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A Joy-Filled Life

In a world obsessed with pursuing happiness, we often find ourselves on what psychologists call the “hedonic treadmill” – constantly chasing the next high, only to return to our baseline after that momentary surge of pleasure fades. We buy something new, get a promotion, start a relationship, and experience a brief spike of happiness before inevitably settling back to where we started.

But what if there’s a better way to live?

The book of Philippians offers us a profound alternative. Written by the Apostle Paul while in chains, this letter mentions joy or rejoicing sixteen times – more than any other New Testament epistle. How could a man in prison write about joy with such conviction? Because Paul understood something vital: happiness and joy are not the same thing.

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A Christ-Centered Life (Philippians 2)

Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem—not on a war horse with military fanfare as a Roman governor might, but on a donkey, accompanied by ordinary followers waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!” This humble entry reveals something profound about Christ’s character and kingship.

What Makes Life Worth Living?

In our journey through Philippians, we’ve been exploring deep questions: What makes life worth living? What is God really like? Is Jesus still relevant today? Why can’t people just get along?

The book of Philippians points us toward answers, and it’s all centered on Christ. In fact, there are over 100 references to Jesus in just four chapters! Paul opens with the incredible declaration, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” For Paul, everything revolves around Jesus.

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A Worthy Life (Philippians 1)

Throughout April, we’re diving into the book of Philippians – a four-chapter journey that begins with some profound questions: What makes life worth living? And related: What does it mean to live a worthy life?

The Philippian Context

Paul wrote this letter from prison, likely in Rome around 62 AD, about 30 years after Jesus’s ministry. The Philippian church was special to Paul – these were the first Christian converts in Europe that we know of from scripture. The city of Philippi was a Roman colony, essentially a retirement community for Roman veterans who enjoyed the privileges of Roman citizenship.

When Paul first visited Philippi (Acts 16), he met remarkable individuals like Lydia, a successful businesswoman who sold luxury purple cloth. He encountered a demon-possessed girl being exploited by her masters, and eventually found himself imprisoned with Silas. That imprisonment led to an earthquake, followed by the conversion of their jailer. These were the very people Paul was now writing to – people whose lives had been radically transformed.

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DAVID the SAGE

by Lucas Johnson

We all know the story of David and Goliath—the young shepherd who defeated a giant and went on to become Israel’s greatest king. But what happens when a warrior king can no longer fight? What’s the next chapter when our primary identity no longer fits who we’ve become?

When the Warrior Can’t Fight

Even the greatest among us face this reality. Consider Mike Tyson, once “the baddest man on the planet,” stepping into the ring at 58 years old against Jake Paul. Despite his legendary status, time had caught up with him—he looked stiff and had clearly lost his step.

David faced a similar situation. In 2 Samuel 21:15-17, we find him in battle against the Philistines where “David became weak and exhausted.” A giant named Ishbi-benob nearly killed him before his nephew Abishai came to the rescue. His men declared, “You are not going out to battle again, for why risk snuffing out the light of Israel?”

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DAVID the KING

From Shepherd to King: Lessons from David’s Reign

The story of David fascinates me because scripture presents him as both aspirational and deeply flawed. He’s someone to look up to, yet the Bible doesn’t hold back on showing the messiness of his life. This gives me hope—if David could be called “a man after God’s own heart” despite his failings, perhaps there’s hope for all of us.

The Shepherd King

David’s journey to the throne wasn’t smooth. After being anointed as a boy, he had to wait decades before becoming king. When Saul died, a civil war erupted—David’s tribe of Judah backed him while Saul’s loyalists supported Ishbosheth, Saul’s son. As 2 Samuel 3:1 tells us: “During the long war between the house of Saul and the house of David, David was growing stronger and the house of Saul was becoming weaker.”

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DAVID the WARRIOR

We all face giants in our lives—challenges that seem impossible to overcome. The ancient story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) offers timeless wisdom for confronting these obstacles. Beyond the Sunday school flannel board version we might remember from childhood lies a profound blueprint I call “The Warrior’s Code”—seven principles that guided a shepherd boy to an unlikely victory and can help us face our own battles today.

The Battlefield Context

The story unfolds in the Valley of Elah, where Israelites and Philistines face off across a ravine. When Goliath—a 9’9″ warrior covered in 125 pounds of bronze armor—challenges Israel to send a champion, even King Saul is terrified. The experienced soldiers freeze, but young David, delivering bread and cheese to his brothers (essentially a pizza delivery driver!), steps forward with confidence.

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DAVID the SHEPHERD

In the story of David, we find a powerful example of how God develops leadership through unexpected beginnings. While many of us focus on David’s victories as king, his formative years as a shepherd boy laid the foundation for everything that followed.

The Problem with King Saul

Before we meet David, we need to understand why God was looking for a new king in the first place. Israel’s first king, Saul, looked the part perfectly – tall, strong, and commanding. He stood “head and shoulders above everyone else.” But despite his impressive appearance, Saul had weak character. He repeatedly took matters into his own hands, disobeying God’s commands and relying on his own strength rather than trusting God.

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Mental Health & Faith: The Path to Healing (Part 3)

This is the final installment in our three-part series on mental health truths. If you haven’t read Part 1 and Part 2, I encourage you to start there. Today, we’ll explore the final six truths about mental health and faith that can lead us toward healing.

TRUTH #13: You don’t have to be “strong enough.”

Let’s bust a common myth right now: “God won’t give you more than you can handle” is not in the Bible. Scripture says God won’t let you be tempted beyond what you can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), meaning there’s always a way to resist sin. But this has been twisted to suggest we should always be able to handle whatever life throws at us.

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Mental Health & Faith: Emotional Realities (Part 2)

This is the second post in our three-part series on mental health truths. If you haven’t read Part 1, I encourage you to start there. Today, we continue our exploration of mental health through a biblical lens.

TRUTH #7: Your emotions were created by God and serve a God-given purpose.

Emotions aren’t inherently bad. While they can lead to poor decisions if not properly regulated, the emotions themselves serve divine purposes. For instance, consider anger: Paul writes in Ephesians 4:26-27, “Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity.”

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