Today's passage: Philippians 4:21-23

Helpful thoughts:

• Every saint is worth our time and consideration.  Not just “all the saints,” but “every saint.”
• God used the ministry of the Apostle Paul and other believers in the city of Rome to reach people even inside of Caesar's household.  The “household” would have included various people who served Caesar or his entourage in some way or another.
• In these greetings and wishes, we see a people who, by the grace of God, have a new citizenship and comradery with others who they previously would not have felt any loyalty to.
  • The very people of Caesar's household have greater things in common with a converted Jew than they do with any Roman politician.

Questions to consider:

1. How do we often find ourselves connected with others?  What characteristics appeal to us?  How do we make friends?
2. Who are our people?  How does Jesus Christ and the gospel totally change our perspective on how we view ourselves and other people?  How does it change the way we view friendship, citizenship, purpose in society, political and cultural differences, etc.?
3. Who could you reach out to today that perhaps you wouldn't normally think of on any other given day?  How could you bless another person with the love of Christ?

Today's passage: Philippians 4:14-20

Helpful thoughts:

• After teaching on contentment and strength in Christ regardless of his circumstances, Paul does need to thank the Philippian church for their gift.
• Their gift was not unnecessary.  He did need to eat.  But his desire was to allow the church's giving to be an offering, a sacrifice pleasing to the Lord and fruit of their growth in Christ.
  • Paul's encouragement to the church in verse 19 gives evidence that this gift was a sacrifice for the church.
• We see the same heart in giving expressed to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 9.

Questions to consider:

1. Though we do not see anything about percentages mentioned in these passage, what principles do we find?  What characteristics are being encouraged in the heart of Christian giving?
2. How does the gospel change our perspective on giving?  We do not give in order to earn righteousness or to buy a spot in heaven…  How does our giving reflect and show the fruit of what God has already done for us?
3. Are you experiencing the joy of giving?  How have you seen that it is better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)?

Today's passage: Philippians 4:10-13

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul is thanking the church for a gift they sent him to help meet his needs and further the ministry.
  • Paul's contentment allowed the church to give out of love and not under coercion.
• Contentment is found in Christ and Christ alone.  Anything this world could offer would never be enough, and anything this world could offer is truly God's to give or take away.  We are stewards of all that is His.
• Verse 13 is often used in a sporting context, or in some other way that speaks of success.  It is often used like a motivational rally cry.  In truth, taken in its context, this verse should encourage any athlete to be content whether they win the championship or lose every game all season.  They can do all things with contentment because Christ is their strength, not winning or losing.

Questions to consider:

1. How does the comment above concerning verse 13 help us to learn how to read our Bibles better?  Where do words and sentences get their meaning?  What part does context play?
2. How does Christ's promise at the end of the Great Commission ensure us that we are always winning in this life? (Matthew 28:19-20)  Win or lose, rich or poor, does Christ's love come and go?
3. How does the Gospel and the promise of Philippians 1:6 confirm this hope and contentment in this life?  Why/When are you on the victory side?

Today's passage: Philippians 4:8-9

Helpful thoughts:

• Our thinking shapes our affections and desires, which results in our action.  In today's two verses, we are encouraged to think and then to do.
• Websites and social media apps make money by occupying and engaging your mind.  Christ has bought you (All of you) with a precious price.
• Peace comes not from a resolution of hardships or physical discomfort, but after our right thinking brings about Christ-honoring actions.

Questions to consider:

1. What kinds of ways can you saturate your minds with things that pass the test of verse 8?  What others things can you do in addition to Bible reading and prayer (Alone and with others) to continue to dwell on that which is true, honorable, just, etc.?
2. How can you ensure you are using web-based or social media products as a tool for good instead of being used by them for their own interests?  How could your use of those products help others to grow in applying today's verses?
3. In verse 9, discipleship is being both taught and caught (What you have “seen in me”).  Who are you learning from by hearing and seeing?  Who are you teaching/discipling?

Today's passage: Philippians 4:4-7

Helpful thoughts:

• We can rejoice in the Lord always because the Lord and His promises remain the same always.
• The Greek word translated as “reasonableness” in the ESV means to be gracious, courteous.  The idea is that Christians are not to be insistent that everything be just right when dealing with other people.
  • Christ is coming, there are bigger issues at hand than what many Christians can be prone to squabble over.
• When we truly understand the sovereign power of God and set our hope on what is to come, we will readily go to Him in prayer and the things of this world “will grow strangely dim.” (Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus)

Questions to consider:

1. When a church is focused on the Great Commission and the glory of God, what kinds of things fall by the wayside?  What things can churches argue about that ought never distract them?
2. How does the command of verse 5 also correlate with what we read in verses 2-3?
3. How does the promise of a guard over our hearts and minds give comfort?  What do we often want to happen before our hearts and minds can settle down?  How can dependence on God be better than the resolutions we desire?

Today's passage: Philippians 4:1-3

Helpful thoughts:

• Euodia and Syntyche were two women in the church at Philippi.
• The word translated as “labored” in the ESV means, “to struggle alongside of” or “to contend”.
  • These women as struggled alongside each other for the cause of Christ.  But they could not do that if they continued to struggle against each other.
• Church unity matters.  Our task is so important.  The love of Christ compels us.  May we be a people who right our wrongs and seek reconciliation.

