Lessons from the Good Doctor

Opening: Chris Powell Closing: Courtney Sturgill Music: Greg Hardison

Opening: Chris Powell Closing: Courtney Sturgill Music: Greg Hardison

Opening: Chris Powell Closing: Courtney Sturgill Music: Greg Hardison and Michael Nunnelly

In this episode, drPHIL examines the Apostle Paul and how he kept himself usable as a disciple of Jesus Christ.     GOD CAN USE ANYBODY!   “. . . Give yourselves completely to God – every part of you – because you’ve been brought from death to life, and now you want to be used by God for good, and for his righteous purposes.” Romans 6:13 (LB/TEV)    PAUL’S SECRETS OF STAYING USABLE 2 CORINTHIANS 4:1-18                   1.         NEVER FORGET IT’S ALL BECAUSE OF GOD’S MERCY       “God IN HIS MERCY has given us this ministry and work to do. That’s why       we do not become discouraged and never give up!” 2 Corinthians 4:1                   MERCY: undeserved forgiveness & unearned kindness         “You know what I was like . . . how I violently persecuted Christians. I did my best to get rid of             them! . . . But then something happened! For it pleased God in his kindness to choose me and call me, even before I was born! What UNDESERVED MERCY!”  Galatians 1:13+15 (NLT)               “It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and          long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.”       Ephesians 2:10       (LB)           2.         BE REAL “We don’t try to trick anyone, and we don’t twist the word of God. Instead we teach the truth plainly, showing everyone WHO WE REALLY ARE. Then they can know in their hearts what kind of people we are in God’s sight.” 2 Corinthians 4:2 (NLT/NCV)   “The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God!” Romans 8:15(NCV)           3.         REMEMBER, IT’S NOT ABOUT ME “Our message is not about ourselves. It is about Jesus Christ as the Lord. We are merely your servants for Jesus’ sake.”            2 Corinthians 4:5 (GW)   “We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 (CEV)         4.   USE MY PAIN TO HELP OTHERS “We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (CEV)   “All of these sufferings of ours are for your benefit. And the more of you who are won to Christ, the more there are to thank Him for his great mercy, and the more God gets glory!”     2 Corinthians 4:15 (LB)   “This is why we never give up! Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For ourpresent troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!”    2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NLT)     5.    STAY FOCUSED ON ETERNITY “These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing.”     2 Corinthians 4:17 (CEV)   “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.”   2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT)                    The Key to Staying Focused: SMALL GROUPS                                           “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can       stand back-to-back and conquer. And three people are even better, for       a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”  Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NLT)         Jesus: “For wherever two or three come together in my name, I will be       there with them.”            Matthew 18:20 (NIV)

  WHAT CAUSES OUR PERSONAL FAILURES? 3 Things Peter Did Wrong 1. WE OVERSTATE OUR _STRENGTHS__ 2.  WE FEAR THE DISAPPROVAL OF OTHERS_ 3. WE SPEAK WITHOUT THINKING   WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN I FAIL?  3 Things Peter Did Right 1. GRIEVE 2. LET MY SMALL GROUP SUPPORT ME 3. CAST MYSELF ON GOD’S MERCY     WHAT DOES JESUS DO WITH OUR FAILURES?   “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned back to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers.”      Luke 22:31-32   1. HE ISN’T SHOCKED “God certainly knows what we are made of. He bears in mind that we are dust.”         Psalm 103:14 (GW)   2. HE PRAYS FOR US “Jesus is able to save us completely because (in heaven) he lives to intercede on our behalf. He is always talking to the Father, asking him to help us.” Hebrews 7:25   3. HE BELIEVES IN US “. . . so WHEN you have repented and turned back to me again . . .” Luke 22:32   “For even though a righteous man falls seven times, he will rise again!” Proverbs 24:16   The Angel said, “I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. But he is not here—he’s risen from the dead . . . Now go tell his disciples, AND tell Peter, that he’s going ahead of you to Galilee and he’ll see you there, just as he promised!”  Mark 16:6-7   4. HE SHOWS US MERCY WHEN WE’RE DOWN (Two weeks later) “Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. Seven of the disciples were there and Simon Peter said, ‘I'm going fishing.’ ‘We'll come, too’ they all said. So they went out in the boat, but even though they fished all night, they caught nothing. At dawn the disciples saw a man standing on the shore but they couldn't see it was Jesus. He called out, ‘Friends, have you caught any fish?’ ‘Not a thing!’ they replied.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get plenty of fish!’ So they did what Jesus said to do, and they instantly caught so many fish, they couldn't even draw in the net because it was so full of fish! Then John said to Peter, ‘IT’S THE LORD!’             “When Peter realized that he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and swam ashore, leaving the others in the boat to pull the loaded net to the shore, for they were only out about three hundred feet.             “When they got to shore they saw that Jesus was cooking fish and bread over a charcoal fire. Jesus said, ‘Bring some of the fish you just caught.’ So Peter went back aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was filled with a 153 large fish, and yet the net had not torn. ‘Now come and have some breakfast!’ Jesus said. Now they were sure it really was the Lord! Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.”  John 21:1-14   “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23   5. HE USES OUR FAILURES TO BUILD HIS CHURCH “When you have turned back to me, strengthen and build up your brothers.” Luke 22:32   “After breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you,’ Peter replied. ‘Then FEED my lambs,’ Jesus said. Then Jesus repeated the question: ‘Peter, do you love me?’ Peter said, ‘Yes, Lord! You KNOW I love you!’ ‘Then TAKE CARE of my sheep,’ Jesus said. Then Jesus asked the same question one more time: ‘Peter, do you love me?’ Now Peter was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time, so he said, ‘Lord, you know everything! You know I love you!’ And Jesus replied ‘Then feed my sheep!’” John 21:15-17   Jesus: “Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it!” Matthew 16:18 

