Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

You may have been meditating on some pretty weird stuff, but God wants us to focus on things that are excellent and worthy of praise. If we are really going to revolutionize the world, we’ve got to be different in our thinking. Shake off the heaviness and fear by focusing on who Jesus is and by renewing your mind in the Word. Here are some scriptures that will help you press past the mind-numbing attacks of the devil and remember that God is faithful. He will calm whatever storm you’re in and get you to the other side (Matthew 8:24-28).

Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! Luke 12:24

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Matthew 6:28-29 NKJV

Now is not the time to waver. It’s time to be intent on one purpose, with hearts and minds in one accord with the Master’s work. While the world is anxiously looking for answers, you carry the truth. Don’t shrink back but learn to abide under the shadow of the Most High, where you can rest and find strength and renewed confidence for the journey (Psalm 91:1).

Press on!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8

These traits (in bold) are faith’s focus. To “dwell” means, in this context, to “take inventory.” In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul writes that we are to “be anxious for nothing” and then, in verse 8, he gives the very steps and cure for worry: Dwell on or take inventory of these eight attributes. Imagine two shelves: one shelf full of anxiety-producing items and one full of peace-producing things. Don’t keep examining the peace-stealers—hurtful things people have done, shortcomings of the past, regretted actions. Instead, constantly write down and think about the incredible acts God has done in your life.

in•ven•to•ry – noun
A detailed, itemized list, report, or record of things in one’s possession, especially a periodic survey of all goods and materials in stock.*

Have you noticed that when you start worrying, your incentive to pray declines? Dwelling on the good equips you to avoid the pitfalls of worry, and when you trust God, His peace can guard your heart and mind (Philippians 4:8). That’s why Paul emphatically writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). In Numbers 13, the Israelites murmured and chose to focus on the giants in the land, but Joshua and Caleb took account of the good report and held to the way of faith. Because of their faith, they saw the Promised Land. Anyone can shoot out words of doubt, but it’s a special individual who can speak faith in an overwhelming situation. That’s a person who has taken inventory of the faithfulness of God.

If you’re taking a worrisome approach to life, step back to a place of faith. The position of the believer is to forgive, forget what is behind, and move forward. Surround yourself with testimonies. Say, “God, You’re faithful; You will see me through.” This is not naïve optimism but courage because we know that He has overcome the world (John 16:33). As you meditate on God’s faithfulness, “The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Remembering God’s goodness,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. *The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Proverbs 4:20-26

The path toward daily victory lies in how we guard our inner life. A lot of things are vying for our attention and, with all the sensory reinforcement in the world, many have forgotten the hidden person of the heart. But how we tend to the soil of our hearts will show up in our words, our thought life, and our attitudes.

One way to guard your heart is to guard what comes out of your mouth: “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26). When a bridle gets in a horse’s mouth, the horse can be turned by a simple maneuver. In the same way, if you control your tongue, your whole life will get in line. Bridling, though, is not always about being silent; sometimes it means boldly declaring the Word of God in the face of opposition by calling those things that be not as though they are (Romans 4:17).

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

The heart is influenced by sensory gates, so we need to surround ourselves with the environment of the Word—what God says. Every time you read your Bible your mind is renewed. The Word is so powerful that meditating on it causes a change in your heart and in your life (Joshua 1:8).

God wants rivers of living water to flow out of you to reach a lost and dying world, so it is critical to keep your heart from things that would block the flow. Don’t back down from a daily commitment to guard your heart, bridle your tongue, and renew your mind in the Word. Those disciplines will equip you to obtain and maintain victory in every area.

Press On!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green. Psalm 92:12-14

v. re·fresh: To revive . . . give new vigor or spirit to. To give new freshness or brightness to; restore. To renew by stimulation, to fill up again; replenish. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition*

When I’m old I want to still be “full of sap and very green.” I want to be like Caleb, who said, “Now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in” (Joshua 14:10b-11). Here are some ways to stay refreshed over a lifetime.

