April 2025
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(Read Philippians 1:27c) As a kid, I went to the circus and saw two people in a horse costume. I knew it was a fake horse. One was the head and front two legs, and the other was the rear and back two legs. They had to work together to simulate a horse everyone knew was
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(Read Philippians 1:27b) Standing your ground may sometimes be needed, so ensure you are on the proper ground. I loved playing paintball in college. One game we played was “Capture the Flag.” Each team would have to protect their flag from being seized by the opposing team. I liked being the guy who would stand my ground near
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(Read Philippians 1:27a) When I was a kid, my dad and I would go fishing religiously twice a year for a solid week (Spring and Fall Break). We loved catching crappie and catfish. It seemed those were the best for frying. My dad would set trotlines to catch giant catfish and would use baitfish like skipjack and shad
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(Read Philippians 1:24-26) When facing death, Paul felt his earthly work and ministry were unfinished. His desire for heaven was evident (v. 23). His conviction to stay on the earth was for the Philippian believer’s benefit, not his own. Heaven was assured because of his faith in Christ. His desire to remain wasn’t driven by the uncertainty of
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(Read Philippians 1:22-23) Philippians 1:22-23 reveal Paul’s efforts to advance the gospel and his desire to be in heaven. These verses also resolve his dilemma of staying alive to advance the gospel on earth or dying and being in heaven with Jesus. He knew the continuation of his life would result in fruit. While Paul
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(Read Philippians 1:20-21) A missionary with an interesting question once challenged me. After sharing a short devotional about “living for Christ,” he asked me, “Would you be ready to die for Christ?” I had not thought about that at all in preparation for my devotional. My initial response was, “I thought He died for me?” The
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(Read Philippians 1:19) Once in college, I faced extreme opposition from inside and outside a church for which I was preaching a revival and leading worship. A group of guys from college found out I was preaching and singing at the church and began to make fun of me in the school cafeteria. It almost made
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(Read Philippians 1:15-18) Not everyone preaches the gospel with the right motivations. As you read this, allow the Holy Spirit to check and change (if necessary) your intentions. I know I have, and I think about these verses often. Ashamedly, I have had wrong motives when preaching the gospel. Sinfully, I desired my church to grow
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(Read Philippians 1:13-14) While on a vision trip in India with missionaries, I heard several stories of persecution from Indian believers for sharing the gospel. Some had been arrested, beaten, lost employment, and even ousted by their families. I heard one report of a husband setting his wife on fire because she turned to Christ. We ate
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(Read Philippians 1:12) I was looking at a large magnolia tree in our backyard and wondering when it would bloom (it’s late March). We moved in last summer, and we’ve never seen it bloom. Many factors, like soil conditions, can affect blooming, but my best guess is that we missed it last year. Flowers are resilient
stephen R Harrison 