I'm not exactly what you call handy and some of you are nodding, I appreciate the confidence of that. And, but my wife and I moved into our first home, we purchased our first home in florida in Oviedo florida and when you're young and your marriage and you don't have a lot of money, but you have this house that we got off of a short sale. Um, and we loved it. But we had all these kind of, all these projects and this was right really as Youtube was starting to grow, but youtube hadn't really taken off yet. And so there really wasn't a lot of like, hey, how do you whatever. And so you could google stuff, but random information popped up and so you had to kinda figure out what to do. Well, I'm not handy at all, but I like trying to figure out what to do. And so we were going to install a new dining room um, light. And so we got this new dining room light and I, um, I took off the old light that taking stuff off and breaking things is actually not too difficult. Um, and so I took it off, we turned off the circuit breaker. So I knew that part that was good. And, and so I had it off and I had the new light ready to go. And so I knew that for basic electrical wiring not like installing, but just plugging things in. You just met you match the wires, right? Black with black, white with white and then green with green or sometimes copper right ground wire there and said, okay, I got this, I took the stuff off. I saw that like this is great. And so I pulled the thing up, I pulled up the light and I got on the ladder and I went to reach up and I looked at the wiring And there were two black wires and I was like where's the white wire? And I and I was like so maybe it doesn't matter, I don't know. And then and then I noticed one of the wires was a ribbed wire, like it had a little groove on it. One of them was smooth like, oh that means something, I have no idea what that means. Do you know what do you know which wire? The rib wire is supposed to attach to? Oh good. Some of you are like me and don't know. Okay, so for the, for the record, the ribbed wire attaches with the white wire um That's maybe that's what you were meant to get out of today's message. But um I didn't know that. And so I said well maybe it doesn't matter. And so I just attached the wires, it's like everything's good to go screw the plate back on and if you ever change the light fixture, you know it's really awkward because you have the wire but it's kind of it's not heavy until you try to put your arm out like this for like the minutes it takes to hold it. And so like a few minutes in you feel like your arms are jello if you know what I'm talking about, if you're not handy. And so like you're trying to fumble around and finally get it all screwed. And I'm like all right, here we go, flip the breaker, nothing. And keep searching, Keep searching apparently. Um It does matter which wire is tied to which wire. And I learned what I just shared with you that the ribbed wire goes with the wire. It's like ah so frustrating. And so I go and then at that point you start to go a little bit faster because you get a little more annoyed slash confident in what you're doing. And so you're taking the stuff down and of course you're on the ladder and then you drop stuff and then you got to go find it. And if you drop the screw it's always the small one that matches the floor and then you're like on the floor. Okay, I'm just you know, confessing my frustrations that I've had with stuff. And so I finally get it okay, I got the right wire. We're in, we're good. But in my in in my speedy reconnecting of the wires, I just kind of place this little wire connector um on it. Just a quick twist. And in fact I actually put a little wire connectors on most of the tables in the room. Uh So you know what I'm talking about. And so I had these little wire connectors. I just put a little quick twist and then tied it in and then I got it all again. I got it all screwed in and good to go, flipped on the switch, nothing like ah my wife's sitting here in the service and so I looked at her like, well I guess we're just gonna go without a light in the dining room. I tried, I tried this is it. You know, we don't, you know, let's just, babe, let's just go to candles. It's a lot more romantic. We don't need a dining room light, we don't need that. No, that wasn't acceptable. So, um I got back at it and then I unscrewed the stuff again, dropped some more screws again. I got up there and I realized that I had not put this on tight enough. And so I took the plate off, the connector, fell down. And and now the wires were like this close because I had almost connected them correctly. I was like, ah and while the wires were next to each other, I didn't take that small but important step to actually connect the two because once I did that I got it secured, I gave a little twist, You got everything plugged back in, wow! Light came on. Here's the point, we're in a series entitled adventurous life. We believe that you are called to live an adventure. But an adventurous life doesn't necessarily mean one of high octane thrills? Although that's that's fun. An adventurous life is one that has lived for christ and here's my fear is that I wonder how many people got this nice, shiny new light and and based on the looks of the world you would look out and this this fixture, your life looks pretty good. But up top in your mind, you're connected to the wrong wire, you think that your life, your minds, your adventure, your purpose is going to be tied to money or tied to popularity. We're tied to fill in the blank. Here's the thing. If you are not connected, the wires in your brain are not connected to the heart of God, then you're gonna have to rewire, you're gonna put all this work and all this effort, get everything in. It's gonna look great on the outside. But when you go to turn on the light, nothing's gonna work. Why? Because you're not connected to the power of God. And then I wonder how many people have the wires so close they're even touching, or almost connecting. They're this close, you've come to church before. You know, Churchy words, you appear