WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.919 Again, my name is Brian Robinson, and I'm one of the elders here at Christ the Redeemer, and I'm excited to be up here talking about Philippians. 00:00:06.240 --> 00:00:09.359 Before I do, I'd love for us to pray. 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:21.199 Heavenly Father, I do pray for each of us, the speaker included, to know that you are here with us and to have some peace with that. 00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:28.160 I pray that people would feel your presence through the communion, through the preaching the word, and through the songs that we sing. 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:29.600 In Jesus' name I pray. 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:30.559 Amen. 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:40.240 So these verses, Paul talks about pressing on towards the goal, kind of running the race, this idea of going after something, pressing into something. 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:43.280 And running is something I enjoy doing. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:44.320 I like to run. 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:47.119 As I've gotten older, I've enjoyed it more. 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:49.200 I think it's a way to clear my mind. 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:51.679 It's a pretty efficient way to burn calories. 00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:55.920 And it's also a good way to have a conversation with good friends. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:59.920 And one of my favorite people to run with is right here on the front row. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:03.359 And I want Brad to stand up and they'll have a little illustration. 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:05.120 Makes you a little nervous. 00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:06.560 Come on up here. 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:10.159 Brad and I have had a lot of really good conversations. 00:01:10.239 --> 00:01:11.760 Why don't you come right here? 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:12.879 Just make you uncomfortable? 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:13.120 Yes. 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:13.599 A little bit? 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:14.159 Yes. 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:14.799 I'm glad. 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:17.200 That was part of the reason I'm doing this. 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:18.319 Just make you a little uncomfortable. 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:19.120 Good thing I'm here. 00:01:19.280 --> 00:01:19.840 Yeah, good. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:20.480 I'm glad. 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:27.040 So when so Brad is very gracious to run with me, mostly because I am much slower than Brad. 00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:29.200 Brad is a lot faster than I am. 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:34.879 So he kind of has to slow down when we run together, which is true in a lot of things in life. 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:42.560 So when Brad and I are running, if you see us running together, I want you to run in place for me. 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:43.439 Now please. 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:46.400 Yeah, for real. 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:52.319 So when Brad and I are running together, Brad's kind of right here, and I'm usually kind of right back here. 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:56.640 And one of us is trying to get the other to slow down a little bit. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:57.359 That's me. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:01:58.959 I'm like, slow down. 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:00.159 I can't go that fast. 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:04.959 And one of us, maybe Brad, is trying to get me to speed up a little bit. 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:05.439 Okay? 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:06.879 And uh keep going. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:07.519 Keep going. 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:13.199 Um so I um I was very validated a few years ago. 00:02:13.439 --> 00:02:16.080 Bo T, will you come up here with please? 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:16.719 Yeah. 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:21.280 Love the opportunity to stand up here and talk and embarrass my friends. 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:27.199 So we were uh in New York together and we went on a long run, and Bo Bo experienced this with me. 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:29.439 Bo, where were you in relation to Brad? 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:31.599 Yeah, yeah, and and I was here too. 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:36.159 We were both back here, and this guy was still up here running. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:37.280 Simon says, Stop. 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:37.840 You can stop. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:38.639 All right. 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:39.919 You can sit down now. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:40.319 Thank you. 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:40.800 Good job. 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:41.599 Appreciate it. 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:46.479 Um so it reminds me a little bit of a Seinfeld quote. 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:50.000 I love Seinfeld, and Seinfeld says this about driving. 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:59.599 He says, Have you ever noticed that anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone driving faster than you is a maniac. 00:02:59.759 --> 00:03:03.120 You're the only person going the perfect speed. 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:07.439 And I am that way in many, in many parts of my life, I'm that way. 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:12.240 And I'm starting to learn that I can learn a lot from people that are faster than me, like Brad. 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:15.840 He also drives a lot faster than me, but that's a different illustration. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:21.199 Um let's talk about Philippians now. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:40.240 Um, the passage in Philippians is actually, I'm glad that I'm getting to teach on this because I think um it's a good illustration of why Manny and I and a few other families in Marietta felt compelled, felt like the Lord was calling us to help start a church in Marietta about five years ago. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:49.120 Because in the past, when I would hear a message on these verses, it's usually centered around pressing on towards the goal. 00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:52.639 What are you doing to press on towards the goal? 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:58.000 Like, and so you leave and you feel very emotional and you want to do something. 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:03.520 Um, and so I would leave, but by Tuesday afternoon, I would usually crash and burn. 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:08.479 Or maybe even, if you ask Manny, maybe Sunday on the way home from church I would crash and burn. 