#204 Refinement Through Philippians And The Peace Of God

The hardest part of moving forward is that the past keeps trying to audition for the lead role in your next season. We open with prayer and then walk straight into Philippians 3, where Paul says he refuses to rehearse what’s behind him. That one decision becomes a blueprint for spiritual growth and Christian maturity: learn the lesson, drop the weight, and press toward what God is calling you to do, even when there’s resistance. 

As we finish Philippians, we also talk about discernment and why Paul weeps over false teachers. When chaos is loud and opinions are everywhere, relationship with Christ is what trains your ear to recognize God’s voice. We keep it practical, from building a strong foundation to staying focused on heavenly citizenship instead of getting pulled into earthly thinking and spiritual pride. 

Philippians 4 brings it home with daily faith practices that change your mental and emotional life: stand fast, pursue unity, rejoice, and trade anxiety for prayer with thanksgiving. We dig into what the peace of God looks like when you don’t understand what’s happening, and why “think on these things” is not a cute quote but a real strategy for renewing your mind. We close with Paul’s hard-earned lesson on contentment, gratitude for giving, and a reflection on refinement: what has God removed, and what has God grown in you? 

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A journey through spiritual refinement, identity, healing, and growth, learning how pressure produces purpose and reveals the diamond within.

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Transcript

Welcome And Settle In

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I hope all is well. Amen. I hope you're having a great day. You don't know who I am right now, my name is Katherine. And this is Catherine Brown. I am the senior pastor of Spokesman James Ministries, but we are doing ministry the way that Jesus says to. Hallelujah. Amen. Y'all come on in to the room. Amen. Come on in. I want you to say hello to me. Hallelujah. I will certainly shout you out. Yeah. Amen. Amen. Good afternoon. Good evening. Good evening. Miss Brenda here. Hello and hello again. Hallelujah. We're gonna get started for prayer in the next three minutes. So, tag somebody you want to see here. Uh share it if you feel led to do that. That would be awesome. Hallelujah. We get ready to finish up Philippians today. I'm pretty sure we can wrap it on up. Most likely. I can't see it going any further than today. I got more lights around me, y'all. Mahoma. Um you can go to turn to your Bibles in Philippians chapter 3, verse 13. Verse 13. Um, I've been in in the podcast, uh, we've been talking about refinement. Hallelujah. And it's been a year. Uh, well, it will be a year of all of the topics all about refinement. So I thought maybe I would loop that in here towards the end to really, for our takeaways and reflection, to really, you know, pull out some nuggets that can really speak to this, to this word refinement. Because each and every day that, you know, we walk this journey with the Lord, he is He is refining us. He's getting rid of the things that are due value in us, he's getting rid of the things that at the end of the day are not helping us. Um they are stunning our growth, you know, uh, because, you know, with that plant, if you don't get rid of what is dead, it can kill what is alive. Hallelujah. And the thing that God wants us to do and where he has us up at in morning motivation, he wants us to grow. Hallelujah. And in order for us to grow, he must get rid of the things that are killing us. Hallelujah, that are not producing life, that are not um aiding his will. Yeah? Amen. Hallelujah. It is 6 35. We're gonna go ahead and pray. Yeah? Father, we thank you so much for another day. Thank you, God, for your grace and your mercy. God, we just bless your name on today as we bless your people. God, I pray that as we go into your word right now, God, I pray that you will open blinded eyes, open deaf ears, open up hearts so that we can receive what it is that you're saying. Father, we want to see it. Father, we want to hear it and understand it, God. We want to be able to apply it to our own lives and be able to share it with somebody else, God. I pray in the name of Jesus that our minds

Opening Prayer And Focus

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and hearts will be open to you now, God. I pray in the name of Jesus. You'll continue, God, to shape us, make us, and mold us into the men and women of God you desire us to be. I pray in the name of Jesus, what you use me to your glory. Have your way, for we turn it over to you. We pray this, we ask it in Jesus' mighty, mighty name. We do pray. Amen, amen, and amen. Hallelujah. So, thank y'all for sharing. I appreciate y'all doing that for me. Amen. Hallelujah. Thank you for being here. We see Sister Jackie is here. Thank you for tagging some people. Um, Miss Brenda, we certainly appreciate that. Amen. And amen. We're not gonna hold you still very long, but we definitely want to jump back in what we were. Philippians 3 was uh an awesome time. Um, absolutely, every time you get into the word, it's a good time, right? Um, so uh we were talking, Paul was talking um a lot

