https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/On-the-Other-Side-of-the-Fence.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Philippians 4:4-9<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. It is so easy, so tempting to look at what someone else has accomplished and think “That\ncould have been me.”\n A. When you are in school, have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I can’t wait\nuntil I have a job. None of this homework business for me!” But then the adults\nare thinking, “I can’t wait until I retire and have some free time.”\n B. Kids can’t wait to get out on their own, so they can do as they please. Young\npeople on their own want the companionship of someone else and can’t wait to\nget married, but some married people spend their time longing to be free and\nsingle again.\n
II. The problem is a lack of contentment in our lives<\/p>\n A. We aren’t happy with things as they are. We’re convinced that we won’t be happy,\nthat we can’t be happy, until some things change in our situation.\n
B. How different is Paul’s instruction to Timothy – I Timothy 6:6-8<\/p>\n
C. In whatever state – Philippians 4:10-13<\/p>\n
III. It is a problem of envy<\/p>\n
A. Envy is a desire for what other people have<\/p>\n
B. Sometimes we envy the wrong person – Proverbs 3:31<\/p>\n
1. We see what the person has, but we ignore how he achieved those things<\/p>\n 2. Do we really want to cause others harm to get the same for ourselves? –\nProverbs 23:17-18\n
C. We don’t realize the effect it has on our life – Proverbs 14:30<\/p>\n
D. Envy is putting yourself ahead of others – James 3:13-16<\/p>\n 1. It is the opposite of meekness where you have no concern for yourself –\nPhilippians 2:3-4\n
IV. Combating the problem<\/p>\n
A. Count your blessings<\/p>\n 1. In the song, “Count Your Blessings” by Johnson Oatman, Jr., “When you\nlook at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised\nyou His wealth untold; Count your many blessings, money cannot buy\nYour reward in Heaven, nor your home on high.”\n
2. Every good gift comes from heaven – James 1:17<\/p>\n
a. Are we not paying attention to what God has given us?<\/p>\n
b. Are we only focused on what we think we do not have?<\/p>\n
3. Blessings for which to be thankful<\/p>\n
a. A home to come to each night<\/p>\n
b. Someone to greet you when you come home, family, spouse<\/p>\n
c. A job where you can use your abilities.<\/p>\n
d. A paycheck to purchase what you need<\/p>\n
e. Brethren with whom you can worship<\/p>\n
f. Things to laugh about and friends to laugh with<\/p>\n 4. When you count your blessings, it become overwhelmingly obvious that\nwe have no need to envy what others have.\n
B. Be active<\/p>\n
1. Idleness leaves us time to feel sorry for ourselves – I Timothy 5:13-15<\/p>\n
2. Take advantage of opportunities – Galatians 6:9-10<\/p>\n
3. Let people see God through you – Matthew 5:16<\/p>\n
C. Ask<\/p>\n
1. When there is a true need, God will answer – Matthew 6:8<\/p>\n 2. Instead of getting worked up over a matter, bring it to God – Philippians\n4:6\n 3. Sometimes the answer is “no,” but even then we can learn contentment – II\nCorinthians 12:7-10\n
V. With these we shall be content<\/p>\n
A. Will anyone have everything? Of course not.<\/p>\n B. It is not a question of what you don’t have. It is a matter of what will you do with\nthe things you do have: your talent, your time, your opportunities\n
C. Make the most of what you have – Ephesians 5:15-17<\/p>\n
D. Talk to the lost – Colossians 4:5-6<\/p>\n
E. That you may lack nothing – I Thessalonians 4:9-12<\/p>\n
1. Not always here on earth, but the treasure we lay up in heaven<\/p>\n 2. Are you lacking something? Perhaps salvation or the peace of knowing\nyour Lord?\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 4:4-9 I. It is so easy, so tempting to look at what someone else has accomplished and think “That could have been me.” A. When you are in school, have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I can’t wait until I have a job. None of this homework business for me!”…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[634,1095,385,583],"class_list":["post-57199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-attitude","tag-blessings","tag-contentment","tag-envy"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7085,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/where-does-it-talk-about-souls-asking-how-long-must-we-wait\/","url_meta":{"origin":57199,"position":0},"title":"Where does it talk about souls asking how long must we wait?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 19, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I read in the Old Testament, something about souls saying how long must we wait. I think it meant the souls that have died and are in the waiting place until the final judgment. I have looked and looked and can't find it. Can you help? Answer: I believe\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40730,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-i-wait-three-years-to-get-married\/","url_meta":{"origin":57199,"position":1},"title":"How can I wait three years to get married?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have been dating my boyfriend for two and a half years now. We are both Christians and both want and work toward a marriage. We believe sex belongs in a marriage and want to keep it like this until we marry. I've come to a point where I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":48666,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-should-i-wait-until-marriage-to-have-sex\/","url_meta":{"origin":57199,"position":2},"title":"Why should I wait until marriage to have sex?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 8, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Recently my boyfriend and I have been struggling with waiting until marriage to have sex or having sex before. I want to try to have sex after marriage but recently we have done oral sex to each other to satisfy the sexual urges we have. The point is, my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5064,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/we-cant-afford-to-get-married-but-would-it-be-bad-to-have-sex-now\/","url_meta":{"origin":57199,"position":3},"title":"We can’t afford to get married, but would it be bad to have sex now?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello! My boyfriend and I have been dating for over five years, not necessarily because we wanted to wait this long, but because we don\u2019t have the money. I only recently finished college, and I didn\u2019t want to get married until I was done with school. Well, I\u2019ve been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36642,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-a-sin-to-love-a-girl-who-is-underaged\/","url_meta":{"origin":57199,"position":4},"title":"Is it a sin to love a girl who is underaged?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 25, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it wrong to be in love with an under-aged girl? Even to believe that you are made for each other and you can't imagine life without her? God has recently called me, and I'm leaving so much of what's in my life behind. I can't imagine a life\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":69745,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/thats-not-a-problem-here\/","url_meta":{"origin":57199,"position":5},"title":"That’s Not a Problem Here","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Heath Rogers Several years ago, I was reprimanded for preaching a rather straightforward sermon on the sin of homosexuality. The language of the sermon had upset a couple in the church, as they did not want their young children exposed to this subject. When I discussed this matter with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57199\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}