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:10.080 I couldn't do that. 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:14.879 And I think the reason why we can't do that is because there's no power. 00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:18.399 I don't have any power in and of my own flesh. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:22.079 The power is actually in verse 12, and I'll talk about that. 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:30.079 He says, I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:34.240 The power comes from Jesus and his life in us. 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:39.040 And when we first heard this teaching, it kind of felt like a waterfall of relief. 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:46.720 It felt like, oh man, that that's the secret because I've been failing over and over and over again on my own. 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:51.040 And so there was it felt like a big weight off my shoulders. 00:04:51.279 --> 00:05:01.120 Um last week Russ talked about the beginning of chapter three, and that's where we are in my verses, um, and this is all centered on knowing Christ. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:07.839 Um, the the beginning of chapter three, Paul is talking about um, I consider it all loss. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:12.000 Like he he considers his whole life nothing to know Christ. 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:18.480 So this whole pressing on and running towards the goal is all about him knowing Christ. 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:26.079 And I'm gonna go through this passage verse by verse, but I'll spend most of my time on verses 12 and 13, the first couple of verses. 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:39.839 Um, verse 12 says, Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:41.439 So what is the this? 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:43.360 Not that I've already obtained this. 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:47.040 The this he's talking about is knowing Christ. 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:52.240 Paul counts his whole life lost to know the Son of the living God. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:54.879 And I would ask you, do you know him? 00:05:55.199 --> 00:06:01.680 Like, not know about him, not not like, can you tell me some things about Jesus' life, but do you know him? 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:11.439 And I think that to know him, to really know Jesus, we have to know a little bit about ourselves and our brokenness. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:18.240 And we say often here that we are loved as we are, not as we should be, because none of us are as we should be. 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:27.199 And that brokenness can sometimes look like uh failure, look like depression, but sometimes it can look like pride. 00:06:27.360 --> 00:06:31.199 Like we think we're doing it all well, like my example of my driving. 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:33.279 I think I'm going the perfect speed. 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:38.800 We don't just need a little bit of help and a little bit of improvement. 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:43.040 We actually need a death to self and a resurrection. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:45.519 And we have that in Christ. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:51.040 2 Corinthians 5 says, we are new creations in Christ. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:07:02.399 So on earth, our battle is between our flesh and the new life that Christ has given to us and remembering that he has given us that new life. 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:09.360 Um, my older daughters and Mandy and I have been watching this summer uh an HBO miniseries that I love. 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:10.800 Uh it's called Band of Brothers. 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:23.439 So it's about World War II, probably some of you have seen it, and it follows the 101st Airborne Unit, Easy Company, and uh follows them from Normandy and then Battle of the Bulge and then The Eagle's Nest. 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:28.319 And in episode three, which is called Carrington, it deals with fear. 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:38.560 Um and there's a private Blythe that it follows, and Private Blythe is terrified, and he has good reason to be terrified because people are trying to kill him. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:42.160 Um and so there's a there's another soldier named Spears. 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:45.920 And if and if you've watched this and you're a man, you want to be Spears. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:54.480 Like Spears is tough, he is courageous, he um he is going after it, he is he is victorious and killing Germans. 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:58.720 Um and so I have this quote printed in your bulletin from Spears. 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:04.079 So Spears is running around and he finds Blythe in a ditch hiding, and they're fighting. 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:10.160 And Blythe is hiding and not shooting anyone, not going after it, and Spears finds him in this ditch. 00:08:10.240 --> 00:08:14.399 And Spears says to him, Blythe, what are you doing in this ditch? 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:15.439 Why are you here? 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:18.160 And Blythe says, I'm scared. 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:19.439 That's why I'm in here. 00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:20.800 And we can all relate to this. 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:22.560 I would be scared if I was him too. 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:26.319 Um and Spears says to him, We're all scared. 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:31.040 You hid in that ditch because you think there's still hope. 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:37.120 But Blythe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:44.399 And the sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:46.639 All war depends on it. 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:56.080 What Spears is saying is, and I think the the relevancy to this talk is we don't we are new creations. 00:08:56.159 --> 00:09:11.440 Our, you know, we are dead to self, and once we can forget about our reputations and stop trying to protect what we have and start stop trying to protect the things of this earth, we can live as if we're supposed to function. 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:17.039 Paul Zall, a priest and an author, I have this in your bulletin as well, says it this way. 00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:20.480 You really have to start by being a dead man. 00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:23.840 You have to have gone through the Red Sea and died. 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:30.240 Then you're in kind of a way Teflon because you're a living dead person. 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:33.360 This is protection in a human sense. 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:38.399 I've been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who lives. 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:40.159 That's Galatians 2.20. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:45.440 These are not just ideas, these are actualities. