In this message we return to one of the verses we covered last week and focus on a phrase we did not look at then. In it we discover one of the secrets behind the fruitfulness and simplicity of Paul’s life. It is a secret that we need individually and in very church – the secret is focus. We’ll see how to develop and maintain focus, and through it reap the benefit of a simpler life and simpler, more effective, church.

As we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the church we might wonder, what will the church be like in another 40 years? Will it even exist? If so, what will it be doing? While the way the church functions in another 40 years no doubt will be different, God hasn’t left us with any questions about what the church’s continuing purpose is to be. We’ll look at three commandments of Jesus that need to guide the church in every age. They are known as the Great Commandment and the Great Commission and they yield God’s three continuing purposes for the church.

The apostle Paul had a philosophy of life that, if adopted, would help a lot of Christians live a more fruitful life, and would keep churches from stagnating or dying. It’s a simple philosophy involving just two on-going practices. We’ll encounter it in this message and explore the positive effect it can have on us and on the church.