Finding Peace Through Perspective and Gratitude
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Sermon Clips
"So this series, we're calling it Unwrapping Advent, unwrapping the season from the inside out. And I'll start this morning with a story. So it's an old story of two patients that were recovering in the same hospital room. It was a slow recovery. Both were seriously ill. But this was in West Texas, and one was confined to his bed while the other one was in a bed near the window." [00:38:34] (26 seconds)
"And the other one couldn't see out the window. But each day the man, by the window, he would describe what he saw to the other person. And he would describe the children that he saw playing in the park, how it was surprisingly green for West Texas. Couples walking hand in hand. He could see way in the distance a herd of cattle grazing." [00:39:07] (23 seconds)
"Now, in that hospital room, these two men were going through some significant difficulty together. One even led to death. But in the midst of it all, they found a peace that really can't be explained. On this second Sunday in Advent, we talk about how to prepare our mind for peace in the midst of a very chaotic and sometimes difficult, dusty world." [00:40:53] (30 seconds)
"Prison was more of a holding place for people on their way to see the judge. To either get exonerated or to get condemned. Prison was not just a three squares a day and do your time. Prison was only a temporary holding spot. And it really wasn't all that organized for humanitarian care." [00:45:01] (26 seconds)
"Now Paul, however, he felt this responsibility to those younger believing communities that he was involved with. He loved these little churches that he started. He felt responsible for them. And the church in Philippi was one of those. Now the church in Philippi was one of those Roman colonies that was pretty successful." [00:46:19] (24 seconds)
"But, like the man staring through the window, Paul is sharing the beauty of God with some of his favorite people, expecting that someday they're all going to be basking in that beauty of God together. You know, as believers, we should always, as Paul, be living with this expectation of Christ's return." [00:47:32] (27 seconds)
"So, Advent is the season of expectation. It's that moment when we really do expect. It's that moment when we think about the birth of Jesus and we remember, you know, why He came. We remember the whole sense of it all. You know, we think, what would we have done if we were in their shoes?" [00:47:58] (20 seconds)
"You know, we remember during the season because how we remember shapes how we live today. In our focus today, conversely, our focus today determines how we remember. Would we have been expectant? I don't know. Are we living in expectation now for Christ's return? Maybe that's a good litmus test." [00:49:05] (31 seconds)
"Did you know there is beauty in every person that crosses your path? I know it's difficult when you think of all the people that have crossed your path, but everyone, there's beauty there. What is it that you choose to see? Because our focus determines on how we remember." [00:51:23] (25 seconds)
"Now, I'm not sure what Paul went through with the Philippians, but we know what he was going through at the moment. He's going through prison, but even still, as a prisoner, he's helping the Philippians remember some things, and he's giving them hope, and he's sharing the beauty of God with them as he saw it." [00:54:30] (18 seconds)
"Paul was helping his people remember that they are partners in ministry. And I want to remind you too, we are partners in ministry. And I believe it's very important that we today remember this. Every time we engage in some sort of service or encouragement, every time we walk through these doors, we need to remember that we are partners in this life of ministry." [00:59:28] (27 seconds)
"Now, the second part of this text reminds me that we need to help one another remember that we are not done. We are a work in progress. God is still completing His work in us. And so here's a practical way to help, to practice this idea of remembering. Remember that every person you see this week, every person who comes into contact with you, crosses your path, is an uncompleted work of God." [01:01:41] (29 seconds)
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"And the other one couldn't see out the window. But each day the man, by the window, he would describe what he saw to the other person. And he would describe the children that he saw playing in the park, how it was surprisingly green for West Texas. Couples walking hand in hand. He could see way in the distance a herd of cattle grazing." [00:39:07] (23 seconds)
"Now, in that hospital room, these two men were going through some significant difficulty together. One even led to death. But in the midst of it all, they found a peace that really can't be explained. On this second Sunday in Advent, we talk about how to prepare our mind for peace in the midst of a very chaotic and sometimes difficult, dusty world." [00:40:53] (30 seconds)
"Prison was more of a holding place for people on their way to see the judge. To either get exonerated or to get condemned. Prison was not just a three squares a day and do your time. Prison was only a temporary holding spot. And it really wasn't all that organized for humanitarian care." [00:45:01] (26 seconds)
"Now Paul, however, he felt this responsibility to those younger believing communities that he was involved with. He loved these little churches that he started. He felt responsible for them. And the church in Philippi was one of those. Now the church in Philippi was one of those Roman colonies that was pretty successful." [00:46:19] (24 seconds)
"But, like the man staring through the window, Paul is sharing the beauty of God with some of his favorite people, expecting that someday they're all going to be basking in that beauty of God together. You know, as believers, we should always, as Paul, be living with this expectation of Christ's return." [00:47:32] (27 seconds)
"So, Advent is the season of expectation. It's that moment when we really do expect. It's that moment when we think about the birth of Jesus and we remember, you know, why He came. We remember the whole sense of it all. You know, we think, what would we have done if we were in their shoes?" [00:47:58] (20 seconds)
"You know, we remember during the season because how we remember shapes how we live today. In our focus today, conversely, our focus today determines how we remember. Would we have been expectant? I don't know. Are we living in expectation now for Christ's return? Maybe that's a good litmus test." [00:49:05] (31 seconds)
"Did you know there is beauty in every person that crosses your path? I know it's difficult when you think of all the people that have crossed your path, but everyone, there's beauty there. What is it that you choose to see? Because our focus determines on how we remember." [00:51:23] (25 seconds)
"Now, I'm not sure what Paul went through with the Philippians, but we know what he was going through at the moment. He's going through prison, but even still, as a prisoner, he's helping the Philippians remember some things, and he's giving them hope, and he's sharing the beauty of God with them as he saw it." [00:54:30] (18 seconds)
"Paul was helping his people remember that they are partners in ministry. And I want to remind you too, we are partners in ministry. And I believe it's very important that we today remember this. Every time we engage in some sort of service or encouragement, every time we walk through these doors, we need to remember that we are partners in this life of ministry." [00:59:28] (27 seconds)
"Now, the second part of this text reminds me that we need to help one another remember that we are not done. We are a work in progress. God is still completing His work in us. And so here's a practical way to help, to practice this idea of remembering. Remember that every person you see this week, every person who comes into contact with you, crosses your path, is an uncompleted work of God." [01:01:41] (29 seconds)
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