Choose the good report. Out of 12 men sent to spy out the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who chose the good report. The good report will keep us alive long enough to get into the Promised Land. That “different spirit” (Numbers 14:24) of their good report kept them fresh and filled with strength. The good report does not deny the presence of challenge. Instead, by choosing the good report we are acknowledging that we trust God in the midst of this fallen world.

Stay in the Word. We need refreshing and reviving every day. Whatever you feel, no matter what, stay committed to filling yourself with the Word. Get it on your iPod. Listen to it in your car. Read a scripture on your lunch break. Read a Proverb a day. That’s where you’ll find God’s promises for your life. God’s Word is living and eternal and the answer for every problem you face. God is your refresher, restorer, and the one who can put fire back in you when you feel burned out.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:1-3

Keep the vision before you. As a church we are called to the dual purpose of reaching the lost and encouraging other believers. Stay plugged into church, because that is where you will be strengthened by others, and it’s where they will call you out if you start to get weird!

God has an amazing plan for your life. As you seek Him, He will help you bear fruit that will be repercussive for generations to come.

It’s good to know God.
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. *The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32

This is the huge deal: God has called us to the royal law of love (James 2:8). Bitterness and unresolved anger give the devil an opportunity to keep us from moving forward: “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity” (Ephesians 4:26-27). Thomas Jefferson wisely wrote: “When angry, count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred.” Though there will be times when we become frustrated, we don’t have to let ourselves become controlled by anger; instead, we can choose to walk in love.

If we aren’t walking in love we are missing it. “Love is patient” (1 Corinthians 13:4a). Let’s remember how patient and longsuffering God is toward us and increase in our capacity to endure.

pa•tience n. “The capacity to endure hardship, difficulty, or inconvenience without complaint.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

Love is the catalytic qualifier for breakthrough and blessing. When you crucify your flesh and show mercy, it defiantly deadbolts the door to the enemy and activates a heightened move of the Holy Spirit in your life.

God has called us to this revolutionary idea of love, and we aren’t to misspend in strife the energies that are reserved for mountain-moving. The devil is trying to take you out because he doesn’t want you to fulfill your call. So guard your heart from offense and don’t let strife stop the flow of your fruitfulness. There is breakthrough ahead; don’t back down from the love walk!

Choose Love,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

We are marathon runners, not short-term sprinters. Like the early church, we must choose to continually devote ourselves to a life of pursuing God (Acts 2:42). Endurance has decisional aspects. In the 1968 Olympics, marathon runner John Stephen Akhwari chose to finish his race despite injury. His response when asked why he didn’t quit: “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.” In the Word, God has provided powerful examples of people who ran with endurance—Esther, Noah, Abraham, Martha, Ruth, Moses. We are standing on the shoulders of these people who endured.

Your life is with Christ, and you are an ambassador for Him. Serving Jesus isn’t a weekend thing that we accessorize with a little religion. Jesus is front and center—our all in all. And He wants us to impact our world. We’ve been given the life-changing message of the Gospel, and we have a responsibility to carry it to the people around us. Those in the early church saw results by enduring and continually devoting themselves. I want results too. I want to see my generation come to Jesus.

The early church had a mission to go into the whole world and make disciples. Since Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we still have that same ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18; Hebrews 13:8). We have the same Jesus, the same Holy Spirit, the same potential, and therefore the same responsibility to continually devote ourselves. We can’t wait around for someone else to do it. We strengthen our resolve and say “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15b).

We run the race for an imperishable prize (1 Corinthians 9:25). We run with endurance so that at the end of our lives we can say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Our endurance will resound through all eternity.

Continue,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2007 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

God’s will can be accepted and fulfilled. We must fight through the incredible discouragement that tries to numb us as we go through life, and press toward the upward call. It’s a fight worth fighting. There is breakthrough on the other side of the mountain, a reward at the end. You are not designed to be just in maintenance mode, but you are called to impact the world.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12: 1-3

This amazing verse tells us in no uncertain terms that God has set a race before us. Fixing your eyes on Jesus will give you the crystal clear vision to fulfill God’s will. Let your heart become filled with the Word of God. It’s our job to get before the Lord and, like Paul, ask, “What wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6b KJV). And keep asking. Be faithful to lay aside every encumbrance—all the ridiculous challenges and trials, the distractions and hindrances, the vision-blurring junk, the sin that so easily entangles us.