Forget The Past And Press On

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about you know the cost of his salvation. And um as he he gets he begins to close this letter to Philippi, he he just it seems to me like he's reflecting. Hallelujah. And you know, it's we we when we're going into a new season, in my personal experience, I believe that's when we begin to reflect the most. Hallelujah. We begin to look back and this is what I've been through and where I'm going. Hallelujah. I can uh, for example, look back at what Exposed Life Change ministries have been through over the years. Hallelujah. We've been through some ups and some downs, we've had people come and go, but there is a core of us that is standing, truly standing on his word, and we are the foundation of this ministry, hallelujah. And and because look, the foundation, we talked about that before. The foundation is what what everything else is built on, hallelujah. Everything else is built on it, hallelujah. So the foundation must be strong, it can't have hold in it, hallelujah. This is why it seemed like seemed like in the beginning it seems harder, it seems a whole lot harder, but again, this is what is happening. Your foundation is being built so that something can be put on top of it, hallelujah. We want to keep on growing. That is the idea that God has that we keep growing, hallelujah, that we can fulfill our purpose. Hello, belita, hello, hello, thank you for joining. Certainly appreciate you. Thank you so much for tagging some people, hallelujah, amen. To God be the glory. So um, this is where we are, and this is what Paul is doing. He says in 13, verse 13, he says, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. So he says, He says, I'm not gonna keep on rehearsing what it was. Hallelujah. I forgot to share it. Let me share it myself, hallelujah. Look, he says, I'm not gonna keep on rehearsing where I've been because at the end of the day, you cannot change the past. Hallelujah. It is what it is. Say that for me, hallelujah. It is what it is. What do what can we do though? We can learn, hallelujah. We can learn from our past, amen. We can learn lessons, life lessons that again we talked about that yesterday. And we can pass it on to future generations, to our children, to people who God sent it to our past. We can pass that wisdom on to somebody else. Hallelujah. It is shared on my head as well. Hallelujah. Amen. He says, I'm looking ahead. He says, I press, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. So he says, Look, when you press in, that means you got you mean what resistance. Hallelujah. When you press, hallelujah, you gotta push. When you press, like it's something that's pushing against you, so you can't press it, quickly. Hallelujah. Paul says, I am bound and determined to go forward. Hallelujah. It's all a part of the process. Amen. Paul refers to the high calling as being a prize. Hallelujah. This is that means it's a race. Amen. That means that you ain't the only, you're not the only one. Hallelujah. We're all striving toward the high calling, the thing that God has called us to do and to be. Amen. There is a reward on the other end of your obedience. Amen. It's a reward. You gotta believe that, you gotta know that. Amen. Hallelujah. Love. He says, let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded. And if in any thing ye also ye be also minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Amen. So in other words, he says, let's make it our business to see all. Let's all see the same thing. Amen. And even if you cannot see, he says, he will reveal it to you. Amen. This is this is um this is Paul, not only his magician, he says, he will. Hallelujah. Paul knows that he knows that he will reveal it. Why? Because he's experienced God Himself. Hallelujah. And I sit here before you to say the same thing. He will reveal what it is that you need to see. Hallelujah. Come on, somebody. Amen. He will reveal it. Spend some time with him. He'll reveal what you need to see. Hallelujah. He says, Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same thing. Amen. It's for me, it's for them, it's for everybody. God's word is for us all. Hallelujah. Amen. His revelation, his truth, his divine will is for us all. Hallelujah. Many, one body, many members. We all functioning, we all doing different things, but we're still one body. Hallelujah. In the Lord. Amen. To God be the glory. I got an Amen in the chat. I know that's right. Amen. Hallelujah. We all ought to be saying, Amen. There is no big eyes. Amen. There is nobody bigger than the other. Hallelujah. Some of us have a greater responsibility, but we are still all part of one body. Come on, somebody. Let's talk about it. Look, verse 17 says, brethren, be followers together of me and mark them which walk as so. Wait a minute. He says, mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example. Hallelujah. Amen. He says, lead. Amen. Follow. Follow him, but lead others. Hallelujah. He says, For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping. He says, I'm telling you this again. Hallelujah. Tears coming through his eyes. Come on. He says that they

