This is part 3 of 5 of the mini-series: Peace in a Pandemic.  

4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Our previous post, Celebrate God,  in this mini-series on Peace in a Pandemic closed with Psalm 73:25-28 where we read in verse 28, “as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge.” Refuge. Shelter. These are words that describe the place where we run and hide when danger arises.

​In my younger years during the summer holidays I would coach at a soccer camp in Florida. One day, a typical hot and humid summer’s day, the clouds were rolling in and the sky began to darken. Then oddly enough the hair on the heads of the players began to rise to the sky. Then, in an instant, a bright flash accompanied by a deafening BANG sent the entire camp to the only refuge immediately available, the ground. In that moment no instructions were needed. No reminders were provided. There wasn't a text reminder or a newsletter email. Instinct took over. Everyone sought shelter, a refuge from the storm. If only we could learn to respond in the same way to our anxious by praying to God! The Psalmist wrote that he had made the Sovereign Lord his refuge. It was a decision. A pre-decision perhaps. What have you made your refuge? Where do you run and hide when times of trouble come? 

Possessions? Jesus advises that “moths, vermin, and thieves” [9] will make quick work of your wealth, even more so once you are out of the way. And once your life is taken, “then who will get everything you worked for?” [10]

People? The Prophet Jeremiah cautions us that the people-reliant life (self included) is ultimately a cursed life—leaving us looking a lot like “…a bush in the wastelands…in a salt land where no one lives.” [11] According to the prophet relying on man’s ingenuity and strength will lead to a lonely and stunted life.

Pleasure? In the Parable of the Rich Fool Jesus cautions us against the not-actually-so-modern mantra of “Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry!” [12] Reality will one day interrupt all the revelling and when that happens; where will you find refuge? Anything and everything that we try and find refuge in, except for the Sovereign Lord, will leave us wanting. 

In our text from Philippians Paul commands us to “not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Through prayer, petition and thanksgiving we train our souls to find refuge in God. I love the way Paul contrasts anything and everything. As R. Rainy wrote: “The way to be anxious about nothing is to be prayerful about everything.” [13] Paul, as we’ve mentioned before, knew that life is fertile ground for anxiety and worry to grow. But he also knew that “prayer cures anxiety”. [14]

Paul's description of prayer is so robust as he groups three synonyms for prayer together: prayer, petition, requests. As H.A. Kent noted: “In this context, the three have the following meanings: “‘Prayer’ (προσευχῇ) denotes the petitioner’s attitude of mind as worshipful. ‘Petition’ (δεήσει) denotes prayers as expressions of need and ’Requests’ (αἰτήματα) refers to the things asked for.” [15] Of course all three are meant to be, in some sense, tempered by an attitude of gratitude as we express our thanksgiving for what we have as we express requests for what we do not have. This robust 3 fold prayer coupled with thanksgiving is a key step to gaining that heart and mind guarding peace that transcends all understanding. 

“Remind yourself continually: it takes the same amount of energy to worry as to pray. One leads to peace, the other to panic. Choose wisely.” [16]




[9] The New International Version. (2011). (Matthew 6:19-20). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[10] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 12:20). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[11] The New International Version. (2011). (Jeremiah 17:6). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[12] The New International Version. (2011). (Luke 12:19). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[13] R. Rainy cited by O’Brien, P. T. (1991). The Epistle to the Philippians: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 492). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
[14] Melick, R. R. (1991). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 32, p. 149). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[15] H. A. Kent, “Philippians,” EBC (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978), 11:152.
[16] Todd Wagner, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/christians-anxious-coronavirus/

This is part 2 of 5 of the mini-series: Peace in a Pandemic.  

