Life Lifters | Lakeshore Community Church

Aug 18 8:12 AM

Joy in the Lord

Aug 18 8:12 AM

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Philippians 3:1

This is going to seem like a little bit of a cliche for those of you who are church attenders or regulars at church, but regardless, it'll be a reminder to you. And for those of you who are somewhat new, I want to say this: the only place of reliable joy is in the Lord. The only place you'll find joy in a consistent, reliable, never-ending way is to find joy in the Lord. I get that because in Philippians 3:1 the apostle Paul says, by way of reminder, which tells us we all need this reminder, "Finally, my brothers rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you."

If we break that down, he says, "Rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again," which means that he said this again and again. If he keeps repeating this, it means that chances are, like the Philippians, we need that constant reminder. We have to find our joy in the Lord. Then, he says a second thing: "...and it is a safeguard for you." In other words, it is so you don't get taken in. If you read later in Philippians, it talks about being taken in by false teaching or by other things that glitter. Not all that glitters is gold. Not everything that you think is going to provide joy is going to provide joy. In fact, I'm here to tell you that things that might provide joy will only bring conditional joy or temporary joy. The greatest, undeniable, never-let-you-down joy is joy in the Lord.

Are you finding your joy in the Lord? I find a lot of joy in my wife - I married up so high I got a nosebleed. I love my children, I love my grandson, I love my staff, I love the elders, I love the trustees, I love the people of Lakeshore, I love my friends, I love my golfing buddies, I love my neighbors. I love so many people, but they cannot bring me unconditional, never-changing joy like Jesus Christ can. If I expect that of my wife, of my children, or my grandson, I'm going to be disappointed. My ultimate joy is in Jesus Christ. You say, "Vince, how do you find your joy in Jesus Christ?" Ultimately, it's when you look to him for everything. "God, what do I do? God, what do I say? God, How can I know you love me? God, should I make this purchase? God, should I go this way or that way? God help me." God wants us to have a dynamic relationship with Him. And when you have a dynamic relationship with him and you are taking your cues from him, you will find joy. The best way to have joy in the Lord is to facilitate a continual relationship with him. If I like golf, but I never go to the golf course, I really don't like golf. If I say I find joy in being with John, and I never hang out with John, that's really not my source of joy. The way you're going to know that Jesus is the joy of your life is when you want to be with him. People say, "Well, I'm a Christian and I love Jesus, but I don't go to church." Well, you don't love him as much as you think because Jesus said, "I'll build my church," and Jesus said through the Apostle Paul, "Don't forsake going to church." So, it's the same thing. Here's what I want to say: find your joy in Jesus Christ. When you make a decision, find your approval from him, even if not everybody agrees. When you find a need in your life that is so desperate, turn to Jesus Christ. He can give you joy, and you can have joy in the middle of a trial when he is your source.

Rejoice in the Lord. I'll say it again: Rejoice! Find your joy in Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, help us to find our joy in you by deepening our relationship with you, by wanting to get to know you, by thinking about everything you want us to think about, by making decisions that please you. Yes, we will find joy from other people, but other people will let us down even if they don't intend to. You never will. Help us to reevaluate where we're finding our ultimate, top joy. I pray for everybody reading, that that top joy would be growing in their relationship with you, Jesus. We thank you and pray in your name. Amen.

By Pastor Vince DiPaola

Aug 16 7:58 AM

Joy In Serving Others

Aug 16 7:58 AM

Monday, August 16, 2021

How would you like to be the Apostle Paul's friend where he says, "Man, I got nobody like this guy"?

Monday, August 16, 2021

Philippians 2:19-22

Today I want to talk to you about joy in serving others. You know, a lot of times when we talk about joy we talked about what happens to us. I have joy because I got a raise, or something good came into my life, or I got a new car, a new house, a new set of clubs, etc. It's always about what we get. But I want to talk to you about the joy you can give others because of what they get from you. This comes from Philippians 2:19-22. When writing the letter of Philippians, Paul was in a house arrest in Rome, very likely about 60 A.D. He needed a friend and look at how he speaks so positively of his friend, Timothy. Speaking to the Christians at Philippi, Paul says, "I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interest, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel."

