Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7 (ESV). This is a great encouragement because it teaches us a practice that will lead us to freedom from anxiety and inner turmoil. If we make our requests to God, and trust him, then we will find peace for our souls. Our hearts and minds will find protection from the circumstances of life that steal our peace. And we cannot even understand this peace because it is supernatural. So by faith we live in the Kingdom of God, which transcends earthly knowledge, and we learn to dwell in supernatural harmony in Christ. But, as you have probably discovered by now, we often cancel the power of this promise for peace by not leaving our Continue Reading →

“[Jesus] will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Phil. 3:21 (NIV) It is extremely encouraging that Jesus will give us bodies like his and we will be his Bride. Here are 6 fantastic features of our future bodies: For 30 seconds, imagine your body with all these traits. As you reflect on your future body, how does it affect you? Can you let go of your anxieties about your present body? New Podcast! Looking for more of the peace, joy and fulfillment that comes from following Jesus? Follow/subscribe to my new podcast “Christ Formation: Practical Discipleship” on your favorite podcast app, including YouTube. Type my name “Phil Rehberg” then look for the title. Rejoice In Persecution – Weekly Words Of EncouragementDecember 20, 2024Mercy Come When We Are Merciful To Others – Weekly Words Of EncouragementDecember 16, 2024Our Present And Future BlissDecember 13, 2024

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Phil 1:6 (NLT) In this passage the Apostle Paul expresses his confidence that God will continue to transform the Philippian believers because Paul has seen that they have been faithful in following Jesus. They have spread the gospel (1:5) and defended and confirmed the truth of Jesus (1:7). This encourages us who are following Jesus. Whether we feel it or not God will continue to work in us. Even when our circumstances are bad, God is working in us. And if they are bad, he is working in us in order to make us completely Christlike, full of peace, joy and fulfillment. But the best news is that when Jesus returns and we see him then God will finish his work Continue Reading →

“God raised us up with Christ…in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Eph. 2:6-7 (NIV) It is hard to think of greater words of encouragement than these. God has already raised us up spiritually with Christ and the reason he did this is so that in the next age (after Jesus returns) he could give us incredible blessings. Our future blessings are “incomparable”; in other words, they surpass, exceed, transcend other riches. Nothing on earth can compare to our future blessings. They are beyond any other blessings we can imagine. This verse reminds us of 1 Peter 1:13, “Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (ESV). This grace, and all our future blessings that go with it, is God’s intention Continue Reading →

“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” Eph 1:13-14 (NIV) The gift of the Spirit is a mark, a seal, a deposit, and a guarantee! God stamped a mark on us and sees us with his mark that seals us as belonging to him, like a brand on a cow; we are part of his herd, which is the best herd possible. The Holy Spirit is also a down payment from God on all the good he is giving us, which is his kingdom and all the blessings that go with it. We gave our lives to him and showered us with blessings, and he lets us have a down payment now so we can taste our future. And the gift of the Spirit is a guarantee that nothing can stop God from bringing us Continue Reading →