Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians during a long and unjust imprisonment. Even though he was in the midst of suffering, this short epistle is full of rejoicing. Paul never complains or casts blame for his situation, because he learned to live above his circumstances.

Today, how do many people respond to difficulty? First, they try blaming others for the problem in order to make themselves feel better. But blaming only results in broken relationships. Second, they may complain, which brings pity from others but only enhances the problem in their own minds. Then, they search for a way out of the situation and, in the process, usually make things worse.

Paul knew that in order to live above his circumstances, rather than merely muddling through them, he needed to shift his focus.

Instead of examining his problem and complaining, he looked to God. He praised God, proclaiming, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Philippians 3:8)

God wants to hear our honest concerns, anger, and confusion about our trials. But He also wants us to trust Him.

Focusing on the Lord and praising Him doesn't mean that we insincerely pretend to enjoy tough times. Instead, we can honestly acknowledge that He is in control of the situation, and will guide our every step just as He promised.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

As believers have a simple choice. We can wallow in self-pity. Or, we can look to Jesus Christ and learn to live above our circumstances.

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 10.35. Live for God, on purpose, choosing to trust Him in all we do.

Becoming Who God Wants You To Be

For over twenty years, the US Military had a promotional slogan, used to encourage young people to join the armed forces. It said, "Be All That You Can Be – Join the Army." The music for this slogan played during a commercial showing young people engaged in a number of demanding and technical actions and duties. The idea was to have people believe that joining the Army would allow them to grow into their full potential as a human being.

While joining the Army may or may not help a person become mature in their abilities, every believer in Christ has a responsibility to grow and mature in their walk in the Lord. But, unfortunately, for many Christians, their growth pattern is rather haphazard, and more a matter of chance than choice.

Every single day we are faced with choices in our life. And the choices you make will to a great degree determine how you will grow in the Lord.

God has placed within each of us tremendous potential. But, it is what we do with that potential that will determine what we become.

This Sunday at WFA we are going to address five key areas we must act upon if we are going to develop fully in the Lord. In Romans 12:1-8, we find specific things we must do – and not do – in order to grow in Christ. Be sure to join us and discover what is necessary for "Becoming Who God Wants You To Be!"

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G – R – O – W – T – H

To grow in the Lord, practice this:

G – Go to God in daily prayers. (John 15:7)

R – Read God's Word daily. (Acts 17:11) Begin with the Gospel of John

O – Obey God moment by moment. (John 14:21)

W – Witness for Christ by your life and words. (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8)

T – Trust God for every detail of your life. (1 Peter 5:7)

H – Holy Spirit: Allow Him to control and empower your daily life and witness. (Galatians 5:16-17; Acts 1:8)

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You Never Know

While in a large East Coast city on business, Dan had spent the evening drinking in the hotel bar. Having sworn that this trip would be different, he was feeling pretty disgusted with himself the next morning. He decided a long walk might clear his head and his mood, so he struck out and soon found himself on a narrow residential street. The houses were small but clean and well kept, and Dan sensed that he'd chosen a good direction.

About halfway down the block an elderly gentleman looked up from his chore of raking leaves and greeting Dan warmly. "Good morning to you," he smiled. "Looks like the Lord has put together another beautiful day, doesn't it?"

"I guess," Dan shrugged, staring down at his shoes.

The old man looked at Dan's bleary eyes and rumpled clothes. "You know, son, Jesus Christ could make this the best day of our life if you'll let Him." He reached into his pocket and handed Dan a small tract. "Why don't you look this over and stop by and see me again?"

Dan half-heartedly thanked his benefactor, stuck the tract into his jacket pocket and went on his way. He didn't read the tract, but somehow he never quite managed to throw it away. A year later, on another business trip, Dan found himself frantically pacing his hotel room. He was at the end of his rope spiritually, financially, emotionally, and physically.

By habit he threw on his jacket and started for the door. But as he shoved one hand into the pocket, that persistent little tract touched his fingers. He pulled it out, went to his bed and read through its entirety. He opened his nightstand and found his room's Gideon Bible and carefully researched the verses the tract had referenced. He fell to his knees and, at that very moment, ended his old life and began a brand new one in Christ.

The following years of Dan's life were a whirlwind of joy and struggle. He became a minister of the Gospel and was invited to city after city, country after country to share his love for the Lord and the miraculous way in which the Lord had changed him. Time after time as Dan shared his message people would come to him and say, "That's amazing! You know, I was in that same city, took a wrong turn, and stopped in front of a house to ask directions. An old man was working in a flower bed and he gave me a Gospel tract."

Each story was different, and yet each story told how people from all over the globe, people who had for many different reasons come to that city, had found themselves drawn to a narrow residential street where an old man worked in his yard.

Some time later Dan returned to the city where his new life had begun. But this time he was there to preach a revival in a local church. Remembering the old man who had given him the tract he made his way to the tiny white house. Seeing no one outside, he knocked on the door. A slow shuffle of feet could be heard, and finally the door cracked open.

"Sir, you probably don't remember me," Dan began, "but you gave me a Gospel tract several years ago and I wanted you to know that it's because of your faithful witness that I now stand here as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

The old man swung the door open wide, revealing a metal walker before his bent and feeble body. "Come in, come in," he told Dan as the tears streamed down both their faces. Dan followed him into a tiny living room.

"Praise God! Praise God!" the elderly gentleman's voice shook with age and emotion. "All these years I wondered if I was making a difference. You see, my wife – she's gone now, God rest her soul – was an invalid and I couldn't get out except to work in the yard. For her last eighteen years I had to be here all the time, so I prayed every day for the Lord to send me people who needed to hear the Word. What a blessing to know about you, son."