How would you like to be the Apostle Paul's friend where he says, "Man, I got nobody like this guy"? Paul really trusts Timothy. He said, 'Timothy cares about me, and that brings joy into my life.' And then he says, 'Timothy cares about you and I know that brings joy in your life.' And the Apostle Paul said, 'It brings joy into my life when you help and serve other people.' You bring joy into their life, into the life of bystanders, like the Apostle Paul. And guess what? The text doesn't say it, but it's implied and it's evident in other scriptures, that when you bring joy into somebody else's life, you get joy back, because you get joy from seeing people joyful, and joy is a contagion. All I want to say is, if you're looking for joy in your life - there's no problem with having joy and getting something. You have to be careful not to get materialistic. There's no problem in getting joy from what God did for you. That's great, God did something for you! That's outstanding. But I'm telling you, there's another source of joy, which you're not going to see on a commercial for some new product. And that's this, you get joy in serving others. You know why? Because we're eternal. You're eternal, I'm eternal, God's eternal. Wen you help another eternal being somehow get closer to God, or deepen their faith, or come closer to crossing the line of faith, you've done something eternal. Nothing can bring more joy than the eternal.

When you get a great shirt, a week later you go, "I don't really like that shirt anymore." You buy something and really like it, but then month later you say, "I need a new set of clubs. These are better." You're never satisfied. When you build into the life of another human being and serve them, man, joy is contagious. Can you imagine that? Serving somebody and seeing a smile on her face, saying thank you. And other people going, Wow, that was cool. You're not doing it for the praise you get. You're doing it because it's right and God brings joy back into your life. I say this all the time and I mean it: The way to receive is by giving. Are you serving somebody today? Today can you serve somebody? Maybe it's somebody at work, maybe it's somebody at the grocery store, just a little compliment, a kind word. "God loves you." If you really want to do something amazing and bring joy to me, give them a Lakeshore invite card and invite them to our church, or to watch online. Serve people and you will have joy in your life. And guess what? One last thing - you know how you get joy? When you serve a lot of people, God sees. Then, you reap what you sow and people start doing things in your life to add value to your life and bring joy. It's like a contagion - the contagion of joy. But it all starts with serving people like Timothy did to Paul and the Christians at Philippi.

Father, I pray that all of us would have a servant attitude so that we can bring joy in other people's lives. These days are depressing. There's always bad news on COVID, there's always bad news on race, always bad news on the economy. Always means non-stop. It's always something, but God you don't ask us to live there, you ask us to live above the level of bad news. Live in joy. Give us a heart to serve more people in our everyday life so that will give them joy, and in return, we will get it ourselves, in Jesus' name. Amen.

By Pastor Vince DiPaola

Aug 13 8:15 AM

We are Temples of the Holy Spirit

Aug 13 8:15 AM

Friday, August 13, 2021

Until our minds are completely renewed and our minds are completely transformed, which will be on that day when we are with Jesus, our minds will still think that we are in charge of our own show. At least to some degree, we all think that.

Friday, August 13, 2021

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

It can be really easy to fall into the tendency of thinking, "This is my life. This is my body. I do what I want, go where I want, do what I need to do, what I like when I feel like it." Basically, that's sin in a nutshell. No matter how long we've walked with Christ, we still have those tendencies. Until our minds are completely renewed and our minds are completely transformed, which will be on that day when we are with Jesus, our minds will still think that we are in charge of our own show. At least to some degree, we all think that.

But the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that we are temples, that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in us when we have received him from God. Paul says that we are not our own, we were bought at a price, and therefore, we're to honor God with our bodies. This is incredible to think about. Our bodies have become the temple of the Holy Spirit. If we believe, if we've committed our life to Jesus Christ in faith, if we've asked him to forgive our sins and if we're following Him, then we belong to Him. We are his, and these bodies have become the temple of the Holy Spirit. He actually lives in us.

Another astounding thing to consider in all of this is that God gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a gift from God to those who believe and he actually dwells within us. What that gives us is a motivation. This motivation comes from remembering that we were bought at a price. Jesus Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. Jesus died on the cross so that he could give us His Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ paid that price for us. He loved us enough so that, by giving our lives to Him, we would have His Holy Spirit live within us. When we consider that we were bought at a price that is the motivation for living our lives in these bodies for Christ. It is the motivation that we have to honor him with our bodies. So today, because Jesus Christ lives in you, you can rejoice. He's close to you. He's with you, he lives in you. So today, we have the motivation to serve him with our bodies. Why? Because we were bought at a price and therefore, we honor Christ with our bodies and what we do with them.

