Life Lifters | Lakeshore Community Church

Oct 22 8:04 AM

Don't Settle For Happiness

Oct 22 8:04 AM

Friday, October 22, 2021

Today, I want to tell you, don't settle for happiness. A lot of people confuse happiness and joy. They are completely different.

Friday, October 22, 2021

Galatians 5:22b

I have been talking about how to live with an attitude. Now, if I just say, "Boy, that person has an attitude," nine times out of ten it has a negative connotation. But I'm talking about living with a biblical, godly attitude. That's what we're unpacking. In the fruit of the Spirit there are nine godly attitudes. We see just before the passage that lists the nine fruit of the Spirit, it says we have a choice. We can live in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, or we can live the way we used to live before we became Christians, if in fact we are. That's always a choice. The proof, the fruit, the evidence that you're living in the Holy Spirit and not living your old way is that you're living out these fruit of the Spirit. So, last time I talked about the very first fruit of the Spirit, which is love. Today, I want to talk to you about the second fruit of the Spirit, which is found in Galatians 5:22b, where it says, "The fruit of the Spirit is... joy." Today, I want to tell you, don't settle for happiness. A lot of people confuse happiness and joy. They are completely different. The Bible never commands us to be happy all the time. Not one time. The Bible doesn't say be miserable, either, though Christians are really good at that, unfortunately. But the Bible never commands us to be happy all the time.

The Bible does command us to be joyful all time. Paul said in Philippians, "Be joyful in the Lord always. And again I say it: Rejoice!" So the Bible calls us and commands us to be joyful, but it never commands us to be happy. Why? Because it's impossible to always be happy. It is impossible because happiness is tied to your emotions. Joy is tied to your volitional decisions. Happiness is how I feel. If you go to Disney, you feel great! You bring your young kids to Disney, we did that a couple times, it's great. Oh my goodness, you pay the admission, buy food all the time, take pictures with Mickey, buy hats and t-shirts, jackets, posters, everything! It is so awesome. You're at Disney, you're happy. Then, about three weeks later, you get the credit card bill. You're not happy anymore. It's different.

But joy says no matter what my circumstances I can have joy. By the way, the word happiness comes from happenstance, which comes from circumstance. Despite your circumstance, joy is an inner condition, an inner state. It's a gift from God. We can always be joyful. So, I'm asking you this based on what I said. Can you be joyful and not happy? Yes you can, because happiness comes and goes, up and down. Joy is available through Jesus Christ. So, I want to challenge you to live with joy. The apostle Paul not only said "rejoice in Lord always," he said it with a life that was filled with turmoil, complexities, challenges, and death threats. He had been tortured, beaten, imprisoned, etc. So much had been done to the Apostle Paul, yet he said, "Rejoice in the Lord always." Why? Because to rejoice is a choice. Happiness, is kind of a choice, but it's really how you feel. It's based on circumstances, and circumstances don't always go our way. But God always allows them to accomplish what he wants to accomplish. Joy isn't dependant on circumstances. Are you choosing joy? What are you going through right now? Tough time? Unhappy about it? That's okay. It's okay to be unhappy about it. Are you finding God's joy in it anyway? Things at work may be tough. One of my family members texted me about a job situation that's tough. I don't expect that family member to be happy, but I hope, if they're seeking God, that they're joyful. Maybe you have some health issue, or some other bad news that's coming your way. God doesn't ask you to be happy about it, to celebrate, or throw a party because you're sick. No, instead you can be joyful no matter what. You can make the choice to rejoice.

You say, "Vince, how do I do it?" Remember, the fruit of the Spirit are simply you getting in touch with the Holy Spirit, and him supplying You with supernatural joy that you can't manufacture. You can't manufacture joy. You can manufacture happiness, but you can't manufacture joy. So, you live in the Holy Spirit, remember what Jesus did for you, get filled with joy from the Holy Spirit, and be joyful, even if you're unhappy. Let's pray. Father, thank you for this reminder that we should not settle for happiness, but instead for joy. Happiness is unachievable all the time. Joy is achievable all the time when we live in your spirit and remember what you've done for us. Help us to be joyful people in Jesus' name, amen.