to lift the hand up when singing. I don't know what it means for you. You appear really close, but in your heart and in your mind you never actually connected. And so, what I want to talk about this morning is how do you connect, how do you rewire your mind to the heart of God. So, as you leave this morning from in the room, I want everyone to take one of these home and just keep it in your pocket for a day or two. And just occasionally pull it out and and ask yourself the question, am I connected? Not next to not within the vicinity, but am I connected to the heart and mind of God? Because here's the deal. Life is stressful. Don't have to raise your hand. But how many of you had a stressful week this week? We're under a lot of pressure right now. I want to spend the next few moments talking about connecting your mind, rewiring your mind to the heart of God. And together we can learn how to calm your mind in the midst of chaos. Because if you're gonna live an adventurous life, there's gonna be chaos involved. A quick review last week we jumped into this book called Philippians. Paul is in prison and he's riding to this unlikely church. The first church in europe it was started with with a rich businesswoman, a slave girl and a um jail guard. Mm hmm. But the spirit of God moved and outburst this church. And they were generous. And they were giving they were supporting paul's ministry. They sent someone to encourage him when he was in prison. And now he's writing this letter back and here paul goes from pastor to prisoner. But yeah, he didn't focus on his job change. Instead he focused on his purpose which was preaching the word of God. And so in these four little chapters of a letter called Philippians, he actually talks about joy And today we're gonna wrap up Philippians chapter one where we talk about different joy robbers that that steel joy from you in Philippians chapter one The Joy Robber is circumstances if you experience bad circumstances you're gonna see where your joy could be taken away. But the solution, as we said last week the solution too bad circumstances taking your joy is actually having a holy mind, it's being connected to the right wire. And when I say connected, I mean the full twist, you can't just go partly through it, you have to really twist so it's locked in. And so here's the main thought that we're gonna spend the next few minutes breaking down. The key to reconnecting, rewiring your brain to experience calm in the midst of chaos. Is this fixing your mind on christ fixes your mind, fixing your mind on christ fixes your mind when you get the wires aligned and then fully connected it changes everything. And so when you do that we're gonna be walking through Philippians chapter one verses 12 through 30 I encourage you to read all of the verses for time's sake. We're just going to highlight a couple of the key ones. Okay. But I want you to encourage you to go through and read all the Philippians one this week, but we're gonna highlight three things that fixing your mind on christ gives you because fixing your mind on christ fixes your mind, the first thing that fixing your mind on christ gives you is perspective, gives you perspective for those that were here for the month of january through our series Dream Big. I shared that at the end of the series, I actually gave bob Gough a phone call, he puts his cell phone number in the back of the book. And so when I called him, we were talking and I shared um some of that conversation with you, but it also shared with me at the end of our conversation that when he was flying home from phoenix, he's a pilot when he was flying home in a little small plane from phoenix to san Diego when he was over the vast desert that's in between the two cities, that all the instruments in his plane went out, so the engine was working, but all the instruments that told them where to go just stopped working. And so what was interesting, he told me in that moment instead of freaking out, he leveled the plane and then he actually spent the next hour and a half going up in altitude and raising the plane above the clouds. And he got high enough that he could see the horizon and eventually see the coast and the lights of San Diego. And then he went that way. And so what I found interesting about that story that he told me one, he didn't panic, but to when times got tough, he leveled the plane and he actually got a different and a higher perspective. I think in the same way when you're facing a difficult, chaotic circumstance, when you're going through something tough, the first thing you want to do is to pause, level the plane, level the wings, okay, And and Take your altitude higher, get a higher perspective. Here's what I mean, Philippians one verse 12 says this. Now, I want you to know brothers and sisters. That what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. Now, he's not writing, complaining about the shackles on him are complaining about prison food. His first thing he says, Well, the first thing he does is actually praise for them in verses one through 11, he prays for the church and then he says, I want you to know baby encouraged that my perspective is not that I'm in chains, but that the gospel is spreading. And he has a different perspective. He actually goes on to say in those next couple of verses that the entire Imperial Guard hears the gospel because they're on a six hour rotation being changed to paul. So at some point, the entire roman guard hears the Gospel and then he starts writing letters and it says actually other believers in the area are being emboldened in their faith. And so more people are hearing the gospel. So, I want to ask you, when you look at your difficult circumstance, could you take a moment, go to a higher altitude, change your perspective and just say God, what are you doing here? And it's not the focus on just the problem, but instead the focus on what's possible, it's not the focus on what you don't have, but the focus on what you do have, and it's not ignoring the pain, but in the midst of pain saying God, thank you for being present here, because without you, I