Skip to content Unbreakable Joy Comes from True Contentment Feb 18 · 35 min ...more
Unbreakable Joy Comes from True Contentment
February 18, 2025 · 35 min
Drawing from Philippians chapter 4, John Mark emphasizes that contentment is a learned process, not a passive state, and is outlined in six practical steps.
Series "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton February 18, 2025 · 35 min · "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton
Drawing from Philippians chapter 4, John Mark emphasizes that contentment is a learned process, not a passive state, and is outlined in six practical steps. ...more Show the full description Show less Drawing from Philippians chapter 4, John Mark emphasizes that contentment is a learned process, not a passive state, and is outlined in six practical steps.
Series "Pastor Talks" with John Mark Caton Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
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John Mark is the Senior Pastor of the thriving Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, Texas, where he has served since 1995.
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The Path to Unbreakable Joy 0:00 Man, I wanna invite you to reach and grab your copy of God's word, open it up to Philippians chapter 4. We have been in a series since the beginning of the year, entitled An Unbreakable Joy, where we've been walking0:11 through the book of Philippians verse by verse and chapter by chapter. And we're looking at 7, our seventh key today of what it really means and how we can live with an unbreakable joy. If you go all the way0:23 back to the beginning, the first thing that Paul said is if you and I want to have an unbreakable joy, we have to learn to live a connected life. We don't want to live in isolation, we don't want to live alone. Man, we0:32 want to be around people, with people, family, friends, and God's family. Then the next week, we looked at the idea that Paul acknowledged the reality. That we live in a sinful and a broken world,0:44 sometimes hard things come our way. And remember what Paul says, he says listen, regardless of what happens to you, you want to live a life that is worthy of the gospel. We want to0:56 respond to the good things that happen in our life as we are worthy of the gospel, and we also want to respond to the bad things in such a way that we are worthy of the gospel. Then that next week he talked about, man we1:07 want to live with the true humility. And he said the humility, not just any humility, but the humility that Jesus showed, although He existed in the form of God, humbled Himself and became a man. Then that next1:19 week, He says we want to live with a true righteousness. Not a prideful righteousness, not a self righteousness, not a righteousness that makes us think we're better than ourselves, better than1:31 others. But we want to understand our righteousness comes from 1 place. Paul said faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone. Then that next week we said listen, if you and I are going to truly have joy in life, you we have to1:42 have the right goals and not the wrong goals. We we looked at what the Bible said about setting the wrong goals and what that leads to and ultimately it's a lack of joy and a lack of fulfillment in life. So we want to1:53 have the right goals. Then he says when we need to overcome, we're in anxiety. That's what we talked about last week. And it's all been this journey that I think Paul is taking us on to this place2:05 and this space that we're talking about today, it's true contentment. As we close out this book today, Philippians chapter 4 verse 8 to 20, Paul is in prison. He is under the2:17 sentence of death. His detractors are bad mouthing him. Those who are out in the street, in the churches, we're better than Paul. And Paul says, even in the midst of it2:29 all, I have a true contentment. I think it's been interesting as I've been preparing for this this message that, there's a lot more studies being done2:40 today on contentment. You know, for years we've done studies on worry and anxiety and happiness and, now there are a lot of studies coming out on really contentment is where people really want to2:52 be. And I read across this study, it's called the quiet power of contentment. Came out November 20 second of 20 23, major massive study and they said listen, if you truly want to enjoy3:04 life, you need to learn to find this space called contentment. And I thought it was interesting, here's what they said. Contentment, this is in psychology today, alright? This is in a3:15 Lifeway or a Christian bookstore. They said true contentment is a key determinant of ultimate life satisfaction. Well that's what the Bible's been saying for all3:27 forever, glad they showed up to the party. Here's the second thing it said, contentment provides stability in the midst of life's storm. And that's exactly what we see with Paul.3:39 Paul would rather not have been in prison, but