For SCC - 3-30-08 Joy In Your Relationships

This past Sunday Sunrise began a new series based on the book of Philippians found in the New Testament of the Bible. The book is really a letter written to the followers of Christ in the city of Philippi. The letter is written from prison by the apostle Paul who had started the church in Philippi ten years earlier on one of his three trips that he and others took to begin sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. You can read about about adventure in Philippi in Acts Chapter 16 of a Bible or in the post above.

Scott Salsman started the series with a message about experiencing Joy In Your Relationships. Sharing from the text found in chapter 1 of Philippians he shared these three truths that if we will apply them to our lives we can increase our joy quota in our relationships.

1. Put people in your thoughts and be thankful for them.

"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3

We tend to think about many things during the day. Scott encouraged us to think about people. Remember people. Paul remembered the people in Philippi and gave thanks for them. He remembered the positive and gave thanks for the people. Paul understood that people are a priority to God and therefore gave thanks as he remembered and prayed for those in Philippi. You and I need to give thanks for people in our lives.

2. Put people in your hearts.

"It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart..." Philippians 1:7a

Not only did Paul think about these people bu he also cherished his relationship with them and considered partners and friends. He cared for these people. He enjoyed these people. He had warm and fuzzy thoughts and feelings for these people and he expressed this to them throughout the letter. Two way for you and I to begin to put people into our hearts is to think about and practice partnership and fellowship. When we begin to flesh out that partnership and fellowship are important to God, relationships, and the Gospel we will begin to fan the flame of warm and fuzzy feelings for people in our lives the joy quota in our relationships will increase.

3. Put people in your prayers."And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11

Praying for people will increase your joy quota as you spend time with God praying for others and watch God do a wonderful work in their lives. You can pray that they will grow in their capacity to love, in their knowledge of God's love, that they will live pure lives, and be filled with God truth and holiness as they live for Jesus Christ. Praying for others will also cause you to grow in Christ and will help you remember others, hold others in your heart and move you higher on the joyful scale of life.