don't know where I turned. So the first thing to get reconnected to God. If you focus your eyes on christ, as you get fixed on christ is to change your perspective. The next thing that fixing your mind on christ gives you okay, is perseverance gives you perseverance, because it is hard, right? It's a hard situation. He's waiting, he's waiting, he's waiting. He's in prison, he's been beat up, he's been challenged, he's lost finances, he's lost influence, he's lost friendships, he's lost everything, but he he changed his perspective. But then secondly, notice how fixing his mind on christ gives him not only calmness in his mind, but courage in his heart, This is pretty awesome. Let's check this out. What then oh and people were preaching the gospel. So he was preaching the gospel just to give you some context. He was preaching the gospel for for God's kingdom wasn't anything humans who desire power and wealth come and say, wow, people actually give him money and give other things. And so other people came in and started preaching the gospel so that they could be seen as special and powerful and we give him money. And so they had the wrong motives and people were saying, hey, what do we do about this? And so here's his response. He says, what then? The only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, whatever their motives are, crisis proclaimed and in that I choose to rejoice and yes, I will continue to rejoice for I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the spirit, here's what I love. He's in a difficult circumstance. He's not focusing on what he doesn't have, but what does he have? He has prayer and he has provisions. And someone watching right now, I feel glad to tell you that if you have prayer and God's provision, that's enough, that might be all you have. You might not know where the next job is coming from or or if that relationship is going to be restored or when things are going to come back. But if you have prayer and God's provision of the spirit, which if you're a believer, you have that, that is and will be enough. That's where I know through your prayers. God's provision. The spirit of jesus christ, what has happened to me or turn out for my deliverance, I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage to know that as always christ will be exalted, pausing here for just a moment. I love this. I eagerly expect to be saved and not ashamed. But even if that doesn't happen, I have enough. You see a future focus gives you present perseverance. When you fix your eyes on who christ is and what christ gives and the promise of Heaven, the promise of forgiveness. The promise of attorney. When you fix your eyes on who christ is. When you fix your mind on him, you realize that you have enough to fight for today. That a future focus gives you present perseverance. God, I don't know what it's gonna come around the corner. I don't know what's gonna come, but what I do know is that you are here and that you are real and that you have promised to be with me. And so I have your prayers, I have your promises, I have your provisions and that is enough. And so I cannot be a victim. I can be victorious. I cannot be a coward. I am gonna be courageous. I am not gonna be weak. I'm gonna be a warrior. And one day you will rise and I will celebrate with you and we can be conquerors in your name, jesus Amen, He's writing this where he lost everything. He's writing this where nothing makes sense. But he's saying, hey, I eagerly expect to be safe, but even if I don't, I have courage for right now in this moment, so that as always christ will be exalted, that word Exalted and some translations is seen as magnified is the idea of being lifted up or to bring close. Anyone have fun with magnifying glasses as kids, right? And then you go and you're like mhm Now as adults, maybe not so much but ladies, you still have those makeup mirrors that like really like zoom in and uh it scared me to be honest, I've had one and I was like you got a new one and I just looked at it, I was like oh what's this? I'm like, whoa, like if you ever catch a glimpse of yourself that kind of scared yourself, okay, maybe it's just me and uh the point of a magnifying glasses to bring something close and the point to exalt is to lift something up in both cases, the goal is to make more visible, So notice this, I eagerly expect to be saved. But even if I'm not, I'm going to have courage because christ will be more visible because of my life, I will magnify the love of christ in other words, I will bring people as close as I can to see him, I will build a platform and a stage from which I can stand and proclaim the gospel because even in these circumstances I know that he is real, so I will make God as visible as I can. I love that, I eagerly expect to be free. But even if I don't, I have enough because I can exalt and make God known and make God visible and that is enough and notice where he he says, he says exalted in my body, whether by life or by death, he says, for me to live is christ to die is gain. That is someone who's connected, that is someone who is so close to the heartbeat of God. He says, it doesn't matter what you do to me, it really doesn't because if I live, I've been saved and I tell that story, but if you kill me, I get to go to heaven, Win, win your move, right, I love that. He goes on to say in the next couple of verses and saying, you know, I want to be with God, but I think he has me here. So for your sake, I'm gonna stay and he keeps preaching, I love that complete chaos, uncertainty, horrible circumstances, but his mind is connected, it's fully twisted and connected to the wire of the heartbeat of God and when he does that, he has perspective, He has perseverance and the number three, he has poise, he has poise, The word poise is fun to say um go ahead. Just turn your neighbor and say poise. If you said it was some type of weird accent, you and I can be friends. Go ahead. Try it one more time. It's fun. It's just fun. Just go ahead and say poise, pois pois, I love the word poise, but I hate the word moist. I don't know that kind of sound similar, but