By Pastor Vince DiPaola

Oct 15 8:31 AM

God's Love Inspires Us to Imitate Him

Oct 15 8:31 AM

Friday, October 15, 2021

Today we're going to continue we're going to take a look at what God's love does inside of us, and specifically how it inspires us to imitate God.

Friday, October 15, 2021

Ephesians 4:32-5:2

Today we're going to continue we're going to take a look at what God's love does inside of us, and specifically how it inspires us to imitate God. I want to read Ephesians 4:32-5:2, in which Paul writes this, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." You know, leading up to this, this section of Scripture, Paul is telling us that because of God's love for us, we are no longer to live the way that we used to live. He goes and talks about the old self. He tells us to put the old self away and put on the new self, almost like you would put on a new shirt or blouse in the morning. He gives us a list of things that we should stop doing. Then, he tells us, "I want you to focus on this one thing, be an imitator of God."

A few years back, I used to be one of the worship leaders here at Lakeshore. My kids grew up seeing me playing guitar, leading the band, and singing. My youngest daughter, Mazie, when she was probably about four years old, one day I had a friend over and we were in in our dining room, sitting at the dining room table. Mazie was playing, and she used to have this toy guitar and a toy microphone. As I'm talking to my friend, I hear her kind of singing a song to herself. All of a sudden she stopped, I heard her praying, and then she looks up and says, "Okay, everybody can sit down now." She was imitating me as a worship leader. She grew up seeing me leading worship, praying, and telling everybody they can sit down now, and she was just imitating her dad, which kids do all the time. We, therefore should be imitators of our Heavenly Father, being kind and compassionate to one another. Why? Because God has been kind and compassionate to us. We should forgive one another. Why? Because we were forgiven of so much by God. We should live a life of love. Why? Because you are a dearly love child of God, and you've been adopted into his family. God's love for us is the model of how we should treat others. If we do not understand God's characteristics, then guess what? We cannot imitate him. How do you learn God's characteristics? Read your Bible, study your Bible, become a student of your Bible. That's how we get to know God.

"But Frank," you're saying, "you don't know what so-and-so did to me years ago." Or, "you don't know what this person said about my family. You don't know how they treated me." You're probably right, I probably don't know. But here's what I do know, I do know that God expects us to be kind and compassionate, forgiving those who sin against us, and living a life of love. Now what that looks like in your life, that's between you and God, but I do know that God through the Apostle Paul is encouraging us to be an imitator of God, to strive to be like him. "That's impossible," you say. Yes, it is an impossible task, but we have already been made perfect by God. Whether we act perfect or not is another story. But we should try our darndest to be an imitator of God because when we experience God's love in our life, it changes our heart. It gives us a new perspective. It allows us to do things that we thought were impossible, including forgiving that person, including loving that person that hurt you. We can do this. Jesus Christ, when we experience his love, changes us from the inside out, helping us to be that imitator of God, that dearly loved child of God that Paul talks about.

Let's pray. Father, thank you that you gave us your son Jesus, and because of the sacrifice that he made for us, we have a model to follow. You have given us a model to follow, Father, to be forgiving, compassionate, and loving. Help us to live a life of love. While that may seem like a daunting task, I pray that you change us from the inside out. Give us a new perspective. Help us to see. Help us to see what we can become when we allow your love to work in our lives. Thank you Father. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

By Pastor Frank De Luccio

Oct 13 8:47 AM

God's Love Makes Us Alive in Christ

Oct 13 8:47 AM

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

All of us - you, me, we've all been, at one time in our lives, dead in our sins, dead in our transgressions. Not physically dead, but spiritually dead.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Ephesians 2:4-5, 10

Today we're continuing in looking at some select verses from the book of Ephesians. To help us understand the love that God has for us, and what his love does inside of us, I want to start with Ephesians 2:4-5, which says this, "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace, you have been saved."

All of us - you, me, we've all been, at one time in our lives, dead in our sins, dead in our transgressions. Not physically dead, but spiritually dead. We weren't following God at one time in our lives, but we were following the ways of the world, we were following the prince of this world, who is known as Satan. We were being disobedient to God. We were satisfying the cravings of our sinful nature in the things that we do, the things that we say, even the things that we think. Maybe I'm describing you today. Maybe you are thinking, "Are you nuts? I'm not following Satan. I'm not a Satanist." But I can tell you that there are only two teams. If you are not following Jesus, guess who you are following. This is what it means to be dead in our transgressions and dead in our sins.