WHAT CAUSES OUR PERSONAL FAILURES? 3 Things Peter Did Wrong   1. WE OVERSTATE OUR STRENGTHS ‘“Jesus said ‘Tonight every one of you will desert me. For the Scripture says that when the shepherd is killed, the sheep will be scattered. BUT after I’ve been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.’ Then Peter boasted, ‘But Lord, even if everyone else fails you, I will NEVER deny you!’ Jesus replied, ‘Peter, the truth is that before this night is over, and before the rooster crows at dawn, you will deny knowing me three times.’ Peter insisted, ‘But Lord, I would NEVER do that! Even if I have to die with you I’ll never deny knowing you!’ And all the other disciples vowed the same thing.”            Matthew 26:31-35   “If you think, ‘I am strong! I can handle this. I’d never fall for that temptation,’ then be careful! For you could easily fall too!”  1 Corinthians 10:12     2.  WE FEAR THE DISAPPROVAL OF OTHERS “Peter followed Jesus at a distance to the courtyard of the high priest's palace. He went in and sat down with the guards to see what was going to happen to Jesus . . . As he was sitting in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said, ‘You were with Jesus of Galilee, weren’t you?’ But standing there in front of everyone Peter denied it. ‘I don't even know what you're talking about!’ he said.” Matthew 26:58, 69-70   “It is a dangerous trap to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you’ll be safe.”          Proverbs 29:25   3. WE SPEAK WITHOUT THINKING “Then Peter went out to the entrance of the courtyard and there another woman saw him and said to those standing there, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ Again Peter denied it, and this time he swore an oath and said ‘I don't even know that man!’ But after a while, the men who had been standing there came over to Peter and said ‘We KNOW that you are one of them because your Galilean accent gives you away.’ Peter lost his temper and started cursing and swearing. He shouted ‘I don’t know the man!’ Immediately he heard a rooster crow.” Matthew 26:71-74   “The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do! Just as a tiny spark can burn up a great forest, the tongue is a flame of fire. That part of your body is full of wickedness and can poison everything else in your life. It is set on fire by hell itself and can turn our whole lives into a blazing flame of destruction and disaster.” James 3:5-6   WHAT SHOULD I DO WHEN I FAIL?  3 Things Peter Did Right   1. GRIEVE “When Peter heard the rooster crow, he remembered that Jesus had said, ‘Before the rooster crows, you’ll deny me three times.’ Then Peter went outside and WEPT BITTERLY.”  Matthew 26:75   2. LET MY SMALL GROUP SUPPORT ME (Easter morning) “Mary Magdalene went and found the disciples together, grieving and weeping.” Mark 16:10   (Easter night) “That evening the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the middle of the group, and said ‘Peace be with you!’ . . . The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!” John 20:19-20   “A week later the disciples were together again meeting in a home.” John 20:26   3. CAST MYSELF ON GOD’S MERCY “Because of his great mercy God has given us a new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope . . .” 1 Peter 1:3    “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”        1 Peter 5:7 

