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This podcast is entirely the work of Jeremy R. McCandless and is part of season 24 of a project to complete an in-depth, chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse study of the entire Bible.

Follow and support me on Patreon.

Jeremy McCandless | Creating Podcasts and Bible Study Resources

Episode Notes:

When you were born, you automatically became a citizen of a country on this earth. You didn't apply for it. You didn't earn it. You inherited it by birth.

Now, as a citizen, you can either become a worthy citizen or an unworthy one. A worthy citizen respects the laws of the land, fulfills responsibilities, contributes to society, and, if necessary, defends the nation to which he belongs. An unworthy citizen does the opposite. He works against his country's interests, disregards its laws, and acts in ways that bring harm rather than good.

So that raises an important question: What does a worthy citizen of heaven look like, and how should we live if heaven is our true home? As it turns out, that is exactly the subject Paul addresses in Philippians 1:27–30. And the Philippians were uniquely equipped to understand it. Philippi was a Roman colony. Its citizens took enormous pride in their Roman citizenship. They understood what it meant to belong to a kingdom and to live in a manner worthy of that citizenship.

But they were facing challenges. Some problems were coming from within. Other pressures were coming from outside. Opponents of the gospel were attacking, criticizing, and persecuting believers. So, the Philippians were facing pressure from without and strain from within. And into that situation, Paul gives one of the most important exhortations in the entire letter. And he says:

"Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ."

Or, as the language literally suggests, "Live as worthy citizens."

In this passage, Paul explains what heavenly citizenship looks like when life gets difficult, when opposition arises, and when believers are tempted to turn on one another rather than stand together.

Support the show

This podcast is entirely the work of Jeremy R. McCandless...

Follow and support me as an independent podcast creator on Patreon.

Jeremy McCandless | Creating Podcasts and Bible Study Resources | Patreon

To receive my weekly newsletter and keep up to date with all five of my podcasts, subscribe at:

Jeremy McCandless | Substack

Check out my other Podcasts.

My History of the Christian Church: https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.com

The L.I.F.E. Podcast: Philosophy and current trends in the Arts and Entertainment.

https://the-living-in-faith-everyday-podcast.buzzsprout.com

The Renewed Mind Podcast. My Psychology and Mental Health Podcast:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568891

The Classic Literature Podcast:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568906

To visit my Author page on Amazon and view my entire back catalogue of books on both Amazon and Kindle, and now also on Audible, Visit:

Amazon.com: Jeremy R Mccandless: books, biography, latest update

Send us Fan Mail

This Podcast is part of season 24 of a project to complete an in-depth study of the entire Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse.

This podcast is entirely the work of Jeremy R McCandless...

Follow and support me on Patreon.

Jeremy McCandless | Creating Podcasts and Bible Study Resources | Patreon

Episode Notes:

Have you ever experienced a major setback in life? Perhaps you lost your health, or perhaps you lost a job. Perhaps a marriage ended, or perhaps a friendship you deeply treasured came to an end. Maybe it was a financial reversal, a disappointment, a dream that never materialized, or years of your life that seemed to be swallowed up by circumstances beyond your control.

The question is not whether setbacks happen; the question is: How do you handle them when they do? How do you respond when life doesn't go according to plan, and how do you keep going when the road suddenly takes an unexpected turn?

Today I'd like to tell you about a man who experienced one of the greatest setbacks imaginable,, and I'm talking about the Apostle Paul. From reading his letters, it is clear that one of Paul's great ambitions was to take the gospel where it had never been preached before. But when he arrived in Jerusalem, everything changed. He was arrested and falsely accused. He was dragged into a legal and political nightmare. Then, when threats against his life increased, the Romans transferred him to Caesarea, where he sat in prison for two years.

After that, he appealed to Caesar and was shipped to Rome, survived a shipwreck along the way, and eventually found himself under house arrest in the capital of the empire.

Think about that for a moment. The man who wanted to take the gospel to Spain spent years sitting in jail…. Years. The very years he probably thought would be among the most productive years of his ministry.

From a human perspective, it looked like a massive setback.

So how did Paul handle it?

The answer is found in Philippians chapter 1. And what Paul teaches us in this passage may be one of the most practical lessons in resilience you'll ever find in Scripture.

Support the show

This podcast is entirely the work of Jeremy R. McCandless...

Follow and support me as an independent podcast creator on Patreon.

Jeremy McCandless | Creating Podcasts and Bible Study Resources | Patreon

To receive my weekly newsletter and keep up to date with all five of my podcasts, subscribe at:

Jeremy McCandless | Substack

Check out my other Podcasts.

My History of the Christian Church: https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.com

The L.I.F.E. Podcast: Philosophy and current trends in the Arts and Entertainment.

https://the-living-in-faith-everyday-podcast.buzzsprout.com

The Renewed Mind Podcast. My Psychology and Mental Health Podcast:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568891

The Classic Literature Podcast:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568906

To visit my Author page on Amazon and view my entire back catalogue of books on both Amazon and Kindle, and now also on Audible, Visit:

Amazon.com: Jeremy R Mccandless: books, biography, latest update

Send us Fan Mail

This Podcast is part of season 24 of a project to complete an in-depth, chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse study of the entire Bible.

This podcast is entirely the work of Jeremy R. McCandless.

Follow and support me on Patreon.

Jeremy McCandless | Creating Podcasts and Bible Study Resources |

Is there someone in your life you'd like to see change?

Maybe it's your spouse.

Maybe it's one of your children.

Maybe it's a parent, a co-worker, or perhaps that one person who always seems determined to make life more difficult than it needs to be.

Most of us would probably agree on one thing: changing people is hard. In fact, if we're honest, it's difficult enough to change ourselves, let alone somebody else. That's why many people would say it's impossible to change another person.

Yet I do believe people can change. I'm not talking about manipulation, coercion, or some secret formula for controlling people. I know of no such formula. And I'm certainly not suggesting that you or I have the power to transform another human heart. But what I do believe is that God does have that ability. All of us who know Christ have experienced that firsthand. God changes people. He changes attitudes, desires, priorities, and lives. So where do we fit into that process?

The answer is simple: we pray. God has invited us to participate in His work through prayer. We cannot change people, but God can. And one of the ways He does His work is through the prayers of His people.

But that raises an important question: If we want to pray for someone to change, what should we pray? Should we simply say, "Lord, change that person"? Or does Scripture teach us how to pray more specifically and more effectively?

The apostle Paul prayed often for believers, and one of his prayers stands out above the rest. It gets right to the heart of what produces genuine spiritual growth and lasting change. So today we're going to discover what a people-changing prayer sounds like, and in the process, learn how we can partner with God in the transformation of those around us we care about.

Support the show

This podcast is entirely the work of Jeremy R. McCandless...

Follow and support me as an independent podcast creator on Patreon.

Jeremy McCandless | Creating Podcasts and Bible Study Resources | Patreon

To receive my weekly newsletter and keep up to date with all five of my podcasts, subscribe at:

Jeremy McCandless | Substack

Check out my other Podcasts.

My History of the Christian Church: https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.com

The L.I.F.E. Podcast: Philosophy and current trends in the Arts and Entertainment.

https://the-living-in-faith-everyday-podcast.buzzsprout.com

The Renewed Mind Podcast. My Psychology and Mental Health Podcast:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568891

The Classic Literature Podcast:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568906

To visit my Author page on Amazon and view my entire back catalogue of books on both Amazon and Kindle, and now also on Audible, Visit:

Amazon.com: Jeremy R Mccandless: books, biography, latest update