SERMON RECAP: LIVING A WORTHY LIFE based on Philippians 1:27-30

How can we best be a light in these dark times? How can we show this world that we truly belong to Jesus? Many view the church and the people of God negatively, in part because, as a whole, the church has lost its focus. We are called to be the light of the world! Paul encouraged the Philippians and us to “live a life worthy of the gospel.” We can do so in five ways:

1) In your conduct (Phil 1:27). No matter what the circumstance or who we are around, our conduct should reflect our belief in Jesus. We cannot compartmentalize faith, living for Jesus in church or on Sundays, but looking different the rest of the time. Rather, we should reflect our faith in Jesus in every sphere of our living, and our lives should be consistent with the teaching of Scripture. If something does not align with the Bible, it should not be part of our life.

2) In your unity (Phil 1:27). Jesus’ prayer for the church was for unity. The whole world would know that we are his followers through our unity. Yet, the church has become just as divided as our world. To recapture unity, we must set aside majority rule and winning an agenda; instead, pursue the Spirit’s leading and anchor ourselves in the gospel message. We should pursue God and his will above everything else and follow his guidance.

3) In your commitment (Phil 1:28). When the pressure is on, we can turn to ash like coal, or we could become strong and resilient like a diamond. In the face of pressure, we should overcome the fear of resistance because we remember who we serve. Jesus is greater; therefore, do not bow to the pressure to conform or abandon your faith. Remove any impurity from your life that holds you back from fully reflecting Christ.

4) In your belief (Phil 1:29). What we truly believe about God in our heart will come out in everything we do. Therefore, may our heart’s pursuit be a relationship with Jesus, and may it come out in our lifestyle. If someone cannot tell that we are Christians by our lifestyle, then we have adjustments to make. Too many proclaim themselves followers of Jesus, but the fruit of their lives does not demonstrate a relationship with Jesus.

5) In your trials (Phil 1:29-30). You know that you are living fully for God because you are under fire. The world hated Jesus then, and still hates Jesus now. The very presence of the Holy One conflicts with human sinfulness. When you face that opposition, remember you are not alone in the struggle, for other brothers and sisters in Christ face the same struggle.

The world needs to see authentic reflections of Jesus. In fact, the very term Christian arose from those who watched the early church and called them “little Christs.” Our world needs that same witness now. Let it start with us.

Reflection Questions

1. Does our conduct reflect a relationship with Jesus in every sphere of our living? If not, what do we need to bring into alignment?

2. What distractions do you need to remove to hear the Spirit’s voice?

3. Does fear hold you back from pursuing Jesus wholeheartedly?

4. Can people tell you are a Christian without you telling them? If not, what adjustments do you need to make?

5. Why do our actions need to align with our beliefs?

Upcoming Service

This Sunday, Pastor Ryan will continue the series on Philippians with the sermon titled “Humility,” based on Philippians 2:1-11. How did Jesus demonstrate humility? Come by or tune in on Sunday to find out!

Daily Bible Readings for September 29 – October 5

September 29: Psalm 118 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 30: Psalm 119 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

October 1: Psalm 120 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

October 2: Psalm 121 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

October 3: Psalm 122 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

October 4: Psalm 123 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

October 5: Psalm 124 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

This Week’s  Events:

September – collection of candy begins for Fall Festival

October – Strength in Peers Collection begins

October 4 – First Sunday Breakfast @ 9:15 am

October 4 – First Sunday Offering – Strength in Peers

October 4 – Evangelism Project @ noon

October 5 – Revelation Bible Study @ 7 pm

Upcoming Events:

October 10 – Diaper Shower for Kayla Satterwhite @ 2 pm

October 18 – Congregational Business Meeting & Chili Cook-Off

October 24 – Fall Festival from 10 am – 1 pm

November 7 – Beaver Creek Cares

VERSE OF THE MONTH!

