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Dear friends,
I am back from a week of vacation. I spent a day in the garage, installing a posi-traction rear end in my 1967 Camaro. Sharon and I also traveled on Tuesday to the U of M and took our oldest son out for his 21st birthday. Toward the end of the week the whole family took off for the Cities, an IMAX movie called Open Season, an overnight in a hotel that I procured for $50 on Priceline and a longer trip to my home town and family in Northwestern Minnesota. It was a good time away from the pressures AND joys of ministry. But now I am back...
I want to thank Pastor Gordon for preaching for me last Sunday. I look forward to listening to the message online and have heard people were ministered to through the Word. Thanks Gordon!
This coming Sunday I will be preaching on Philippians 3:1-11. My primary focus will be on the difference between "knowing religion" and "knowing Jesus" in a personal and real relationship. The Apostle Paul recognizes that he had a rich religious heritage and yet that background was not the basis for his confidence in life and certainly not the means for his assurance of salvation.
A few issues: Paul says we should put no cnfidence in the flesh (v.3). What do you think this means? Remember, Paul says he has reason to have confidence in his training and ability. In verse 10 Paul's prayer and desire is that he would know Jesus Christ - not only in His power but also in His suffering. Do we as evangelicals in a culture of blessing and comfort really know what it means to share in the "fellowship of His sufferings"? What do you think that means? What does it look like in real life?
Feel free to respond to these two issues or any other phrase in the passage. I look forward to hearing from you. Please pray for me as I prepare and for us as we respond to the Word this week.
Have a blessed week in the Lord!
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I guess it would be interesting to hear about the flesh as the psychological dimension of man as opposed to the spiritual one, and how they overlap, making it sometimes hard to rely solely on God rather than on "peudo-spiritual psychologic tricks" to get us out of harms way...
... if that makes any sense at all! As always thanks for your great work, We really appreciate you as a pastor,
Fabien