100:00:00,380 –> 00:00:10,020It was not always like this even for the apostle Paul himself. This contentment200:00:10,020 –> 00:00:14,720that he gained in his life was not something that he came to quickly and300:00:14,720 –> 00:00:19,500probably it was not something that he came to easily either. But what he is400:00:19,500 –> 00:00:23,820telling us from his own experience is that over time there was growth, there500:00:23,820 –> 00:00:30,260was progress, that that was his true experience and that it can be our true600:00:30,260 –> 00:00:36,160experience today. Welcome to open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David700:00:36,160 –> 00:00:40,419Pick and Colin over the past couple of days we’ve been hearing how discontent800:00:40,419 –> 00:00:44,779is a hellish sin and it’s great to know that in today’s message we’re going to900:00:44,779 –> 00:00:49,340begin to learn how we can grow in contentment. But it’s not as simple as1000:00:49,340 –> 00:00:53,459just flipping a switch is it? Yeah that’s exactly right. I mean Paul says I have1100:00:53,459 –> 00:00:58,180learned to be content. That implies it happened over time. Probably wasn’t the1200:00:58,180 –> 00:01:01,340first thing that they learned in the Christian life either, it came through1300:01:01,340 –> 00:01:06,260experience and it came over time. We live in an instant society everything1400:01:06,260 –> 00:01:10,180instantly how do I get it now, you know three quick ways. Well you know what God’s1500:01:10,180 –> 00:01:15,639spirit works graciously in our lives over time. And sometimes through the1600:01:15,639 –> 00:01:21,820hardest experiences that we go through and Paul learned to be content. Now how1700:01:21,900 –> 00:01:25,300he learned it is what we’re gonna be looking at today. Much as I’d like to1800:01:25,300 –> 00:01:30,400just ask you now how to do that but let’s be patient and open God’s Word in1900:01:30,400 –> 00:01:35,300Philippians chapter 4 as we begin the message learning to be content. Here is2000:01:35,300 –> 00:01:40,300Colin. We’re coming to Philippians in chapter 4 and particularly verse 112100:01:40,300 –> 00:01:48,260today where the Apostle says, I have learned in whatever situation I am to be2200:01:49,220 –> 00:01:51,860content. Now, I want you to notice2300:01:51,860 –> 00:01:55,559straight away that what we have here in these words are words of personal2400:01:55,559 –> 00:02:01,699testimony. Actually, Paul refers to himself no less than five times in just2500:02:01,699 –> 00:02:08,259three verses and he does it without the faintest hint of pride or of self2600:02:08,259 –> 00:02:13,520preoccupation but notice what he says. I have learned in whatever situation I am2700:02:13,520 –> 00:02:19,619to be content. I know how to be brought low. I know how to abound. I have learned2800:02:19,619 –> 00:02:24,139the secret of facing plenty and hunger and I can do all things through2900:02:24,139 –> 00:02:29,839Christ who strengthens me. Now, five times in three verses this is clearly the3000:02:29,839 –> 00:02:34,619language of personal experience. This is the apostle Paul saying, look, I want to3100:02:34,619 –> 00:02:40,479tell you something that I found experienced and proved in my own life.3200:02:40,539 –> 00:02:48,820This has been true for me and it can be true for you. So this is the language of3300:02:48,820 –> 00:02:54,479personal testimony and experience that we’re tuning into today. It is what God3400:02:54,479 –> 00:02:59,600has done in the life of one believer and what he is able to do in the life of all3500:02:59,600 –> 00:03:06,779believers. Now, notice secondly here that Paul had experience the best and the3600:03:06,960 –> 00:03:14,559worst of life in this world. He knew what it was to be brought low and he knew3700:03:14,559 –> 00:03:19,800what it was to abound. He knew what it was to have plenty and he knew what it3800:03:19,800 –> 00:03:25,880was to be in need. In other words, Paul is saying to us now, look, in terms of the3900:03:25,880 –> 00:03:32,360experience of life, you need to know as you listen to my personal testimony that4000:03:32,660 –> 00:03:35,940at the top doesn’t get better than what I have4100:03:35,940 –> 00:03:41,399experienced. At some time in my life, I have known what it is for life to be as4200:03:41,399 –> 00:03:47,240good as it gets. You also need to know that I’ve been to the bottom, that there4300:03:47,240 –> 00:03:51,800have been times in my life that have been as bad as it gets. I’ve been in both4400:03:51,800 –> 00:03:59,259places. I’ve experienced the extremities of life at the top