he was in prison. Paul would rather not be under the sentence of death, but he was under the sentence of death. Paul would have rather not had those outside of the prison3:49 bad mouthing him, but they were. But those are storms of life that we all go through that says listen, if you and I want to navigate the storms of life, we need to learn to live in this space called contentment. The4:00 third thing that is said is there are some actionable steps you and I can take to arrive at that place called contentment. See, to get to4:12 contentment, it's not a passive process. Now I want you to know, I looked at here, I was a little disappointed in myself. When I found this, there are actually 10 points to their sermon4:25 on how you get to contentment. I only have 6, I was a little disappointed in myself, but if you would like, I can expand well beyond 10. But here's what they said, if you want to arrive at contentment, and I want you4:37 to, the reason why I want to read these, think about how many of these we've already heard Paul talk about in the book of Philippians. And the rest we're going to be talking about today. So contentment is not a place4:49 that gravity's gonna take you to. Contentment is not found at the end of your lazy river. Does that make sense? You have to make some choices to get there. Here are their 10 ideas.5:00 First of all, those who are content learn to be grateful for others. Number 2, those who are content learn to spend time in prayer and they said prayer and meditation.5:12 Alright? Number 3, goal setting. Anybody remember Paul in Philippians chapter 3? He said man this is my goal, I press on, that you have to make some goals. Here's number 4, digital5:24 detox. You are not gonna find contentment on your phone. You are not gonna find contentment, alright, and this is what they say, when you're on social media. Here's number5:36 5, you gotta get outside and be physically active. Man, you're not gonna find contentment just sitting on your couch or just being inside in a dark room. Contentment5:48 places a high priority on relationships. Anybody hear of that? I love it. Next 1, those who are most content are also most generous. That they are6:00 kind and gracious with their time, with their words, as well as with their finances. If you want to be content, have some hobbies. Part of the hobby is to serve other people,6:12 imagine that. Acceptance, learn to accept what you can't change and change what you can't. That we have to learn to walk with wisdom and say, listen I wouldn't6:24 have chosen this lot, there's nothing I can do about it so I need to accept it and make the best of it. But sometimes something comes my way and it's a product of my actions, my activities, so I want to change what got6:35 me into that space to begin with. And then finally, man, cut yourself some slack. Cut yourself a little slack. So as we think about this research study, you say, Pastor, why do you6:47 consistently bring in research studies? And I've actually got another 1 I'm going to show you here in a second. Let me tell you why. Because I absolutely believe that God's word is true. How many of you believe God's6:57 word is true? Alright, give God a hand. This is what I absolutely believe. If it is true, any honest study is gonna demonstrate7:08 that God's way is the best way. Alright? If you want to arrive at joy or happiness or contentment, you're gonna do it God's way. And so over and over, I want you to know when I run across a study like this, a7:20 massive study that psychology said today says all of a sudden contentment's a good thing. And it's not at the end of your lazy river. There are some things that you have to do to get there.7:32 And I think in the book of Philippians where Paul says, alright here, to get to contentment, which is the last thing he talks about in the book. He says you've got to go through chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, and the7:42 first part of chapter 4. And if you take those actionable steps, you will find yourself in the place called contentment. Look at Philippians chapter 4 verse 12, just gonna give you 1 verse and then we're gonna walk7:52 through it. And I'm gonna give you 6. I'm sorry, I didn't come up with 10 points today. I'm gonna give you 6 points on how to arrive at contentment in your life and they're all coming from God's word. Here's what Paul8:02 says, he says I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned, everybody say learn. Learn. This is not at the end of your life's8:14 lazy river. You have to learn it. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. Here's Paul says, I I'm content when things are good. I'm8:25 content when things are not so good. He says I've learned it in any and every situation, whether I'm wellfared or hungry, whether I'm living with plenty or living with 1. Notice he says I've8:37 learned the secret of contentment. He says we all need to enroll in a class, life class called contentment 1 0 1. But Paul says I want to warn you, it's a weed out class. How many8:49 of you have ever, depended on your degree, you have heard of what it is to a weed out class? Everybody can do these other classes and then there are 1 or 2 classes. I'm a finance guy. When I got to statistics 2,9:01 it was kind of a weed out class. Anybody ever go like I did? And it's Tuesday, Thursday, I go Tuesday, it seemed like everything's fine, I go Thursday and I feel like I missed a month of class? And then the rest9:13 of that year, you are just trying to hang on, right? If if you have been through medical school and you prep for medical school, gross anatomy is what they call a weed out class or9:24 pathology is a weed out class. Let me tell you what, contentment is a weed out class. You don't just coast to a place called contentment without putting in the work and putting in the effort.9:36 I ran across another study where they mapped out the 29 major emotions, alright? And looked at how connected they were to each other. Now as you think about this chart up here, let me tell you how to read9:48 it. If you look on the left side of the chart where it's red and yellow, those are negative emotions or bad emotions. Those were anxiety, fear, anger, bitterness, they're all on10:00 that side. If you look on the other side, you will see joy and happiness and contentment and then you'll see that. So 1 side's negative, 1 side's positive. Notice where contentment is. It10:12 is over on the positive side. Now there's another way to read this. The bottom are passive emotions. The top is active emotions. Now10:23 notice as you as you look at the bottom, you look right in the middle almost all the way up surprise. See it right there in the middle? When certain things surprise you, when circumstances happen, life10:35 storms show up, and you are all of a sudden surprised, I love this, you have to respond. And you get to make the choice, am I gonna go to the10:47 negative emotions or am I going to go to the positive emotions? Get it? So when you are surprised, sympathy as well. Notice sympathy is down at the bottom. It's it's a less active emotion than surprise. Surprise you have10:59 to respond. Sympathy you can just feel something for somebody. You can have a choice. You can go to the left or you can go to the right. Now notice what you see right in the middle all the way11:10 to the right. You see contentment. Notice the emotions that are closely related and the closer these emotions are together, the more they go together. Notice as you11:22 look at contentment, you see happy's right there, you see joy's right there, you see peace is right there, you see serenity's right there, you see gratitude is right there, you see triumph is right there.11:34 Now notice it's halfway up. It is not fully active as emotion an emotion, and it's not fully passive. But if you find yourself in a place of contentment,11:46 joy is right there with you. Happiness is right there with you. And so that's what we want to talk about today. How do I get to that place of contentment? Alright, how do I11:58 make that that journey? Paul gives us 6 ideas in Philippians chapter 4 verse 1 to 8. Let's let's start number 1, here it is. If you and I are going to find ourself in contentment, we have to12:10 look for good examples. We have to look for really good examples. Paul is a great example, but as we look at Paul as an example, we're gonna see he says, hey, follow me12:22 as I follow Christ. He says look at me. So here it is, Philippians chapter 4 verse 8, we looked at verse 8 last week so I'm not gonna spend time walking through each 1 of those ideas, but I just want us to12:34 read the context. So here here's what Paul says, he says finally brothers and sisters, now coming to the end of the book, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,12:45 whatever is admirable, if there's anything excellent or praiseworthy, think on such things. He says listen, your thoughts, the things you think about, are a choice, they're not predetermined.12:57 You get to choose what you dwell on. You get to choose what you focus on. In every situation, there is good and bad, there are positive and negative. You get a13:09 choice. See, what we focus on is not predetermined. It is a choice. Now we can develop a habit of only looking at the negative and that takes us always down the wrong path. Or we can change that13:21 habit and learn to look for the positive. And so notice, Paul says focus on the good things, not the bad things. That's why when we read the next couple of verses in this chapter all the way to the end,13:33 Paul is in prison, under the sentence of death, bad mouthed by his belief, had been forgotten by the Philippians, and he still chooses to focus on what is good and positive and13:45 true and praiseworthy. So now let's read on, look at verse 9. Here it is. He says this, he says now think about such things. Verse 9, He says so whatever you have learned or received or13:57 heard from me, he says