Spotting False Teachers

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are the enemies of the cross of Christ. Jesus. Look. He says, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame. Who mind earthly things. Hallelujah. Jesus. Look, I'm going to read verse. I'll wait. Excuse me, the devil is a lie. I'll wait till I get to 21. I'm going to read the commentary. It's really good. Look, he says, for our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for the, excuse me, Savior. The devil is a liar. Look, he says, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, excuse me, that it may be fashioned like unto his glory, glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Hello, hello. Excuse me. We got Mother Brown in the house as well. Look, I'm telling you, when you're on course, all kinds of little things are what happened. Trying to throw you off. You hear me? Amen. Look. So this commentary portion is coming from set coming, it's going from 17 to 21. And it's a lie. So prepare your heart and mind. So first Paul encourages encouraged believers. He was confident that he lived correctly before God and man. He spoke weeping. The only record that Paul cried because of the damage these false teachers brought to God's work. Pause for a second. Remember in the beginning? When it first started, the book, the book first started. This is the reason why Paul had written this letter to uh Philippi because of the false teachers. And the reality, I feel like this, this, Paul is crying because it just hit him all at once. Like, really? You know, you had that moment, it's like, man, I can't believe it. And then make you sad that people would do those types of things, right? That's the moment that Paul is having. So, um, going forward. He says, as enemies of the cross, they were inflated with their own spiritual abilities. Come on. This is real. We see it, don't we? Listen, he says. They, as he says, rather than trust in Christ, Paul described them four ways. First, they face destruction. Uh, let's see. I don't know how to say that right. Let's see. Nine elevation. I don't even know what that means. Let me go on because I don't know what it means. I can't break it down, but I don't know what it means. You heard me? Second, they were preoccupied with Jewish dietary laws. Third, they focused inappropriately on the gentiles, on the gentle, no, gentile, genitiles. Circumcision. Talking about. Yeah. Oh, that is so funny. Wow. I won't expect that. I promise you, I won't expect that. Hello, Mr. Nero. I really was not expecting that. But anyway, it says, for they were unable to see beyond the present time. True believers differ from though from these false teachers. Conversation means citizenship, which was rare and prized. And let's see, let's see. And the Philippians were justifiably proud of that Roman citizenship. Citizenship in heaven reminded the church of the existence of a greater society and culture. Military images continue. Roman citizens call the emperor savior. Ooh. Christians expect their deliverer from heaven. The body is limited by earthly earthliness. No, earthiness, finiteness, and sin. Christ will change physical bodies. Will change it. Physical bodies will become glorified bodies in the image of Christ. Salvation has three stages: conversion, moral perfection at death, and the transformation of the body through resurrection at the second coming of Christ. Woo! That was a lot. Hallelujah. And I ain't even gonna try to break that down. All I can say is, you heard it. Now, if you need more understanding, ask the Lord for understanding. This is the beauty. Hello, Alan. Hello, hello. This is the beauty of relationship with Christ. We talked about it yesterday. I talk about it all the time. Is that even when the teacher is teaching, you don't understand, you can go to the Lord and say, make this make sense to me. Because what she said, what he said, what I read, I don't understand. I don't get it. And see, he's so look, the Lord will break it down so a child can understand it. Hallelujah. And in some things, when we're dealing with the word of God, some things we need we need the Lord to bring it down. God, because I'm his child. Like he'll break it down for you where you are. And I hope that that makes sense because where I am, you may not be. You may not understand it whereas I understand it. Or I might understand it and you don't. But again, the beauty is that we can both go to the Lord and ask him to make us understand what this is saying. And he'll break it down for me in a way that I can understand it. He'll break it down for you so that you can understand it. But we both get the same understanding. Does that make sense? Hallelujah. Because for real, for real, like right now, after reading the comment commentary, I kind of get it, but I still I'm still trying to figure it out. And see, I'm silently asking God, make it make sense because I don't get it. But I'm gonna go on because more often than none, we went ahead at a moment where I don't quite get it. And as I'm reading, God will give me the revelation so I can go back and be like, oh, oh, okay. That's what it said. So look, I promise, wait on the Lord and He will bring the revelation to you. Hallelujah. Amen. Because that was a lie. And I'm sure probably most of us didn't get it. Yeah. Amen. Let's just be let's just be honest. It's all good though. Because he knows. Hallelujah. He's all knowing. He knows all things. So we're moving on to chapter four. Because I said we were going to finish this chapter so we can start Acts tomorrow. And I'm sure I am excited about it. Jeremy. Hallelujah. Amen. So uh chapter four, verse one says, Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and long for my joy and crown. So stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. Stay fast. Hold still. Hallelujah. Hold still. Stand on the Lord. Does that make sense? Look. You heard what he said? Are you with look at the end of the day? Are you willing to stand with him? Amen. Are you

Stand Fast And Repair Relationships

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are you gonna hold your are you gonna hold your peace? Hallelujah. Are you gonna hold on to your joy? Amen. Are you gonna allow life to life for you? I mean, life happens anyway. But there's some things we let get to us that we should not. Sometimes we make mountains out of mold hills. Hallelujah. We make it bigger than it has to be today. I want to ask you, personal question. Are you going to stand fast in the Lord? Are you going to trust that God is going to take care of it today? Amen. Hallelujah. Look. I beseech you. Let's see. Oh Lord, here we go, names. I beseech you, Adodias, and beseech Senti.

