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This is the audio from the December 14, 2025 sermon, “Exceedingly Great Joy: Let It SHINE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Philippians 3:1-11

• Secure:  Philippians 3:1

  • A joy that is sure comes from being secure in the knowledge of what God has done through the sending of Jesus to live, die, and be raised from the dead.  Our joy can be secure when it is dependent on the work of God in our life rather than needing the circumstances of life line up to our liking. 

• Unusual:  Philippians 3:2-7

  • A joy that is sure will be a joy that is unusual in both the way we obtain it and the way it is sustained.  Paul made it abundantly clear in his writings that while there was much from a human perspective that could bring temporary joy, his joy came from a supernatural source and that we too could know a sure joy when we turn to Jesus.

• Righteous:  Philippians 3:8-9

  • A joy that is sure will be a joy that is righteous in all ways, even thought that righteousness does not come from us.  If we examine ourselves honestly, it shouldn’t take long to realize the truth of God’s Word when it declares that “there is no one righteous, no not one”!  We have a sure joy when we realize that our righteousness comes not by the law but through a faith in Christ.

• Eternal:  Philippians 3:10-11

  • A joy that is sure is made both possible and lasting as a joy which is eternal.  While it is appealing to nearly everyone to think about knowing the power of the resurrection, Paul tells us that we discover such power when we are willing to join in the suffering of Jesus and choose to be united with Him in His death.  Just as the death of Jesus was followed by a resurrection to life eternal, so our being united with Christ in His death will result in eternal joy as we experience a resurrection from death into life.

Today, how will you live with a joy that is SURE?

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This is the audio from the December 7, 2025 sermon, “Exceedingly Great Joy: Let It SHINE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Philippians 2:12-30

• Submit:  Philippians 2:12-13

  • Making your joy shine will require a submission to God that acknowledges His will and ways as being supreme.  It is in our submission to God that we discover true joy that is not dependent on temporary circumstances.   It is this level of submission that will develop a joy that can shine before people in a way that leads them to glorify God. 

• Honor:  Philippians 2:14-17

  • Making your joy shine will come from a willingness to honor those to whom honor is due.  Honoring others is an effective solution to overcoming a spirit of arguing and complaining.  When we choose to honor God in a way which gives value to people, we display a joy which will shine before people in a way that leads them to glorify God.

• Invite:  Philippians 2:18

  • Making your joy shine will lead you to invite others into the growing level of joy that you have discovered.  A humble joy is nearly irresistible as it draws us into something we all desire.  While temporary happiness can be pleasing while it lasts, experiencing true joy in the midst of life’s struggles is something that makes an invitation worth accepting.  When we choose to invite people to experience the joy of Jesus, we shine before people in a way that leads them to glorify God.

• Notice:  Philippians 2:19-24

  • Making your joy shine will cause you to notice people in ways that you may have often overlooked.  It is in the joy of knowing Jesus that we are able to notice the sufferings of others as well as the value they have as one created in God’s image.  When we choose to notice people in ways which seek what is best for them, we shine before people in a way that leads them to glorify God.

• Encourage:  Philippians 2:25-30

  • Making your joy shine will result in being an encouragement to the people you encounter.  It is through the joy found in Christ that the desire to see others encouraged begins to exceed our own desire to be comfortable.  When we choose to encourage others, we shine before people in a way that leads them to glorify God.

Today, how will you let your joy SHINE?

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This is the audio from the November 23, 2025 sermon, “Exceedingly Great Joy: Making It LAST!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Philippians 1:12-30

• Loud:  Philippians 1:12-14

  • Making your joy loud is not always about volume, often times it is more about visibility.  With the help of God, Paul made his joy heard throughout the entire palace guard and it caught the attention of believers everywhere who were now filled with courage to also share the good news of Jesus. 

• Active:  Philippians 1:15-19

  • Making your joy active will change how you respond to the troubles of this world.  It is the active element of joy which moves beyond an intellectual knowledge of God being able to work all things together for good, to a willing participation in using your struggles and weakness for God’s glory.

• Strong:  Philippians 1:20-26

  • Making your joy strong will lead you to hold on to God and His promises when the enemy is tempting you to let go.  An enduring joy will fill you with hope because you understand that in Christ all will be accomplished for His good and His glory whether the outcome is what you initially want or not.

• Thankful:  Philippians 1:27-30

  • Making your joy thankful will not only fill you with gratitude, but it will become a contagious force in leading others to find joy in Christ.  While perhaps not quite as contagious as grumbling seems to be, the spread of joy is nearly impossible to stop once we learn to be thankful in all circumstances.

Today, how will you make joy LAST?

