Transformative Power of Character and God's Love

 

Summary

### Summary

Good morning, everyone. Today, we celebrated the return of Josh and Chelsea Ritchie to our student ministry. They have a rich history with Beach Church, and we are thrilled to have them back. I encourage everyone to show them love and support in practical ways, like buying their meals or groceries when you see them around town. We also discussed the ongoing nominations for elders, emphasizing the importance of nominating individuals who meet the biblical qualifications and can serve our church community effectively.

We then turned our focus to the transformative power of God's Word. Reading and applying Scripture can bring about significant changes in our lives, offering peace, joy, and improved relationships. I shared a personal story about visiting my mother, who has dementia, to illustrate the importance of caring for loved ones and the emotional challenges that come with it.

Our main Scripture today was from Philippians 2:19-30, where Paul speaks highly of Timothy and Epaphroditus. Their character and dedication to serving others were highlighted as exemplary. Your character is your story of life change, reflecting the impact Jesus has had on you. It's not just about what you say but how you live and treat others. Timothy and Epaphroditus showed genuine care and love through their actions, setting a standard for us to follow.

We also took a moment to honor Kent Parker, who has been a significant part of our student ministry. Kent is leaving to serve with Youth with a Mission (YWAM), and we want to support him financially and through prayer.

Finally, we discussed the importance of getting back up when we fall. Proverbs 24:16 reminds us that the godly may trip seven times but will get up again. I provided five steps to help you get back up: Get honest, extend apologies, think through the lesson, use it as fuel, and press on. Remember, nothing can separate us from the love of God, and His grace is sufficient for all our weaknesses.

### Key Takeaways

1. Character as a Story of Life Change: Your character is a testament to the transformative power of Jesus in your life. It's not just about what you say but how you live and treat others. Timothy and Epaphroditus exemplified this by genuinely caring for others and prioritizing what matters to Jesus. Your actions speak louder than words, and consistent integrity in your actions is evidence of your faith. [34:53]

2. The Power of Scripture: Reading and applying God's Word can bring about significant changes in your life. Whether you're going through a tough time or enjoying a period of peace, applying Scripture can offer you more joy, peace, and improved relationships. It's not enough to just read the Word; you must live it out. [27:57]

3. Supporting Each Other in Ministry: We are called to support those who serve in ministry, just as the Philippian church supported Paul. This support can be financial, emotional, or through prayer. Kent Parker's transition to YWAM is an opportunity for us to show our love and support in tangible ways, reflecting the unity and love within the body of Christ. [42:23]

4. Getting Back Up After Falling: Proverbs 24:16 teaches us that the godly may trip seven times but will get up again. When you fall, it's crucial to get back up and keep moving forward. This involves being honest about your failures, seeking forgiveness, learning from your mistakes, and using them as fuel to grow stronger in your faith. [47:42]

5. Unbreakable Love of God: Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Not our sins, failures, or weaknesses. God's grace is sufficient, and His love is unending. This assurance should encourage us to keep striving for godly character, knowing that His love and grace will always be there to lift us up. [53:38]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[13:16] - Introduction of Josh and Chelsea Ritchie
[14:18] - Elder Nominations
[15:21] - Opening Prayer
[25:15] - Worship and Thanksgiving
[26:17] - Introduction to Philippians 2
[27:17] - Importance of Applying Scripture
[28:35] - Personal Story: Visiting My Mother
[30:02] - Context of Paul's Imprisonment
[32:10] - Character of Timothy and Epaphroditus
[34:53] - Your Character is Your Story of Life Change
[40:48] - Supporting Kent Parker and YWAM
[45:48] - Steps to Get Back Up After Falling
[53:38] - Unbreakable Love of God
[55:17] - Closing Prayer and Invitation to Prayer Team

Study Guide

### Bible Reading
- Philippians 2:19-30: "If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon. Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another. So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away."

### Observation Questions
1. What qualities did Paul highlight about Timothy and Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:19-30?
2. How did the Philippian church support Paul during his imprisonment? ([30:02])
3. What are the five steps mentioned in the sermon to help someone get back up after falling? ([47:42])
4. How did the church in Philippi show their love and support for Paul and Epaphroditus? ([32:10])

### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul emphasize the character of Timothy and Epaphroditus in his letter to the Philippians? What does this tell us about the importance of character in Christian life?
2. How does the support from the Philippian church reflect the unity and love within the body of Christ? ([30:02])
3. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between reading Scripture and experiencing life change? ([27:57])
4. How can the five steps to get back up after falling be applied in practical ways in our daily lives? ([47:42])

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own character. How do your actions reflect the transformative power of Jesus in your life? Are there areas where you need to improve? ([34:53])
2. How can you support those in ministry within your church community, similar to how the Philippian church supported Paul and Epaphroditus? ([32:10])
3. Think of a time when you fell or made a mistake. How did you get back up? Which of the five steps mentioned in the sermon could have helped you during that time? ([47:42])
4. How can you make reading and applying Scripture a more consistent part of your daily routine to experience the peace, joy, and improved relationships mentioned in the sermon? ([27:57])
5. Identify someone in your life who is serving in ministry or missions. What practical steps can you take this week to show them love and support, similar to how the Philippian church supported Paul? ([42:23])
6. Reflect on the assurance that nothing can separate us from the love of God. How does this truth impact your daily life and your response to failures and weaknesses? ([53:38])
7. How can you demonstrate genuine care and love for others in your community, following the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus? ([34:53])

Devotional

Day 1: Character as a Testament to Transformation
Your character is a testament to the transformative power of Jesus in your life. It's not just about what you say but how you live and treat others. Timothy and Epaphroditus exemplified this by genuinely caring for others and prioritizing what matters to Jesus. Your actions speak louder than words, and consistent integrity in your actions is evidence of your faith. [34:53]

Philippians 2:19-22 (ESV): "I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel."