4:4-5 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”

Someone, somewhere at sometime said: “Don’t waste a crisis.” [6] Whoever said it was giving some really good advice. The Covid-19 pandemic has already begun to seriously sift the sources from which we seek joy. I’ve said it a lot these past few weeks and will probably continue to do so for awhile: “So often our faith becomes polluted with lesser things: trusting in our health, wealth, and prosperity. Ironically, in our current time of trial, it is our health which has been shown to be weak, our wealth which has had the biggest one-day plunge ever and our prosperous homes which have now become temporary prisons.” All too often our “rejoicing” flows merely from the shallow springs of our current circumstances. A new home, a new job, a new friend, a new car or a new shirt—all are things to be thankful for, but they are not reliable springs from which to drink. If we try and find lasting joy in those type of things we can slide very easily into the endlessly futile pursuit of the grass is always greener. Thankfully, the Apostle Paul didn’t say, ‘rejoice in your circumstances'. He was a man that knew challenging circumstances in life are inevitable. Take for example his time in Philippi. While planting the church there Paul & Silas were attacked, dragged into the marketplace, falsely accused, unjustly condemned, stripped naked, beaten with rods, severely flogged, then thrown into prison (Act 16:19-23). And yet, in the midst of those horrific circumstance we discover: “Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…” [7] What was his secret? How could they rejoice and sing in times like those? Why didn’t they flee when their circumstances could change thanks to a get-out-jail free card that came via an earthquake? I think Paul was drinking from the true spring of joy, the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord is what he wrote. The Lord is near is what he minded them to focus on. Don’t waste this crisis. Take the opportunity Coronavirus has given us all to shift our heart onto something, better yet, someone much more solid—the Lord. 

One of my favourite Old Testament examples of this principle is found in Genesis 15:1 “After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” The verse begins with “after this”. Two words with a lot behind them. Let’s take a quick look at what had just taken place. In Genesis 12:1-9 Abram left his family and began a faithful journey to the promised land. Then chapter 12:10-20 we read about a famine that drove Abram to go to Egypt where due to fearful deception he and his nephew Lot become incredibly wealthy. Then in chapter 13:1-18 we learn that Abram and Lot had to part ways because of the ill-gained wealth and shortly after that God makes some grand promises concerning all the land that Abram’s offspring will inherit. Continuing on from there in chapter 14:1-24 Lot ends up being caught up in some serious trouble which prompts Abram to launch a successful rescue mission to bring back his nephew and his whole household. All of that is then topped off through a mysterious communion service with the mysterious Melchizedek, king of Peace. Despite all of that God comes to Abram and says: “I am your great reward”. The reward wasn’t the Promises or the Promise Land, it wasn’t the wealth or the great wins, it wan’t even the  epic communion with Melchizedek. The reward was God Himself. When He is our reward we can, like Paul & Abram, rejoice always. 

Don’t waste this crisis. Let it sift your heart and make a choice today to shift your heart away from your circumstances and onto the Lord, your great reward. Hear the warning from CS Lewis, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” [8]

May our prayer be the of the Psalmist:
“Whom have I in heaven but you? 
And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, 
but God is the strength of my heart 
and my portion forever. 
27 Those who are far from you will perish; 
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. 
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. 
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; 
I will tell of all your deeds.”
Psalm 73:25-28



[6] This quote is attributed to several different people including: Rahm Emanuel, Winston Churchill, and Niccolo Machiavelli

[7] The New International Version. (2011). (Ac 16:25). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[8] C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses

Anyone feeling a little bit anxious at the moment? I’m usually a calm person, but then yesterday Jake coughed, and my mind started racing. Then today a lady at the shops coughed. A quick panicked glance confirmed my new found greatest fear—no mask. Then my head felt slightly warm. Oh no, what if…what if…what if… As John Ortberg wrote in his binge worthy book, Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World “Anxiety and fear are cousins but not twins. Fear sees a threat. Anxiety imagines one. Fear screams, Get out! Anxiety ponders, What if? Fear results in fight or flight. Anxiety creates doom and gloom.”[1]

Let’s consider briefly how we can have Peace in a Pandemic. Extinguishing the what if…

Philippians 4:4-9
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” 

As we dig into this passage let’s start with the good news, three promises regarding Peace,  and then work backwards to some practicals. The first two are in v. 7 where Paul says we can have the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Supernatural peace. A peace which can not be explained because it runs counter to our circumstances and the logical human response. The image that always comes to my mind when I think about this is Jesus sleeping on a boat in the middle of a storm. That’s a peace that passes understanding. Second, that peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Guard is a military term used for a garrison of soldiers keeping watch. God’s peace will be like a 24/7 security detail of former special forces soldiers keeping watch over your heart (source) and mind (outflow).[2] Everything is protected by the best of the best. The third promise is found at the end of verse 9 “And the God of peace will be with you.” For this promise, it’s helpful to have a look at John 20:19-21a 

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!”"

