PREACHER: Judith ATIAGAGA

Text: Philippians 1:21-30

Theme of the month: THE ESSENCE OF TRUE CHRISTIANITY

Topic of the day: A LIFE WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL

How you come out of prison depends on you, and how you stay in prison depends also on you. The context of the book we’ve read is one of the letters of Paul while he was in prison, the church was also going through a difficult moment. But in his challenging circumstances, he was pained also by the situation of the church. And he is encouraging the Christians to live like Christ.

 And from Paul, we’ll learn 3 lessons from the text:

• Don’t waste your Pain: once a prisoner in KENYA said:  how you come out of prison depends on you, you can come out from there a reformed person or a wasted person. In life, you will face dramatic things that can lead you to isolation but don’t waste your pain, let it count for the gospel. Share with someone whichever situation you are experiencing; it can somehow benefit others. Paul was in pain but he was ministering no matter what he was facing. Let your pain cause you to grow, let it comfort others who also are facing pain in some ways
• Be aware of the enemy's tactics to divide and rule. The enemy uses many tactics like unforgiveness and pride to divide the family and destroy the church. We must have a good relationship with God and people John 17:20_23. When you live in unforgiveness you play the devil tactic to bring division among people, we have to humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness when we know we’ve hurt some people
• Leave your comfort zone. Stand firm for the gospel, no matter the opposition. Don’t stand in your corner, for the sake of the gospel you have to work for the great commission and leave your comfort zone. The life worthy of the gospel is not an easy life the bible encourages us to put on the full armor of God.

To live a life worthy of the gospel is to live like Christ, to be focused on spreading the good news no matter life’s highs and lows.