But here's the good news, in fact, it's great news! It's that God's love for us has made us alive with Christ. God's love for us has made us alive with Christ! It's worth saying twice. That means that we have been saved from eternal separation from God when we die, and we are given eternal life with God in heaven. So, while it's important to know about the love of God, to know it in your mind, let me ask you a question. Have you ever believed it? Have you ever believed that Jesus is the Son of God? Have you ever believed that he paid for your sins on the cross and rose again to give you eternal life in Heaven with him? If you believe that and you receive it in your heart today, then you are a Christian, and you become alive with Christ. You cross over from being dead in transgression to being alive with Christ. That's how you become adopted into God's family. So, when you are aligned with Christ, you begin to change from the inside out. You start seeing things differently, you start seeing people differently, you start treating them differently. You see God differently in your life, and you give him a higher priority in your life. He should have the top priority in your life when you begin to follow Him. You begin living for him. Ephesians 2:10, just a couple of verses down, says this, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." I love this passage because the word workmanship, which is from the original Greek word poema. We get the word poem from that. I love to think about that, that we are God's poem, we are His workmanship, we are his masterpiece in progress. God is writing the story of your life, and and you were created in Christ Jesus to do good works. We don't do good works to earn our salvation. Good works are the result of our salvation. So, God loves you so much that he gave you a purpose. Think about that for a moment. He loves you so much, he gave you a purpose for your life with specific works for you to accomplish. When you live your life fulfilling that purpose, you are alive with Christ.

Let's pray. Father, I want to thank you that you sent your son Jesus for us and that we have an opportunity to to invite him in our lives, to believe He is who He said He is, and to receive the free gift of salvation that he offers. If anyone is reading this right now and they've never crossed that line of faith, they've never made Jesus Christ their Lord and their Savior, just say this prayer aloud. Say, "Jesus, I invite you in. I recognize that I need you in my life, I recognize that I'm a sinner and you are a perfect holy God. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. You paid the price for me. I should have been on that cross, but you paid the price for me. I recognize that and I receive the free gift of salvation. Help me to turn from my sins, change my mind about my sin and the way I used to live, and helped me begin living for you, alive with Christ. Thank you for adopting me into your family. In Jesus' name, amen.

By Pastor Frank De Luccio

Oct 08 8:28 AM

Victory Over Death

Oct 08 8:28 AM

Friday, October 8, 2021

One day, the Bible tells us, death will no longer be existent. death itself will be put to death.

Friday, October 8, 2021

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

I have a dear friend, and his little five-year-old grandson just went through one of the most painful and excruciating years that you could imagine before he died. What is the good news? It is that God helped that little boy have faith in him and faith that he was going home to be with God. One day, the Bible tells us, death will no longer be existent. death itself will be put to death. Let's read 1 Corinthians 15:54-57: 'When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your sting? Where, O death, is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.'

What the Apostle Paul's talking about there with the perishable versus imperishable is our bodies. Our bodies are perishable and die. The Bible tells us that on the day when these perishable bodies are made imperishable, when the mortal is made immortal, it will be on that day that death will be swallowed in victory. The word for swallowed there is the kind of swallow that a lion does to its prey. Death has been devoured in the victory that was bought for us by Christ Jesus, our Lord. And on that day we will say, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The way it is now, death is the sting that comes with sin. The place where sin got it's power is the law, the law of Jesus, which, in His perfection, points at our lives and says, "You failed, you failed, you failed." But that law and all that stood against us was nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ was resurrected, he gave us the hope and the promise that our lives, too, would defeat death. So, we look forward to that day when the perishable will become imperishable, and the mortal immortal. And on that day, we will ask death, where is its victory, and where is it sting? We will be able to say, both now and then, that Jesus Christ has given us that victory over death by His resurrection, and the promise of our resurrection. I hope that that hope of our resurrection will give your life the lift that you need today.

