Pathway to Victory

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Hey podcast listeners. Thanks for streaming today's podcast from Pathway to Victory and Dr. Robert Jeffress.

We're dedicated to bringing you bold biblical teaching that transforms your life and strengthens your walk with God.

And you can study God's word alongside Dr. Jeffress in person on the 2026 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska.

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Have you ever witnessed the breathtaking majesty of massive glaciers rising from crystal blue waters? Or stood in awe as bald eagles soar over snow capped mountain?

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I want you to experience these unforgettable.

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Moments with me on the Pathway to.

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Victory Cruise to Alaska, June 13th through 20th, 2026.

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Join Dr. Jeffress and the Pathway to Victory family for a spectacular seven-day adventure aboard Holland America's luxurious Koningsdam.

Indulge in elegant staterooms, world-class dining, and expansive decks perfect for breathtaking views.

Visit historic ports like Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, where wilderness and frontier history await.

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There's something powerful about connecting with God and fellow believers in the majesty of his untamed wilderness. I truly believe this journey will refresh you spiritually, physically and emotionally.

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Cabins are filling quickly, so reserve yours today. To book your spot on the 2026 Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska, call 888-280-6747 or go to ptv.org now here's today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.

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Hi, this is Robert Jeffress and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program on today's edition of Pathway to Victory.

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If you're tired of running, chasing after things that you think will make you happy, only to be disappointed, the secret is contentment.

What is the heart of a contented heart? Well, it's the belief that God has already provided me, to me everything I need to be satisfied in life.

Speaker 1

Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. How many times have you said to yourself, if I only had this one thing, then I'd be happy? It's an exhausting, relentless pattern.

So how can we achieve contentment today on Pathway to Victory? Dr. Robert Jeffress teaches that happiness has nothing to do with our circumstances and everything to do with our hearts.

But first, let's take a minute to hear some important ministry updates.

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Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Purposeful travel creates some of life's most meaningful experiences. The best vacations bring friends and family together in places that showcase God's power and glory, and you're invited to experience this on the 2026 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska. This vacation of a lifetime offers an incredible opportunity to witness God's creation while building lasting memories. You won't regret joining us. The dates are June 13, 2026. Check out the fabulous itinerary by going to ptv.org.

Before time runs out, we'd like to be sure you receive an exclusive publication. The team at Pathway to Victory has prepared a brand new resource for you. It's called *Encouragement for the Heart of a Disciple*. In this gorgeous padded hardcover book, you'll learn how to cultivate the disciplines of forgiveness, obedience, trust, contentment, service, and prayer. Plus, the book contains 80 breathtaking photos from God's creation. You have to see it to truly appreciate how beautiful it is. Each chapter includes a brief reflection paired with a scripture verse and a prayer that you can follow.

We'll also include a collection of six pocket prayer cards so that you can easily engage in conversation with Jesus throughout your day. Again, both the devotional book called *Encouragement for the Heart of a Disciple* and the prayer cards are an expression of our thanks when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.

Alright, it's time to open our Bibles now. In our series on the seven marks of a Disciple, we're talking about developing a content heart.

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Who is happier, a man with $11 million or a man with 11 children? The man with 11 children. Why? Because he doesn't want more. More. M O R E. Did you know More is more than a four-letter word? More is a thief that robs us of enjoyment of the present. More is a motivator of disharmony in relationships. More is a provocateur of feelings of inadequacy. More is a cruel taskmaster who will not allow us to rest. By the way, that disease of more is no respecter of persons. Anyone can catch the disease.

Remember John D. Rockefeller, the founder of the Standard Oil Company, multimillionaire, one of the richest men of his day? Somebody once asked Rockefeller, how much money do you need to be satisfied? His answer: just a little bit more. You know, sometimes we use different words to express that desire for more. I wish I lived in a larger home. I wish I drove a newer car. I wish I had a better job. I wish I had a different mate. But whether we're talking about larger, bigger, better, or different, the disease is still the same. It's a dissatisfaction with our present circumstances.

