Philippians 2:14 “Do everything without complaining or arguing.” This command is direct and universal—complaining is not part of a Christlike attitude. Numbers 11:1 “The people began complaining out loud to the Lord about their troubles. When the Lord heard them, he became angry, and fire from the Lord began to burn among them.” Complaining in the wilderness provoked God’s judgment. 1 Corinthians 10:10 “Don’t complain as some of them did. The angel of death destroyed them.” Paul warns believers by recalling Israel’s fate when they grumbled. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Whatever happens, give thanks. This is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.” Gratitude is a spiritual discipline that aligns us with God’s will. Psalm 34:1 I will thank the Lord at all times. My mouth will always praise him.” David models continual praise, even in hardship. Complaining reflects a heart that’s focused on lack, not provision. Scripture urges us to: • Replace grumbling with trust in God’s sovereignty. • Practice thankfulness as a form of spiritual warfare. • Recognize that lament (honest sorrow directed to God) is different from complaining (faithless protest).
ALLOW THIS WORD FROM GOD TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
2 Timothy 2:25–26 25 He must gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Maybe God will allow them to change the way they think and act and to know the truth. 26 Then they might come back to their senses and escape from the devil’s snare. The devil has caught them so that they obey his will. Gentle Instruction & Restoration Galatians 6:1 (GW) — “If a person is caught doing something wrong, those of you who are spiritual should restore that person gently.” Titus 3:2 (GW) — “Don’t curse anyone. Avoid arguing. Don’t fight. Be gentle and show courtesy to everyone.” Proverbs 15:1 (GW) — “A gentle answer turns away rage, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” 1 Corinthians 15:34 (GW) — “Come back to the right way of thinking and stop sinning.” Luke 15:17 (GW) — “Then he began to think clearly. He said, ‘What am I doing here starving?’”
DON’T BE SO HARD ON A PERSON THAT YOU LEAD HIM OR HER AWAY FROM GOD. BE CONCERNED ENOUGH THAT YOU LEAD THE PERSON TO GOD.
1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If you were a sentence, what mark of punctuation would follow you? Is your life a question mark because you’re without answers? A comma because you’re in transition? A period for everything’s at a standstill? Or a dash because you’re in a continual rush? This verse can put an exclamation point to our lives. It’s a verse of praise; it begins with Blessed be. . . . It’s a verse of worship, centered around the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a verse of joy, for He has given us new birth into a living hope. It’s a verse of victory based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It’s easy to memorize because it unfolds by itself and automatically divides into five great exclamations. 1. Praise God! In the Greek, Peter began with “Blessed be” and didn’t come up for air until the end of verse 12. It’s one long sentence. English translations chop this passage into a dozen or so sentences; but in the original you get a sense of Peter’s nonstop exuberance. 2. Great mercy! The reason for his excitement is God’s great mercy. Peter had a lot of “oops” in his past. He could have kept on beating himself up, but he knew all his sins had been washed away by a flood tide of mercy. 3. New birth! That leads to the third exclamation: He has given us a new birth. Jesus Himself used this analogy when He spoke to a Jewish leader in John 3, telling him, “You must be born again.” 4. Living hope! The new birth leads to living hope. Peter wasn’t just speaking of an uplifting intangible. In the next verse he describes “an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” We have a yearning for eternal life in a real place with meaningful activity and worshipful living. Heaven! That’s what mercy provides. 5. Risen Savior! It’s through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. When Jesus died, He assumed the guilt that belongs to us. When He rose, He defeated sin, death, hell, and the grave.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND RECEIVED FROM THIS QUICK REFRESHER.
Galatians 1:6–10 I’m surprised that you’re so quickly deserting Christ, who called you in his kindness, to follow a different kind of good news. But what some people are calling good news is not really good news at all. They are confusing you. They want to distort the Good News about Christ. Whoever tells you good news that is different from the Good News we gave you should be condemned to hell, even if he is one of us or an angel from heaven. I’m now telling you again what we’ve told you in the past: If anyone tells you good news that is different from the Good News you received, that person should be condemned to hell. Am I saying this now to win the approval of people or God? Am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant. The Galatians have fallen for new teachers who are changing the gospel. They are stripping new Christians of their freedom and putting them in the old prison of the law. Paul curses these teachers in the most solemn terms. It doesn’t matter who they are—apostles or angels from heaven—no one has the right to tamper with the gospel. They are doing a terrible thing. They are robbing people of faith.
DON’T ALLOW ANYONE TO CAUSE YOU TO LOSE YOUR FAITH OR CONFUSE YOU. BE CAREFUL YOU YOU ALLOW TO TEACH YOU. THIS WORD FROM GOD STILL APPLIES TO US TODAY.
