No matter what you do in your life everything requires a certain state of mind. Especially when you're dealing with people, you have to know how to relate to people in very specialized ways. In the same way, as Christians, there is a certain frame of mind that we have to have in order to handle our the circumstances that may come up in our lives.

How we relate to Christ is often demonstrated by how we relate to other people and to our circumstances. In this sermon Pastor Justin Cox gives us some helpful tips on the state of mind that we should have as Christians when dealing with every area of our lives.

We come across moments in our lives everyday that are impossible for us to live for Christ through if we do not prepare ourselves beforehand to come up against them. We can sometimes see these kinds of situations from afar--problems at work, temptations to lust around certain people at school, drama at home--and unless we prepare for these trials we won't stand when the time comes.

How do we prepare for trials if we want to live for Christ? Pastor Cox shares from God's Word about Apostle Paul's heart and how he got ready for trials before they came--his determination to be unashamed, his search for enough courage to stand in each moment, and his ever-present desire to magnify Christ in his circumstances. This sermon will convict and challenge you to make sure Christ is at the center of your heart and life.

We’ve all heard the terrible stories of prison life through documentaries, movies, or from people who have been there and come back. None of us want to be there. It is a place of extreme discomfort. But often times, though we may not realize it, God will deliberately place us in “prisons” in our lives so that we can impact more lives for Him.

It may be that you just want to be comfortable and problem free, and you say you’ll serve God then, but if you wait until then the people around you in your prison—your uncomfortable circumstances—won’t be able to see the light of Christ shinning in the midst of the darkness. It may be tough but don’t pity yourself, look up and find Christ where you are.

Pastor Cox preaches a sermon on rejoicing in the midst of the difficult circumstances in our lives that we feel stuck in, and encourages us to use every opportunity in our trials to preach the true gospel to those around us.