Here we find the disciples also practicing safe social distancing by having a fear-filled lockdown in the upper room. Then the resurrected Jesus shows up to them extending Peace. Twice, Peace be with you! Like the buns of a burger Peace sandwiches the meat of the reality of the resurrection. That’s why He showed them His hands and side. Yes, He did die, and yet here He is. Peace. Death has been conquered. Atonement for sin has made. True Peace between man and creator is now possible because of Jesus. If that relationship has been restored then “what if?” doesn’t need to haunt us anymore. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”[3]

So there we have it, 3 incredible promises regarding the Peace of God:
1-Peace that Transcends Understanding
2-Peace that Guards our Hearts and Minds
3-Peace that is With Us

Now, all 3 Promises are prefaced with “AND”. “In other words, the promises are consequent upon something else which has been stated previously. In each case, the ‘something else’ is a series of commands. The Word of God is saying to us that, if we want to enjoy the promises, then we must obey the commands.” [4]

Ortberg’s insight is again helpful when considering the 4 commands Paul gives to find that Peace that only God can give: 

1-Celebrate God. “Rejoice in the Lord always” (v. 4). 
2-Ask God for help. “Let your requests be made known to God” (v. 6). 
3-Leave your concerns with him. “With thanksgiving…” (v. 6). 
4-Meditate on good things. “Think about the things that are good and worthy of praise” (v. 8 NCV). 

Celebrate. Ask. Leave. Meditate. C.A.L.M. [5]

1 Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World by Max Lucado, page 4
2 “Hearts and minds point to source and outflow. The source is the heart, that comprehensive term which the Bible uses to include functions which we would distribute between mind, will, emotions and conscience. It is the inner side of the personality, and in particular the inner source from which all outer life springs. The mind is the outflow from this source in terms of definite plans which we entertain, imaginations which captivate us, and so forth.”    Motyer, J. A. (1984). The message of Philippians (p. 206). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
3  The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 8:31). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
4 Motyer, J. A. (1984). The message of Philippians (p. 210). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
5 Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World by Max Lucado, page 10

With many of us on lock down, for who knows how long, we thought we would share a list of books we've enjoyed over the years. Its by no means comprehensive but we hope you can find something to binge on rather than Netflix...

Jesus
Sitting at the feet of the Rabbi Jesus by Spangler and Tverberg
Who Is This Man? By John Ortberg
Jesus, Mean and Wild by Mark Galley
The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey
Encounters With Jesus by Timothy Keller
Who Was Jesus by NT Wright
Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth Bailey
Jesus - The Same by Charles Edward Jefferson
Jesus: The Greatest Life of All by Charles Swindoll

Biographies
Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce by Eric Metaxas
Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas
Martin Luther by Eric Metaxas
Seven Men: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
The Apostle Paul by John Pollock
Paul by NT Wright
50 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe
Ruined by Ruth Everhart
Let Me Die in Ireland by David Bercot
Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan
Seven Women: And the Secret of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas
The Hall of the Mighty Men Series by Graham Cliff

Prayer
Too Busy Not To Pray: Slowing Down to be With God by Bill Hybels
Pursuit of God, Pursuit of Man, Knowledge of the Holy by A. W Tozer
Prayer by Philip Yancey
Prayer by Timothy Keller

Women
Lost Women of the Bible by Carolyn Custis James
Half the church by Carolyn Custis James
Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin
Lies Women Believe by Wolgemuth
Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs
Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver

Men
The Making of a Man of God by Alan Redpath
Twelve ordinary Men by John MacArthur
Extreme Ondership by Willink and Babin
Your Brain on Porn by Gary Wilson
The Porn Myth by Matt Fraud
Porn Again Christian by Mark Driscoll
Redemption by Mike Wilkerson