By Pastor Brian Rathbun

Aug 11 8:05 AM

We Are One With Christ

Aug 11 8:05 AM

Wednesday, August 9, 2021

Sometimes you can feel like God is far off, like he's just way away from you. Sometimes the sky seems to be hard, our prayers seem to bounce off the clouds, and he just doesn't seem to be there. Well, there's good news if you have ever felt either one of those situations were true of your life and that God was distant.

By Pastor Brian Rathbun

Aug 09 8:09 AM

We are In Christ Jesus

Aug 09 8:09 AM

Monday, August, 9 2021

It's easy in this world to feel like you are nothing at all. We look at our lives and most of us aren't very influential when it comes to the things of this world.

By Pastor Brian Rathbun

Aug 06 8:20 AM

Treat Success With Skepticism

Aug 06 8:20 AM

Friday, August 6, 2021

This is an exciting week as we get ready to host the Global Leadership Summit. Check out a past session on how to Treat Success With Skepticism.

By Vince DiPaola

Aug 04 7:57 AM

Developing Trusting Teams

Aug 04 7:57 AM

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

This is an exciting week as we get ready to host the Global Leadership Summit. Check out a past session on Developing Trusting Teams.

By Vince DiPaola

Aug 02 8:13 AM

Listen To Those You Lead

Aug 02 8:13 AM

Monday, August 2, 2021

This is an exciting week as we get ready to host the Global Leadership Summit. Check out a past session how to Listen To Those You Lead.

By Vince DiPaola

Jul 30 8:05 AM

Joy Killer #3: Selfishness

Jul 30 8:05 AM

Friday, July 30, 2021

Today, I want to talk to you about a third joy killer: selfishness. If you want to kill your joy, just think about yourself.

Friday, July 30, 2021

Philippians 2:19-21

Over the last few life lifters I've talked about joy, and this week in particular, I've talked about joy killers, things you need to be aware of that can kill your joy faster than a pin can pop a balloon. Today, I want to talk to you about a third joy killer: selfishness. If you want to kill your joy, just think about yourself, just do what's good for you. Only think about yourself, only act for yourself, never do anything for anybody else, just do for yourself. If you want to kill your joy, be a selfish person. You want real joy? Be selfless. See, life is a choice. You can either be selfish or selfless.

The Apostle Paul talks about being selfless in his letter of joy, Philippians, which we have been using for these devotionals on joy. I get this idea from Philippians 2:19-21, where Paul talks about Timothy and his relationship with Timothy. Timothy was his young brother in Christ. Paul built so much into Timothy, and talks about Timothy in this passage and in other places of Scripture. He talks to Timothy in the epistles to Timothy, called First and Second Timothy. This was when Timothy was the pastor of the church at Ephesus. Paul just loved Timothy, and look at the joy he gets from Timothy when he describes him in verses 19 to 21. He says this to the Philippians, "I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive good news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone else looks out for their own interest, not those of Jesus Christ."

That's why Paul loved him. Paul found so much joy in Timothy because he built into other people, so he wanted to send him. If you read later, he talks about another faithful servant named Epaphroditus, which was the same thing. Paul had so much joy because he saw Epaphroditus as someone he helped build into to help the Philippians. Here's the point: Paul was not selfish, he was selfless. Because he was selfless, he built in to others such as Timothy and Epaphroditus. Because of that, Timothy and Epaphroditus were going to build into the Philippians. This was a chain of selflessness. And what did it do? Paul said it brought him cheer. What's that? Joy. Paul had joy. Timothy had joy. Epaphroditus nearly died, and he was still willing to do the work. Why? Because he found joy in it.

Here's what I want to say: Sometimes, you and me can lose joy because we're too selfish. We have to be selfless. Life is not about us, it's about God and other people. In fact, I've said this before, the acrostic "JOY" is when you put Jesus first Others second. Yourself third. You say,"wow, Vince, if I put myself last I'm going to be terrible." I have found that when you put Jesus first, others second, and yourself third, you'll find more joy when you're in that third arrangement than if you said YOJ. It's not really a word, but it's yourself, then others, then Jesus, which would be the exact opposite. Do you want to find joy? Stop thinking about yourself - that's what we call narcissism - and be selfless. Sure, if you need a little help? I'm glad to do it. Need a little money, glad to give it. Need a little love, glad to provide it. Need to talk, glad to listen. But if you want to find joy, stop being selfish. I know people, friends, family who are so selfish. All they ever do is make decisions for themselves, and you know what? They're not joyful. Not even close.