and at the bottom. So4500:03:59,479 –> 00:04:05,259in every circumstance,’ he says, having explored and experienced the whole range4600:04:05,259 –> 00:04:13,360of human life, I have found that I have learned to be content. Now notice this4700:04:13,360 –> 00:04:18,019word learned, which clearly tells us that contentment is not something that4800:04:18,019 –> 00:04:23,239comes even to a Christian automatically or even immediately, but it is a grace4900:04:23,320 –> 00:04:29,399that is learned over time. In fact he uses the word learned twice in verse 11,5000:04:29,399 –> 00:04:35,380I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content, and then verse 12 I5100:04:35,380 –> 00:04:43,700have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger. Now the implication of the5200:04:43,700 –> 00:04:47,720word learned of course is that it was not always like this even for the5300:04:48,660 –> 00:04:54,859himself. This contentment that he gained in his life was not something that he5400:04:54,859 –> 00:04:59,739came to quickly and probably it was not something that he came to easily either5500:04:59,739 –> 00:05:03,880but what he is telling us from his own experience is that over time there was5600:05:03,880 –> 00:05:11,119growth, there was progress, that that was his true experience and that it can be5700:05:11,119 –> 00:05:17,239our true experience today. Now of course when we read a verse like this, we read a5800:05:17,279 –> 00:05:23,899testimony like this and especially when we read the word secret I’ve learned the5900:05:23,899 –> 00:05:28,079secret of being content you think oh I just hope he’s going to tell us what the6000:05:28,079 –> 00:05:33,160secret is and rest assured he does he tells us what the secret is. We’re going6100:05:33,160 –> 00:05:39,119to look exactly at that today. But what I want to see from these scriptures as we6200:05:39,119 –> 00:05:44,260seek to move forward in what the Apostle Paul himself experienced, this wonderful6300:05:44,859 –> 00:05:52,8993 ways in which we can move forward into greater contentment in our lives and the6400:05:52,899 –> 00:05:59,399first of them is simply this, gratefully savor the blessings of Christ.6500:05:59,399 –> 00:06:05,179Gratefully savour the blessings of Christ and I take this from the context6600:06:05,179 –> 00:06:11,260verse 8, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is6700:06:11,260 –> 00:06:18,279just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there6800:06:18,279 –> 00:06:26,200is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these6900:06:26,200 –> 00:06:29,760things.7000:06:30,440 –> 00:06:39,059Now God has given to every one of us the ability to choose where we focus our7100:06:39,059 –> 00:06:43,619attention. So in every area of life there will be7200:06:43,619 –> 00:06:47,059things that are not as you want them to be, things that are not as you want them7300:06:47,059 –> 00:06:51,679to be in your family, and in your work, and in your church, and so forth and so7400:06:51,679 –> 00:07:00,500on. But you have the ability to choose where you focus your attention. Here’s a7500:07:00,500 –> 00:07:06,019good question. What are the good things about your family. Focus in on them and7600:07:06,920 –> 00:07:11,420give thanks to God for them. What are the good things about your7700:07:11,420 –> 00:07:16,260church and about your work and about your neighborhood.7800:07:16,260 –> 00:07:23,320Bring to mind what is good, especially when you are inclined to complain, and7900:07:23,320 –> 00:07:29,660that will help you to learn and to grow in this whole matter of being content.8000:07:29,660 –> 00:07:36,760Make more as a Christian of your joys, than you do of your sorrows. Make more of8100:07:36,760 –> 00:07:43,619what you have gained in Christ, than what you have lost in this world. Do this in8200:07:43,619 –> 00:07:51,359your thinking, do this in your speaking and even do this in your praying, and you8300:07:51,359 –> 00:07:57,220will grow in all that it means to be content. Now the reason that I include8400:07:57,399 –> 00:08:02,059praying here alongside our thinking and our speaking, is that Paul refers to it8500:08:02,059 –> 00:08:08,899in verse 6. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and8600:08:08,899 –> 00:08:15,140supplication, here it is, with thanksgiving let your request be made8700:08:15,140 –> 00:08:20,299known to God. And if you do that, then, here’s what you’ll find the peace of God8800:08:20,299 –> 00:08:25,859will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So what he’s saying is now8900:08:25,859 –> 00:08:31,399bring your requests to God, but if all that your prayers are is a9000:08:31,399 –> 00:08:36,979long-list of requests, a long list of things that you want to see changed, if9100:08:36,979 –> 00:08:41,200that’s all your prayers are, then all you are doing when you pray is you are9200:08:41,200 –> 00:08:46,059filling your minds with problems in the presence of God. So don’t let your9300:08:46,059 –> 00:08:50,820prayers be what they can be. Which praying can be an exercise just of9400:08:51,679 –> 00:08:56,700your knees. You don’t want your prayers to be that. Simply calling to mind9500:08:56,700 –> 00:09:01,500everything that’s wrong in life and kind of laying it out before God. By all means9600:09:01,500 –> 00:09:06,119bring your requests to God, but do it this way, he says, with Thanksgiving, and9700:09:06,119 –> 00:09:09,900then the peace of God will guard your hearts and your minds, because you will9800:09:09,900 –> 00:09:17,539be reminded of the grace and the mercy of God in your life. Luther has a9900:09:17,539 –> 00:09:25,380wonderful phrase on this. Martin Luther talked about the rhetoric of the Spirit.10000:09:25,380 –> 00:09:31,940The rhetoric of the Spirit. Obviously, rhetoric is a way of speaking. It relates10100:09:31,940 –> 00:09:36,500to speaking. And so when Luther talked about the rhetoric of the Spirit, he’s10200:09:36,500 –> 00:09:43,460talking about the way in which the Holy Spirit himself speaks. The accent, if you10300:09:43,479 –> 00:09:49,000like, of the Holy Spirit. And he describes the way the Spirit speaks like10400:09:49,000 –> 00:09:59,859this. If a cross comes, to make the cross but little, but if there is a mercy, to10500:09:59,859 –> 00:10:08,320make the mercy great. He then says that the devil has a different rhetoric.10600:10:08,719 –> 00:10:15,619has a different way of speaking. If there is a cross, he says, the devil makes it10700:10:15,619 –> 00:10:22,359greater than it is, and so brings discontent. And if there is a mercy, it10800:10:22,359 –> 00:10:28,799is the rhetoric of the devil to make the mercy less. Yes, the devil says, that is10900:10:28,799 –> 00:10:35,960a gift from God, but it isn’t very much, is it? You see. So I’m trying to think11000:10:35,960 –> 00:10:41,320of an illustration of this and I’m thinking about music, whatever the music11100:10:41,320 –> 00:10:48,320that you enjoy listening to. You have certain choices in the way that your11200:10:48,320 –> 00:10:55,380chosen music will sound when you play it. That is, you can turn up the treble,11300:10:55,380 –> 00:11:00,799or if you prefer, you can turn up the bass, or you turn them both up, or both11400:11:00,799 –> 00:11:05,140down or whatever. You know what it is, when you’re sitting in your car stopped11500:11:05,219 –> 00:11:10,359at the traffic lights, and alongside you comes a car with several youngsters.11600:11:10,359 –> 00:11:15,859And the car is kind of going up and down like this because the subwoofers,11700:11:15,859 –> 00:11:19,419the bass, is turned up so far. You think, I hope these lights are going11800:11:19,419 –> 00:11:22,940to turn green soon because otherwise my car’s going to start bouncing,11900:11:22,940 –> 00:11:28,299the whole road’s going to start bouncing. You have certain choices as12000:11:28,500 –> 00:11:34,820to how your music will sound. Now this is what the Apostle is saying to us.12100:11:34,820 –> 00:11:42,280Put it this way, think of it this way. Turn up the mercies dial in the music12200:11:42,280 –> 00:11:48,580of your life, that’s what the Holy Spirit does. He magnifies your mercies,12300:11:48,580 –> 00:11:54,140and a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit therefore will do the same,12400:11:55,020 –> 00:12:00,179become full of the blessings that you receive.12500:12:00,179 –> 00:12:06,700Make more of your blessings, and you will grow in contentment.12600:12:06,700 –> 00:12:09,979You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and we’ll return to12700:12:09,979 –> 00:12:13,020the message just in a moment. The message is called12800:12:13,020 –> 00:12:16,140Learning to be Content and it’s part of our series,12900:12:16,140 –> 00:12:18,539The Art of Contentment. If you ever miss13000:12:18,539 –> 00:12:22,179one of the series you can easily go back and listen again or catch up13100:12:23,059 –> 00:12:24,479n13200:12:26,979 –> 00:12:30,580or following the link from our website. Back to the message now,13300:12:30,580 –> 00:12:34,659we’re in Philippians chapter 4. Here again is Colin.13400:12:34,659 –> 00:12:40,419Make more of your blessings, and you will