The Joy of Belonging to God

The Secret of Perpetual Christian Joy

Elder Gowens' sermon on 7/12/26 is taken from Philippians 4:4 and is message #29 in the Exposition of Philippians series. He highlights the imperative "Rejoice," an activity of exulting in God, as the key to maintaining joyful feelings in the believer's heart. This practical sermon emphasizes the primary difference between secular happiness and true, biblical joy, a difference captured by the crucial phrase "in the Lord."

The Joy of Belonging to God

In this 7/12/26 sermon, Mike Gowens continues the look at Philippians 4 with a focus on verses 2-3. Although the apostle is constrained to specifically address a potentially divisive conflict between two women in the church, he does so kindly & respectfully - in a word, pastorally. Among the pastoral encouragements he cites, Paul highlights the fact that these two sisters belonged to the same heavenly family. Their "names," he says, "are in the book of life." What rich encouragement is here!

The Joy of Brotherhood in the Church

This 7/5/26 sermon from Mike Gowens is based on Philippians 4:1 and is message #27 in the Exposition of Philippians series. The apostle's warm, pastoral heart is on full display as he writes to the church at Philippi, especially in this text. Gowens develops the holy fraternity that is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, a relationship unlike anything this world might duplicate.

Christian Fatherhood

On Sunday, 6/21/26, Elder Gowens considers two texts addressing the family "father" -- Ephesians 6:4 & Colossians 3:21. He insists that leading a family should be a distinctively "Christian" endeavor, that is, that fatherhood should be informed and shaped by the gospel message. Gowens offers a list of ways in which fathers might engender frustration and discouragement in a child, as well as practical helps to fulfill the calling to have a Christian influence on that child.

Citizens of Heaven, Yet Residents of Earth

This 6/7/26 sermon by Mike Gowens is based on Philippians 3:17-21 and is #26 in the "Exposition of Philippians" study. Using the fact that Philippi was a Roman colony although a distance of 800 miles separated the capital city from its Greek city-state, Paul reminds the saints of the need to think of our lives in this world in terms of our heavenly home, and to prioritize that ultimate, political reality in the way we think about the present life.