Pastor’s Message – December 2020

Philip was a college sophomore with a bright future. He was a star on the basketball team and a handsome young man. Along with his athletic abilities and his teen heartthrob looks, he had good grades. Philip was well liked by his professors, the envy of all the young men on campus, and the desire of all the young women. As his celebrity climbed, so did his desire to attend parties and hang out. Soon, Philip was no longer a good student, his play on the basketball court suffered, and he was placed on academic probation. A semester later, he was removed from the basketball team and expelled from school for poor academic performance. Realizing this was a chance to demonstrate his resolve, Philip attended community college for a year, improved his study habits, and his grades rose. He returned to the university and graduated with a master’s degree in accounting. He now works for an international accounting firm and attributes the majority of his success to his expulsion and the year he spent improving his study habits.

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

Philippians 1:12-14

Paul was experiencing difficult circumstances, but he wanted the Philippians to know that God was using his suffering to promote the gospel. Being in prison would cause most of us to become bitter or give up, but Paul saw it as one more opportunity to spread the Good News of Christ Jesus. The apostle recognized that his current circumstances weren’t as important as what he did with them. Turning a bad situation into a good one, he reached out to the Roman soldiers who made up the palace guard and encouraged those Christians who were afraid of persecution. Other Christians were encouraged because they knew that Paul’s imprisonment was for Christ. They gained confidence and proclaimed God’s Word fearlessly because of him. We may not be in prison like Paul, but we still have plenty of opportunities to be discouraged. We may have times of indecision, financial burden, family conflict, church conflict, or the loss of our jobs. How we act in the midst of these situations will reflect what we believe. Philip used his expulsion not as a time of discouragement, but a time of encouragement. Philip’s resolve during that year will encourage others who encounter the same obstacle in the midst of their academic journey. When you run into the next stumbling block, you should look for ways to show your faith even in the toughest of situations. Regardless of how that situation turns out, your faith will grow stronger.

God’s blessings in all you do,
Pastor Ross