with the truth of God's word in the year ahead.25:16 Call 809 2 2 18 88, or go to connect with skip dot com slash offer. Thanks for spending time with us today, and we'll see you next time on Connect with Skip Heitzig.25:49 Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never changing truth in ever changing times.
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