Mother Teresa was filled with joy. She gave her life away. You don't have to be Mother Teresa, but you do have to learn to give your life away. Jesus said "if you lose your life, you'll find it" (Matthew 10:39). And when you find it, you'll have outrageous joy. So avoid that joy killer selfishness. How? By being selfless. Father, help us to be less selfish, more selfless, like Paul, like Timothy, like Epaphroditus. Most importantly, like Jesus Christ, who gave his life for us. Help us to trust that when we're selfless you'll fill us with so much joy we won't know any other way to live. Thank you for this in Jesus' name, amen.

By Pastor Vince DiPaola

Jul 28 8:09 AM

Joy Killer #2: Suffering

Jul 28 8:09 AM

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Today, I want to talk to you about joy killer number two, and that is suffering. If you don't handle suffering right, it will kill your joy.

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Philippians 2:17-18

We have been talking about joy over the last few life lifters. All this week I am talking about some joy killers that the Apostle Paul shares will kill our joy. These are from his his letter of joy to the Philippians in the New Testament. Today, I want to talk to you about joy killer number two, and that is suffering. If you don't handle suffering right, it will kill your joy. I've seen people who had a pretty good walk with God, they go through a bout of suffering, and man, it wrecks their life or wrecks their faith. It wrecks their walk with God - they stop reading the Bible, stop giving, stop serving, stop coming to church. I see it again and again and again. They let suffering do what the evil one wants it to do: take away their joy. God wants suffering to do something better. He wants suffering to refine your life so you have even more joy, just like a plant that's pruned. Initially, you prune a plant and the plant is smaller, but by pruning the plant appropriately, it allows it to grow fuller and thicker. When you nail in a nail with a hammer, you have to bring the hammer back to go forward. Suffering is like that. It's like a pruning. It's like bringing the hammer back. It doesn't make sense, but when it's fully accomplished it changes us and fills us with joy.

I get that from Philippians 2:17-18. Look what the Apostle Paul says. He says, "But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me." Paul says, "Even if my life is being poured out like a drink offering." What does that mean? Basically, even if I'm in the process of dying because I'm living out my faith, you should rejoice with me. What Paul is saying is, "I know what suffering is all about. I know this life is temporary. I know suffering is always fitting into a plan for good for me, for God's work, and for God's people, and for the people who will become Christians." Paul had an amazing attitude towards suffering. Other than Jesus himself, I don't know anybody who suffered as much as the Apostle Paul. He suffered so much for the Lord. And yet, I don't know anybody that had more joy, other than Jesus, than the Apostle Paul, because he learned that suffering was doing a great work. He even said, Don't you even worry about me, Philippians. Don't worry about me. Rejoice with me because the suffering is for God's glory. Even if I'm being poured out like a drink offering, even if my life is slowly being taken from me through these circumstances, rejoice.

Can you do that? Can you rejoice in suffering? You say, "Vince, how do I rejoice in suffering?" You see God's work in it. You see God working something good out of something which is uncomfortable and not good in your own eyes. The other way to do it is to have eternal vision. You see the future, you see a reward in heaven. You see your life five years from now, if you handle the suffering well today, and that fills you with joy. Again, when you're suffering you may not be happy, that's okay. You don't have to be, but you can be joyful when you make the choice to rejoice in your suffering. Are you suffering? I feel bad for you. But God is doing something in you, and for that I rejoice with you. And I hope you rejoice in that too.

Let's pray. Father, I pray that we would all realize that suffering is not fun - it hurts, it stings - but it's doing something good in us. Paul said, don't cry for me. Rejoice because I rejoice. What an amazing attitude. Help me to find joy in my suffering. Help those listening to find joy in our suffering, knowing that you're the God who either sent it if we sinned, or allowed it if we didn't. Help us to be more and more like your son Jesus, because that will bring us joy, and suffering is a part of that journey. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

By Pastor Vince DiPaola

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