GROWING IN GRACE   What is growth?  Growth is not how many. Growth is how much.   I want to look at how God grows us.  There is a process of growth that God wants to work in our lives and here's the process:  Ephesians 4:22-24.  "You were taught with regard to your former way of life to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."   So, what do we have to do to make this work? 1.     PUT OFF THE OLD.  The old is what used to be.  The old is our life without Christ. But what could prevent that?  Trying to grow by doing good.  Jesus gave His disciples then and us now a great picture of why this doesn't work.  He talked about wine and wineskins in Matthew 9:17 "Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins.  If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.  No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." Sometimes it looks like it will fit, it fits in the beginning but there's no room for growth, for expansion.  Sometimes it looks like if I could just do enough good things, I'm going to grow.  That will work in the beginning but there's no room for genuine change in that.  There's no room for becoming all that God wants us to be. Trying to grow by keeping rules.  Hebrews 13:9 "Your hearts should be strengthened by God's grace, not by obeying rules." Rules cannot produce growth.  They control things, they control people. But you cannot produce growth through rules.  What's the place of rules in the Bible? You might think of grace as the jets that power the engines.  The Ten Commandments sort of give us some flight plan ideas, some direction.  But the power doesn't come through rules. Trying to grow by feeling bad.  Guilt can't produce growth, but we think sometimes, "If I just feel bad enough about myself, maybe I'll get better." If I really heap the guilt on, maybe I'll get better.  Logically, we can see why that wouldn't work.  If I feel bad about myself, I don't get better, I just feel bad.  We're trying to beat God to the punch.  We're trying to say, "God, I know You don't like what I'm doing so I'm going to feel bad.  I'm going to condemn myself so somehow You won't condemn me."          If we don't grow by feeling bad about ourselves, if it doesn't work by having a list of rules, and doing good things doesn't grow us in God’s grace, then what does?   2.  PUT ON THE NEW. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come."    This is a promise for those who are in Christ, for those who have trusted their lives to Christ and His leadership. A couple of things about this new life that God wants to give to us.             We don't have to achieve our new life.  We don't have to make it work on our own.  Newness is a creation of God.  God is a new creation.  We don't have to make ourselves new.  We simply put on the new life God's given us.              We don't have to keep our new life.  We don't have to hold onto it.  Colossians 3:3 "Your old sinful self has died and your new life is kept in Christ in God."  That's pretty safe, pretty secure.  Let Christ keep it for you! We do, however, have to put on this new life.  There is a decision that everyone of us gets to make, that we’re allowed to make everyday of our life about this new life that God wants to give.  We get to put it on. The third step is so important and it's the often forgotten step.  We know we have to take off the old.  We know we have to put on the new.  The empowering step is number three.   3.  BE RENEWED IN YOUR MIND. This step of God, renewing our mind, empowers us to take off the old and put on the new.  Romans 12:2 "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way that you think." That's where the power is.  God wants to change the way we think. a new life. It happens by grace.  It starts by grace and ends by grace. Galatians 3:3 "You began your life in Christ by the Spirit.  Now are you trying to make it complete by your own power?  That is foolish."  A renewed mind is not just determination.  It's determined dependence on God.  There's a big difference between those two.  It's not just self-determination -- "I'm going to do this no matter what!"  It's determined dependence on God's grace, because that's where the power is.  The power is in God’s grace.    The Christian life is not a life of rules.  The Christian life is a life of new power.  We can live a new way because we have a new power in our life. But I must be honest and tell you thatwhen it comes to Christian Growth, I’ve had people say to me, “Phil, "I want to change but why is it taking so long?"  When something is valuable, it's takes time.  I beautiful diamond isn’t created in the earth over night.  It takes time to grow but growth is a process that points toward eternity.  When God changes our character, it's not for a few months or a couple of years, it's for eternal life. The motivational power for growth isn't found within us. It's found within God.  The motivational power is this: God wants and is willing and is working for us to grow everyday of our life.  The minute we come to God and give our whole life to Him, the growth begins.  Growth is not accomplished by trying hard.  It's accomplished by trusting in the Lord.  That's where growth comes from.  God is trustworthy. Paul reminds us of two wonderful promises about trusting God to grow. Philippians 1:6 says "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  Philippians 2:13 "For God is at work with you, helping you want to obey Him and then helping you do what He wants."              What a fantastic promise! Blessings, drPHIL

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:5 (NCV)     How To Be Transformed By Grace   Change the way you think!          "Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking.  Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect." Romans 12:2    Change is a difficult thing.  To change our thinking may even be more difficult because we think the way we were taught.  But if we can learn something, we can also unlearn something.   What would it take to change your thinking about things in your life that are sometimes difficult to deal with?     Choose to focus on others!          "Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others."  Philippians 2:4   To often we only focus on our selves.  What things could you do to focus on others?      Charge through your quitting points!          "I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing:  Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us."  Philippians 3:13-14   Sometimes we just want to give up on life or things that are happening in our lives.  What one thing do you need to "push through" this week to make your life better?   Opener: Emily Powell Closer: Anna Simpson Music: Greg Hardison