By Pastor Brian Rathbun

Oct 06 8:08 AM

The Resurrection of Believers

Oct 06 8:08 AM

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

1 Corinthians 15:40-44

Some of you are gardeners. You know what it is to plant a seed, a little, tiny seed, and have something totally different spring up. It's not different than what you planted, but the body that comes out of the ground is different than what you see when you put it into the ground. I just put in a whole new lawn, put in all kinds of these little, tiny grass seeds. The hope is that there will be a full blade of grass for every seed, and maybe even more, and hopefully, because of all the seeds, there will be a nice lawn. Well, that analogy is the very analogy that the Apostle Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 15:40-44 to tell us what's going to go on with our bodies one day. He says, "There are heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body."

Death is certain for all of us. These bodies are going to die. We know that. But the good news that came to us in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is that just as his body was raised from the dead, so will our bodies be raised from the dead. Just as Jesus Christ was raised imperishable, so our bodies will be raised imperishable. Just as Jesus died and was put in the grave, these bodies will die and be put in the grave. But one day, at the last trumpet, when that trumpet sounds, those who believe in Christ, their bodies will be raised imperishable. That's for all of us who believe. So, friends, when sometimes as we grow old, and our bodies age, as we get concerned about what's going to happen with us, and what will happen with our bodies, know this: The body that is sown, the body that is buried, it's in weakness, it's in dishonor, it's perishable, it's natural. But in Christ Jesus, that body will be raised, and when it is raised, it will be imperishable. It will be glorious. It will be powerful. It will be spiritual. We have that hope because of Christ Jesus and his resurrection. And I hope that that hope will give you the lift for your life that you need today.

By Pastor Brian Rathbun

Oct 04 8:22 AM

Dealing with Regrets

Oct 04 8:22 AM

Monday, October 4, 2021

1 Corinthians 15:3-10

One of the hardest things, being Christian, is sometimes looking back at your life and just being distressed that some of the things you did before you were a Christian. Believe it or not, the Apostle Paul had that same distressed feeling. Read this section from 1 Corinthians chapter 15:3-10, "Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures... Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

When the Apostle Paul looked back over his life, he saw that at a time in his life he persecuted the church of God. Because of that, he didn't think he even deserve to be called an apostle. He also says, "I worked harder than all of them," and I wonder if there was some part of the Apostle Paul that was trying to work out that sin of persecuting the church. But it comes to the conclusion, "I worked harder than all of them - yet not I." As if he is saying, "Not the hard work that I did." Hard work was important, and he worked hard for the kingdom. He tells us at the end of 1 Corinthians 15 that we should give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord. But this kind of hard work can't make up for the persecution, or for any sin in our past. He finally gets to the point where he says, "but by the grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect." Even though Paul worked harder than all of them, it wasn't him, but the grace of God that was within him. The persecution in his past bothered him terribly, and yet he found his freedom in the fact that the grace of God had worked so powerfully in his life. The same is true for you and for me. We can't go back and make up for things that we did in our life. We can't make up for those things, but what we can do is see that the grace of God has set us free to be who he wants us to be. We can live productive lives presently, because of God's grace, no matter what we've done in our past. I hope for you that that will give you the lift for life that you need today.

By Pastor Brian Rathbun

Sep 20 7:06 AM

Joy Through the Power of Jesus

Sep 20 7:06 AM

Monday, September 20, 2021

Today, I want to talk to you about the most famous verse in Philippians, the most well known verse, the most popular verse in the whole book of Philippians.

Monday, September 20, 2021

Philippians 4:13

Today, I want to talk to you about the most famous verse in Philippians, the most well known verse, the most popular verse in the whole book of Philippians. It comes from Philippians 4:13. I want to help you understand what it does and doesn't mean. Here's what it says, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Another translation says, "I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength." It's an amazing verse. It talks about the power of Jesus. We have joy in the power of Jesus. But it doesn't talk about the power of positive thinking. It doesn't say, I can do all things. It doesn't say, I can do all things that strengthen me. It doesn't say that at all. That's positive thinking. That's Pollyanna. That's what people who don't have Christ in them say. That's the first myth. Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength." So, you have to have Christ in your life to give you that strength.