grow in contentment.13500:12:40,979 –> 00:12:46,820Now friends this does not mean pretending that your sorrows do not13600:12:46,820 –> 00:12:54,099exist. It’s not Stoicism, there’s none of that in Christianity but what it means13700:12:54,099 –> 00:13:03,619is this that when there is an area of sorrow and loss in one area of your life13800:13:03,619 –> 00:13:09,780you can form the habit of intentionally putting it alongside another area of13900:13:10,179 –> 00:13:18,239in which you have been particularly blessed. So, for example, someone might say14000:13:18,239 –> 00:13:28,979I have a really difficult job but praise God I have a really wonderful church. Now14100:13:28,979 –> 00:13:33,539you see what that person’s doing here’s an area of great burden, here’s an area14200:13:33,539 –> 00:13:36,299of great blessing, they’re bringing the one alongside the14300:13:36,380 –> 00:13:43,739other. I’m suffering from this condition this pain in my body but praise God I14400:13:43,739 –> 00:13:50,940have been given the wonderful gift of soundness of mind. Jeremiah Burroughs who14500:13:50,940 –> 00:13:56,940I referred to earlier applies this with regards to parents who are anxious over14600:13:56,940 –> 00:14:01,659a rebellious son or daughter and he says this it may be that you have a14700:14:01,659 –> 00:14:06,380particular problem with one child but then that God has blessed you in14800:14:06,380 –> 00:14:11,739relation to another child and he uses this word it’s very striking set one14900:14:11,739 –> 00:14:18,239against the other and he gives this example David king David’s knew great15000:14:18,239 –> 00:14:25,380sorrow over one of his children remember Absalom absolute led a horrible rebellion15100:14:25,380 –> 00:14:31,000against his own father it leds to David at one point being evicted from the15200:14:31,840 –> 00:14:38,960because of this mutiny because of this coup that his own son had led and if you15300:14:38,960 –> 00:14:44,739know the story you will recall that it led to Absalom’s untimely and very very15400:14:44,739 –> 00:14:51,919tragic death and the Bible records David’s pain over his rebel son and how15500:14:51,960 –> 00:15:01,099he said oh Absalom Absalom my son my son but Jeremiah Burroughs points out that15600:15:01,099 –> 00:15:07,479David had another son who was a great great blessing and joy to his heart and15700:15:07,479 –> 00:15:12,919that son’s name of course was Solomon who became the King who came after him15800:15:12,919 –> 00:15:18,460and Burroughs says this it would have helped David in his sorrow15900:15:18,460 –> 00:15:26,760if when he had said oh Absalom Absalom my son my son he had also16000:15:26,760 –> 00:15:39,239said Solomon Solomon my son my son he says this encouraging us to call to mind16100:15:39,239 –> 00:15:45,419our mercies in the light of our sorrows he says it may be and I’m paraphrasing16200:15:45,719 –> 00:15:50,840him here it may be that God cuts you down in your possessions but then that16300:15:50,840 –> 00:15:58,219he employs you in his service you see that I have less than I had i’d less16400:15:58,219 –> 00:16:03,539than I would want to have but but God has used me and his service and that’s a16500:16:03,539 –> 00:16:10,299very very wonderful thing it’s not a privilege has given to everybody it may16600:16:10,299 –> 00:16:14,340be that God cuts you down in your possessions but employs you in his16700:16:14,340 –> 00:16:18,219service it may be that you have a friend who has let you down but then you have16800:16:18,219 –> 00:16:23,340other friends who have been a blessing to you therefore you should set the one16900:16:23,340 –> 00:16:32,320against the other set your blessings over against your sorrows make much of17000:16:32,320 –> 00:16:37,780God’s mercy towards you in your thinking your speaking and even in your praying17100:16:37,780 –> 00:16:42,320and here is what you will find you will be delivered from what we looked at last17200:16:42,479 –> 00:16:48,440time the hellish sin of discontent and you will find as the Apostle did that17300:16:48,440 –> 00:16:55,940you begin to grow in all of this wonderful grace and gift of godly17400:16:55,940 –> 00:17:01,820contentment by the way that is one reason why participating regularly in17500:17:01,820 –> 00:17:08,680worship in a service like this every Sunday is good for contentment you17600:17:09,599 –> 00:17:13,599You worship regularly and you enter into what we’re singing and what we’re praying17700:17:13,599 –> 00:17:17,280you will grow in contentment. It will help you every week to be more content17800:17:17,280 –> 00:17:22,479why? Because