There are people out there who need our obedience, who need our tenacity. Just as Jesus and Paul fulfilled the Father’s plan, it’s our turn now. God is looking for a breed of people who won’t back down, to commission us as partners to carry the Gospel. God wants to use the church as a launching pad to the nations through all kinds of avenues—we are just scratching the surface now. So lay aside the restraints and press on to the upward call.

I (Paul) have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

I (Jesus) glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. John 17:4

I trust You, Lord, to bring all Your plans to pass.
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

But you, my friends, must fortify yourselves in your most sacred faith. Continue to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God, and look forward to the day when our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy will give eternal life. Jude 20-21 New English Bible

Fortify yourselves in your most sacred faith. These verses show us ways we can be strengthened. We need strength from God because the things He has called us to do cannot be achieved by our own human effort. “He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4b).

Continue to pray in the power of the Holy Spirit. Aren’t you glad that God sent the Holy Spirit? He is the fortifier and strengthener, and His “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12 NKJV) is available to guide and lead us. The spiritual effects of praying in the Spirit are similar to the physical effects of exercise. Prayer will fortify you so that you won’t faint or lose heart (Luke 18:1). Instead, you can be strengthened “with power through His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).

Keep yourselves in the love of God. To stay in the love walk with others, we must first understand our spiritual roots: that we are loved and accepted by God. When Jesus comes into our world, He changes us on the inside. Instead of bitterness controlling us, “the love of Christ controls us” (2 Corinthians 5:14).

[I pray] That He [The Lord] would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19

The fruit of the Spirit can work in your life. As we fortify ourselves by getting in the Word, praying in the Spirit, and continually walking in love, we will become more sensitive to the subtle promptings of the Holy Spirit. We will walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh. We will be less dull and more perceptive, less static and more dynamic, less fleshly and more spiritual! We will grow stronger, and the fruit of the Spirit will show up powerfully in our lives.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Ephesians 5:22-23

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

God created you for very specific reasons to have an impactful and fruitful life—to accomplish things that have eternal repercussions. But there is a mind-numbing resistance to this call that we must resist by fixing our eyes on Jesus.

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Proverbs 4:20-22

We don’t have to spin our wheels in life. As you and I press on toward the goal, we get traction by staying in the Word and by maintaining close proximity to Jesus—by fellowshipping with Him, by worshipping Him, by plugging into church after a long work week, by continually offering up a sacrifice of praise even when our circumstances are freaking us out and other people are pulling us in other directions.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

The race for you is distinct and particular. When apathy or temptation tries to seize you or distraction tries to pull you away, realize there is something up over the hill that you can’t see right now that’s worth your pressing on to follow through with God. There are things up ahead that will make all the challenges, trials, and battles worth the fight.

Press on,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:27-28

God has a big, beautiful plan for you—not to be idle or miserable, but to have an abundant, fruitful life (John 10:10).

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

God has a purpose for you as strong and well-defined as it was for the patriarchs in the days of the Pharaohs. As strong as it was for Esther when Mordecai looked at her and said, “You were born for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). As strong as it was for Jeremiah when God said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

When you and I carry a certainty about who we are and what we are called to do, we don’t have to over-imply it. We don’t have to live religious clichés, because our lives are too authentic for that. The substance of what we have doesn’t come from ourselves. It comes from God. He is our sufficiency. He is the one at work in us (Philippians 2:13). He is the one who opens a door no man can shut (Revelation 3:8).

Amazing things can happen from a group of people whose mind set is in harmony with God and His Word. As we make Jesus central in our lives and get over resentments and forgive others, we will be like Joseph, who was described as a fruitful bough by a spring, whose branches run over a wall (Genesis 49:22). Lift up your eyes to Jesus and recognize your true potential in Christ and the expansive abundance He’s given you to reach a lost and hurting world.

Press on!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.