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Senti.

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I think I messed it up. That's okay. He says, They be of the same mind in the Lord. Hallelujah. These are, I think these are two of his disciples. Yeah. He says, and I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow. He says, help those women which labored with me in the gospel with Clement. Also, and with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life. Okay? Look, entreat is less authoritative than beseech. True yoke fellow is singular. Someone in authority, the pastor, would be the mediator. These, this is the one co-yoke in the work. This is so interesting. Paul provided reasons to help these women. First, they labored with Paul. Second, they worked alongside Clement and Paul's co-workers. The book of life mentioned rarely in the New Testament refers to those listed among the saved. So who is Clement? According to the commentary, we don't know. Um and who he is, the reference is Revelation 3, 5 and 2015 and Revelation 21, 27. So if you want those verses, I will certainly give them to you again. Hallelujah. So you have them. But Paul, he basically, that just basically means that, you know, that he's going, he's going and he's talking to them. Again, he's in present prison, but people are coming to see him all the time, telling him what is going on. So um I under the assumption that that's what he's doing. I don't know for sure. I'm just being clear. Okay? It's what it is. I already told y'all what you gotta do, which you don't understand. That's what I do when I don't understand. Hallelujah. So he said, rejoice in the Lord always, and again I understand rejoice. Amen. Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Hallelujah. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Y'all know Betty Rice say, what'd she say? He said, um, you can't smile at everything you see. Ladies. Yeah. Be careful for nothing. But in everything. By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known unto God.