Neither does it say I can do all things, and Jesus will help me do all things. That's another myth. It's not that YOU can do all things. Neither is it that you can do ALL things. You can't do everything. You have to do all things through Christ, which means that not everything that you want to do is something you are going to do, unless it is through Christ. So that's the balance. And here's what I want to say: I'm really joyful, that I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength. I'm really glad I can't do all things through myself, because then I'd work a steadfastly independent life of God. I wouldn't want that. And I'm sure glad it's not "I can do all things by using Christ to do anything I want," because some of the stuff I really want, I don't really need. The beautiful balance is this: you can do all things through Christ. This means two things. Number one, I can do all things only through Jesus Christ. Number two, since it comes through Jesus Christ, he only strengthens us for what is good for us. I find joy in that. Aren't you glad for that?

No matter what problem you're facing, Jesus Christ will give you the strength to overcome it. Maybe not overcome it the way you want, not overcome it in the time you want, but he gives you the strength to overcome it. You can do anything that God wants you to do, because he'll give you the strength. A trial, achievement, something in your family, something personal, whatever it is, Jesus Christ can give you the strength. He gives you the strength to accomplish exactly what he wants done. I like that, too. He never lets you get too far from him because it's only through Christ. Have you ever tried to do things on your own? You don't have the strength. Do you ever think something is good for you, you try to pursue it, and you try to think that it is Jesus's will, but it doesn't happen? Probably because it's not his will. The great thing is you can do all things through Christ who gives you the strength. Thank God that Jesus Christ gives us the strength to do things in life.

Life is tiring, exhausting, it saps me. Here at Lakehsore we're trying to fix a drain problem. It's nonstop. We have backed up water in our sewage pipes. We've looked at it and had different people look at it, and there are all kinds of problems. But I know that through Jesus Christ, he wants his church's parking lot not to flood. So, I'm trusting him to give me the strength, give Sal Mejia our facilities guy the strength, and to give our staff the strength to find the solution, even if it costs us some money, which it already has. Here's the thing, whatever's going on in your life, Jesus Christ will give you the strength. Isn't that a great promise? If God calls you through something, you will accomplish it through Jesus Christ, and that ought to fill you with joy. So, whatever is causing you to wonder and doubt, just give it to Jesus Christ. Say, "Jesus, take it. I can do all things through you." Then watch what he does in his perfect way, in his perfect time. Father, thank you for this great promise, this great key verse in the book of Philippians. Help us to understand it appropriately. It's not our own strength, and it's not everything we want, but it's through you. This means it's through your strength, and it's only in accordance with your will. We asked this in Jesus' name, amen.

By Pastor Vince DiPaola

Sep 10 8:07 AM

Joy Always

Sep 10 8:07 AM

Friday, September 10, 2021

You can't always be happy... but you can always be joyful. Joy is a choice.

Friday, September 10, 2021

Philippians 4:4

I want to look at a passage of scripture from the book of Philippians. Philippians is the letter of joy, and I want to read a blunt statement in Philippians 4:4 and unpack it because it seems like it's impossible. It says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Why does he say it again? Because I don't think we believe him. Sometimes we don't believe what God says. Even though we know it's intellectually true, sometimes it needs to soak into our total being so that we live it out. So, I think he repeats it, "I say it again: rejoice," so that we remember it. But the key word, the word that we struggle with in that verse is "always." It's not rejoice in the Lord when you're at church on Sunday morning, or when you read the Bible, or when you pray, but rejoice in the Lord always. It doesn't mean you rejoice in your problems, but you rejoice in the Lord always.

You say, "Vince, that's impossible. I can't always be happy." I would agree, you can't always be happy... but you can always be joyful. Joy is a choice. Happiness is conditioned upon your emotions. Whatever your emotions are feeling like, that's usually what will dictate your level of happiness. But when you have joy, it's unshakable and impossible to take away. But how do you have joy always? Well, joy isn't based on circumstances. Happiness is. well okay, But then, how do you find joy? Paul said, "Rejoice in the Lord." You have to be in the Lord. Not necessarily in church, though that's helpful. Not necessarily in Bible reading. That's very helpful. Not necessarily in prayer. That's also very helpful. All three of those are very helpful. But you have to be in the Lord. You could be in the Lord at work, you can be in the Lord in your car, you could be in the Lord in your golf game - although if you've seen my golf game, I'm not in the Lord in terms of performance all the time. The point is, it's focusing on the Lord and saying, "I don't like this situation., but I'm in the Lord. God, you're in control of it. I don't like what's happening in my family, but I'm in the Lord, I'm going to do my best to contribute to making it right. I can't stand what's happening at work, but I'm in the Lord and I'm going to continue to focus on God, and, and work hard as unto the Lord, not of the people."