Now let me be clear. A dissatisfaction with your present circumstances isn't always bad. It was dissatisfaction with being limited to travel by land and sea that motivated Orville and Wilbur Wright to develop the airplane. It was a discontent with having to read by candlelight at night that motivated Thomas Edison to invent the light bulb. It was a dissatisfaction with the condition of the walls around Jerusalem that led Nehemiah into that building project. No, this problem with more is a problem only when it prevents us from enjoying our present and provokes us into worrying about our future. That's why God doesn't want us to suffer from that affliction known as more.

Did you know there is going to be a time when we don't suffer from the disease of more? One day, when we experience the fullness of the kingdom of God here on earth, guess what? You won't be worrying about the balance in your 401 retirement plan. You won't be envious of those who have bigger mansions. You will be completely satisfied with everything that God has given you. But here's the good news: you don't have to wait until you die to experience that satisfaction. Remember, we've said that the kingdom of God exists right now in the hearts of those who allow Christ to have the final say in their lives. And those who submit to the rule of Christ can have that satisfaction right now.

How is that possible? Well, the antidote to more is not less. No, the problem of more is solved by a simple word called contentment. And today we're going to discover that being content with what God has already provided you is one of the marks of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Let me talk to you about, first of all, what we mean when we talk about contentment. Contentment comes from a word that literally means containment—a person who doesn't look outwardly but looks inwardly for his satisfaction in life. And of course, that satisfaction for a Christian is that relationship with Jesus Christ.

We read Paul's words a few moments ago. He said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." People pull that verse out of context. "I can do all things. I can climb a mountain. I can achieve the highest degree. I can do all things." No, if you read the context, the "all things" is being content in your circumstances. That's what he just said before. He said, "I've learned how to be content, whether I'm suffering need or I'm living in prosperity, whether I'm being afflicted or not afflicted. Whatever the circumstance, I've learned the secret. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

You see, a content person is somebody who doesn't tie his happiness to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, or to the square footage of his house, or to the type of automobile he drives, or to his position on the company's organizational chart. He has learned how to be satisfied through his relationship with Christ. Now, is that really possible? Is it really possible to live with that satisfaction with what God has already done for you?

You know, there are two great illustrations in the Bible of contentment that teach us two different lessons about contentment. First of all, when you look at Jesus, his life reminds us that contentment really is possible in this life. Think for a moment about Jesus' external circumstances. First of all, he had no financial cushion on which to rest. In fact, he had no cushion literally on which to lay his head. In Matthew 8:20, Jesus said, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." Not only did he lack financial cushion, but the Bible says he was constantly dogged by his critics. If he lived today, he would probably be constantly blogged by his critics. He had people after him all the time, not only enemies but his family and friends.

And yet, in John 17:13, in the garden of Gethsemane, as he prayed and faced, within hours, his crucifixion, look at what he prayed to God, his Heavenly Father. He said, "But now I come to thee, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves." That's the prayer that Jesus was praying for you and for me and all of his followers. What he was saying was, "I want them, my followers, to have the same joy—not that I will have one day, but the joy I have right now." Joy in the midst of the garden, facing his crucifixion. Jesus teaches us that contentment is possible.

But secondly, in the life of the Apostle Paul, we learn that contentment has to be learned. Contentment has to be learned. Now remember when Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians, remember where he was. Remember his circumstances. He wasn't on the Riviera, sipping a piña colada. He was in prison, facing what could have been his death. He was waiting for the verdict to come down: guilty, not guilty; life, death. That was bad enough. But in addition to that, he had received words that the churches he had founded and poured his life into were now being invaded by false teachers. And if that were not enough, his critics were having a heyday with his imprisonment, saying things like, "Well, if Paul were really a man of God, he wouldn't be going through this."

And yet, in spite of all those circumstances, Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice." How could he say that? If you know anything about Paul, you know he was not a natural-born optimist. He was no Pollyanna. He said in verse 11, "For I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." Paul had to learn how to be content. You know, the fact is, contentment is not a part of our DNA. We don't naturally feel content. In fact, it's discontent that is a part of our DNA, and we got it all the way back. You can trace it to our original parents, Adam and Eve. Remember, they were in the garden. God had given them all of these trees to enjoy, but where was their attention drawn? Not to all that God had given them, but to the one thing he forbade them to indulge in. And they thought, "If only we could have this, then we can be truly satisfied and content."