Every month, we will feature a verse. The goal is for the entire church to learn this verse for the month, so we grow in our memorized Bible knowledge. The verse for September is Philippians 1:6:

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Announcements:

STRENGTH IN PEERS

We will have a box for donations toward Strength in Peers throughout the month of October. Please see last year’s list for ideas for donated items. When we have a new updated list, I will send that along. 

DIAPER SHOWER

We will host a diaper shower on Saturday, October 10 at 2 pm for Kayla Satterwhite. Every lady of the church is invited to attend! Please see the attached flyer for more information, and let us bless Kayla!

FALL FESTIVAL CANDY COLLECTION

We are collecting for Fall Festival. Last year, we had a sizeable turnout and we went through nearly 5000 pieces of candy, 250 large candy bars, and 150 Little Debbie lunch cakes. The most popular candy is the non-chocolate mini-mix you can find at Costco. Let’s try to achieve the same amount of candy again this year! UPDATE: As of this email, we are at about 60% of the candy we hope to acquire of the mini pieces of candy, and about 80% of the large candy bars. We need especially non-chocolate large candy bars, and both chocolate and non-chocolate mixes of small candy still. This week we can start collecting Little Debbie lunch cakes as well.

FALL FESTIVAL

Please save the date for Fall Festival. It will be Saturday, October 24 from 10 am – 1 pm. If you helped last year and would like to continue in the same role, please contact Pastor Ryan, Joe Satterwhite, or Katie Cooper. Also, please share the flyer with as many people as you can! Right now, we still have ten games that need volunteers to run!

Social Media

Beaver Creek has updated its social media page. Please follow and share so many people can see what is happening at Beaver Creek! You can find the pages as follows:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beavercreekchurchva/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeaverCreekChurchVA/

Four Ways to Give! 

1) Mail your tithe to the church office

2) Drop it by the church office on Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday, 9 am – 1 pm

3) Our online giving platform: https://beavercreekchurchva.churchcenter.com/giving

4) Place in the offering plate on Sunday!

Pastor Ryan Cooper
Beaver Creek Church

SERMON RECAP: FOCUS ON CHRIST based on Philippians 1:12-26

Faithfulness to Christ is not easy. Sometimes, like Paul, we experience significant hardships that arise as a consequence. Paul was in prison! At other times, we watch others find “success” pursuing the ways of the world, or by taking advantage of or cheating others. We even observe those who claim to follow Christ find success, but their actions and message do not align with Scripture. When we face hardships or see injustice, it becomes easy to question whether faithfulness to Christ is worth it. But did Paul’s prison cell and chains, as well as the teachers who tried to undermine him get him down? No! Instead, he chose to rejoice! What did Paul understand that can help us today when we feel low and question whether faithfulness is worth it?

1. Every circumstance is an opportunity to share the gospel (Phil 1:12-14). Just because life goes sideways, even when your faithful, doesn’t mean that you are in the wrong or you did something wrong. Rather, the light shines best in darkness. When we remain true to our faith even in the darkest times, we declare to others that God is our hope, our refuge, and our strength and He is the one we can cling to. Let how you live advance the gospel, for you don’t know who is watching your witness. You may inspire others to become faithful to Christ!

2. Keep sharing the message about Jesus (Phil 1:15-18). The Philippian church showed great concern for Paul’s welfare, even alerting him to these teachers who tried to undermine Paul. The same thing happens today. Not everyone who preaches Christ preaches the gospel according to the Bible. Some churches have the resources to actively market and engage in high-visibility functions, while those smaller congregations do the best they can to make a difference with their limited resources. It can be easy to become discouraged with the success of others when it feels like it is not fair, or they are not preaching truly about Jesus. But Paul’s perspective is clear: it is not our job to judge impure motives, nor is it our job to defend Christ; rather, we should keep proclaiming the truth about Jesus everywhere we go and in every area of our living. When we lift up Jesus, he promises to draw all humanity to himself. Let everything we do be about Jesus.