Prayer Over Worry Brings Peace

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Hallelujah. Your prayer life is important. Be content. Hallelujah. You don't have to worry about your needs being supplied because he already said he will supply them. Hallelujah. Amen. You don't have to worry. Why we worry so much? You know, we worry a lot about things that are out of our control. Hallelujah. But he said, this is what you do. You don't have to, you know, worry about this, that, and the third. He said, but pray. Pray about it. Hallelujah. And he said, when you pray, you be grateful for what you already got. Hallelujah. Don't forget what you got while you're praying and begging God for this, that, and the third. You already got a lot of the things that you beg asking for more of. Hallelujah. What's the example? Money. People ask for money all the time. Hallelujah. They ask it for millions, but they can't handle the hundreds. Hallelujah. It's a discipline. Amen. Much is given, much is required. Hallelujah. That's the thing that people seem to realize that, you know, we ask for this and they ask for that. And you sit there trying to figure out why I ain't got it yet. You promised me. Hallelujah. God, you said if I believe two, two or three of us, together we believe. And then we ask, if you give it to us, or why I ain't got it yet? Not because you're not faithful to what you already have. Maybe because you're not faithful to what you already have. I'm just relating the word. Hallelujah. I don't know who this is prevalent to or who it's for. But at the end of the day, this is what it says. Like, people trying to figure out why. Why it's not happening for me. Why it's not happening. Maybe it's something you haven't done. Hallelujah. Or maybe it's something that you're not ready for. Hallelujah. I can't say they want to do this. And wisdom tells us to tell them, no, you can't do that. Right. You're not ready for it. Why God wouldn't work the same way. Hallelujah. Amen. So let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God shall pass all understanding. He says, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The peace of God. The peace of God passes understanding. So you can have so much peace in God that you don't have to understand. Well, he didn't say L O L. I know that's right. Listen to me. You're hallelujah. We can have so much peace that is in God that we don't have to understand. Hallelujah. This is how, you know, things are happening in people's lives. You know, you sitting back and you say, Well, why come this happened? What happened? And you said, Is that person sitting there? I don't know. I don't know. I just leave it in God's hand. You know what I mean? Like you gotta get to that place. And that's what his peace will do for you. Amen. Why? Because your trust is in him. It's not in yourself, it's not in people, it's not in things, it's not in circumstances. Hallelujah. But your trust is in the Lord. And when you trust him, he treats it like it's like gold. Amen. So it so in return, because you trust in him, he will give you peace. Amen. It's a beautiful thing. If you see it in the right perspective, hallelujah. Some people get mad because they ain't got what they want. And they cross their arms. And say, I ain't doing this, and I ain't doing that. I'm not doing that. Hmm. That's not the right attitude. I have the right attitude. Hallelujah. He will keep your heart and mind. Amen. You must be obedient. Hallelujah. Even when you don't understand, even when you can't see your way clear, you know that you know that you know that God has spoken to you, told you to do something. Hallelujah. Don't let what you don't understand keep you from what He wants to do in your life. That's probably another reason why you haven't got what you have before. Because you sit back trying to understand something that it's not meant for you to understand yet. You know where the richest place is on earth? Y'all know where the richest place is? The grave. Why? Because people die with their dreams. Hallelujah. People die with multimillion dollar ideas. But they let what they didn't understand keep them from doing, taking the first step. Come on, somebody. Hallelujah. Don't be one of them. Hallelujah. This is why you see me doing so many different things all the time. Because God, He prompts me to do these things. Hallelujah. And I do not want to leave this earth full. When I leave this earth, I want to be empty. Hallelujah. I don't want to have, I want to be, I will want to have been and done everything that I was supposed to do while I was on the earth. I don't want fear, what I can't understand. All of these things keep me from emptying out this vessel to do what it is that God has called me to do. Fulfill my purpose. Hallelujah. Amen. This is what we ought to be looking to do. Empty ourselves. Amen. Don't let fear keep you. Don't let fear. Don't let the unknown keep you from doing from moving in obedience. Look at what Abraham did with his son. He knew what God had told him to do. He moved in obedience. When they got to that mountain, he got to that place. There was no sacrifice. So he used what he had, and it was his only son. Because he was bound in terms, I'm going to be obedient unto the Lord. And when his son asked them, where's the sacrifice? He said, the Lord will provide. Down to the very last seconds. Hallelujah. Jesus, come on. Come on. Mother Brown says, she said, when we ask for more, we should know that means more responsibility for God's word. That's logic. But most people, most people don't allow. No, matter of fact, most people don't fit that far. All you're thinking about is what they want. Gimme, gimme, gimme. But we know what gimme got. You heard what I'm saying? Come on back to the deep. Come on back. Oh, y'all. I can be deep, but I like to have fun too. Okay, I think it's time to get back to the word, y'all. Alright. So. I hope so. I don't know who was for. I think it was somebody. It was for somebody, obviously. He may not even be, that person may not even be here right now. It might be on a YouTube channel. They might be on podcast somewhere. Hallelujah. But it's for somebody. Amen. Ms. Brenda said, peace is better than anything. Learn to be satisfied with yourself. That's a word, right? Hallelujah. That is a word. Peace is a good thing. Peace is a good thing. Hallelujah. You don't know what peace looks like until you have the peace of God. We think we know. Hallelujah, but worldly peace can be disturbed. Come on, somebody. Hallelujah. God's peace can touch it. Hallelujah. Nothing can touch it. This is why the devil works so hard to keep you in chaos. This is why the devil works so hard to keep you from fearful. This is why the devil works overtime to try to get your eye off of him. Hallelujah. This is why he does that because he knows who he is. He used to be the guardian of light. The devil used to be the guardian of light. Guardian of light. Of light. But he got big in his bridges and he decided. I can be God. What are you doing? I'm better than you. This is why I got cast out of heaven. Hallelujah. So Satan is very much aware of the goodness of God. Hallelujah. He's aware. He's aware. Amen. Hallelujah. So at the end of the day, you better know the enemy don't want you to experience because he's mad, because he's messed up. Hallelujah. Look, he says, finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are finished, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, virtue is truth. He says, and if there be any praise, anything to praise about, he says, think on these things. Truth. Honesty. Just pure.

Think On What Is True

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Lovely. He says, these are the things that we ought to be looking at as being true. These are the things that we ought to be looking at to praise about. And it is so funny because we it's almost like people cherish the negative stuff, the bad stuff. The news, what does it? The news cover all of the bad stuff. You rarely hear anything about the good stuff. Hallelujah. Rarely do you hear about, you know, truth. What I mean, what is real and what is honest, and you know, what is a good thing. Rarely do we hear about it. People celebrate. People are celebrating trauma. People celebrate chaos and all of these things. Hallelujah, Jackie said, yes, no peace like God's peace, earth. Hallelujah. Make sure we're paying attention to what we are bringing life to. Amen. He says, those things which ye have both learned and received and heard, heard, and seen in me. He says, Do, and the God of peace shall be with you. Hallelujah. Paul understands his assignment of what he went to Philippi to do. Hallelujah. With all of those, and he's he said he said this verse 90. Because of the reason why he even wrote the letter. Like it's a whole lot of false teachers. They was more concerned about the law than they were Jesus. And he knew that I gotta, I gotta bring them back to the truth. Hallelujah. You saw what I did while I was there with you. Keep doing that. Hallelujah. Stay focused on what you know. Amen. Hallelujah. Because at the end of the day, while they are trying to teach you about the law, they cannot keep the law themselves. Hallelujah. Amen. People who are trying to keep the law, all they're doing is they want you to pat them on the back. You want you to clap for them that's trying to keep the law. Hallelujah. Amen. They want to be judge and jury, but they forget. They they we all will stand before him. What he said, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. He is Lord. Hallelujah. Amen. This is what he said. This is what he said. I gotta move a little second. Okay. So he said, and the God of peace shall be with you. He says, verse 10, but I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at the last your care of me have flourished in. We're in. Ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want, but I have learned in whatsoever state I am, I am, therewith to be content. Pause for a second. He said, He said, I have learned. He had to learn it. Hallelujah. This is something that took time. It's a lesson that we learn. We have to learn

