Think About These Things + Tonight at Immanuel
Good morning Immanuel. Jesus is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8 ).
When I read this verse, my natural response is only to notice the command aspect of it: think like this. So it feels like a standard I have to measure up to. If I don’t think like this, I will have failed, and God will be disappointed in me.
It certainly is a command, and God does call us to think in a pure and holy way. But if that’s all it is, well, I fail all the time. I’ve already failed dozens of times in the past week. I think about dishonorable things. I get angry and want vengeance instead of justice. I certainly have impure and unlovely thoughts. And so do you. We sin in our minds every day.
So, thankfully, this verse is not merely a command we can’t keep and a standard we don’t measure up to.
Reflect on that list: true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise. What does that sound like? More specifically, who does that sound like? It sounds like a description of Jesus Christ. This verse isn’t primarily a standard we can’t meet but an invitation to reflect on Jesus, to think about Jesus, and thus to draw near to Jesus. It isn’t abstract. We don’t have to guess what kinds of things are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Jesus is.
And when (not if) we fail at it, it is Jesus who welcomes us back and offers us even more of Himself so that we can see and know even more clearly that He is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
August 30, 2023 - Midweek Updates
Celebration
SUNDAY - Miss us this Sunday? Catch up on the service on our YouTube channel here!
Tonight At Immanuel!
WED. NIGHT - TEACHING AND COMMUNITY (6:30pm - 7:30pm)
Adults - Doors open at 6 pm! Adults will meet in the worship center as we continue our new teaching series, "Abiding: Healthy Rhythms For Life With God.” All are welcome.
iKids - Open for kids ages 2 through 4th grade tonight.
Students - Student Ministry City Groups (students 5th-12th grade) are held in the gymnasium. Doors open at 6 pm.
On the Horizon
DISCOVER RECEPTION - New or newish to Immanuel? Formerly known as the Discover Luncheon, the new Discover Reception is an opportunity to connect at 10:45 am in the cafe for an overview of Immanuel and a time for Q&A. Our next Discover Reception is September 10. RSVP here.
TGC23 NATIONAL CONFERENCE - Thinking about attending the Gospel Coalition National Conference (September 25-27)? Immanuel folks are privy to a $20 registration discount using the code COUNCILCHURCH. Immanuel’s very own Barnabas Piper, Sam Allberry, and Ray Ortlund will be a part of the event lineup for TGC23. Register today and save!
Thank you 🙏🏼