Philippians 4:6-9

In the midst of the holiday maelstrom, there's hope for peace In the maelstrom of emotion during this holiday season, let God surround you with his peace. Cast all of your worries on him and focus on the things that will truly bring you peace.

We could all use these words of peace! Max Lucado shares biblical insight on how to exchange our cares for God's calm in our lives.

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable...."

"Dear Father, praiseworthy God, Help me set my mind only on things that are true, that are noble, right, pure and lovely, things that are worthy of....."

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which..."

"Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s...."

Inspirational illustration of Philippians 4:6-7 -- Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart

Is living throwing you nothing but curve balls? Life is full of all sorts of problems and curve balls: how we handle them determins our real faith.

"Dear Father, victorious deliverer, May I be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on rule-keeping but that which is through trust..."

When life crashes in on top of you, how do you dig out of your grief and loss? A special article about a man name Pranjees, the children he lost and the prayer he had answered.

Walking together means we give with thanks so no one walks alone. Ann Voskamp talks about eucharisteo and Compassion International and Haiti and child protection and question marks and learning to live with thanksgiving.

How do we hang onto God's promises when they seem too good to be true? Phil Ware shares his third in a series of 6 messages on the promise that the LORD is near; this time focusing on our doubts.

Caught between Thanksgiving and Christmas and in a life full of challenges and pains, what do we do? Brian McCutchen reminds us to trust God and learn that our current circumstances aren't forever and that God can lead us to a new place.

More than an absence of conflict, the Lord wants to give us life to the full! Phil Ware finishes his six-part series on Paul's promises to the Philippians that the Lord is always near and God and the peace he brings will be with them.

Do you know peace in your life? Do you know peace in your life? Or, do you find your days filled with conflict? Are you often belligerent and contentious with those around you? Find real peace in Jesus.

Some promises matter more because of when they are made! Phil Ware shares his second in a series focused on Jesus' promises to never leave us or forsake us.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is..."

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or..."

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is..."

"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."

"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."

"Dear Father, forbearing God, Let me rejoice in the Lord always! Again I ask this from you: Let me rejoice always! Let me be gentle, open to reason,....."

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again — rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming..."

Inspirational illustration of Philippians 4:9 -- the God of peace be with you.

Inspirational illustration of Philippians 4:8 -- Finally, brothers, 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 recieved or heard from me, or seen in me -- put it into practice. - Philippians 4:9

Inspirational illustration of Philippians 4:8 -- Finally, brothers, 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.

Why should I rejoice when things are not going well? Rubel Shelly reminds us that we've got to look past our own failures and low view of our own importance and learn to rejoice because we are each a child of the King.

What difference does a distant aunt really make? An aunt doesn't appear on the surface to make that much difference, but when you look a little more closely, she can make a world of difference.

Why take this risk? Stacy Voss shares the principle about thinking about the lovely things of God in your partner and not the bad things or the deficits.

In those times of restlessness and anxiety, where do we turn for relief? Tom Norvell reminds us to take our worries, our concerns, our troubles, and turn them into prayers and praises.

How can we not be afraid in times like this? Russ Lawson reminds us that even during these troubling times that God is at work to take care of us.

You don't have to listen to the noise around you! Tom Norvell reminds us that we don't have to hear the messages and noise around us, we can follow Jesus' example and withdraw from the situation.

Can we really ever get over our losses? Loss of a dream, losing a loved one, is not fair and can often leave us confused and angry, so how do we cope with it, by turning it over to God and living for him.

"Dear Precious One, No matter what you are facing — right now or ever in the future — please know that I care about your struggles. I will..."

What's the greatest answer to our prayers? Thanksgiving is the great blessing in prayer that we must always participate in.

Do those old passsages really have something to say today? Rubel Shelly reminds us about God's enfolding peace in the middle of life's worse storms and that this has been true for centuries.

Have you found your place of peace? Jesus promises us his peace if we will open our hearts to his contentment.

He's making a list and checking it twice ... Rubel Shelly talks about living by lists and emphasizes the importance of moving things from your worry list to your prayer list.

Have you asked Him to help you with this important task? If God answers prayers, why don't we pray more frequently?

Do you have the God who is there through everything? Bill Sherrill talks about God, who is there through all the tough and also gentle moments of our lives!

So where can you go to find beautiful things? Lisa Mikitarian shares some thoughts on motherhood and finding beauty and overcoming the nature of pop-culture.

