Today’s passage: Philippians 1:19-26
Helpful thoughts:
- In the ESV, the end of verse 18 is really the beginning of the first sentence in verse 19.
- Paul’s number one objective in his earthly body was to glorify Christ. To live is Christ.
- And, because every other Christian has been given the same objective, Paul loved the church by leading others to live for Christ as well.
- To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-10).
- To die is our gain. To live is Christ. In the end, both life and death are full of purpose and victory for all those who are in Christ!
Questions to consider:
- How is Paul practicing discipleship here? When he did go to be with the Lord, what do his words indicate the church would be prepared to do in his absence?
- Who shared the gospel with you? What is your spiritual heritage in this world? To whom are you ministering and discipling in the next generation?
- How could remembering the eternality of heaven, the reward of being with Christ, and the reward for our service here on earth encourage us to stay focused and active in kingdom work? In our weakness we do need to rest up, but what is our rest for? What should it be equipping us to accomplish?