What would you most like to experience in your life? When people were asked this question, the most common answer was peace, and yet despite psychologists, self-help books and relaxation techniques, we still lack it. This sermon turns to the letter the apostle Paul wrote from prison to the persecuted Christians in Philippi (Philippians 4) and shows that peace is not the absence of storms but a fruit of the Spirit, the certainty that God has everything under control, which must be tended like a gardener tends his orchard. You will also hear why old sailors kept the bow of the ship pointed straight into the wind during a storm, and what that says about your worries. Listen before the next storm arrives.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Paul writes Philippians from prison to people persecuted for their faith, yet he calls them his joy and crown. What does this tell us about the source of his peace and joy?
- Paul urges Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord and asks others to help end their dispute (Philippians 4:2-3). Why does conflict in a community destroy peace so effectively, and what kind of unity is Paul talking about?
- The sermon compares peace to the fruit of the Spirit: we cannot make it grow, but we can hinder it through neglect. What in your life helps this fruit grow, and what acts like weeds?
- Paul encourages us to pray about everything with thanksgiving, no matter how God answers. What does it mean for you to thank God before you see the problem solved?
- The king chose the painting of a bird in its nest beside a raging waterfall, because peace is not the absence of storms but the assurance of God's presence. Where in your current storms do you need that assurance?
- Paul tells us to think about what is true, noble and pure instead of running from God to escape our problems, like a ship keeping its bow into the wind. What one concrete step can you take this week to turn your thoughts toward God?