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This is the audio from the November 16, 2025 sermon, “Exceedingly Great Joy: PRAY With Joy!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Philippians 1:1-11

• Partner with joy:  Philippians 1:3-6

  • Prayer is a partnership of us choosing to align our self with God, and therefore growing in joy at the success of others.  As Paul prayed for the Philippian believers, he was filled with joy because of their partnership with him in the gospel.  When we allow God to be in control of our life, we ought to grow in our understanding of how our partnership with others aids in the spread of the gospel.  We pray with joy when we partner with others in sharing the good news of Jesus. 

• Receive with joy:  Philippians 1:7-8

  • Praying involves receiving from God that which only He can give.  Even when we receive from others, we acknowledge in prayer how God is the One who ultimately provided that which was needed.  When we humble our self to receive from others, we recognize how God uses each of us to  be a blessing to someone else.  We pray with joy when we humbly receive from God and from others.

• Ask with joy:  Philippians 1:9-10

  • Perhaps the most common aspect of praying is when we ask God for what we need, want, or desire.  Because we don’t always know what we ought to ask for, it can be easy to become disillusioned with prayer when our asking doesn’t produce the desired results.  Paul’s asking was not for any of the things you might expect to ask for given similar circumstances.  Rather, he asked for God to meet the spiritual needs necessary for the growth of faith in the lives of the believers.  We pray with joy when we learn to unselfishly ask for God to provide for others the things which only He can provide.

• Yield with joy:  Philippians 1:11

  • For prayer to be meaningful and effective, it is important that we are willing to yield to the will of God in all circumstances.  We can partner, receive, and ask all that we want but when we refuse to yield, all of those aspects of prayer become very self-centered.  Jesus taught by example that we should pray for God’s will to be done in all things, especially when our will does not yet align with His.  We pray with joy when we yield and experience the goodness of God’s plans far exceeding our own.

Today, how will you PRAY with joy?

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This is the audio from the November 9, 2025 sermon, “Knowing the Stewardship: Your GIFT!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

• Generosity:  2 Corinthians 9:6-7

  • Understanding your gift begins with an understanding of God’s generosity which ought to lead to your generosity.  Our working definition of generosity typically involves someone who gives freely, joyfully, abundantly, and beyond what is expected.  God anticipates an abundant crop of righteousness produced in our life because He has been generous in sowing those seeds into us.  God’s gift becoming your gift, and your gift becoming God’s gift, will always produce generosity. 

• Involvement:  2 Corinthians 9:8-9

  • Understanding your gift will lead you to an involvement in using that gift for the good of God’s kingdom.  It is God’s gift, His grace in your life, which supplies the very things necessary for good works to be accomplished in you and through you.  God expects to be involved in your life just as he expects you to be involved in kingdom life.  God’s gift becoming your gift, and your gift becoming God’s gift, will always require both His and your involvement.

• Faith: 2 Corinthians 9:10-11

  • Understanding your gift will produce a growing faith in your life.  While the very definition of faith precludes God from having a belief and trust in something unseen and unknown, in a sense He has faith in us as He both sows seed in our life and provides seed for us to sow.  It is by faith that we accept the seed of God’s Word planted within us and it is by faith that we share the seed of that Word with others.  God’s gift becoming your gift, and your gift becoming God’s gift, will always be an act of faith.

• Thankfulness:  2 Corinthians 9:12-15

  • Understanding your gift will result in a thankfulness that must be expressed.  As each member of the body of Christ does its part, it produces an overwhelming thankfulness for the way God is meeting the needs of everyone.  It is relatively easy to do things in a way in which people thank you for your help.  The greater challenge as those who recognize all things come from God, is to do your good deeds in a way which people glorify your Father who is in heaven.  God’s gift becoming your gift, and your gift becoming God’s gift will always result in a thankfulness which acknowledges God.

Today, how will you express your GIFT?

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This is the audio from the November 2, 2025 sermon, “Knowing the Community: A Place To Be HOME!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: 1 John 1

• Humble:  1 John 1:1

  • Our communion within the community of God is a place to be humble as we recognize Jesus as the One who call us to consider the needs of others to be more important than our own.  Humility ought to be a character trait that every Christian desires to see grow in their own life as it is an identifying characteristic of Jesus.  When the world teaches us to lift our self, God identifies the church as a place to be humble. 

• Observant:  1 John 1:2-4

  • Our communion within the community of God is a place to be observant as we open both our eyes and our mind.  We “observe” the Lord’s Supper and the community it brings when we choose to not only see the elements, but to experience the meaning of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus in our life.  When the world teaches us to look our for our self, God identifies the church as a place to be observant.

• More: 1 John 1:5-7

  • Our communion within the community of God is a place to be more because our being becomes reflective of who God is rather than being limited by who we are.  It is the enemy who wishes to limit what God can do in us and through us, and sometimes we are willing participants in believing God would never be able to use us for something beyond what we can imagine.  When the world teaches us to know our limit, God identifies the church as a place to be more.

