This comprehensive church service explores God’s unwavering commitment to completing His spiritual work in believers through Paul’s letter to the Philippians. The teaching emphasizes that despite our current struggles and shortcomings, the God who began transforming us will faithfully see that process through to completion.
Pastor Jonathan Slagenweit delivers a powerful message from Philippians 1:3-8, focusing on how believers can find confidence in God’s ongoing work in their lives.
Here’s the full service from Easley Bible Methodist Church:
Opening Worship and Prayer
The evening service begins with congregational singing and a time of corporate prayer. Brother Parker leads the congregation in singing traditional hymns including “I See the Crimson Wave” and Charles Wesley’s “I Know That My Redeemer Lives.” The worship time emphasizes themes of cleansing, redemption, and God’s faithfulness to His people.
Several prayer requests are shared for the congregation, including prayers for Sister Lois Brown’s upcoming treatment, Sister Reed’s biopsy and PET scan, and Anthony Wah who is serving in a combat zone. The church also lifts up Sharon Teed, a missionary in Slovakia experiencing severe back pain and hospitalization.
Special Music: “I Know That I Can Make It”
Dr. Paul Peak shares a powerful testimony through song about God’s sustaining grace through life’s trials. He recounts how this song ministered to a young friend struggling to overcome vaping addiction, leading to her immediate deliverance after listening to it multiple times.
The song’s message reinforces that despite dangers and toils in life, God provides the strength and grace needed to persevere. Dr. Peak emphasizes that while our own strength may fail, God’s promise remains that in our weakness, He is strong.
The Apostle Paul’s Joy in Remembrance
Pastor Slagenweit begins his message by examining Paul’s remarkable statement that he thanks God for every remembrance of the Philippian church. This is particularly striking considering Paul’s initial experiences in Philippi included being beaten, flogged, and imprisoned.
The pastor challenges the congregation to consider what level of commitment they have to seeing souls born into God’s kingdom. He asks pointedly: “How much suffering are you willing to experience for the kingdom of God to be advanced?” Paul’s joy came from seeing the church birthed through his suffering, much like a mother enduring labor pains for the joy of new life.
The Gospel as Participation, Not Display
A key insight from the message is that the gospel is meant to be actively used, not merely displayed. Using the illustration of model cars and tractors kept safely in display cases, Pastor Slagenweit contrasts this with how the gospel should be “put in the toy box to be used.”
The Philippian church exemplified this by:
• Openly receiving the gospel message
• Actively sharing the good news with others
• Supporting missionaries and ministers financially
• Participating in Paul’s ministry even during his imprisonment
God’s Commitment to Complete His Work
The central verse of the message, Philippians 1:6, declares: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Pastor Slagenweit uses the baseball analogy of a starting pitcher who doesn’t need a reliever – God intends to finish what He started in each believer’s life.
The message directly addresses the lies of Satan who whispers that certain areas of our lives will never change. The enemy reminds us where we’re not yet, but rarely reminds us how far we’ve come. The pastor encourages the congregation to consciously reflect on God’s past faithfulness and ongoing work.
No Arrival Point in Spiritual Growth
Challenging certain theological misconceptions, Pastor Slagenweit emphasizes that there is no state of grace that eliminates the need for God’s continued work in our lives. Even those who have experienced entire sanctification still need God’s refining process through trials and growth opportunities.
He shares personally: “I see in my own life the areas that I’m saying, ‘Oh Lord, you’ve got some work to do. Boy, you’ve got some rough edges that you’ve got to refine out.'” This vulnerability helps the congregation understand that spiritual growth is an ongoing process for everyone, including pastoral leadership.
Practical Application and Ministry Updates
The service includes several practical applications for participating in the gospel. Pastor Slagenweit encourages the congregation to actively support missionaries by sending encouraging messages to Tim and Sharon Teed during their time of need. He emphasizes that communicating our prayers to others can be as important as the prayers themselves.
The church also celebrates the completion of major renovations to their ministry space, with before and after photos showing extensive structural repairs, new insulation, vaulted ceilings, and opened living spaces. Nine ladies from the congregation spent hours cleaning the renovated space, demonstrating the church’s commitment to working together for kingdom purposes.
Heritage Christian Academy’s upcoming school year is announced, with open house on August 12th and classes beginning August 14th. The congregation is asked to pray for all students returning to school, whether in public schools, Christian academies, or homeschool settings.