you are intentionally bringing to mind the mercies of God and17900:17:22,479 –> 00:17:28,439making much of all that is yours in Jesus Christ and that’s huge for18000:17:28,439 –> 00:17:35,660overcoming the hellish sin of discontent. So gratefully savor the blessings of18100:17:35,660 –> 00:17:41,900Christ that’s the first thing here’s the second confidently affirm the18200:17:41,900 –> 00:17:49,060sufficiency of Christ and here we’re looking at verse 13 I can do all things18300:17:49,060 –> 00:17:58,780through him who strengthens me. Now notice how Paul connects this secret of18400:17:58,780 –> 00:18:04,719contentment in verse 12 with the strength that he receives from Christ18500:18:04,719 –> 00:18:13,219in verse 13 verse 12 I have learned the secret okay Paul I hope you’re gonna18600:18:13,219 –> 00:18:19,760tell us what it is what is the secret he tells us verse 13 here it is I can do18700:18:19,760 –> 00:18:29,520all things through him who strengthens me so the secret of contentment is the18800:18:29,520 –> 00:18:39,900sufficiency of Christ the secret of contentment is the sufficiency of Christ18900:18:39,900 –> 00:18:48,119now it’s very fascinating that there is another place where Paul also gives us19000:18:48,119 –> 00:18:55,380personal testimony that arises obviously from his own experience and he says in19100:18:55,380 –> 00:18:58,579that other place exactly the same thing19200:18:58,579 –> 00:19:03,640the other place is 2nd Corinthians and chapter 12 and that’s the passage where19300:19:03,640 –> 00:19:09,020in verse 7 Paul speaks about of thorn in the flesh he doesn’t tell us what it was19400:19:09,020 –> 00:19:13,400but something painful was in his life that was always there couldn’t get away19500:19:13,699 –> 00:19:20,160and Satan used it to get at him and he tells us specifically19600:19:20,160 –> 00:19:28,219three times I pleaded with the Lord about this that it should leave me now19700:19:28,219 –> 00:19:31,939here we come to something very important about contentment that needs to be said19800:19:31,939 –> 00:19:36,839in this series contentment does not mean that you are indifferent to your19900:19:36,839 –> 00:19:42,420circumstances it does not mean that you give up on trying to make things better20000:19:42,599 –> 00:19:47,000it is not contentment is not kind of throwing up your hands and saying well20100:19:47,000 –> 00:19:51,719whatever will be will be that’s fatalism or stoicism and that is nothing to do20200:19:51,719 –> 00:19:59,719with Christianity Karl Marx said that religion by which he meant Christianity20300:19:59,719 –> 00:20:07,079he said it is the opium of the people and his critique of Christianity was20400:20:07,619 –> 00:20:13,660that if you tell people to be content you actually take away any incentive or20500:20:13,660 –> 00:20:18,420motive to improve their position and there are many people who would bring20600:20:18,420 –> 00:20:22,540this charge against the faith even today people who think that the Christian20700:20:22,540 –> 00:20:29,540gospel is actually in itself a hindrance to human progress and that it sort of is20800:20:29,540 –> 00:20:34,900a drag on the world getting better and that it is an effect a kind of dope that20900:20:34,939 –> 00:20:40,339is put on or in the people. Now how are you going to answer that when you come21000:20:40,339 –> 00:20:45,920up against that objection and the answer is that Christian contentment which we21100:20:45,920 –> 00:20:52,199are pursuing does not mean that you are indifferent to your circumstances and I21200:20:52,199 –> 00:20:56,060think we have a marvelous illustration of that in Paul’s thorn on the flesh it21300:20:56,060 –> 00:21:00,420doesn’t say hey I got a thorn on the flesh come just going to live with it, he21400:21:00,420 –> 00:21:09,020really wanted that thing to be changed, he really wanted it to be gone and he21500:21:09,020 –> 00:21:14,540threw everything that he knew at trying to change that thing in his life, he21600:21:14,540 –> 00:21:20,140pleaded with the Lord and when he pleaded with the Lord three times which21700:21:20,140 –> 00:21:25,819I assume means that three separate occasions in his life he gave himself to21800:21:26,119 –> 00:21:33,180sustained prayer and fasting, oh God change this in my life. He threw21900:21:33,180 –> 00:21:38,359everything he knew at trying to change the thing that was very very painful in22000:21:38,359 –> 00:21:46,380his life, so Christian contentment does not mean just passively kind of looking22100:21:46,380 –> 00:21:53,160at whatever is and saying what will be will be. Contentment