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where your actions did not align with your words. How can you demonstrate genuine care and integrity in a similar situation this week?


Day 2: The Transformative Power of Scripture
Reading and applying God's Word can bring about significant changes in your life. Whether you're going through a tough time or enjoying a period of peace, applying Scripture can offer you more joy, peace, and improved relationships. It's not enough to just read the Word; you must live it out. [27:57]

James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

Reflection: Identify one specific Scripture that has spoken to you recently. How can you apply this Scripture in a practical way in your daily life starting today?


Day 3: Supporting Each Other in Ministry
We are called to support those who serve in ministry, just as the Philippian church supported Paul. This support can be financial, emotional, or through prayer. Kent Parker's transition to YWAM is an opportunity for us to show our love and support in tangible ways, reflecting the unity and love within the body of Christ. [42:23]

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (ESV): "We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves."

Reflection: Think of someone in ministry you know personally. What is one practical way you can support them this week, whether through a kind gesture, financial support, or prayer?


Day 4: Getting Back Up After Falling
Proverbs 24:16 teaches us that the godly may trip seven times but will get up again. When you fall, it's crucial to get back up and keep moving forward. This involves being honest about your failures, seeking forgiveness, learning from your mistakes, and using them as fuel to grow stronger in your faith. [47:42]

Micah 7:8 (ESV): "Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent failure or setback. What steps can you take today to get back up and move forward, using this experience as a lesson and motivation for growth?


Day 5: The Unbreakable Love of God
Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Not our sins, failures, or weaknesses. God's grace is sufficient, and His love is unending. This assurance should encourage us to keep striving for godly character, knowing that His love and grace will always be there to lift us up. [53:38]

Romans 8:38-39 (ESV): "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you feel distant from God's love? How can you remind yourself of His unbreakable love and grace in that area today?

Quotes

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "When you apply His Word, your life will change. So many people stop at reading God's Word, and don't make applications to their life. What you'll discover, regardless of where you're at in life, if you're walking through a hard time, if you're walking through a hard relationship, or if things are going really well for you, when you begin to apply God's Word to your life, your life is going to change." [27:57] (32 seconds) ( | | )

2. "Your character speaks loudly about what you really believe and about who you really follow. Your character is how others see Jesus in you. So are you honest in difficult situations? Are you patient with your family in times of need or times of stress or when you're driving 11 hours in a van? Do you have compassion for a family member or a neighbor when they are overwhelmed and at the end of their rope?" [37:18] (34 seconds) ( | | )

3. "When you fall, keep getting back up. When you fall and you will, when you mess up and you will, when you say the wrong things and you will, when you sin and you will. Keep getting back up. Proverbs 24, 16 says the godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked. Look, a godly person may stumble and fall, but they will continue to rise again because the power of the living God is living in them." [47:42] (45 seconds) ( | | )

4. "Your character should be defined by your love for God and your love for others. Timothy and Epaphroditus had genuine character. They had genuine character. They didn't care for other people. Even while Epaphroditus was deathly ill, he was more concerned about the church in Philippi that he had left. I don't want them to be so burdened for me. They did not love others merely with words. They showed it by their actions." [39:08] (33 seconds) ( | | )

5. "Don't let your failure define your walk with God. Don't let your failure and your sin define your character because Jesus has changed your character. Jesus has transformed you. He's given you a heart to know God. He's given you a heart to love other people. Let the nature of Jesus Christ define your character. Don't let your failure define you." [47:42] (35 seconds) ( | | )

### Quotes for Members

1. "Your character is your story of life change. Not how much you tell people about Jesus. Not your testimony is your story of life change. Your character is your story of life change. Your character is your story of life change." [34:05] (18 seconds) ( | | )

2. "When the church in Philippi heard that the Apostle Paul was under house arrest, when they heard that he was in need, they also wanted to do everything they could to help bring some type of relief to him. When a person was in house arrest, the prisoner was expected to pay for their house or apartment. They were expected to pay for their food, lodging, and any type of medicine that they may need. All of their needs, the prisoner was responsible to cover all the costs." [30:02] (40 seconds) ( | | )

3. "The way you live, the decisions that you make, how you treat other people all reflects the impact that Jesus has had on your life. And when people see you, they know that you're a hero. They know that you're a hero. When they see consistent integrity in your actions, when they see consistent integrity in what you do, that's when they see evidence of your faith in Jesus. That's when they see your testimony by seeing integrity in you." [37:18] (33 seconds) ( | | )

4. "If today as a follower of Jesus, you realize that your life has not yet been in accordance with what you say you believe and that you've let other people down around you, my advice to you is to get back up. The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. If you keep falling into the same sin, keep getting up. If your mouth is always causing you problems, keep getting up." [47:42] (41 seconds) ( | | )

5. "Your character speaks loudly about what you really believe and about who you really follow. Your character is how others see Jesus in you. So are you honest in difficult situations? Are you patient with your family in times of need or times of stress or when you're driving 11 hours in a van? Do you have compassion for a family member or a neighbor when they are overwhelmed and at the end of their rope? Your character shows what it means to be transformed by Jesus." [37:18] (41 seconds) ( | | )

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?