You know, many times this lack of contentment and satisfaction drives us to overt sins, immoral relationships, addictions—things we know that are outside the will of God. But other times, discontent can just lead to an inner restlessness in our own hearts. I think about Rabbi Harold Kushner. He wrote one time about a rabbi who had stopped one of the members of his congregation and said, "You know, every time I see you, you're running. You're always in a hurry. What is it you're chasing after?" And the member said to the rabbi, "Well, I'm chasing after success. I'm chasing after happiness. I'm chasing after the rewards of my hard work."

And the rabbi said, "Well, that makes good sense if you assume those blessings are in front of you and they're trying to elude you, and unless you run hard enough, you'll never be able to catch them. But what if those blessings you're looking for, instead of being in front of you, are behind you? And the harder you run, the more difficult you find? If those blessings are to find you, what if you are escaping them by running so hard?"

You know, perhaps this is a good time to ask you the question: what is it that you are running for? What is it you're chasing after? A certain amount of money in your portfolio that says, "Once I have this much money, I'll be satisfied"? Is it a certain relationship? You think, "If I had this relationship with this person, I'd truly be happy"? Is it a certain educational degree? "When I get this degree, I can relax." Is it a certain position in your company? "When I achieve this level, I will really have everything I want."

There's nothing wrong with having goals in life. There's everything right with having goals in life, unless you're under the illusion that the achievement of those goals will give you the satisfaction that we all crave. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We read that and we think, "Oh, that's a really sweet thought."

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Jesus.

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One day when I die and go to heaven, I'll have all the time I need to rest. But I can't afford to rest right now. I've got to run. If you're tired of running, chasing after things that you think will make you happy, only to be disappointed, the secret is contentment. What is the heart of a contented heart? Well, it's the belief that God has already provided to me everything I need to be satisfied in life. That's what contentment is. It is the conviction that God has already provided to me everything that I need to be satisfied in life. And that conviction leads to three tangible benefits. I want you to jot these down: three practical benefits of developing a content heart.

First of all, contentment allows you to enjoy where we are rather than where we want to be. When we are content, we're able to enjoy where we are rather than where we want to be. You know, all of us suffer from what I call destination sickness. You know what destination sickness is? It's that idea that when we get to a certain place, then we can really be happy. Robert Hastings has pointed out the futility of that kind of belief in his great work called "The Station." Listen to this carefully. This is worth the price of the sermon this morning. He said, "Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows, we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside. But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. On a certain day, at a certain hour, we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags will be waving. Once we get there, so many wonderful dreams will come true, and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering, waiting, waiting, waiting for the station. When we reach the station, that will be it, we cry. When I turn 18, when I buy a new 450 Mercedes Benz, when I put the last kid through college, when I have paid off the mortgage, when I get a promotion, when I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily after that. Sooner or later we must realize there is not a station, no place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us."

You know Jesus, as he knelt in Gethsemane (John 17), could have said to God, "God, when I ascend back into heaven, when I'm in your presence, then I can experience true joy." But he didn't say that. Again, in John 17:13, he prayed that we might have his joy made full in ourselves. Jesus' joy wasn't postponed in the future; he experienced it even under the most adverse circumstances. The same with the apostle Paul. In Philippians 2:17, he said, "But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifices and service of your faith," that is, even if I'm about to spill out my blood on the ground for you, "I rejoice and I share my joy with you all." Contentment allows us to enjoy where we are rather than where we dream of being one day.

Secondly, contentment allows us to appreciate rather than resent other people. It allows us to appreciate rather than resent other people. James said that in James 4:1. He said, "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?" He said, "Look at the conflicts you're having with other people. What is the real source of those conflicts?" And then he answers his own question: "Is not the source your pleasures, that is, your desires that wage war in the members of your own body? You lust and you don't have, so you commit murder." Sometimes chasing for that thing we don't have leads to our actually taking somebody else's life or taking their possessions. Other times it's more subtle than that. He said, "You are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and you quarrel." Think for a moment about the person that you love to criticize. You're always talking about them behind their back. You have ill feelings about them. Isn't it true that many times at the root of your conflict with them is you're envious of something they have that you don't have? The Bible says we will never be able to appreciate other people until we have this feeling of contentment. Contentment allows you to appreciate rather than resent others.