Learning Contentment In Every Season

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how to be content with what we have. No matter the circumstances. No matter what we have, this is something that we learn as time passes. Hallelujah. Mother Brown said, your peace is good even in times of trouble. Hallelujah. That's when you know that your peace is resting in God. Because trouble and trouble can be happening. You know, the wind can be blowing, the trees can be blowing, the rain can be pouring, the skies can be thundering and lightning. You still got your peace. Hallelujah. Amen. Hell can be going on all around you. But it's like you're in this bubble that's protected by peace. Hallelujah. That the things that's happening, you're not affected by it. Hallelujah. Ms. Renda said, Amen, to God be the Lord. He learned this thing. Amen. And the fact that we learned it since we didn't know it at first. Hallelujah. Amen. At first, when I started out, I was ambitious to the point where I felt like I had to have this thing. I had to uh attain this thing, not realizing it would send me into debt. I had to have this job, and I begged and begged for this job, not realizing it would keep me. I would never be at home. Hallelujah. Amen. I'm just making some examples, but he says, but he says it was. He said, I know both how to be abase, which is poor. He says, I know how to abound, which is rich. He says, everywhere in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry. He says, both to abound and to suffer need. Hallelujah. He says, I've experienced it all. How many of us in the room have experienced it all? All of us have experienced having more than enough. We've experienced having less than enough. Hallelujah. We've experienced having just enough. Come on, somebody. I know I'm not the only one in the room. Hallelujah. Just enough. Hallelujah. I'm talking about one or two meals in the refrigerator. Hallelujah. One thing that I've learned, though, those few meals that I did have, that I could make something out of it, was the best meal, hallelujah, that I think I can ever put in my mouth. Hallelujah. God is the way maker. He says, I can do all things in Christ with strength in me. Hallelujah. We gotta know that we can do all things. This is a part of refinement, amen. Lord, you got to go through those periods and moments where you have less so you can appreciate the more. That is refinement. Hallelujah. You gotta go through those moments when you have more than enough. Amen. What are you gonna do when you got more than enough? Are you gonna keep it on to yourself? Amen. Or you're gonna share it with somebody. Those are moments of refinement. Hallelujah. To God be your glory.

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God makes the way.

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He makes the way. Well it don't even look like there is one. Hallelujah. Amen. Wait a minute. Let me read her comment. It was long. It was a little long. Let me see. She said, wait a minute, wait a minute. Y'all hold your peace. Hold your peace. Oh, hold on. Hold your mule. Hold on, hold on. There we go. Oh, wait a minute.

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Okay.