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:57.360 So our hope doesn't come from our gifts and our lives, it comes from Christ and what he has done for us, and now as believers, what he is doing in us and through us. 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:08.399 So the second part of that verse it says, to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:14.000 I think this is to me the linchpin of the verse of this section. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:16.000 We have to understand the motive. 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:17.679 That's where the power is. 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:22.480 1 John 4.19 says, we love because he first loved us. 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:27.200 Every other religion and form of self-help doesn't start there. 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:28.159 It starts with us. 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:33.360 It tells us we have to be lovable to ourselves first before we can love other people. 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:36.159 It tells us, you know, do more, try harder. 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:44.159 It doesn't start with the power is in understanding that Christ Jesus has made me his own. 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:47.919 Me, the me that no one else knows, the broken me. 00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:50.960 So what does this really look like on the ground? 00:10:51.120 --> 00:11:02.960 Like these are big thoughts, but I had an experience a few weeks ago as I was preparing for this, where going through a stressful situation at work, and uh I woke up at about 4 a.m. 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:05.679 and I was just thinking about this situation. 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:07.759 And my stomach was kind of a knots. 00:11:07.919 --> 00:11:11.679 I just had anxiety, that butterfly feeling, not a fun feeling. 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:21.200 Um and I was just thinking about it, I couldn't get it out of my head, finally got out of bed about six, uh, went to work, still had that anxiety, that feeling all day long. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:30.639 And I went home, and as I was walking home, I was kind of thinking about it and praying, and I felt God say to me, not audibly, but I felt this and I know this. 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:34.879 I felt him say, I am going to take care of you. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:38.320 And I felt like his hand, his arm was around my shoulders. 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:41.759 And he said, I have been taking care of you. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:45.519 And that doesn't look like what I think it's going to look like always. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:58.879 Um, usually it doesn't look like what I think it's going to look like, but I think it's true, and I think that is powerful, and that is my experience of because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:01.360 Let's go to verse 13. 00:12:01.440 --> 00:12:11.600 Um, Paul says, but one thing I do, so the one thing Paul talks about doing is forgetting the things that lie behind. 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:21.840 You have to remember, Paul is in prison while he's writing this, and part of him probably wants to escape all this persecution and all this prison and go to heaven. 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:24.320 He actually says this in chapter one. 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:29.039 So we know from Paul, even Paul's life was hard. 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:35.840 Um there may be some of you that are going, there probably are some of us that are going through things that are hard. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:39.919 Jesus says in John 16, there will be trials. 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:52.320 Um, you may be experiencing that right now through a child going wayward, through a divorce, through a death, just through work being hard or life being hard. 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:59.600 But our hope is to press on towards the goal for the prize to know Jesus more. 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:01.600 That is where our hope is. 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:07.600 Verse 15, let those of us who are mature think this way. 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:11.759 It's okay to actually talk about being mature in Christ. 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:13.039 In fact, it's biblical. 00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:17.600 I think in our church, we do a great job talking about brokenness. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:19.360 And I think that's awesome. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:25.279 I think Russ does a great job from the pulpit talking about our sin and how we are not as we should be. 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:30.080 And I think this helps us not put on masks as often in this church. 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:33.919 But I also think it's okay to talk about being mature. 00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:42.960 Paul says, let those of us who are mature, um, I think I think it's good to talk about maturity in Christ because it's encouraging to each other. 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:49.360 We can see Jesus working in others' lives, not just our own or our spouses. 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:58.879 Um the second part of verse 15, if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that to you also. 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:03.440 I love this idea of unity among believers. 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:07.120 And Philippians talks about this a lot in chapters 1 and 2. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:13.759 Um I love it that Paul says, if in anything you he says, if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that to you. 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:17.519 He doesn't say, if you think otherwise, I'm going to show you how you're wrong. 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:20.320 He trusts that the Lord will reveal that. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:25.519 Um this idea of unity among believers, I think is best captured. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:47.919 Um, Jesus before he was crucified in John 17 says the high priestly prayer, which is in your bulletin, um, says, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 00:14:48.320 --> 00:15:07.279 The glory that you have given me, and I have given to them, that they may be one, even as we are one, I and them, and you and me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and love them, even as you love me. 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:17.360 Um sometimes I think as believers we like to differentiate ourselves because we think that our theology is superior to other people's theology. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:19.039 I do this very often. 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:23.840 Um, and that's what these verses are about is our unity in Christ. 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:33.279 Um, Pastor Scotty Smith has a commentary for those verses that I just read, and this is one of my favorite things I've read on unity in Christ. 00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:40.480 Jesus prays for the unity, not the uniformity of his believers. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:47.759 God is praised, and the world takes notice when Christians demonstrate a spirit-given unity. 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:56.639 Our fallen instincts encourage us to build our identity on what distinguishes us even from other believers. 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:01.360 But Jesus exposes the self-centeredness of such a mindset. 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:11.679 Our union with Christ brings a unity in Christ that transcends all secondary disagreements. 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:13.679 I love that last sentence. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:20.799 Our union with Christ brings a unity in Christ that transcends all secondary disagreements. 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:24.799 Um I love that Paul is talking about that. 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:27.360 If you think otherwise, God will reveal that to you. 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:29.200 Um, it's not his job. 00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:41.120 The next verse in Philippians 3, uh, verse 17 join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:46.879 Paul is talking about surrounding yourselves with other believers and building each other up in Christ. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.600 As I've mentioned before, that encourages each other. 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:53.919 It's encouraging to hear what Jesus is doing in other people's lives. 00:16:54.720 --> 00:17:00.720 Verse 18 and 19 Many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:11.279 Their end is destruction, their God is their belly, and they glory in their shame with minds set on earthly things. 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:18.640 Watchman Need, the author, says, When we live with our bodies or our flesh controlling what we do, we live as beasts. 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:21.200 Paul has serious language for this. 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:23.759 He says their end is destruction. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:28.960 Um when we have our minds set on earthly things, and that can be a whole lot of different things. 00:17:29.119 --> 00:17:36.720 It could be a vacation is an earthly thing, alcohol is an earthly thing, tobacco, it could be our reputation. 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:39.599 There's so many things that we make into idols. 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:52.720 I think even gossip, just having that little bit of knowledge that you want to share with someone else to make yourself feel powerful, those are earthly things, and the end of that is destruction. 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:55.920 There's no life there, there's no rest there. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:59.119 Verses 20 and 21. 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:02.400 Our citizenship is in heaven. 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:03.519 C.S. 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:16.319 Lewis says if we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world. 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:23.279 I went to a funeral not too long ago, and it was an older, seasoned pastor that gave the eulogy. 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:33.519 And he said that the reason why he thinks that the Bible doesn't talk specifically more about heaven is because we would all want to go there. 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:35.920 Um, and I think that's probably true. 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:43.039 Um he said the four words that we will not say or hear when we get to heaven are, I had hoped that. 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:46.880 Um, because I think the heaven is the end of hope. 00:18:47.119 --> 00:19:01.759 Um later in verse 21, he says, Paul says, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself. 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:09.839 Again, it's this whole idea of the power doesn't come from me, the power comes from God and his son and his spirit. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:20.799 And then the last verse, um, chapter four, verse one, therefore, my brothers, whom I long who I love and long for, my joy and crown. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:24.319 Stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:31.839 So the word there he used for stand firm means to be stationary, to persevere, to persist. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:34.240 It's not us out there getting it done. 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:37.279 That may be the fruit of standing firm. 00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:41.200 Um and then beloved is the indicative. 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:43.839 That tells us who we are in Christ. 00:19:44.400 --> 00:19:49.440 That means esteemed, dear, favorite, or worthy of love. 00:19:49.920 --> 00:20:01.680 I had a friend recently tell me that he had gone on vacation and it just didn't, he had been looking forward to this vacation, and it just didn't, just didn't live up to what he thought it was going to be. 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:03.119 It just kind of let him down. 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:17.759 And he went back to his work life and he's working lots of hours, and he's on Instagram or on social media, and he's seeing all these people doing all these things that he's not doing, and his own vacation just let him down, and so now he's just he's kind of depressed. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:22.000 And uh he was asking me about you know, how do you get out of this? 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:23.839 And I can relate to this very well. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:25.279 I'm I'm the same. 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:40.960 And um I happen to be reading through this passage, and I think when we are in the midst of that comparison game, um stand firm in his love one day at a time is the answer to that. 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:49.279 Sam's been singing a song, and he's gonna sing it later, that has meant a lot to me, and I think this is what Paul talks about. 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:56.000 Um is called Build My Life, and I'm gonna close just by reading the main lines in the song. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:00.799 It says, I will build my life upon your love. 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:03.920 It is a firm foundation. 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:09.680 I will put my trust in you alone, and I will not be shaken. 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:10.960 Let's pray. 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:11.839 I'll close. 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:18.880 Heavenly Father, um, we're so thankful for what you're doing at this church and what you're doing in Marietta. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:45.680 I do pray that um we would all know that you as belie that you have made us your own, as believers in you, that you have called us your adopted sons and your adopted daughters, and I pray that would seep into the crevices of our hearts that don't believe that, and that we would leave here today and this week just reminding ourselves that that's who we are in you, and that that would lead to some fruit. 00:21:46.160 --> 00:21:48.000 I pray all these things in your son's name. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:48.319 Amen.