Press On
Sunday we finished our second week in the book of Philippians. Our theme for the series is “Press On.” This comes from our memory verse for the month, Philippians 3:13-14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The focus of the Christian life is forward facing, pressing onward and upward toward Christ, trusting that He will guide us in all things for His Glory.
One verse I’ve been meditating on almost daily toward this end, for the last six months or so, is 1 Peter 4:7. It begins with the phrase “the end of all things is at hand.” It’s a good reminder to have a sense of urgency about the Gospel, to stay awake and ready for the return of Christ. He could come back at any moment! The verse continues, “therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded.” Both of these are important for the Christian life. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). The life of a Christian is not to be chaotic, but ordered and full of peace. Sober-mindedness means we are to have our minds free from sinful clutter and instead filled with Christ-centered ideas that draw us closer to Him (see Ephesians 5:18 “be filled with the Spirit.”)
But the verse ends with a reminder of why we seek to be self-controlled and sober-minded “for the sake of your prayers.” Most every major revival, every major movement of the Spirit began with a season of focused prayer. But it’s hard to pray if our minds are filled with distractions. German philosopher Josef Pieper said it this way: “the greatest menace to our capacity for contemplation is the incessant fabrication of tawdry empty stimuli which kill the receptivity of the soul.” In Prairie Village parlance: garbage in equals garbage out. It’s hard to pray when our minds are distracted and filled up with empty things.
I believe God is calling Valley View to take new steps of faith to reach our community, but we will only see Him move if we are saturating every step of faith in prayer. Be praying for one person in your life that you can invite to church on October 12th, the day of our Fall Festival. Pray for them, and pray for an open door to take a step of faith! And to best help your heart pray, also take steps to cut out the things that fill up your heart and mind and cause distractions during your prayers. Choose just one app or show that has been a distraction for you, and omit it this week.
God is on the move in the South End of Louisville! Valley View is growing in our dependence on prayer. We are a Bible-believing, Christ-centered church that is eagerly expecting the Holy Spirit to move and advance the Gospel all across PRP, Prairie Village, and Valley Station.