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Okay. Alright. Okay. Mother Diane said, nobody is going to escape that declaration. To God. Talk about every knee shall bow. Every time we'll confess. Amen. Believe it said, Amen. Nothing is better than that peaceful feeling when all hell is going on around you and you still stand in your peace. Hallelujah. Amen. Amen. I mean, and that's the truth. That is the truth. Like, we all get it. Hallelujah. Yes, a poor, poor man meals. Hallelujah. You may do what you got. Hallelujah. Amen. You appreciate it. Uh, yes, God has been there in all cases. God will provide. Hallelujah. Amen. So this is why, and see, that's why, look, it's important for us too when we run into people who are struggling. We can share a story. Share a story with them of how there was a moment when you were struggling. And go into detail. Share with them what you had to do. Hallelujah. Because when you go into detail, they know that they're not just vain words and saying to them, oh, it'll be all right. Whatever. You don't know what you're talking about. But when you go into a story, let me wait a minute. Let me let me share this with you. I want to share this with you. You know, and you go into detail and time. I thought I had it bad. You don't know how many times I begin to share my story, and they're looking at me like, wow, wow, yeah. You see me, right? I'm still here. You can make it. You can make it. Hallelujah. This is when when you go into detail of your story, you don't just tell your story to everybody. You know what I mean? People, the people who get that that piece of you, they appreciate it. And it takes them. Do you know how how how it can carry them into their next season of not giving up? Hallelujah. When you express to them that you can do all things through Christ. Because he's gonna give you the strength. Hallelujah. God gave me the strength when my son was tragically taken from us. Hallelujah. God gave me the strength. I didn't have the strength. I still don't have the strength a lot of times. Hallelujah. Amen. But God gave it to me. Amen. To God be the glory. What was that thing? Well, you can look back and say, God gave me the strength. Amen. I didn't, my flesh said you can't do that. But the spirit in you rose up. And you did it. Amen. You had to do it. Hallelujah. Won't no choice. Wasn't no options. I did what I had to do. In that moment. Hallelujah. Amen. And God saw me through. Amen. I didn't think, I remember one time being Velita, we were doing okay, we were doing Christmas orders. And we stayed up for two days straight. You hear me? Hallelujah. We was doing bacon and all of that stuff. And look, we worked today. But one day, we worked on orders. We went to work. Came back home, worked on worked on orders. Went back to work. Came home, worked on orders again. It was two days straight. We didn't even sleep at all. Do you hear me? And the whole time we drinking just five hours drinking, energy drink, coffee, all of this stuff. Because we had overwhelmed ourselves. But at the end of the day, God did. It was Christ that gave us the strength to do it. Because in our presence, there was no way in the world we could do that. Hallelujah. I know believers tell you too. I'm telling you. That's real. Amen. Day by day. Meals, yes, yes, but God. Hallelujah. Amen. Alan said, Amen. Those moments make us strong in our faith because we knew it was no one but God. Hallelujah. And hallelujah again. Let's wrap it up. Look, he says, notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippi, look, now ye Philippians, know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. Paul is appreciating what they did for him for him in his time of need. And he makes it as point to say you didn't have to, but you did. And I'm grateful for it. Hallelujah.

Gratitude Giving And God’s Supply

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He says, for even in Thessalonica, he sent once and again unto my necessity. Hallelujah. He says, Not because I desired a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound into your account. Hallelujah. I didn't expect you to do it, but you did it for me more than once. Hallelujah. Amen. He says, but I have all and abound. I am full having received of Aphroditis the things which were sent from me. An odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus. In other words, he said, I can't pay you back. But what I know is that whatever your needs might be, God for you. You may use these things to me, and I can't pay you back at this point. But God is going to take care of you. Hallelujah. Because you showed it to the man of God. You showed and you made sure I was okay. God is going to bless you. When people come in your life and bless you, especially unexpectedly, bless them. That God will supply their need and send some. Amen. When they give to you, don't take it for granted. Be appreciative and be grateful. Because the thing about it is, is they have to do it. Hallelujah. Some people unfortunately walk around as if people have to do things for them. They don't have to do nothing. Hallelujah. So when people do things for us, let us make sure that we let them know that we are grateful for. He says, for it. Verse 20. He says to us, now unto God, our Father, be glory forever and ever. Amen. Hallelujah. This is a part of refinement. Amen. I'm going to begin to talk about refinement. And then over this, because things are separate. I got all of these things going on. It's time to bring things together. Hallelujah. Because it's all one body. Hallelujah. Refinement. Amen. God is doing some things in us and through us that only He can do. To God be the glory. Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me. Greet you. All the saints salute you. Chiefly they that are of Caesar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. And amen. Hallelujah. So that wraps up the book of Philippians. Amen. Now when we're looking at this from the perspective of refinement, and everything that we have learned on tonight, uh, hallelujah. Or since we've been reading this book, what would you say that God has refined? I mean, we always ask, I always ask you to give me a takeaway. But what is the thing that God has moved out of your life, out of this season, and brought forth in this season? Hallelujah. Because that is refinement. So you figure out how to answer