or even seen in me, put into practice those things. What is Paul saying? Man, let me be your example, Even from prison. And14:09 so you and I, we want to look for good examples. We want to look for examples around us. And he goes, and if you will do that, follow me, you will find the peace of God just like I have.14:21 So I want to encourage you here believers, just like he encourages the Philippian believers. He says look around you. Find someone who is a good example of someone as they go through trials or they14:32 find themselves on the mountaintop, they are content with where they are. Whether they're in need, whether they have much or very little, whether they're in prison or not in14:44 prison. He goes, look for a good example. And for us, it's it's kinda like going out into our our our garden. How many of you, your your garden is kind of like mine? First of all, it's pretty weak. But14:56 it's kind of confused right now. How many of this garden is confused? You walk out and and it's clear that some of my plants thought January was spring. And they forgot they lived in Texas15:08 and they started greening up and I'm like, don't do that, winter's gonna come tomorrow. Right? And then spring's gonna be the next day and the next day. Day. Now here's what I also notice is my plants are a little15:20 confused. They don't know whether to grow or not grow, are they supposed to hibernate, are they supposed to come out? They don't know what Here's what I also love about my, garden right now or my, shrubbery right now,15:30 there are no weeds. How many of you know that's going to change? The weeds are going to show up. So if I'm going to keep a pretty yard this year, I've got to15:42 spend time pulling the weeds. And that's exactly what Paul says, that we want to constantly pull the weeds, the bad thoughts, the bad emotions, the bad relationships. Get rid of those, drive15:54 those out. Another example, if you think about journeying through life and you're going to be in a space or a place of contentment, it's I've never flown a plane, but I've flown in planes. But here's what I hear,16:05 that that pilots, if they find themselves in a storm or in a cloudy situation, they have to fly by their instruments. How many of you heard that? Because if all you do is16:17 visually look at the clouds, you won't know whether you're going up, down, sideways, or what. You have to fly by your instrumentation and you have to trust it. As a16:29 child of God, when we go into these storms, when we go into hardship, if all you do is fly with your own thoughts and your own mind, you're gonna find yourself,16:41 struggling. So that's why we always want to keep God's word for that is the instrumentation. And Paul is saying, listen, regardless of what you're going through, God can get you16:53 through it. Don't be confused, trust God. He's got a plan, He's got a purpose. If you will live out His plan according to His purpose, you're gonna find your17:05 way to safety and ultimately victory. But if not, we're gonna struggle in a very difficult way, in a hard way. So thought number 1, if you and I are gonna find ourselves17:17 in a place of contentment, we need to surround ourselves with great examples. Man, find a Paul in your life. Find a find a man or a lady in your life that man, it just seems like they have it together17:29 and regardless of what they're going through and the clouds show up in their life, they're not wailing, they're not crying, they're not confused, they're looking at their instrumentation. They're diving into God's word17:39 and saying God has a plan. Here's number 2, if you and I are gonna find ourselves in a place of contentment, we have to practice gratitude in every circumstance. We have to practice gratitude in every17:51 circumstance. I'm about to read some words here that are kind of amazing. That that Paul has been in prison under the sentence of death, he's been attacked by people. Actually the Philippians had forgotten18:03 about him for a while. But they've renewed and revived their support and encouragement to him. And he doesn't attack them. You18:15 ever just be in 1 of those spaces where you heard about someone going through something and maybe you forgot to call or forgot to reach out and then you finally did and the first thing they18:27 say is it's about time? Or thanks? Or they begin to to dump on you a little bit. I love what Paul's example here. He's learned to be content18:39 in every situation. Pick it up, let's read it verse 10. Man Paul just cherished what he had. He was grateful in all circumstance. He says, I rejoice greatly in the lord that at18:51 last you renewed, by the way, that word renewed you might underline, blossomed. The flower of your generosity, your kindness to me blossomed again, new growth. He says I'm glad that19:02 spring showed up in your in your graciousness. And your concern for me, he says indeed indeed you were concerned, he gives them the benefit of the doubt. He says I haven't