I didn’t think we were going to be able to do this, but this past weekend our local church was blessed to have Paul Tripp come and speak at our services and they have made the audio from it available here. After looking at Paul’s speaking schedule it seems he finished up in Reston, VA around 12:30pm on Sunday and then made it back up to Philadelphia, PA to preach at his own church at 6:15pm…so apparently Paul Tripp Ministries finally got that whole teleporting thing to work, that’s good.

Paul spoke on having an eternal perspective, keeping what is important, important, from James 1:9-11:

• The poor man spoken of in James 1:9 is poor in material possessions but his high position is what is really important. He has a relationship with the very creator of all things and though he has nothing of value on earth, he has it all!
  • You know that you understand grace when you can stand in the midst of nothing and celebrate.
• Our world is a materialistic, despiritualized, no-eternity, pleasurized society. All that the world values is of no eternal value.
• The rich man spoken of in James 1:10 is rich only in earthly things and will pass away like flowering grass; beautiful one minute, gone the next.
  • Are you focused on what is important, Christ, or are you caught up in the things of this world?
• A lot of times, the luxuries of this world can distract us from ministry. A story was told of a pastor in a very rich society who could tell how long someone had lived in that place purely based on their excitement level for ministry.
• We can throw off the things of this world as we better understand grace.
• Grace causes everyone to be on the same playing-field. God is not impressed with the world’s riches, He owns them anyways. God’s grace shows us that we are all equal and that none have anything we can impress God with.
• Is your everyday life one that is the picture of someone who understands what is important?