Refinement Takeaways And Journaling

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that. I'm going to pray. Um, in a way that's personal to you, that you want the world to know. You know, I'm gonna read it. Hallelujah. God has showed so much for me, showed up so much for me. I just know now he's got me. Hallelujah. Amen. To God be the glory. Amen, Alan, to God be the glory. Now, Alan's getting ready to go. I G I T T V on YouTube. Today is Thursday. Bible study is coming up at 7:30 or 8 o'clock. Um, so if you can, you have the time, join him over there. Hallelujah. Him and sick and go get them. They're gonna be there sharing the word of God. Hallelujah. So Amen and Amen. Complete dependence on him. Hallelujah. And now's a good time to keep a journal. Yeah. Good time to keep a journal. Because we have all of these thoughts. Sometimes we need we need those thoughts in the midnight hour. That's what I be teaching. That's what I teach in on my podcast. Is that you know our notes can be a saving grace in a midnight hour where we are weeping, looking for the morning. That makes sense. Hallelujah. Amen. Uh the spirit said, My takeaway, we serve an awesome God. He gave his only son for us. Let us live our lives for him. Amen. Hallelujah. And amen. Let's pray. Father, thank you again for your grace and your mercy. Thank you, God, for allowing us to complete the book of Philippians. And I just pray in the name of Jesus that we are not fooled or dismayed or tripped by the adversary, listening to false teachers. I pray in the name of Jesus that we would be focused on our relationship with you so that we can hear you, so that we can discern your voice from chaos. I pray in the name of Jesus, that your peace will continue to remain with us, so that we're not disturbed with the things that are going on around us, God. I pray, God, that we also

Closing Prayer And Next Gatherings

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would continue to pour out where it is necessary to the people that come into our past. I pray in the name of Jesus as you continue to knit things together. I pray, God, that we were we are able to see what is ahead. We're able to not look at the past and regret, but look at the past and learn. Learn the lesson that you are teaching us, I pray in the name of Jesus. That you will continue to guide us along that way. Continue to lead us, God, shake us, make us, and mold us. Uh, into the man and woman of God, you desire us to be. Uh, Father, I pray that in the opening prayer, but I also pray that in the closing prayer as well, God, because God, we just want to be what you have created us to be. We want to be more like you, God. Thank you for your word. Thank you, God, for giving us clarity and understanding. And I just pray that each and every one of us will uh apply the word of God. That we don't get puffed up with knowledge, but we will apply it, that we will see the refining process working in us and through us, God. I pray in the name of Jesus that we don't resist the process, we don't resist. Uh, don't attempt to resist uh what it is that you're doing in our lives. And what another thing, God, that we understand that in refinement, God, uh, when we come out of the fire, we come out as gold, but we're also able to look and see what's left behind. I pray, God, that we would honor the things that we left behind, God, and we leave it there. I pray, God, that we walk as a new man, you desire us to be. I pray, God, that we will commit everything to you, that you will establish our steps. I pray, God, that we'll move in obedience. I pray in the name of Jesus that uh we will be there for each other. Um I pray, God, that we would know that as we go through this life, that nothing will separate us from your love. That you love us no matter what. I pray in the name of Jesus that you will continue to allow us to see what we need to see. Father, we thank you so much. And we just pray for those who don't know you more today. We pray, God, that they come to know you. Pray that your children are on assignment and ready to do what you called us to do. Each and every one of us. God, we pray your forgiveness things that we say it does, though. That and I please say you're sighting that by grace, you will forgive us. I pray, God, wrapping up this prayer by saying, please continue to bless us indeed. Continue to enlarge our territory. Your hand will be right there, that your hand will be right there with us, and you will keep the evil one away. God, thank you for the Jabaz prayer, and thank you for Psalms 121 as well, God. We pray that you will continue to consume us with your consuming fire. That we would continue to go for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. God, we love you and we thank you. We pray that this prayer, our prayer, is pleasing and acceptable in your sight. God, we say thank you again. And the prayer that we ask it in Jesus Christ, we didn't pray. Amen and amen and amen. Hallelujah. Amen. Mother Brown said he moved out, he moved, he moved out me having to deal with things concerning the house. He moved her out of the way in concern in in regard to not having to worry about things that you know go wrong with her house. I think that's what she's trying to say. Hallelujah. Um showing us who he is. Hallelujah. Comments coming in kind of face, I'm trying to understand, but I think that's what she's saying. I got you. I got you, gotcha, gotcha, I believe. Oh, I got it right. And Miss Brenda said, God moved from me that I don't have to have to shoulder everything because I can just give it to him, knowing his will won't be done. Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And Melinda said, Amen. Amen. Y'all have a beautiful night. Amen. Um, I intend on being back tomorrow. Same time, same place, 6 30. Um, right here uh on Exposed Life Change Ministries page. Uh, y'all can join me in the morning, morning motivation. Um, certainly welcome. I do that at 7 o'clock every single day. After a friend, I would love to have you there. Amen. So, um, y'all have a great night.

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We'll see you all tomorrow.

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Amen. Amen. Blessings of love for me and you. Have a good night.