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Comparison is not just a bad habit. It is a confidence problem. In Philippians 3:4-7, Paul lists seven things that made him look impressive and then moves every one of them into the loss column. We talk about why we compare, what it costs us, and the only comparison that gives you real confidence.

Free study guide for this episode: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ItSPfIlbyjDn8zYFAwAmnGoeeTUBXMyZ/view?usp=drivesdk

This podcast is listener supported. If it has helped you, consider giving at amenpodcast.com/donate, Venmo @amenpodcast, or Cash App $amenalex.

Go out and be the church.

Alex separated his AC joint racing the guys after church, and suddenly everything he took for granted with two working arms was gone. That’s the whole point of Philippians 3:1-3. Paul is writing to a church being pressured by Judaizers, people telling Gentile believers they had to become Jewish before they could become Christian. Paul calls it what it is: dogs, evildoers, mutilators of the flesh.

In this episode we walk through why confidence in the flesh grieves God and isn’t safe for you, five problems with trusting what you can do, and three ways to actually rely on God instead. Plus the line that ties it all together: joy comes from reliance, not restraint.

Alex and Lokelani also talk about how false teachers keep people locked in, why the “better version of yourself” message is not the gospel, and the very easy test for whether a Christian influencer is putting their confidence in the flesh or in Christ.

Part of the Stress Less series through Philippians.

CHAPTERS0:00 I broke my shoulder racing after church2:20 Who the Judaizers were (Acts 10, 11, 15)5:30 Reading Philippians 3:1-36:15 It grieves God13:00 It isn’t safe for you13:35 Dogs, evildoers, and those who mutilate the flesh17:00 Five problems with confidence in the flesh25:40 How to actually rely on God27:50 Joy comes from reliance, not restraint31:00 The physical can never reach the spiritual35:15 So what gives you confidence?37:40 After the Amen44:45 How false teachers keep people hooked48:50 The iPad I destroyed for no reason53:45 How to spot confidence in the flesh online

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Most of our stress comes from people online telling us what to be, what to wear, what to buy, and where to go. Jesus frees us from all of that.

In this episode of the Stress Less series through Philippians, Alex and Lokelani look at Epaphroditus, a man named after a pagan god who became one of Paul’s most trusted brothers in the ministry. Paul gives him five titles: brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, messenger, and minister. If the people influencing you don’t fit that list, they shouldn’t be influencing you.

In this episode:

* The 5 titles every godly influence in your life should have

* Why you should look for influences in places of suffering, not prosperity

* Why a screen pastor can never replace a physical one

* No, there is no “spirit of tardiness”

* How to be de-influenced: honor godly people, look at their life, think for yourself, and watch out for the vain

After the Amen question: How do you need Christ to influence you? Answer in the comments.

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In Philippians 2:19-24, Paul couldn’t find anyone like Timothy to send to the Philippians. Why? Because Timothy stopped seeking his own interests and started seeking Christ’s kingdom instead.

In this message, we break down what made Timothy different and how you can become the kind of person God can use in your relationships, church, and calling.

We also unpack:

- Why you don’t jump into leadership too soon

- The cost of following Christ (and losing friends because of it)

- How to trust God when you don’t have the full picture

- Why who you marry can disqualify you from ministry

Sermon from Amen Podcast’s “Stress Less” Philippians series.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Opening story

2:10 Why Paul needed Timothy

5:20 The problem: seeking your own interests

7:10 The solution: be trained, be like a son

10:35 Trust God without the full picture

14:50 After the Amen discussion

20:20 Why people leave when you follow Christ

25:00 Who you marry matters

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Being a child of God is a privilege — and a responsibility. In Philippians 2:14-15, Paul says we're called to live without complaining, without arguing, without that dark inner dialogue — so we shine like stars in a crooked generation. In this episode, we talk about what it means to hold out the gospel unashamed, give everything like Jesus did, and stop holding back.

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You can't earn your salvation. So why does so much of Christian culture make you feel like you have to?In this episode of the Stress Less series, we look at Philippians 2:12-13, one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling" has been used to load young Christians with anxiety and the constant question, "Is God disappointed in me today?" But Paul isn't telling you to earn anything. He's telling you to live out what God has already done.We talk about why a small view of Jesus produces a small reverence for Him, how the enemy's plan isn't to make you doubt Jesus exists but to make you think He's small, and how a big view of God leads to the freedom of a stress less life. Plus, why "it is God who works in you" is the cure for comparison, grind culture, and chasing social currency.After the Amen question: Where do you see God at work within you?

