God is the source of unshakeable joy 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. - Philippians 1:7-11 Love is a lifelong pursuit Are we actively seeking God’s and in our lives? Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! - Psalm 34:8 Godly knowledge and discernment grows our love for God and results in a filled life. 12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. - Philippians 1:12-18 A “God first” mentality puts a new on your reality Are we measuring the goodness of our situations according to how well they serve us, or how well they serve God? A “God first” mentality pursues God’s plans and purposes Are we living our lives in pursuit of God’s plans or our own? No matter where you are, God wants to work through you to reach people for his purposes Is our joy rooted in God and God’s purposes/plans or something else? 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord - Romans 8:38-39 God is the ONLY source of unshakeable joy Have you responded to the Gospel?