Here's the point. You can always be joyful, but you have to do it in the Lord. If you try to find your joy in circumstances, they'll come and go. If you try to find your joy in other people, that'll be great, but they can't always deliver. You can always find your joy in the Lord, in the Lord's goodness, in the Lord's grace, in the Lord's control of all the events that you're experiencing, in the Lord's love for you, in the Lord's promises during your tough, difficult trials. You can rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice, always. You can't always be happy, but you can always be joyful. You must make the choice to rejoice. And how do you make the choice to rejoice? You must rejoice in the Lord. Find something about the Lord to give you the joy you need. If nothing else, the joy that you're forgiven, the joy that you're going to heaven.

Father, this life will rob our joy. People can rob our joy, circumstances can rob our joy if we let them. But they never have to, because if we rejoice in you always, we can have joy no matter what. We may not be happy, but we can be joyful. Inspire somebody today who needs a pick-me-up, who needs joy in their life, who needs to see life from a different perspective, from your perspective, to find this joy that Paul encourages us to pursue. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

By Pastor Vince DiPaola

Aug 27 8:18 AM

Joy In Following Good Models

Aug 27 8:18 AM

Friday, August 27, 2021

I don't know about you, but whenever it comes to getting better at something, I'll read the Bible, and I'll seek the Bible, but the Bible even says there is something else that is helpful.

Friday, August 27, 2021

Philippians 3:17

I don't know about you, but whenever it comes to getting better at something, I'll read the Bible, and I'll seek the Bible, but the Bible even says there is something else that is helpful. While the Bible is essential to grow, God also says that in addition you want to see people who model the Bible. If I want to get better at something I need models. So, I can have somebody say, "Well, if you want to get better at golf, do this," and I can try to do that, but I have to watch them do it. I have this guy named Lenny. He's a really nice friend. I just met him earlier this year, and he has taken a liking to me and he's giving me golf lessons. We played golf earlier this week, and I played as good as I ever have. I mean, I'm hitting the ball with this new lag technique to get more clubhead speed. My short game is getting better, and Lenny has just modeled it for me. He's giving me lessons, we've played together, I've watched him swing and do his thing, and it's a model for me. When it comes to parenting, I've looked to others to help me. With marriage, models have helped me. When it comes to the Christian life, some discipline of the Christian life, models have helped me. When I'm around people that are living a successful Christian life, I'm trying to learn something so they can be a model.

The apostle Paul says that you should do the same thing. Look at Philippians 3:17, where the Apostle Paul says this, "Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." Paul said, "I should be a model for you." He wasn't saying that braggadociously. He is saying that confidently because of Christ's work in him, and Paul was a godly man. Then he tells the Philippians to live according to the pattern he gave them. What is that? It's the Bible. Take note of people who are living out the Bible. It's not that the Bible isn't enough, the Bible is enough. But you want people living out the Bible - models - and you want to look to them. It's not that you need more than the truth of the Bible, but we are learning to express it and live it out. The practical aspect of living that out, that is seen in models. In fact, Paul even says, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." And the word imitate is the word mimetes in Greek. Guess what English word we get from that. Mimic. You have to find people to mimic. They don't have to be one person in every area of life. You might say, "I'm going to follow your model for what a patient person you are." To someone else, "I'm going to follow your model because you're really good in how you live out the 80/10/10 plan. Give 10% to God and His Church, 10% to a retirement plan, 80% is what I live on." To someone else, "I'm going to follow your model because you're a really good husband, or parent, or because you're very faithful and you you whatever you say you do."