Thirdly, a benefit of contentment is that it allows us to enhance rather than diminish God's reputation. When we're truly content, we are enhancing rather than diminishing God's reputation. Let me explain what I mean with that. Let's just imagine that a teacher overhears your child at school say to a friend, "Oh, my house is just terrible, my home situation. There are rats running around everywhere. And not only that, every night we go to bed hungry. And not only that, our parents are out partying all night. It's just a terrible home to live in." The teacher overhears your child saying that and immediately calls Child Protective Services to investigate the matter. One day you're at home and you hear a knock at the door. You open the door and there's the CPS person there explaining that there's been a complaint and what the complaint has been about your home. You usher that CPS agent in, and she looks around, and your house is immaculate. She checks the pantry, and it's full of food. Not only that, she reasons that you're a respectable parent. She says, "Well, let me tell you why I said this. Your child said this and this and this and this." What do you think your attitude is going to be towards your child? And what are you going to do to them after that agent leaves? Probably something that's worthy of CPS coming in and intervening. I mean, your child has trashed you for no reason at all. Your child has destroyed your reputation.

Now, what I'm saying to you is we do the same thing with God's reputation when we complain to other people about what we don't have and what God hasn't given to us. Listen to Jesus' words in Matthew 6:31-32. He said, "Don't be anxious, then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' For all of these things the Gentiles eagerly seek. But your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things." What Jesus is saying is, unbelievers have every right to worry about their food and their clothing and somebody taking care of them because they don't have a heavenly Father. But you do. He's going to take care of you. Don't be like they are. You see, you and I are a living advertisement for God the Father. Those of us who claim to have God as our Father, we're like a television commercial that people are watching. When people hear us say, "We are Christians," they say, "Okay, let's see how that's working out for you." And if we're always complaining to people about what we don't have, if we're chasing after the same things they're chasing after to find satisfaction in life, we are a poor advertisement for what it means to be a follower of God.

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As true followers of Jesus Christ, the world should readily see that our behavior, our lifestyle, and our decisions are radically different. We'll learn more about this topic on tomorrow's edition of Pathway to Victory.

If you received the letter we sent to your home this month, you'll notice we've developed a brand new companion book for this series. It's called *Encouragement for the Heart of a Disciple*. Please, while there's still time, get in touch and request a copy. This devotional will help you take your next steps in walking with Jesus. It'll show you how to shed the never-ending list of obligations you carry and how to concentrate solely on the disciplines that truly matter to God.

This padded hardcover book is intentionally written to inspire your daily walk, emphasizing the relief that comes when you allow God's Spirit to cultivate spiritual virtues in your life, such as contentment, forgiveness, and trust. A copy of this exclusive resource is yours when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.

When you respond today, we'll also include a collection of pocket-sized prayer cards so that you can easily engage in conversation with Jesus throughout your day. To be clear, both the devotional book *Encouragement for the Heart of a Disciple* and the prayer cards come with our profound thanks when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory.

Thanks so much for linking arms with us in this worthy effort to light the darkness by boldly sharing the truth of God's word. Here's David to tell you more.

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You're invited to request your copy of *Encouragement for the Heart of a Disciple* by Dr. Robert Jeffress when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. Just call 866-999-2965 or, even easier, go to ptv.org. When your ministry gift is $100 or more, we'll send you the Encouragement Resource Set, which contains the new devotional, six Clutter Free Prayer cards, the *Clutter Free Christianity* Book and Life Application Guide, and the *7 Marks of a Disciple* message series on DVD, video, and MP3 format audio disc set. Again, call 866-999-2965 or visit us online at ptv.org. If you'd prefer to send a check by mail, write to P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas 75222. Again, that's P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas.

I'm David J. Mullins. Join us again Thursday when Dr. Jeffress concludes his message on developing a content heart right here on Pathway to Victory. *Pathway to Victory* with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas.

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