Questions to consider:

1. What positive words and terms of endearment are found (And how many can you find) in verses 1 and 3?  How do they make the reality of the division in verse 2 look so out of place?  Does it make any sense that brothers and sisters in Christ would be at odds with each other for very long?
2. Was the feud between Euodia and Syntyche only affecting them?  How does the selfishness of sin often result in us only thinking about how things prevent ourselves from getting what we want?  What had been Paul's command in chapter 2 (2:3)?
3. How does Romans 12:18 help us to move forward when we have tried to make things right with others but they choose not to reconcile?  Not everyone will respond in faith and love, but how can we move forward with a clear conscience and hope?

Today's passage: Philippians 3:17-4:1

Helpful thoughts:

• Discipleship is both taught and caught.  Christians, other believers are watching you, whether they are trying to or not, and everything we say and do teaches.
  • Verse 17 also gives us great encouragement to read good biographies of brothers and sisters in Christ who went before us!
• The enemies of Christ follow after their own selfish passions (“Their god is their belly” is the same thing as the modern encouragement to “follow your heart”).  Their end is destruction.
• We stand firm in the Lord by (Working backwards from 4:1):
  • Looking forward to the resurrection.
  • Eagerly awaiting the return of Christ.
  • Remembering where our citizenship lies.
    • In contrast to those who are enemies of Christ, we are to focus our attention on heavenly things.
      • We are to be so heavenly minded that we become of heavenly good in this world.

Questions to consider:

1. Who are you discipling right now?  Not, who are you purposefully spending time with for discipleship…but who are you discipling right now in the normal course of your every day life?  How can this thinking help us to grow and become more proactive in our thinking about how we can encourage others?
2. As our hearts become more conformed to the image of Christ, how can following your heart become a good thing?  We all follow our hearts (“We do what we do because we want what we want”).  What must therefore be the delight of our hearts?  How does that improve our understanding of the nature of repentance?
3. Can you be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly good?  How do heavenly minded Christians make this world a better place?  How does being heavenly minded change the order of our goals and priorities in this world?  How can being heavenly minded help us not get discouraged when the world's activities look hopeless?

Today's passage: Philippians 3:12-16

Helpful thoughts:

• We were saved by God's grace.  Christ grabbed a hold of us.  He will see us through to our final sanctification and eternal reward.
• None of us have arrived yet.  We were dead in our sins and trespasses and are on our way to glory. But for now, we are in the process of progressive sanctification.
  • This gives us reason for humility.
  • This gives us reason for hope.
  • This gives us reason for hospitality.
    • Christ is holding us firmly in His grip, may we strive forward to what's ahead.
• We are to long for God's heavenly call because our prize is there, Jesus Christ.

Questions to consider:

1. There's a lot of holding, or obtaining, or possessing going on in this passage.  What are all the forms (Synonyms) of possessing or holding that you can find?  What do they teach us?
2. What does verse 15 teach us about maturity?  What does a knowledge of the truth have to do with maturity?  What does a valuing and delighting in truth have to do with maturity (Responding in obedience)?  Who ultimately ensures the maturity of the Christian?
3. What kinds of things do you strain and press for?  Why is Jesus worth straining toward?  What does that straining and pressing look like on this side of Heaven?

Today's passage: Philippians 3:1-11

Helpful thoughts:

• The Children of God are a people saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  To regard my own actions or physical heritage as grounds for my worthiness of the inheritance is to strip away the gospel itself.
• We are to be on guard and watch out for those who preach anything different.
• Having Jesus is far better than having everything this world can offer.

Questions to consider:

1. What is true circumcision for the Christian (Romans 2:25-29)?  Instead of physical circumcision being a sign or seal of who we are, what has God given to us as a seal (Ephesians 1:13-14)?
2. Why do you think it becomes so easy to identify visible markers like clothing styles, hair styles, Bible types, musical styles, etc. as evidence of “godliness?”  What are we doing as a church if those visible items become the measure of whether a person is a Christian or not?  And, if we fall into that practice, why will people be motivated to wear the “right” clothes or fit in in any other way?
3. Why is Jesus better than this world?  How many reasons can you come up with?  How does thinking about the reasons (Meditating on God's Word!) help you to rightly evaluate how you live and what decisions you should make each day?

Today's passage: Philippians 2:19-30

Helpful thoughts:

• Verse 21 is a stark contrast from verse 3.  May God give us hearts that are increasingly sincerely concerned for the well-being of others.
• There are some windows into the heart of Paul in this passage.  He is a human being.
  • He saw Epaphroditus' physical recovery as the mercy of God to Epaphroditus and to him.  To live is Christ and to die is gain…and yet it still hurts to lose our loved ones (Verse 27).
  • Paul also admits to needing to be less anxious (Verse 28).
• Spiritual maturity (Exemplified in humility and love) and a willingness to sacrifice self for the cause of Christ are cause for respect in the household of God.

Questions to consider:

1. This passage is very down to earth and practical.  Which aspect of the passage stuck out the most to you?  Were Paul, Timothy, Epaphroditus or the Philippians believers a higher level of human existence than any of us?  How can the apparent humanity of this portion of the letter encourage you to grow in ministry?
2. How does Paul's acknowledgement that very few people were actually counting others as more significant than themselves and that he had struggled with anxiety, etc. remind us of the grounds of our salvation?  Why were these people saved?  Why was it right to call on them to grow even though Paul had room to grow himself?  Was he being a hypocrite or an honest example?
3. How should honoring or respecting a mature, self-sacrificing Christian look like in the church?  In lieu of the trophy presentations and fan-fare we might see in the world, how do the people of God show one another respect?