Children's Church - The Joy of Thanksgiving
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.
Philippians 1:3
Joy in Pressing On
Philippians 3:7-14, Matthew 16:24-27
At one time all (the rules and ways of the world) were important to me. But now I think those things are worth nothing because of Christ. Not only those things, but I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Christ, I have lost all those things. And now I know that all those things are worthless trash. This allows me to have Christ and to belong to him. Now that I belong to Christ, I am right with God and this being right does not come from my following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him. All I want is to know Christ and the power of his rising from death. I want to share in Christ’s sufferings and become like him in his death. If I have those things, then I have hope that I myself will be raised from death. I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that. That is the reason Christ made me his. Brothers, I know that I have not yet reached that goal. But there is one thing I always do: I forget the things that are past. I try as hard as I can to reach the goal that is before me. I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize. That prize is mine because God called me through Christ to the life above.
Joy in Serving
Philippians 2:12-18, Matthew 20:20-28
James and John were followers of Jesus. They were Jesus’ friends when Jesus was alive here on earth. James and John’s mother bowed before Jesus and asked him to do something for her. Jesus asked, “What do you want?” She said, “Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right side in your kingdom. And promise that the other son will sit at your left side.” (She was asking Jesus to make her sons special leaders, better than the other disciples.) But Jesus said, “You don’t understand what you are asking. Can you accept the kind of suffering that I must suffer?” The sons answered, “Yes, we can!” Jesus said to them, “Truly you will suffer the same things that I will suffer. But I cannot choose who will sit at my right side or my left side. Those places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them.” The other ten followers heard this and were angry with the two brothers. Jesus called all the followers together. He said, “You know that the rulers of the non-Jewish people love to show their power over the people. And their important leaders love to use all their authority. But it should not be that way among you. If one of you wants to become great, then he must serve the rest of you like a servant. If one of you wants to become first, then he must serve the rest of you like a slave. So it is with the Son of Man. The Son of Man did not come for other people to serve him. He came to serve others. The Son of Man came to give his life to save many people.”
Joy in Partnership
Philippians 1:3-11, John 15:9-17
John (Jesus speaking):
I loved you as the Father loved me. Now remain in my love. I have obeyed my Father’s commands, and I remain in his love. In the same way, if you obey my commands, you will remain in my love. I have told you these things so that you can have the same joy I have. I want your joy to be the fullest joy.
“This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you. The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I don’t call you servants now. A servant does not know what his master is doing. But now I call you friends because I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father. You did not choose me; I chose you. And I gave you this work, to go and produce fruit. I want you to produce fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you anything you ask for in my name. This is my command: Love each other.
Philippians (Paul speaking):
I thank God every time I remember you. And I always pray for all of you with joy. I thank God for the help you gave me while I preached the Good News. You helped from the first day you believed until now. God began doing a good work in you. And he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again. I am sure of that.
And I know that I am right to think like this about all of you. I am sure because I have you in my heart. All of you share in God’s grace with me. You share in God’s grace with me while I am in prison, while I am defending the Good News, and while I am proving the truth of the Good News. God knows that I want to see you very much. I love all of you with the love of Christ Jesus.
This is my prayer for you: that your love will grow more and more; that you will have knowledge and understanding with your love; that you will see the difference between good and bad and choose the good; that you will be pure and without wrong for the coming of Christ; that you will be filled with the good things produced in your life by Christ to bring glory and praise to God.