Today’s passage: Philippians 1:12-18
Helpful thoughts:
- Paul’s imprisonment did not weaken the boldness of other Christians, it strengthened them.
- In order to accuse Paul of being worthy of imprisonment or to try to discredit his ministry, people had to discuss what he had been teaching. So, whether they were defending him or prosecuting him (Even if their motivation was entirely selfish), they were declaring the Gospel message.
- Paul was imprisoned for being a Christian and he was rejoicing.
- His imprisonment gave him a whole new mission field in Rome that he may have had no opportunity to reach before (Including the whole Imperial Guard!).
Questions to consider:
- What must be true of our perspective concerning our identity, purpose, goals and future to make any kind of persecution not only livable, but a moment for action and rejoicing?
- What is truly happening when a person mocks or criticizes you for being a Christian? How is God glorified in that moment? How are you producing fruit in that moment? Is it truly and entirely a loss when other people don’t like our message of reconciliation? Why or why not?
- What is your mission field? You have one. Who will you see today, and this weekend, who needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ? How can your everyday actions lead to the ability to share the words of the gospel?