does not mean that22200:21:53,280 –> 00:21:57,579you are indifferent to your circumstances it does mean that you are22300:21:57,579 –> 00:22:02,459not controlled by your circumstances. You’ve been listening to Pastor Colin22400:22:02,459 –> 00:22:06,719Smith on Open the Bible and it’s good to be reminded that contentment doesn’t22500:22:06,719 –> 00:22:10,520mean that we’re indifferent to what’s going on around us but rather that22600:22:10,520 –> 00:22:15,660we’re not controlled by it. The message was called learning to be content and22700:22:15,660 –> 00:22:19,079that’s something we’ve got to do, it’s part of the series The Art of22800:22:19,380 –> 00:22:23,420Contentment and if you ever miss one of the series it’s easy to catch up online22900:22:23,420 –> 00:22:29,079at our website openthebible.org.uk or on your favourite podcast23000:22:29,079 –> 00:22:34,560site, search for Open the Bible UK or follow the link from our website. Also on23100:22:34,560 –> 00:22:38,900our website and available as a podcast you can find Open the Bible Daily and23200:22:38,900 –> 00:22:43,920that’s a series of daily devotions based on Pastor Collin’s teaching and read in23300:22:43,920 –> 00:22:48,959the UK by Sue MacLeish many people find that open the Bible daily is a brilliant23400:22:48,979 –> 00:22:52,760way to start the day so do check that out while you’re on our website.23500:22:52,760 –> 00:22:58,560That’s again at openthebible.org.uk. I’m with open the Bibles executive23600:22:58,560 –> 00:23:03,400director John Martin with some news about Collin’s book, Fly Through The23700:23:03,400 –> 00:23:08,040Bible. Well David I know that you’re a pilot your airplane features in the23800:23:08,040 –> 00:23:10,280trailer we film for Fly Through The Bible.23900:23:10,280 –> 00:23:12,000You’ll know that when you’re up in an24000:23:12,000 –> 00:23:16,439airplane the view from above is majestic and that’s what it’s like to fly24100:23:16,520 –> 00:23:20,880through the Bible written by Colin Smith Fly Through The Bible takes you on a24200:23:20,880 –> 00:23:25,680high-altitude journey through the Bible story. What can people expect from this24300:23:25,680 –> 00:23:30,520study course? On this journey you will meet five people from the Old Testament24400:23:30,520 –> 00:23:35,739explore five events from the life of Jesus and discover five gifts that God24500:23:35,739 –> 00:23:39,040gives to every Christian. It’s a journey you can discover by24600:23:39,040 –> 00:23:44,719yourself with others in your church or with a friend. Each chapter ends with24700:23:44,719 –> 00:23:48,680questions for reflection and discussion the book is designed to be short simple24800:23:48,680 –> 00:23:52,459and shareable. So the book is one way to take the journey24900:23:52,459 –> 00:23:57,319what else is there? There’s other free resources on our website too you’ll find25000:23:57,319 –> 00:24:02,199short videos of Colin taking you through each chapter you can download a free25100:24:02,199 –> 00:24:07,079small group guide if you want to go deeper or take the shortest journey by25200:24:07,079 –> 00:24:12,920downloading FLY our free interactive app. So this course would suit somebody25300:24:12,959 –> 00:24:17,060who’s quite new to studying the Bible even if you’ve never opened the Bible25400:24:17,060 –> 00:24:21,880this short flight will introduce you to God’s Word and leave you marvelling at25500:24:21,880 –> 00:24:27,760how the big picture landscape of God’s story fits together. Full details of FLY25600:24:27,760 –> 00:24:34,339through the Bible are on our website openthebible.org.uk and this month25700:24:34,339 –> 00:24:39,000we’re offering the book FLY through the Bible as our thank-you gift if you’re25800:24:39,479 –> 00:24:43,920to begin a new direct debit to the work of open the Bible in the amount of five25900:24:43,920 –> 00:24:49,619pounds per month or more or a one-off gift of fifty pounds or more full terms26000:24:49,619 –> 00:24:53,520and conditions of this offer and to give online come to our website26100:24:53,520 –> 00:25:00,000openthebible.org.uk if you’d like us to send you this free gift it’s important26200:25:00,000 –> 00:25:05,359that you don’t give anonymously and that you leave your full address26300:25:05,420 –> 00:25:12,219For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick and I hope you’ll joining us again next time26400:25:18,099 –> 00:25:23,959What is contentment? Does it mean you no longer care about your circumstances26500:25:23,959 –> 00:25:30,900or the circumstances of those around you? Find out next time on Open the Bible