Your Father is waiting to hear from you! Russ Lawson talks about talking with his kids and grandchildren on the phone and how precious it is to him and how God longs to hear from us in much the same way.

How can you keep a good attitude at a time like this? Rubel Shelly shares with us the story of Beverly Sills and how she has kept a positive attitude through hardship and disappointment and reminds us that we can choose our state of mind.

So when will what you have be enough to be happy? Russ Lawson talks about the Sword of Damocles, Mr. Spock, the apostle Paul and about being satisfied with life.

The power of the oak is in the acorn! Phil Ware continues his series that the Lord is near focusing on the power of this promise found in the Lord's faithfulness, love, and grace.

When's the last time you waited on the Lord in prayer? Tom Norvell reminds us of the importance of praying honestly to God about all the challenging times in our lives.

Would you rather have peace or worry? If I can learn to turn my worries over to God, he will give me his peace, that divine peace that defies all logic. I decide to give my cares to God, I pray about them, and I thank him for handling them. In return, he gives me peace.

You don’t need to be a fisherman to experience a perfect storm. Max Lucado reminds us about finding ourselves about being in a perfect storm and receiving God's perfect peace.

Where can I find the strength and comfort I need? Russ Lawson reminds us of the comfort that we can find in God and His word if we will trust and believe it.

So what occupies your thoughts and memories? Russ Lawson had his share of tough things and hard roads growing up, but he chooses NOT to dwell on those things, but the positive ones.

What keeps you up at night? We can overcome the anxiety that fear brings by giving all of our concerns to God. He will, in return, give us an incomprehensible peace.

We are not alone in longing to know that the presence of the Lord is with us! Phil Ware begins a series called the Lord is near and reminds us that the Lord is close and we have a right to long to know his presence is real and is near.

Will you believe that giving thanks is an effective stress reduction strategy even during the stress of Thanksgiving during a pandemic? Muriel Larson, an experienced online coach and counselor, shares this clear strategy to help us deal with the stress and pressure of the holidays found throughout the Scriptures: Give thanks!

We can offer no greater service than to love people and prepare their hearts to receive Jesus! ToGather.church worship segment for March 29, 2020, focused on John the Baptizer finding his purpose in preparing other people's hearts for Jesus.

Blues got you down? We all get a little blue or depressed; here are 10 suggestions to help us.

How can you not have your life blown apart by a brain tumor? An update on Jack Marcelain and his brain tumor recovery doesn't bring all good news, but Tammy is committed to not worry about it.

What are you asking Santa to bring you for Christmas? What we want and most need at Christmas are not the kinds of things that money can buy!

What do you have growing in your path? We need to keep our thought life free of weeds.

Are you looking beyond the ugliness of the age to find something more? Ron Rose challenges us to look beyond the ugliness and pettiness of the age and find real beauty and loveliness in our worlds.

What have you been thinking about lately? More than needing to think, we need to think about the right things!

God is great, so what are we going to do about it? Rubel Shelly reminds us to be thankful for even the most simple things, including our meal and the gift of food and fellowship over table.

Why is it so easy to find the negative? Max Lucado reminds us that we can all find something to complain about even in the best of circumstances, but we can focus on the good and see the work God is doing in us!

Why weren't these things mentioned? The whole news media ignored the biggest story of the hurricanes -- the overwhelming help, compassion, and generosity of people to help their neighbors.

Who influeces what others do? The greatest tone setter for ethics in the market place is the boss!

What really do we value? Mark Frost of interimministrypartners.com shares insights into transition times for churches who are looking for a minister or pastor and helps them discover ways to determine their core values.

If we are not careful, the challenges of the moment can wilt the joy right out of our Thanksgiving. Phil Ware reminds us that no matter how difficult our circumstances, because of Jesus we have reason to give thanks!

What's the big deal with our worries? Bill Sherrill describes the problem with worry and how we often replace prayer with worry, but reminds us that peace isn't about circumstances or logic, but trust in God.

David concludes Psalm 19 with a prayer that his interior and exterior worlds align with the character of God and bring the LORD pleasure! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in an online, virtual worship through words and music using YouTube videos to call us to align our internal feelings of love for God with our external daily lives that should be lived as our worship of God.

How can we live above it? Mike Barres reminds us that discouragements can leave an emotional residue and keep us from living as we should, but we can do some things to live as God would have us live!

How do we keep the concerns from stealing our thanksgiving? Phil Ware talks about how to keep thanksgiving a part of our daily lives even though we face challenging times.