heard from19:14 you, I didn't hear from, but give them the benefit of the doubt that you do care. He says you renewed your concern for me, he says indeed you were concerned but you didn't have an opportunity to show it. Man, I19:26 love the gratitude and the grace that Paul is delivering. That that if you're going through something, man, the worst thing you can do when someone does reach out or someone does do something kind19:38 of is just to tackle. Right? Because then they're wanting to say, man I don't want to go there again so I want to encourage you. Man Paul's example is a great example. Once their care, once their concern was19:49 renewed for him, he didn't attack them and say, well thanks for finally showing up. He says man, thanks so much. And then he gives them the benefit of the doubt, he goes you were concerned.20:01 Even when I didn't hear, even when I didn't know, even when I was struggling. He goes you just didn't have the opportunity. And that is nothing but gratefulness and gratitude for the fact that they20:13 did show up. Now look at verse 11. He says, I'm not saying this because I'm in need. For I have learned, there it is, alright. There's a a contentment 1 0 1. I have learned20:25 whatever sir whatever the circumstances I'm in, I am going to be content. Look at verse 12. He says, I know what it is to be in need. That means destitute. I know what it20:36 means to be at rock bottom. And he says, and I know what it means to have plenty. I know what it means to be on the mountaintop. Paul says, I know what it means to be in the valley. I know what it means to be in the20:46 mountaintop. Now read on, he says man life's a yo yo. Sometimes I've he says, but I've learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living with plenty or20:58 living with want. Boy as I thought about Paul, he he kind of gives us an incredible example. Again, he's in prison, bad mouthed by his opponents, under the21:09 sentence of death, and he is acting above his circumstances. Does that make sense? If you and I want to be content, what are you going through right now? Paul would say, well start. If21:21 you're going to make a journey to contentment, start acting better than your circumstances. When someone finally does reach out and call you and says how are you doing? Act better than your circumstance. Paul says21:33 listen, I missed you. Man, things went silent for a while. Every time I thought about you I just heard the dial tone. But he says, now that you've showed21:45 up, I'm grateful. His circumstances could have could have led Paul to say it is about time. Here's another thought as you think about it. Don't compare yourself with others. If you're going through21:56 something, difficult season, don't compare yourself with others. Paul's not comparing himself with the Philippians. Remember, Paul was in prison, sentenced to death, bad mouthed by others. The Philippians, they were not22:07 in prison, they were not badmouthed by others. They were not under the sentence of death. Paul could have said hey, thanks for finally showing up, you've got all this freedom and I'm in prison. But Paul doesn't do that.22:18 He says I'm not gonna compare myself with you. I'm gonna act better than my circumstances. And he says, not only that, I'm not gonna complain when someone does show up. See Paul could have said, yeah thanks for22:30 finally showing up. Been in prison forever and all of a sudden you're just going on with your daily life. And see I want you to know that that response is natural,22:42 but what Paul says is let's move towards the supernatural. Does that make sense? Let's move beyond our circumstances because it would have been real easy for Paul to say, I planted your church.22:55 I baptized you. The church you enjoy so much is a result of me. And all of a sudden you forget about me? Let me tell you what, when I do all that stuff, that23:07 oftentimes resonates with us more than the supernatural response. Man, thanks for reviving, renewing your care and concern for me. I want to encourage you, if you're going through something,23:20 man, if suddenly things have gone quiet on you and all of a sudden someone shows back up, let Paul be your example. Hey, thanks thanks for the call. It's been a tough season.23:33 And then next thought, if you're going to move towards continue, accept what you get from others. Notice Paul says, hey, thanks for your renewed interest. He didn't say, it's a pittance.23:46 It's not much. It's just a mill. Man, accept what you get from others. Don't attack them. Just step in there and say, man, I'm grateful that you've renewed23:59 your concern for me. Because when we get to that space and we just receive what comes our way, we understand that God is ultimately gonna give us everything that we need, he's gonna meet our24:10 needs, we're gonna see that here in a second. Man, we can have a contentment. So when someone does minister and someone does love and someone does text or someone does call or