3. To live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil 1:19-26). Our greatest motivation and priority should be Jesus. Even in the hard times, when we pursue Jesus with everything we have, we have everything we need, because we have him! Therefore, rejoice in God’s provision and do not be ashamed of the gospel. Share with others how Jesus has changed your life. Most people are struggling and experience hard times. When they can see us, in our hard seasons, proclaim the hope of the one who brought us through, it can inspire them to put their hope in Jesus. Therefore, exalt Jesus publicly and encourage as many as possible to follow Christ. And in the midst of the storm, keep your eyes heavenward.

Difficult seasons will come. Others will experience success at the expense of our faithfulness. But if we focus everything on Christ, we become an extension of that light in the darkness, and light shines brightest in that darkness.

Reflection Questions

1. Why is it easy to grow discouraged when we don’t see results as we desire?

2. Why is it important to make Jesus our highest priority?

3. What are some practical ways we can allow our light to shine for Jesus?

4. Who can you share your story of faith with?

5. Who do you know could use the hope of Jesus? How can you share with them that hope?

Upcoming Service

This Sunday, Pastor Ryan will continue the series on Philippians with the sermon titled “Living a Worthy Life,” based on Philippians 1:27-31. What is the fruit of a life that demonstrates that Jesus is our Lord? Come by or tune in on Sunday to find out!

Daily Bible Readings for September 22 – 28

September 22: Psalm 111 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 23: Psalm 112 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 24: Psalm 113 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 25: Psalm 114 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 26: Psalm 115 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 27: Psalm 116 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 28: Psalm 117 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

This Week’s  Events:

September – collection of candy begins for Fall Festival

September 26 – Church Picnic at Sandy Bottom Pavilion from 5:30 pm – 8 pm

September 27 – Evangelism Project @ noon

September 28 – Revelation Bible Study @ 7 pm

Upcoming Events:

October 3 – First Sunday Breakfast @ 9:15 am

October 3 – First Sunday Offering – Strength in Peers

October – Strength in Peers Collection begins

October 10 – Diaper Shower for Kayla Satterwhite @ 2 pm

October 18 – Congregational Business Meeting & Chili Cook-Off

October 24 – Fall Festival from 10 am – 1 pm

November 7 – Beaver Creek Cares

VERSE OF THE MONTH!

Every month, we will feature a verse. The goal is for the entire church to learn this verse for the month, so we grow in our memorized Bible knowledge. The verse for September is Philippians 1:6:

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Announcements:

CHURCH PICNIC

Our next church picnic will be on Saturday, September 26, from 5:30 until 8 at the Sandy Bottom Pavilion. There will be a sign up sheet in the lobby. Please notate how many from your family plan to attend, so the Fellowship Team can order an accurate amount of fried chicken. This year, we are asking those who attend to consider bringing a side dish, a dessert, or both. Please also circle on the sign-up sheet which one (or both) you intend to bring, so Fellowship has a rough estimate of how many of each will come, as well as to ensure enough table space! PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE OR EMAIL PASTOR RYAN ASAP TO BE INCLUDED IN THE COUNT! 

DIAPER SHOWER

We will host a diaper shower on Saturday, October 10 at 2 pm for Kayla Satterwhite. Every lady of the church is invited to attend! Please see the attached flyer for more information, and let us bless Kayla!

FALL FESTIVAL CANDY COLLECTION

During the month of September, we will start collecting for Fall Festival. Last year, we had a sizeable turnout and we went through nearly 5000 pieces of candy, 250 large candy bars, and 150 Little Debbie lunch cakes. The most popular candy is the non-chocolate mini-mix you can find at Costco. Let’s try to achieve the same amount of candy again this year! UPDATE: As of this email, we are at about 40% of the candy we hope to acquire of the mini pieces of candy, and about 50% of the large candy bars. We need especially some non-chocolate large candy bars, and both chocolate and non-chocolate mixes of small candy still. Beginning next week, if the dates are good, we can start collecting Little Debbie lunch cakes as well.