When does a little filth become too much? Russ Lawson challenges us to look at the way filth and dirt get into our lives and contaminate them and challenges us to pursue holiness and purity.

How remarkable that Jesus felt such fear. But how kind that he told us about it. Max Lucado reminds us that Jesus made all sorts of faces as he lived life much as we do, and because he has been where we are, even in the darkest of times, we can turn to him and find grace to help us in our times of need.

How do we keep our concerns for the future and our hardships from the last two years of Covid 19 from stealing the joy of our Thanksgiving? Phil Ware reminds us to keep thanksgiving a part of our daily lives even though we face challenging times, difficult circumstances, and discouraging realities.

Do you really want to fill your sponge with grey water? Teresa Bell Kindred compares seeing Fifty Shades of Grey to a dirty mop bucket and a sponge.

Are we looking in the right places to find happiness for ourselves? Teresa Bell Kindred reminds us that what we define as happiness is nearly always temporary pleasure that is soon gone and leaves us unhappy; happiness is really on our own shoulders.

Can you give thanks? Cary reminds singles that they can give thanks in almost any situation.

So how do we obey these hard commands to not worry? Rubel Shelly reminds us that trust in God to act is not passive, but an active life that does what is required, trusting that our difficulties and challenges are problems for God to solve.

Is your storehouse of anger doing you any good? Are you happier? Better? More fun to be with? Max Lucado helps us deal with the hurts of the heart that lead to bitterness, anger, and depression, as we are provoked and frustrated into sullen and negative states of spirit and emotion and mind.

Look! A monster! It's hard for us to see things in the proper perspective, which is why we need to give all of our worries to God.

We want to be a people who sing to God out of hearts full of gratitude because of our riches in Christ Jesus! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in online worship through words and music, using YouTube videos to lead us to sing with hearts full of gratitude for all that God has done for us in Jesus.

No matter what life, Satan, or circumstances suggest, we will never be forsaken by our God! Phil Ware shares his message focused on Paul's promises that the Lord will always be near us, focusing on Jesus' promises to his early disciples and to us!

How can we deepen, strengthen, and become more aware of our Lord's constant and loving presence? Phil Ware reminds us of the Lord's nearness, four ways we can experience that nearness, but most importantly, he reminds us to seek the Lord's presence in our lives, always.

Life is full of ups and downs, but God goes with us through it all! Bill Sherrill reminds us that life is full of ups and downs, good things and bad, so we need to find the good and not the bad.

Do you have a long face? Bill Sherrill reminds us that the Christian life should be a life of joy.

What do you need to bury in your life? Ann Voskamp shares about a recent burial she was happy to attend, and in the process, put the world back into its upright position.

We have a huge impact on our day by what we decide to choose! Max Lucado reminds us that our life is made by what we choose to do with our character and our heart.

Becoming a great rabbi was the highest goal possible, and just to be a disciple of a famous rabbi was an honor. Dr. Lois Tverberg shares great insights on the meaning of discipleship and a disciple based on their meaning in Jesus' Jewish culture.

Where are we going to get trained leaders for our church's future? Phil Ware reminds us of Jesus' practice in preparing his disciples for ministry and leadership.

Even the hogs do better than we do? Phil Ware reminds us that prayer should always include Thanksgiving no matter our circumstance, something he learned from his dad and from hogs!

"Dear Precious One, The events that led to Paul's journey to Rome and his shipwreck and other problems along the way began in Jerusalem. Some Jews..."

What happens the other 51 weeks of the year? Phil Ware begins a 4 part November series on giving thanks just in time for the Thanksgiving season.

Who helps you with what you think? We need to guard what we think in our minds and ask God to keep them pure.

Can you remember who helped you the most? Let's focus on the people who have been a blessing, a strength, an encouragement, and not on the baser side of things: let's honor our leaders and mentors.

Doing the same thing the same way often means the same results! We can and must learn from our mistakes!

How do we keep people from robbing us of our joy in the Lord? Tom Norvell uses the song "Joy to the World" to remind us that we need to nurture and protect our joy in Jesus.

How do you solve the unsolvable and not remain anxious? Rob Woodfin ponders the imponderable and seeks answers to our greatest question, how do I not let anxiety control me, and reminds us of God's grace.

We can do great ministry in the name of Jesus and can survive all the tough challenges in life because our LORD is always close to us! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to call us to recognize God's promise to be close to the broken-hearted and crushed, lonely and abandoned, discarded and forgotten.