"Oh, sir," Dan told him, moving to his side and taking his hand, "I've heard about you all over the world." And as Dan told of the many people who'd come to know the Lord through the witness of this silver-haired believer, the man wept uncontrollably.

"Thank you, Jesus," the faithful old witness kept repeating. "I never knew. I just wanted to be faithful to my Lord."

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You Have What is Required!

When David first arrived at King Saul's palace he was a simple, unknown shepherd boy. But he had an impressive resume! God, in essence, said, "I saw you kill the bear and the lion; I was watching when you didn't realize it." Solomon wrote, "A man's gift makes room for him..." (Proverbs 18:16)

David's gift may have been only a slingshot, but it opened the door to his future as Israel's king. So even though what you've got doesn't seem like much, give it to God and watch what He can do with it.

You say, "But I'm not formally trained." All God requires is that you show up, say yes, and make yourself available. When you give God what you've got, He gives you what He's got; that makes your odds unbeatable.

"But I don't have the right credentials," you say. So what? Benjamin Franklin had less than two years of formal schooling, yet at 25 he founded America's first library, at 31 he started its first fire department, at 36 he designed a heating stove that's still in use today, at 40 he harnessed the power of electricity, at 45 he founded the nation's first university, and at 79 he invented bifocals.

He was an economist, philosopher, diplomat, inventor, educator, publisher and linguist who spoke and wrote in five languages.

Chances are, you already have more education than he had when he was your age. Add to that these two promises, "The Lord is my helper..." (Hebrews 13:6) and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (Philippians 4:13) and you have what's required!

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Perception is Reality

The Bedouin tribes who live in the desert have a story they tell their children that can teach us a great deal about how we make decisions.

According to the story, there was once a man living in the desert with his family. He saw a cloud of dust and sand approaching from the horizon and said to himself, "It is a terrible beast coming to eat me and my family!" As the cloud of dust got closer, he saw that it was actually a man dressed in black on horseback. He then said to himself, "It is my enemy, coming to take over my well!" He went to get his rifle to defend himself. The horseman got closer and the man could now see the rider clearly through the sights of his rifle. He recognized the rider and said to himself, "No, it is my brother."

The three lessons of this story are:

1. What we focus on determines what we believe.

2. What we believe determines what we expect.

3. We tend to see what we're expecting to see.

The Bible demonstrates something very similar. In Numbers 13:33, we read this report from those sent to look over the promised land. "There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

So, the question for you is this – What are you focusing on?

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Church Signs

• "No God – No Peace. Know God – Know Peace."

• "Free Trip to heaven. Details Inside!"

• "Try our Sundays. They are better than Baskin-Robbins."

• "Searching for a new look? Have your faith lifted here!"

• An ad for St. Joseph's Episcopal Church has a picture of two hands holding stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments are inscribed and a headline that reads, "For fast, fast, fast relief, take two tablets."

• When the restaurant next to the Lutheran Church put out a big sign with red letters that said, "Open Sundays," the church reciprocated with its own message: "We are open on Sundays, too."

• "Have trouble sleeping? We have sermons – come hear one!"

• A singing group called "The Resurrection" was scheduled to sing at a church. When a big snowstorm postponed the performance, the pastor fixed the outside sign to read, "The Resurrection is postponed."

• "People are like tea bags – you have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are."

• "God so loved the world that He did not send a committee."

• "Come in and pray today. Beat the Christmas rush!"

• "When down in the mouth, remember Jonah. He came out all right."

• "Sign broken. Message inside this Sunday."

• "Fight truth decay – study the Bible daily."

• "How will you spend eternity – Smoking or Non-smoking?"

• "Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty Lives"

• "Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long, and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world."

• "It is unlikely there'll be a reduction in the wages of sin."

• "Do not wait for the hearse to take you to church."

• "If you're headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns."

• "Looking at the way some people live, they ought to obtain eternal fire insurance soon."

• "This is a ch_ _ch. What is missing?"

• "Forbidden fruit creates many jams."

• "In the dark? Follow the Son."

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The Last Impression

A man bought a donkey from a preacher. The preacher told the man that this donkey had been trained in a very unique way (being the donkey of a preacher). The only way to make the donkey go was to say, "Hallelujah!"

The only way to make the donkey stop was to say, "Amen!"

The man was pleased with his purchase and immediately got on the animal to try out the preacher's instructions.

"Hallelujah!" shouted the man. The donkey began to trot. "Amen!" shouted the man. The donkey stopped immediately.

"This is great!" said the man. With a "Hallelujah" he rode off, very proud of his new purchase.

The man traveled for a long time through the mountains. As he headed towards a cliff, he tried to remember the word to make the donkey stop.

"Stop," said the man. "Halt!" he cried. The donkey just kept going.

"Oh, no..."

"Bible...Church!...Please! Stop!!" shouted the man. The donkey just began to trot faster. He was getting closer and closer to the edge of the cliff.

Finally, in desperation, the man said a prayer: "Please, dear Lord. Please make this donkey stop before I go off the end of this mountain. In Jesus‘ name, AMEN."

The donkey came to an abrupt stop just one step from the edge of the cliff.

"HALLELUJAH!" shouted the man.

As August ends, and summer draws to a conclusion, all of our schedules will return to a more normal level – including here at WFA. We are eagerly looking forward to what the Lord will be doing in our midst in the weeks and months to come! Looking forward to worshiping together with you this week here at WFA!