Do you ever feel guilty when you relax, knowing you've got a lot to do? Do you often feel dissatisfied or discontent with yourself or your situation? Do you have a tendency to see something wrong with things rather than what's right? Do you ever find yourself using phrases like: "I have to... I must.. I ought to... I should be able to..."? Do you ever feel frustrated or maybe even angry at God feeling that His expectations on you are unreasonable? Does your relationship with God seem like a burden rather than a blessing?   If you can answer 'yes' to any of these questions, you are probably afflicted with perfectionism.    Galatians 3:3 says, "You began your life in Christ by the Spirit.  Now are you trying to make it complete by your own power?  This is foolish."    drPHIL suggests that perfectionism affects our initiative, relationships and happiness in a negative way.  Have you ever been affected in some negative way by perfectionism?   Did it harm your initiative, relationships or happiness?   drPHIL used the word RELAX to outline some ways to apply God’s grace as a way to move away from perfectionism.  Realize nobody’s perfect. Enjoy God’s unconditional love. Let God handle things. Act in faith not fear. Exchange my perfectionism for God’s peace.   Do you find any of these applications difficult?   What advice would you offer to someone who is a perfectionist?

If you want to change your life, if you want to get well, or get over hurt you've got to change the way you think. Romans 12:2 says, "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." One of the things that can help us here is to understand what God says about us. drPHIL suggests that God changes our mind and helps us not only see God in a new light but see ourselves in a new light by recognizing the following: 1. I am acceptable. 2. I am valuable. 3. I am lovable. 4. I am forgivable. 5. I am capable. Our self-esteem and our self-worth tends to be defined by what we think the most important person in our life thinks about us. Christ says we are the 5 items above. The bottom line is, who are you going to believe: God or what somebody else says. Have you experienced rejection? How did your respond? Do you ever feel as if you aren't capable of doing anything? Who is the most important person in your life right now and what do you think they believe about you?    

Psalm 145:8 tells us, "God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and rich in love." That means God loves to be gracious to you and me. God loves to bless people who don't deserve it. That's God's nature. We can't understand the Christian life at all unless we understand grace. It is the heart of our faith. It is the heart of our relationship to God.  Do you understand the difference between God's grace and God's mercy? Consider: Mercy is when God doesn't give us what we do deserve - punishment. Grace is when God gives us what we don't deserve - blessing. After listening to the podcast discuss your thoughts by answer the following questions: 1. As you listen to the podcast do you have trouble receiving a gift from God? 2. What is your understanding that you can't earn your way into heaven? 3. Do you find yourself doing a good deed and thinking, "I can add that to my "good pile" of the things I've done so God will accept me? 4. Is it difficult to believe that God's grace is for everyone? Does it bother you that God's grace is offered to those you may consider the "worst people on Earth"? 5. As you try to live your life like Christ, what do you need to do to be more graceful toward others?  

Sustaining grace is the power to keep on going when we fell like giving up. It is also the power to do the right thing when we don't feel like doing the right thing. There are a lot of pitfalls in the race of life, but regardless of what we go through, no matter what we face, we can count on God's Sustaining Grace. 1 Peter 5:11 says, "My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that the grace of God is with you no matter what happens". drPHIL suggested that Sustaining Grace can assist us in the things that could cause us to stumble in life like: temptations, tiredness, and troubles. Since so much of life is out of control, how does it feel to know that God provides Sustaining Grace no matter what happens? After listening to the episode please discuss by answering the questions below. 1. How difficult is it to humble yourself and allow yourself to be drawn to God? 2. How have you experienced the joy of having someone with you during trials and tribulations?

Guilt is actually a wonderful component of our human existence. It helps us recognize that sin is a part of our nature but we have a God who has provided for us to be forgiven. Guilt can weigh on us but the purpose is to be a warning that something is wrong and something needs to be fixed. drPHIL talks about two types of guilt - genuine and false guilt. How has false guilt been confused in your life with genuine guilt? Our ways of handling guilt are very different than God's ways. Our ways include shame, hiding, and blame. But God provides grace that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) After listening please discuss by answering the questions below. 1. Is confessing to God your sins difficult for you? 2. Is trusting that God "is faithful and just" hard to embrace? 3. Do you find yourself believing that God wants to forgive but finding it hard to believe that God would forgive all your sins?