You must find models in your life, and you must read the Bible to know what models to find. Then, find them in your life and have some models. It's one of the great reasons why we have church, you get to see hundreds of people every week. You get to connect with some of them in small groups, or at Midweek Bible Study where we have, X number of people here. It's a lot smaller than Sunday, and you get to meet people, and then you get to say, "Man, how can you be a mentor or model to me in this area, that area, or another area?" Some of you you have the truth, but you're just learning how to live it out. A model will help you. Do you have a model? Like the Apostle Paul, do you have a model? Like Timothy, do you have a model in your life? It'll help you live out the Christian life. We'll help you to have models here. You have to come here regularly. Get to know people because I can't tell you who should be your model in every area of life. But I can tell you some great people in my life We have a ton of great people at Lakeshore Community Church that will love you. You never know who could be your model. But here's the point, Paul says to look for models in your life, who live out the Christian life, the biblical truth of Christianity effectively in a way that inspires you. It will help you have a lot of joy in your life.

Father, I pray that all of us will have our models and maybe 2, 3, 4, or even 10 people that inspire us to find joy in living out the biblical truth of Christianity. Help us all to find models. It may take days, it may take weeks, it may take months. But if we're determined, we'll find them and they'll bring us joy as we live out our lives more effectively for your pleasure and your purposes. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

By Pastor Vince DiPaola

Aug 25 8:12 AM

Joy In Pressing On!

Aug 25 8:12 AM

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

When life gets hard you have to press on. Sometimes you have to put one foot ahead of the next, can't worry about one mile down the road, three blocks down the road, all you can worry about is your next step.

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Philippians 3:12-14

Sometimes life gets hard, and sometimes you just have to remind yourself to press on. When life gets hard you have to press on. Sometimes you have to put one foot ahead of the next, can't worry about one mile down the road, three blocks down the road, all you can worry about is your next step. You ask, "What's God going to do? This is so hard. How am I ever going to get out of this?" And sometimes you just have to say, "You know what, I'm just going to take the next step." I get that from a very powerful passage that the Apostle Paul shares in Philippians 3:12-14. Paul says, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Let me break that down. The "all this" that Paul has not yet obtained is knowing Jesus Christ perfectly. He also says he has not yet been made perfect, which is pretty obvious for all of us, and if it's true of the Apostle Paul, it'll always be true of us, too. He continues, "but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." In other words, he says, "Things get up, things get down, things get high, things get low, but I'm pressing on to take hold of the prize that Christ took a hold of me for." What he's saying is when you became a Christian Christ took a hold of you. He took a hold of you so that you will want to take a hold of the prize, which is knowing Jesus Christ perfectly. That is only going to happen in heaven, but we want to get as close as possible to that here during our days on earth.

Paul goes on to say, "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize, for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." See that? That's the goal. God took a hold of you so you'll take hold of the prize of getting to heaven and acting like it. How do you do it? He says you have to forget what is behind. You have to stop thinking about the negative things of your past. Learn from it, grow from it, forget it. Then, you have to have a vision for the future. Press on toward the goal. Then, you have to do it by taking one step at a time. See how he covers the past, (forget about it), the future (have a vision for heaven), and the present (perservere, press on)? Sometimes, when the past is so painful you have to focus on the future, which is so glorious, to help you in the present, which is taking one step at a time. Have you had a bad day, had a bad month, had a bad year, had a bad 18 months with COVID and everything else going on in our world? Sometimes, you have to focus on the vision of heaven. And you just have to put one step ahead of the other. Sometimes, when I don't like what has happened in the past days, I have to think about what's going to happen in future days. That will help me in present days to press on.

What is it in your past that's holding you back that you need to forget? What is it in your future that you forgot is in your future, if you're a Christian? Like going to heaven, like having no more problems, like being in the presence of Jesus Christ nonstop, forever in his house, his glorious mansion, heaven. Press on with those thoughts. Forget about this, focus on that. And right now, today, take the next step. What do I mean by that, take the next step? Do what you're supposed to do, step by step. Do what God wants. Read the Bible, serve other people, come to church, get involved in a ministry, get in a small group, be a witness to your friends, invite people to church, do the kinds of things to help you press on. Press on today. You can do it through Christ who gives you the strength.

Let's pray. Father, I don't know who I'm speaking to and I don't know where they're at. But I know all of us need this exhortation, some maybe more than others, to press on. Help us to press on, God. Help us forget what's behind. Let us remember our glorious future, if we have a relationship with you by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, and to persevere because of that. Help anybody who's discouraged to be encouraged to press on in you. Give them that courage. I know you will if they seek it with a whole heart, and a honest, true, seeking, open heart. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

By Pastor Vince DiPaola

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