• Enough:  1 John 1:8-10

  • Our communion within the community of God is a place to be enough as we put our faith and complete trust in the work God accomplished through Jesus.  Even as we understand God’s ability to do more then we can think or imagine, we also must learn the contentment of simply being enough when God’s work in us isn’t as big as we would like.  When the world teaches us to pursue greatness by its standards, God identifies the church as a place to be enough.

Today, how will you, and the community of believers you are part of, be HOME?

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This is the audio from the October 19, 2025 sermon, “Knowing the Invitation: COME!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Revelation 22:17, Acts 2:36-47

• Change:  Acts 2:36-40

  • The invitation of Jesus for us to come to Him is a call for us to change.  The very heart of repentance is to stop what we’re doing and begin doing something different.  With the help of God’s Spirit, we must turn from sin and pursue righteousness.  As the crowd heard the message of God through Peter and the apostles, they asked what they needed to do.  It was the invitation of God that they repent and be immersed as God wanted to change them from being dead in sin to being alive in Christ. 

• Obey:  Acts 2:41

  • When Jesus invites us to change, the proper response is always to obey.  We see that from the crowd on the day of Pentecost as about 3000 people are obedient to the command to repent and be immersed.  When we come to Jesus, it is always important to remember we do so on His terms, not ours.  Jesus makes it clear in His teaching that it makes no sense for us to call Him Lord and yet choose to not obey Him.

• Model: Acts 2:42-44

  • Our response to the invitation of Jesus to come is made evident in how we model this new life on a daily basis.  The early Christians were indeed known for their love for one another just as Jesus expected.  The didn’t just talk the Jesus talk, the lived the Jesus life.  It is in our change and obedience that God works in us to equip us to model a life which represents Jesus.

• Enjoy:  Acts 2:45-47

  • Contrary to what some may believe and teach, our response to the invitation of Jesus isn’t just about us changing and obediently following God’s Word so we model the life of Christ.  No, it is designed so we would do all of that in a way that brings enjoyment!  When Jesus calls for all who are thirsty to come, He does so in order for us to enjoy the life which is made full in Christ.

Today, how will you COME?

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This is the audio from the October 12, 2025 sermon, “Knowing the Submission: Learning To SERVE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Hebrews 5:7-10, John 13:1-17

• Submit:  John 13:1-5, Ephesians 5:21

  • Submitting and serving are really two practices which cannot be separated from one another and remain effective.  We must submit in order to serve effectively and we will serve when we choose to submit.  As Jesus gathered with His disciples for a Passover meal, which would be His final one during His time on earth, He was able to serve them by submitting both to His Father and to their needs.  We live with a submissive spirit which serves others when we learn to submit to their needs being more important than our own. 

• Encourage:  John 13:6-10, 1 Thessalonians 5:11

  • The very nature of Jesus serving His disciples during this Last Supper gathering was to encourage them for what He knew was coming.  Whether in the conversation with Peter about just needing to wash his feet because he was already clean, or the conversation with Philip in chapter 14 which I inadvertently used during the sermon instead of chapter 13, Jesus sought to encourage the disciples by assuring them they knew more than they gave themselves credit for.  We live with a submissive spirit which serves others when we find ways to encourage.

• Restore: John 13:11-14, Galatians 6:1

  • Because Jesus knew who He was and where He was going, He gathered with His disciples to prepare them to be restored after they would abandon Jesus out of fear.  It is important to always remember that the teaching and practice of Jesus wasn’t only for the benefit of those who were physically present.  We ought to find comfort and encouragement in knowing that we too can be restored when we wander from the truth and deny Jesus with our words and/or our actions.  We live with a submissive spirit which serves others when we choose to be involved in restoring those who fall.

• Value:  John 13:15-16, Philippians 2:3

  • After washing the feet of the disciples, including Judas, Jesus teaches the important lesson of giving value to others.  While Peter appears to be somewhat embarrassed that Jesus would be washing his feet, the very act of doing so communicates to all of the disciples that they were greatly valued by the One who was in fact their Lord and Teacher.  We live with a submissive spirit which serves others when we give value to people simply because they are created in the image of God.

• Enlist:  John 13:17, Acts 16:9

  • As Jesus submitted to the needs of His disciples and served them according to their need, He made it clear that this wasn’t just a story about His own goodness but rather it was an example they were to follow.  He was not simply serving their need, He was enlisting them into a lifetime of serving others.  We live with a submissive spirit which serves others when we learn to enlist others to both help us when we can’t serve alone and to serve others at every opportunity they have.

Today, how will a commitment to godly submission help you learn to SERVE?