someone does email, man, you will be able to24:22 receive it with the joy in which it was intended. So here's number 3. Ready? If you and I are gonna move, actively move toward contentment, it's not the end of life's lazy lazy river. We've24:34 got to choose to go there. You gotta follow good example, practice gratitude. Here's number 3, don't ever lose hope. Regardless of whatever situation you're in, do not ever lose hope. You say, where do you see this24:45 pastor? At verse 13, he says, I can do This is the most commonly misused verse I think in all of scripture. Most of us think that24:57 do means I can win every game. I can overcome over every disease. I can get every promotion. I can always get more money. I can do all He says, no, I can endure25:10 all things, not win everything. I can endure all things through him, Jesus, who gives me strength. Now25:21 think about where Paul is. If we were to say this verse means that everybody wins, then Paul would have ultimately gotten out of prison not25:33 died. Then Paul would have been able to somehow someway confront his detractors, which he never got a chance to do. Paul would have not been under the sentence of25:45 death. That all of a sudden if this verse means you are going to overcome every circumstance, every difficulty, you're going to win every game, everything good is going to happen in your life, then Paul25:56 completely failed. But Paul didn't fail. Paul had the understanding if I had a choice I would be out of prison, not in prison. If I had a choice people26:08 wouldn't be bad mouthing me, but they are bad mouthing. If I had a choice, I wouldn't be under the sentence of death, but I am under the sentence of death. And so Paul says that turned out for your benefit.26:21 What does that mean? God had to settle him down, put him in a cell, so he would slow down and start writing these letters that you and I get to read even to this day.26:33 So when Paul says I can endure everything, that means there are times, man, the weight of my circumstances are overwhelming. If you spend much time in a26:45 gym, my guess is there's at some point someone's come over to you and just tapped you on the shoulder, said, hey, can you give me a spot? How How many of you know what I'm talking about? They're they're they're looking26:55 to to add a little more weight. And they want to make sure they don't die. Right? And I'm always shocked when someone comes over to me and says, hey can you give me a spot? I'm like, have you seen me lift?27:08 You you got a lot of plates up there. What does that mean? And there are times when life seems like it's going to crush us. And Paul is saying, man, before it does that, Christ is going to step27:20 in. And he's gonna help you push, he's gonna help you endure, he's gonna help you go on. Although my strength might be limited, God's strength is27:32 not. And so I love what Paul says, he says, listen, I hope you get out of prison but I may not, either way I'm gonna win. I hope my detractors would stop badmouthing me, but they may not, either way I'm gonna27:43 win. I hope I'm not under the sentence of death, but I may be under the sentence of death, either way I win. That's why he says I can endure all things through him, Jesus, who strengthens27:56 me. So let's go on to number 4. If you and I are gonna find ourselves at this place called contentment, remember if you look at the mapping of the emotions, which is happiness and 1 of the things that28:07 was around it was generosity. That when you are content, you're okay with what you have, you became a you become a very generous person. You want to look at selfishness? Go to the other28:19 side of the brain. Some of the most unhappy people you will ever meet are the most selfish people you will ever meet. So he says live with a generous heart, look at this verse 14. He says,28:31 yet it was good for you to share in my troubles. He says this was great. He says you got into the nitty gritty of life with me with personal compassion. Look at verse 15, he says moreover, as you the Philippians know,28:43 you remember in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from there to Macedonia, not 1 church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you28:54 alone. I love what Paul is saying, he goes, man you're awesome. He says, I'm not gonna focus on the fact that you forgot about me for a season. I'm gonna go beyond that29:06 to remember that no 1 shared with me at the beginning of the ministry, although I led you to the Lord, I brought the gospel to Europe, but you enjoyed with me so much that you shared with me. Look at verse 16,29:18 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid there more than once. He is remembering their generosity. He's remembering their gifts. And29:30 notice, continue to read them, and he goes listen, not that I want or desire the gift for me. What I desire is that more be credited to your account. That is God's economy.29:42 You might want to underline verse 