FALL FESTIVAL

Please save the date for Fall Festival. It will be Saturday, October 24 from 10 am – 1 pm. If you helped last year and would like to continue in the same role, please contact Pastor Ryan, Joe Satterwhite, or Katie Cooper. Also, please share the flyer with as many people as you can!

Social Media

Beaver Creek has updated its social media page. Please follow and share so many people can see what is happening at Beaver Creek! You can find the pages as follows:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beavercreekchurchva/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeaverCreekChurchVA/

Four Ways to Give! 

1) Mail your tithe to the church office

2) Drop it by the church office on Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday, 9 am – 1 pm

3) Our online giving platform: https://beavercreekchurchva.churchcenter.com/giving

4) Place in the offering plate on Sunday!

Pastor Ryan Cooper
Beaver Creek Church

SERMON RECAP: UNTO COMPLETION based on Philippians 1:1-11

Philippians is one of the most loved books in the New Testament. This book uplifts the spirit and is full of joy, even though Paul wrote it in a Roman prison a few years before his death. Throughout the letter, Paul emphasized the importance of remaining in the joy of the Lord, no matter the circumstance. He wanted the Philippians, and ultimately us today, to hold on to a central truth: that God who began a good work in us is faithful to bring it to completion (Phil 1:6). This central truth rests on three premises. First, it is God’s work, not ours. We sometimes get in God’s way, trying to make things happen when it is God’s job. Our place is to let go and surrender. Second, God’s work is good. We can trust that God is working on our behalf, for our welfare, to bring us life. God’s work is free from the stain and guilt of sin. Third, God will complete his work. God always keeps his promise; therefore, we can trust the process, even when we cannot yet see.

Since God is at work in our lives, that work is good, and God will complete it, we can rest on the promise. As believers, our place is to surrender and let God work in and through us. Yet, we can access that promise and lean into God’s work within us in several ways:

1) Become a partner in the gospel (Phil 1:5). The Philippian church partnered with Paul in two ways: they were known for their generosity, regularly contributing to those in need, and they  were known for their evangelism, regularly spreading the good news of Jesus to their neighbors. When we partner in the gospel, we experience life transformation as we see people who were once in darkness set free and brought into Christ’s marvelous light. Every time we see life change, we receive a fresh reminder of the work that God is still doing within us.

2) Thanksgiving (Phil 1:3). Our natural default is to focus on the negative. Yet, when we live with gratitude and a spirit of thanksgiving, we choose to focus on the good that we see God doing in and around us. Thanksgiving breaks a complaining spirit. Thanksgiving shatters bitterness and allows us to walk in freedom. While many may see darkness, thanksgiving allows us to see Christ.

3) Pray with joy (Phil 1:4). A careful examination of the writings of contemporary church health experts will reveal that healthy churches are those that regularly preach and teach the Word, are outward-focused, and commit to prayer. Prayer is not a task; instead, it becomes a daily opportunity to connect with our heavenly Father. And when we pray with joy, we pray with a cheerful disposition, strengthening our faith and increasing our trust in the Lord’s goodness.

4) Long for the company of believers (Phil 1:8). We are not meant to walk alone. When we regularly meet with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we find those who can come alongside us in struggle or weakness and lift us up. Likewise, we also see through our church family the joys others experience and catch glimpses of God at work.

We can have daily reminders that God is at work in us as we do these four things. What good work is God doing within us?

1) Growth in our capacity to love (Phil 1:9). Paul prayed that our love would abound. He deliberately chooses to use the word agape here, the same love that God demonstrates toward us. The more we grow in Christ, the more He works in us, the more we become like Him, and His love takes root in our hearts. We see people differently. We experience life with compassion.

2) Growth in knowledge and insight (Phil 1:9). Adam and Eve fell into sin because they craved divine knowledge apart from God. But as we draw closer to Christ, that very knowledge that Adam and Eve craved enters our minds and hearts, because we are in relationship with God and abide in Him. He grants us wisdom and insight.