Church History
How We Got the Bible by Neil Lightfoot
Foxes Book of the Martyrs by David W. Bercot
Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity by Mark Noll
Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley

Apologetics
Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up? by David W. Bercot
The Intolerance of Tolerance by D.A. Carson
Language of Science and Faith by Francis Colins
The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? By N.T Wright
Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias
Lotus and the Cross by Ravi Zacharias 
Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
Encounters With Jesus by Timothy Keller
Making Sense of God by Timothy Keller
Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
Answering Jihad and Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi
Seeking Allah, Finding Jessu by Qureshi & Strobel

Christian Living
Radical by David Platt
Counter Culture by David Platt
To Live Is Christ to Die Is Gain by Chandler and Wilson
Masters Plan of Evangelism by Robert E Coleman
Crash the Chatterbox by Steven Furtick
Mind change by Thomas A Jones
Prideful Souls Guide to Humility Thomas A Jones & Michael Fontenot
​The Radical Disciple by John Stott
Freedom of Self Forgetfulness by Timothy Keller
Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller
Prodigal God by Timothy Keller
Prodigal Prophet by Timothy Keller
Every Good Endeavour by Timothy Keller
How People Grow by Cloud and Townsend
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller
Repentance by Ed Anton
The Tale of Three Kings by Edwards Gene
Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus
Uprising by Erwin McManus 
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Erasing Hell by Francis Chan
Forgotten God by Francis Chan
Multiply by Francis Chan
Not a Fan by Francis Chan
Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
Not by Sight by John Bloom
In the Pit with the Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson
Your God is too Safe, Spiritual Rhythm by Mark Buchanan
Faith and Doubt by John Ortberg
If You Want to Walk on Water…Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg
When the game is over it all goes back in the box by John Ortberg
Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado
Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado
God Shaped Brain Timothy R. Jennings
God Shaped Heart by Timothy R. Jennings
Small Faith Great God, Philip Yancey
Set Apart: Calling a Worldly Church to a Godly Life by R. Kent Hughes

Grace
Charis: God's Scandalous Grace for Us by Preston Sprinkle
Grace by Max Lucado
In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado
What's So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey

Relationships
Everyones Normal Until you Get To Know Them by John Ortberg
I Know I Should Forgive, But by Dr. Lynch
Father Fiction by Donald Miller
A Dad Shaped Hole in my Heart by H. Norman Wright
Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend
Safe People by Cloud and Townsend
Before you say I do by H. Norman Wright
How to council a couple in 6 sessions or less by H. Norman Wright
A Better way to think by H. Norman Wright
From Bondage to Bonding by Nancy Groom

Christian Fiction
The Lost Letters of Pergamum by Bruce W. Longenecker
Screw Tape Letters by CS Lewis
The Great Divorce by CS Lewis
Glimpses of Truth by Jack Cavanaugh
The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers
The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers
A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers
The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers
The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers

Discipline
Ordering your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung
Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes
Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster

Suffering
On Death by Timothy Keller
Sacred Sorrow by Michael Card
Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller
Suffering is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot
The Spirit of Disciplines by Dallas Willard
Spiritual Disciplines b Donald Whitney

Theology
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart
Charismatic Chaos by John MacArthur
Strange Fire by John MacArthur
Gospel of Ruth by Carolyn Custis James
Ten Commandments by Kevin DeYoung
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by Richards and O’Brien
Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes by Kenneth Bailey
A Model of Christian Maturity by D. A. Carson
God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel by Costi W. Hin

Parenting
Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel
Growing up Social by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
Parenting With Kingdom Purpose by Ken Hemphill and Richard Ross
Preparing your Son for Every Man’s Battle by Arterburn and Stoeker
Preparing your Daughter for Every Woman’s Battle by Shannon Ethridge
Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Leman
Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp
Parenting by Paul David Tripp
Raising Kids for True Greatness by Tim Kimmel
Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch
Raising a Modern-Day Knight by Robert Lewis
How to Really Love your Child by Ross Campbell
How to Talk so kids will listen how to listen so kid will talk by Faber & Mazlish
Sticky Faith by Kara E. Powell and Dr. Chap Clark
Boundaries with Teens by John Townsend 
Plugged in Parenting by Bob Waliszewski
Parenting Teens with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay
Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch
On Birth by Timothy Keller

