Philippians: Fight For Joy

Dates: Apr 18, 2010 - Aug 15, 2010
Scripture:

Where do you find joy? When's the last time you really experienced it? Where does true joy come from?

These are the types of questions the Apostle Paul asks, writing from the depths of prison as he reflects on his own life and looks toward his impending death. Philippians is one of the last letters written by Paul, to his friends in Philippi, and his constant message is clear, in every point of this biblical book: "friends, fight for joy."

Fight for joy, in your relationships with each other - because as we all know, relationships can sour or become broken. Fight for joy, in whatever circumstance - because we've all found ourselves in seemingly-joyless moments. Fight for joy in the day-to-day life - because it's all to easy to be caught into a joyless whirlpool of monotony. Fight for joy, even in the sure face of death - which at the time of Paul's writing, was all too real for him. In every paragraph; in every chapter; in all of life, Paul begs his readers to fight for joy.

But where do we find joy in some of these joyless circumstances? How do we fight for it when everything seems to drive us away from it? How can we push each other toward it? These are some of the questions we're asking in The City Church, in weekly Villages and every-other-weekly All-Church Gatherings, as we spend a few months walking together through Paul's letter to the Philiippians. We're pushing and exhorting each other in challenging, biblical, and practical ways, to let true, God-centered joy be the theme of our life. So that no matter what we face; no matter what chains, prison, or circumstance we find ourselves, we will know how to truly win the fight for joy.

Series Messages

Title Speaker Scripture Date
Fight for Joy in our Identity Ben Connelly Philippians 1:1-2; Acts 16:11-34 Apr 18, 2010
Fight for Joy in Gospel Partnership Ben Connelly Philippians 1:3-11 May 2, 2010
Fight for Joy in the Worst of Times Ben Connelly Philippians 1:12-18 May 16, 2010
Fight for Joy in Life or Death Dennis Connelly Philippians 1:18-26 May 30, 2010
Fight for Joy in Doing Life Together Ben Connelly Philippians 1:27-2:2 Jun 13, 2010
Fight for Joy in Dethroning Ourselves Ben Connelly Philippians 2:3-11 Jun 27, 2010
Fight for Joy in Living Out our Salvation Ben Connelly Philippians 2:12-16 Jul 11, 2010
Fight for Joy in Following Good Examples Matthew Hudson Philippians 2:16-30 Jul 25, 2010
Fight for Joy in Circumcising our Lives Ben Connelly Philippians 3:1-11 Aug 8, 2010
Fight for Joy in Pressing Forward & Living Well Paul Hoffman Philippians 3:12-4:1 Aug 22, 2010
Fight for Joy in Conflict Ben Connelly Philippians 4:2-9 Sep 5, 2010
Fight for Joy in Every Circumstance Ben Connelly Philippians 4:10-23 Sep 22, 2010