17. Listen, when you give in God's economy, it's not credited to their account, it's credited to your account. Does that make sense? When you29:54 give with a generous heart or a kind heart, Paul says listen, Philippians. When you gave, it wasn't credited to me, it was credited to you. Because that's God's economy. Man as we think about why did30:06 Jesus come, because God wanted to give his son and what did his son do? Give his life as a ransom for many. So God's economy is when you and I are generous, when we give to30:18 others or ministry or whatever, it is credited to our account. Look at verse 18, he says for I have received full payment and have more than enough and I am amply supplied. That word amply supplied means basic30:30 needs, not lavish needs. Now that I've received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent me, they are such a fragrant aroma, he says, an acceptable sacrifice to God. He says, man you stepped30:42 up when you renewed your compassion for me and you renewed your love and you showed up and you sent Epaphroditus to come and give me a gift. And I want you to know, now I am amply supplied.30:56 That doesn't mean he's out of prison, but he's got enough. Doesn't mean his detractors aren't still bad mouthing him. They are, but he's got enough. Doesn't mean he's no longer under the31:08 sentence of death, because he is. But he says I've got enough. And I love what God does with this, the way Paul says, listen, be grateful for what you give. He says and if you're outside31:20 of someone else's prison, be generous to them. Be generous to ministry and life and the church. Why? Paul says because it's ultimately not going to be credited to their account, it's going to be31:32 credited to your account. Alright. Here's the next thought. Just continue. Number 5, when you are generous, trust God with all of your provisions. Here it is, verse 19. And my31:43 God, this is Paul reminding them, and my God will meet all your needs. That is a promise. Okay? We might misuse31:55 the previous verse we talked about that I can win all things or I can do all things. You are not under promising or under understanding or not understanding this verse. This is a promise Paul gives.32:07 My God will meet not a couple of your needs, not some of your needs, all of your needs. Not all your wants.32:21 Not all the things you will, not all your lavish things, but if we live according to God's way and God's plan, he says my God will meet all your needs according to what? The32:32 riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. So here, when you and I are generous with our time and our energy and resources, we32:44 can bank on this fact. God will provide for all of our needs. He will. He's gonna show up. Now it doesn't mean he's gonna give you the32:56 nicest car, the biggest house, that's not what he means. If you are generous, you can trust if there ever comes a time when you, because of circumstances or difficulty, go through 1 of life's storms and you find yourself33:08 in a prison of your own emotions or your own circumstance, God will supply all of your needs. Look at number 6, this is where we're going to close.33:19 Regardless of what happens in our lives, we want to glorify God in every setting. We want to glorify God in every setting. Love what Paul says in verse 20. Alright remember, this whole letter he has33:31 written, here's how he's closing, he's written from prison. He says, to our God and father be the glory33:43 forever and ever. Amen. Crazy. From prison, Paul is reminding the Philippians,33:55 whatever you do, God gets the glory. See I think when we find ourselves in that space and in that place, that's when we truly find ourselves in a place of contentment.34:07 So as you think about this place of contentment, if you go back to that chart, you want to be over near joy and triumph and victory and gratitude, which is the place we ultimately thrive34:19 because that's the way God built us, it requires some choices for us to make. Man, if you find yourself on the opposite side of the emotional spectrum and anger and bitterness, distrust,34:31 you're as far as you can be away from ultimately finding contentment in your life. So take these steps, implement them in your life, and probably enjoy the rest34:43 of your life more than you ever thought possible. Let's pray. God, thank you so much in this moment, this season, for driving us and moving us to a place called contentment. God, thank34:55 you for the Apostle Paul, who in a place that none of us would ever be content, showed us what true contentment looks like. God, as we leave here today, let us apply35:07 those 6 principles and move to where you want us to be as it relates to our relationship with you and our relationship with others. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen and Amen.In this video 0:00 The Path to Unbreakable Joy32:14
Blessed: Choose Mercy John Mark Caton Oct 15
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