Marriage
On Marriage by Timothy Keller
The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy & Kathy Keller
Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
You and Me Forever by Francis & Lisa Chan
Sheet Music by Dr. Kevin Leman
His Needs Her Needs by Willard F. Harley Jr
Mingling of Souls by Matt Chandler
How to Improve your Marriage Without Talking About It by Love & Stosny
Love Must Be Tough: New Hope for Marriages in Crisis by James C. Dobson
Cherish by Gary Thomas 

For Teens 
Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
You Were Made to Make a Difference by Max & Jenna Lucado 
Jesus Freaks: Martyrs: Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus by DC Talk
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
Running for My Life by Lopez Lomong
Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper

There is an astonishing clarity, an epiphany even, that suffering and trials can bring to our lives. One writer likened it to smelling salts that can awaken us out our false beliefs. This means we are living in a time of tremendous opportunity, not because we are in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic, but because this pandemic has the potential to awaken not just ourselves but the whole world to a reality we try desperately to not see—we are mortal. 

In Psalm 90:12 Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Here we find Moses devoting, not just one verse, but an entire Psalm to a meditation and pray to have a deeper realisation of a topic we don’t even like to consider for one second. Maybe we’ve got it wrong and Moses has it right. Maybe we are avoiding and denying something we should be facing and embracing? In Timothy Keller’s book succinctly titled, On Death, he writes: “Medicine and science have relieved us of many causes of early death, and today the vast majority of people decline and die in hospitals and hospices, away from the eyes of others. It is normal now to live to adulthood and not watch anyone die, or even see a corpse except in the brief glance of an open coffin at funeral.” Maybe with all our modern advances we’ve removed from our lives any reminder of a part of life we desperately need to be reminded of; life ends, our lives will end, because we are mortal.

In our denial of death there is a paradox. We fear death because it can make life seem futile, but if we face our mortality we can live in a way that isn’t futile. Moses tells us recognising our mortality helps us “gain a heart of wisdom”. We discover in times like these that what we pursue to give life meaning is all to often completely insignificant when viewed from the limited days we live. Furthermore, the things we look to for security and reassurance are shown to be impotent when the reality of our mortality rises before our eyes. As Addison Leitch once said, “We’re all on a little ball of rock called Earth, and we’re spinning through space at millions of miles an hour. Someday a trapdoor is going to open up under every single one of us, and we will fall through it. And either there will be millions and millions of miles of nothing—or else there will be the everlasting arms of God.” At that moment our bank balances, community cred, and priceless possessions will count for nothing but in view of that moment considered now we are free then to live different lives until that moment comes. As C. S. Lewis once wrote, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” 

The other fear, and perhaps the bigger one, that prevents us from being comfortable numbering our days is simply the fear of death itself. It is the ultimate unknown which we all face. Thankfully, the Gospel frees us from this fear so that we can pray Moses’ prayer and gain the wisdom we so desperately need in order to live lives free from regret. In Hebrews 2:10, 14-15 we read, “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered…Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” William Lane says the word translated “pioneer” really should be translated “champion”. So Jesus is our champion. He faced our greatest foe and conquered it. We no longer need to be enslaved to fear or any of his friends: panic, alarm, distress, anxiety, or worry. As free men and women we can accept and crazy enough, actually long for the reality of our mortality-death (Philippians 1:21-23). 

As we take the bread and the wine let them be a reminder of our Champion Jesus. He has  conquered death and freed us from Fear. And as people set free from fear let’s number our days and gain the wisdom that comes from that practice. Making choices each day to live a life that truly matters. Investing not in things of this life or the here and now but rather in the age to come. Living here and now not for ourselves but for others—just like our Champion.