Watch the full Philippians "Stress Less" series here on our channel

Support: amenpodcast.com/donateStudy Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nF99NLglCf7vD2Em9WadvCLmWOzDzfV-/view?usp=sharing

We are stressed because we are stuck thinking about ourselves. In Philippians 2:5-11, Jesus did not grasp His glory. He emptied Himself, served, and humbled Himself to the cross. Because we were never forgotten by God, we are free to forget ourselves. This is the freedom of self-forgetfulness, not something we achieve, but something we already have in Christ.

study guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aG3jG9SaUF1T7n2h8SK4Q2TcadGRdm02mGNgY9q-C1k/edit?usp=sharingDonate: https://amenpodcast.com/donateSubscribe to Email List: https://amenpodcast.com/subscribeAmen Podcast: https://youtube.com/amenpodcastAmen Podcast (spotify):

You Were Made for Deeper Community (Philippians 2:1-4), Stress-Less Series. amenpodcast.com/donate

Faith was never meant to be a solo sport. In this week's Stress Less episode, Pastor Alex unpacks Philippians 1:27-30 and the call to strive together. Paul tells the Philippians to push the gospel down the field as a team—standing firm, unafraid of opponents, and leaning on each other in seasons of hardship.

Free Study Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-fxcrpldwv7P0bBJoQkZBKUx4y9HNdWW/view?usp=share_linkAlex and Lokelani talk through why we tend to pull away from community when life gets heavy, how to tell the difference between persecution and correction, and why your church family is worth prioritizing. Plus real stories from House Church Kauai and the milk and honey coffee shop on what it looks like to stay bold when the arrows come.You're in good company. Lock in, find your people, and don't go through this life alone.amenpodcast.com/donate

Paul wrote “to live is Christ, to die is gain” from a prison cell, not knowing if he’d live or die. And he was still steady, joyful, and free. In this episode we walk through Philippians 1:19-26 and unpack what it actually looks like to live that way, where Jesus is so much of your life that nothing, not even death, can shake you. We get into the fill-in-the-blank that exposes what you’re really living for, what it means to magnify Christ as a telescope to the church and a microscope to the world, and the grace that does the work in you so you stop white-knuckling your way into loving God.

After the Amen question: In what area of your life does Christ need to be magnified?

Donate: amenpodcast.com/donate

study guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1panX8cYLFuG4EuSkZmmYjngx8wLUuJN8/view?usp=sharing

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Paul was in prison. People were preaching against him just to make his life harder. And he was still full of joy. How?

In this episode of the Amen Podcast, Alex and Lokelani jump back into our Philippians “Stress Less” series with chapter 1:12-18, an episode we’re calling FRUSTRATIONS. Because let’s be real, you’re frustrated with someone or something right now. A difficult season. A difficult person. Plans that got shut down. A baby that won’t sleep. A coworker climbing the ladder at your expense.

STUDY GUIDE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b-dMfFmISf30NKg3sJ0ChlT76X0Z3wIt/view?usp=sharing

Paul knew that feeling. And he shows us that the very thing frustrating you is the thing God is using to advance His kingdom.

In this episode we talk about: • Why we actually NEED frustrations (and what they’re doing in us) • Why difficult PEOPLE last longer than difficult TIMES • The Matthew 7 plank-in-your-eye principle and how it kills frustration at the root • Why people use God to climb the ladder of fame (Mike Tyson, Theo Von, Steven Furtick conversation included) • A powerful picture from Pilgrim’s Progress (Feeble Mind & Ready-to-Halt) • Why our culture says “ghost them, quit, move, medicate” and why the gospel says something better • Lokelani on why she welcomes the suffering of having a big family in a culture that treats kids like a burden

If Christ is being proclaimed, even through your hardest season, nothing can ultimately frustrate you.

📖 Scripture: Philippians 1:12-18 🎙️ Series: Stress Less (Philippians)

After the Amen Question: What are the frustrations in your life that God is using to advance His kingdom? Drop your answer in the comments. We read them.

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