3) Spiritual discernment (Phil 1:9). God gives us the ability to recognize and separate wrong from right, good from evil, and to recognize deception and falsehood.

4) Strength in difficult times (Phil 1:7). Sometimes, when times are difficult, we need a strength that goes beyond us. Jesus himself is that strength.

5) Develop a pure and blameless life (Phil 1:10). We don’t have to give in to the cravings of the flesh or our sinful desires. We can become capable of making wise choices and choosing to follow Christ and pursue His holiness.

6) Filled with the fruit of righteousness (Phil 1:11). Our lives can show clearly to others that we live differently, that Christ is within us. We can walk in the fruit of His Spirit.

God is doing a good work. He will complete it. Will you allow him?

Reflection Questions

1. Do you believe that God is working for your good?

2. Why is it hard to relinquish control and allow God to lead?

3. What are some things that you are thankful for today? Where have you seen God at work?

4. Who can you turn to in your moments of weakness? Who do you gather around yourself to pray in those difficult times?

5. In what ways can you partner in the gospel this week?

Upcoming Service

This Sunday, Pastor Ryan will continue the series on Philippians with the sermon titled “Focus on Christ,” based on Philippians 1:12-26. Paul dealt with those who preached an alternative gospel. How should the faithful church respond? Come by or tune in on Sunday to find out!

Daily Bible Readings for September 15 – 21

September 15: Psalm 104 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 16: Psalm 105 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 17: Psalm 106 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 18: Psalm 107 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 19: Psalm 108 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 20: Psalm 109 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

September 21: Psalm 110 What is one thing you learned you did not know before?

This Week’s  Events:

September – collection of candy begins for Fall Festival

September 17 – Leadership Team Meeting @ 7 pm

September 20 – Evangelism Project @ noon

September 21 – Revelation Bible Study @ 7 pm

Upcoming Events:

September 26 – Church Picnic at Sandy Bottom Pavilion from 5:30 pm – 8 pm

October 24 – Fall Festival from 10 am – 1 pm

VERSE OF THE MONTH!

Every month, we will feature a verse. The goal is for the entire church to learn this verse for the month, so we grow in our memorized Bible knowledge. The verse for September is Philippians 1:6:

“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Announcements:

CHURCH PICNIC

Our next church picnic will be on Saturday, September 26, from 5:30 until 8 at the Sandy Bottom Pavilion. There will be a sign up sheet in the lobby. Please notate how many from your family plan to attend, so the Fellowship Team can order an accurate amount of fried chicken. This year, we are asking those who attend to consider bringing a side dish, a dessert, or both. Please also circle on the sign-up sheet which one (or both) you intend to bring, so Fellowship has a rough estimate of how many of each will come, as well as to ensure enough table space! PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE OR EMAIL PASTOR RYAN ASAP TO BE INCLUDED IN THE COUNT! 

FALL FESTIVAL CANDY COLLECTION

During the month of September, we will start collecting for Fall Festival. Last year, we had a sizeable turnout and we went through nearly 5000 pieces of candy, 250 large candy bars, and 150 Little Debbie lunch cakes. The most popular candy is the non-chocolate mini-mix you can find at Costco. Let’s try to achieve the same amount of candy again this year!

FALL FESTIVAL

Please save the date for Fall Festival. It will be Saturday, October 24 from 10 am – 1 pm. If you helped last year and would like to continue in the same role, please contact Pastor Ryan, Joe Satterwhite, or Katie Cooper. Also, please share the flyer with as many people as you can!

Social Media

Beaver Creek has updated its social media page. Please follow and share so many people can see what is happening at Beaver Creek! You can find the pages as follows:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beavercreekchurchva/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeaverCreekChurchVA/

Four Ways to Give! 

1) Mail your tithe to the church office

2) Drop it by the church office on Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday, 9 am – 1 pm

3) Our online giving platform: https://beavercreekchurchva.churchcenter.com/giving

4) Place in the offering plate on Sunday!

Pastor Ryan Cooper
Beaver Creek Church