YES OUR GOD REALLY ANSWERS PRAYER. John 14:13–14 – “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do… If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” Psalm 34:17 – “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” Matthew 7:7 – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” John 16:24 – “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people… will humble themselves and pray… then I will hear from heaven…” James 5:16 – “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Mark 11:24 – “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
OUR GOD IS A PRAYER HEARING AND PRAYER ANSWERING GOD, WE CAN DEPEND ON OUR GOD.
Philippians 2:12–18 My dear friends, you have always obeyed, not only when I was with you but even more now that I’m absent. In the same way continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him. Do everything without complaining or arguing. Then you will be blameless and innocent. You will be God’s children without any faults among people who are crooked and corrupt. You will shine like stars among them in the world as you hold firmly to the word of life. Then I can brag on the day of Christ that my effort was not wasted and that my work produced results. My life is being poured out as a part of the sacrifice and service ⸤I offer to God⸥ for your faith. Yet, I am filled with joy, and I share that joy with all of you. For this same reason you also should be filled with joy and share that joy with me. As Paul sat writing to the believers at Philippi, he must have wondered how he could encourage them to continue with their Christian endeavours. This was one of the reasons why he had directed their thoughts towards the Lord Jesus Christ. Because Christ was the sum and substance of their faith, then they should want to do something to express their obedience to his commands. The apostle desired that they should shine for the Lord. The way they could do that was by persevering in their faith, allowing nothing to dim their zeal for the gospel and bringing encouragement to others who were also seeking to shine for Jesus.
STOP COMPLAINING, AND ARGUING. LIVE A RIGHTEOUS LIFE. SHINE BRIGHTLY!!! SHARE THE WORD OF GOD, LIVE THE WORD OF GOD, HELPING OTHERS TO SHINE BRIGHTLY!!!
1 John 3:9–10 Those who have been born from God don’t live sinful lives. What God has said lives in them, and they can’t live sinful lives. They have been born from God. This is the way God’s children are distinguished from the devil’s children. Everyone who doesn’t do what is right or love other believers isn’t God’s child. John 1:12–13 — Those who receive Christ are given the right to become children of God, born not of flesh but of God. Romans 6:6–7 — Our old self was crucified with Him so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. Romans 8:9–10 — The Spirit of God dwells in believers, enabling righteousness. Galatians 5:16–17 — Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
CHECK YOURSELF HOW ARE YOU LIVING ARE YOU A CHILD OF GOD
Romans 12:6–8 God in his kindness gave each of us different gifts. If your gift is speaking what God has revealed, make sure what you say agrees with the Christian faith. If your gift is serving, then devote yourself to serving. If it is teaching, devote yourself to teaching. If it is encouraging others, devote yourself to giving encouragement. If it is sharing, be generous. If it is leadership, lead enthusiastically. If it is helping people in need, help them cheerfully. 1 Corinthians 12:4–7 There are different spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. There are different ways of serving, and yet the same Lord is served. There are different types of work to do, but the same God produces every gift in every person. The evidence of the Spirit’s presence is given to each person for the common good of everyone. Acts 6:8 “Stephen was a man full of God’s favor and power. He did amazing things and performed miracles among the people.” Stephen is described as having both grace and power, suggesting multiple gifts at work. Some believers are gifted in both teaching and encouragement. Others may have discernment and intercession. These gifts often work together to fulfill a calling or assignment. God equips each person uniquely for the role He’s designed for them.
DO YOU KNOW YOUR GIFTS? ARE YOU USING YOUR GIFTS? LET US WALK IN OUR GIFTS.
Isaiah 59:2 But your wrongs have separated you from your God, and your sins have made him hide his face so that he doesn’t hear you. This verse highlights two consequences of sin: • Separation from God • Silencing of prayer and communication Jeremiah 5:25 – “Your wickedness has turned these things away. Your sins have kept good things from you.” This verse teaches that persistent sin blocks the flow of God’s blessings. Micah 3:4 – “Then they will cry to the LORD, but He won’t answer them. He will hide his face from them at that time because they have done evil things.” DON’T LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A WAY THAT WILL CAUSE GOD NOT TO HEAR YOUR PRAYERS. DON’T LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A WAY THAT WILL BLOCK YOUR BLESSINGS.
DON’T LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A WAY THAT WILL SEPARATE YOU FROM GOD.
1 Thess 5:14–15,22 We encourage you, brothers and sisters, to instruct those who are not living right, cheer up those who are discouraged, help the weak, and be patient with everyone. Make sure that no one ever pays back one wrong with another wrong. Instead, always try to do what is good for each other and everyone else. Keep away from every kind of evil.
ALLOW THIS WORD FROM GOD TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