one is bad, one is awesome. Okay, poise. The word poise comes from several different root words. There's a french word and there's a latin word in both cases, that actually means wait, like wait. So the idea of poise is that you have balance weight to stand strong When I think of poise. I think back to the 1996 Olympics and gymnast, Kerri strug's remember Carey, the little gymnast when the american team was getting ready to compete for gold and all she had to do was to land her final vault. The problem though is that in her first attempt, she severely sprained her ankle and so she lined up, she's limping, Kerry shrugs is limping. I don't know, I don't know if it's the adrenaline or what I feel like I can actually flip right now and I'm gonna okay, I'm not gonna go for it, but she goes the whole world is watching her, the whole world is watching her and and she's and she just has this complete poise about her. Just complete strength and she sprints and she does whatever move she does that involves slips and spinning and everything and she lands and the U. S. Wins gold and as soon as she lands even though she was hurt, there's an iconic picture where she's limping off and her coach Picks up all I think she's only like 48 of her like £70 whatever it was and then picks up and they start celebrating in this world. You know iconic image of the U. S. Gymnastics team winning gold because of the poise, the balance, the strength to be able to stand strong even when she was hurt and to do the job that she had been called to do. And so paul's writing and he's saying for me to live is christ and to die is gain and God whatever you have called me to do I'm gonna go for it. And so he has a great perspective, he has incredible perseverance. But then you see this poise and he turns to the church and he writes this whatever happens mm hmm. That is a convicting statement right there. Because what is not included in that? Well he doesn't mean that like he doesn't know like if you saw what happened what I'm going through like he doesn't mean that like there's an asterix there like whatever happens except in this. No he's saying whatever happens in life or death whatever happens to you Whatever happens in 2021 whatever happens in your relationship, in your job, in this community, with your health, whatever happens? Good or bad? What he's saying here is that you can have poise, you can have balanced strength and weight to stand because he says, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel. Since then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know That you stand firm in one spirit striving together as one for the faith of the Gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. Oh, I love this. I love this passage because he's saying whatever happens Church, whatever happens in 2021, wherever we're going to meet or gather as a church family, Whether we can have service or not have service. Whatever happens. Walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel. We believe in the gospel of freedom. So walk in freedom. We believe in the Gospel of Truth. So walk in truth. We believe that we have a god of love to walk in love. You conduct yourself in a manner that represents the fact that you have been saved. You know, we're gonna have the Super Bowl tonight? Quick poll here in the room online. You can comment, Let us know how many of you think the Chiefs are going to win tonight. Okay. How many of you think that buccaneers are gonna win tonight? How many of you don't care. Okay, mm hmm. Okay, here's the thing. Whoever wins. Whoever wins, you know, confetti will go off, but hat, whoa, what do you think their demeanor is gonna be like, Okay, what what happens if they win and everyone walks around like I know we won, but I wanted that play. This didn't go right. Oh, they got that penalty in the first quarter. You just won the Super Bowl. Okay. Here's where this applies Church. We win. I've, I've read, I've skipped to the end of the book Church. Do you live as if christ has already won? Does your life reflect the fact that God has promised victory in your situation? The confetti is falling like you already got the hat, We sing songs, God, you reign above it all. And then we go in on monday. I don't know what's gonna happen. You reign above it all. You reign. Oh man, I don't know Holy spirit. I can't believe you believe she said that. Yeah. That see what I'm saying conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the Gospel because you've already won. He reigns. Now heaven isn't something that you experience when you die. It's something it's a relationship you experience when you trust him with your life? That means that in complete darkness and incomplete shame. There is freedom. There is salvation, There is hope and so paul is saying, Look, it doesn't matter what happens. You have one. And so here are three practical ways to have poise this year. Okay three practical ways. Number one, okay, stand firm, stand firm, satan is coming for you this year. He's coming for your marriage, he's coming for your kids, he's coming for your attitude. Whatever happens though, you've already won, stand firm number two strive for faith, go for it. If you've already won, then take off, go for that dream, pursue that ambition, have that conversation, make that invitation go for it. And then # three stay fearless. So what can they do to you imagine church of these words described mission growth? How would you describe the people of Mission Grove? Those are people who stand firm who strive for faith and they are fearless. You can have those if you fix your mind on christ because fixing your mind on christ fixes your mind, we're gonna give you a chance to re wire right now let's pray dear heavenly father, thank you for who you are and what you've done. God help us to fix our minds on you because fixing our minds on you fixes everything and that if we think about you, you give us perspective and perseverance and poise, help us connect to you not just be next to you but connect to you so that you can change everything we love you God, it's in your son's name. We pray Amen