Takeaway Verse: Philippians 4:13
For I can do everything through Christ,[a] who gives me strength.
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Transcription:
Narrator: [00:00:00] Purposely. Your life, God’s purpose. Listen at onpurposely.com.
Erica Parkerson: Welcome to the Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica Parkerson. This is the place where we meet up to read half a chapter of God’s word together, and remember how loved we are. Jesus extends an amazing invitation to us in the Bible. He says, come to me and I WILL give you rest. This is us RSVPing: YES! to that invitation. So take a deep breath, and let’s get started.
Today’s episode is called, “EVERYTHING”, and you might think you know what it means, but I looked it up just in case. It means all things. All the things of a group or class, the current situation, life in general. So keep that definition in mind. I am so excited. We’re about to read the last passage in the book of Philippians together. Paul [00:01:00] wrote this letter to the church in Philippi to encourage the Christians there. He was in jail himself. He has spent so much time encouraging us from a jail cell reminding you, reminding me that joy can be found in jail, joy can be found in whatever circumstances you are living through right now. So before we dive in to the second half of Philippians chapter four, let’s give our time to the Lord.
Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus. We thank you for this day and we ask you to open our hearts and our eyes to what you want us to understand and see in your word right now in Jesus name. Amen.
Okay. We are busy people, so we’re gonna dive right in to Philippians chapter four, and we’re gonna pick it up in verse eight. “And now dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing. As I close this letter, fix your thoughts on what is [00:02:00] true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent, and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.”
What are some of those things that Paul asked us to do? He prescribed every single day, not worrying, but praying about everything. He prescribed, thanking God for everything. He said, that’s how you and I are gonna find the peace that God wants to give us. So he says, keep doing those things, and the God of peace will be with you. So encouraging.
“How grateful I am and how I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but for a while, you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily, [00:03:00] whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing, or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”
Here’s our takeaway verse: “For, I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. Yes. But even, so you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty. As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I brought you the good news and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this.
Even when I was in Thessolonika you sent help more than once. I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. What I want is for you to receive a well earned reward because of your kindness. At the moment I have all I need, more than I need. I am [00:04:00] generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They’re a sweet smelling sacrifice that is acceptable to God and pleases him. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now glory be to God, our father forever and ever. Amen. Give my greetings to all the Christians there, the brothers who are with me here send you their greetings and all the other Christians send their greetings too, especially those who work in Caesar’s palace. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”
We’re gonna go back to our takeaway verse for a moment: “For, I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” There was a time when my son was dying. He was 17 years old and he was battling ulcerative colitis, which is a horrible [00:05:00] wasting disease. And he had to have his large intestine removed. You can imagine how serious this surgery was. And so I told my son, I said, we are going into battle. We need to take a verse into battle with us. And together, Josh and I chose our takeaway verse today, Philippians 4:13, “For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.”
Following Joshua’s surgery, he was wheeled into one of the hospital rooms. And a nursing assistant walked in, and on his arm was tattooed Philippians 4:13. It was a moment that marked me as a human being, as a mother, as a believer. It was as if the Lord himself was in that room with us. He already was, but the Lord gave me a reminder. He gave me the peace that I needed in that moment. “I’m here, [00:06:00] Erica. You can do this.” And, oh my friend, you, you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. There’s nothing you can’t do. Without him, we can do nothing. With him, remember at the beginning, I said EVERYTHING? We can do EVERYTHING. You can put that word in bold letters. You can put it in italic. You can underline it. You can put in a beautiful color. I like hot pink, whatever color you can choose, you can do EVERYTHING through Christ.
I hope that that encourages you as deeply as it encourages me. I wanna read the last words that Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. And I want you and I to receive them as if he’s written them to us because he did. This is God’s inspired word, it’s for the Philippians, and it’s for you, and it’s for me. Receive these words today: “May the grace of the Lord, Jesus [00:07:00] Christ be with your spirit.” Take a moment and just let the shawl of those words fall on your shoulders and feel their warmth and their sincerity, that grace, that peace that Paul writes about is yours for the asking. So may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Until we meet again. Remember YOU are really loved.
Thank you so much for listening to the Bible for busy people. If you need prayer or you’re ready to go a little deeper in your faith, we’ve posted some resources for you in our show notes. We’d love for you to share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review. It helps us reach even more people with the hope of Jesus. This podcast is part of Purposely, a podcast network designed with practical podcasts to help you find and live in God’s purpose for your life. Find more podcasts that will recharge you at onpurposely.com.[00:08:00]
