Messages

In/Joy Life

Philippians 4:4-8

Replacing Anxiety with Peace

Introduction

“What is the difference between happiness and joy? When is a time in your life that you experienced true joy?”

Discussing the Text

In verses 4-7, Paul gives the fix for the problem that existed between these two people in conflict in the church in Philippi.

1. How can rejoicing (in the Lord) help resolve a stressful situation? Can someone who is really full of joy continue to fight with people?
2. How can your gentleness be evident to all? Would you rather be treated justly or gently? How can your gentleness be used to dissolve disputes between people?
3. Paul tells the Philippian church to not be anxious about anything. What kind of negative results come from being anxious? How can eliminating anxiety or worry from our lives help us to get along with each other?
4. What should be the role of prayer in our lives? How does this help resolve conflict and strife between believers?
5. In verse 7, what result does Paul promise to the Philippian church? How is this something that you would like to see in your life?
6. What is the peace of God? How does it guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus? Does the peace of God help you to resolve conflicts with others in your life? Is having the peace of God important in your life?
7. Think about verse 8. How can thinking about these things help to prevent us from being involved in conflicts with others and divisions in the church?
8. Paul says to think about excellent or praiseworthy things. What does thinking about these things do in your life?
9. What are some things that are opposite of this list? What does thinking about these things cause us to do? Is this helpful in living the Christian life?
10. What do you find yourself thinking about most often? Why is it important for us to focus our minds on true and excellent things? (Phil 1:10; Col 3:1-3; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

In/Joy Life

Philippians 4:1-3

Reducing Conflict With Others – Philippians 4:1-3
Introduction

1. We all have conflict and strife in our lives, and we all struggle with knowing how to handle disputes that arise between people, as a result of the conflict.

a. How do you tend to deal with disputes that come between you and other people?
b. Have you ever allowed a dispute to ruin a relationship that you once valued? What was the hardest part about losing that relationship?
c. Have you ever salvaged a relationship that was affected by a dispute? What was the reward of choosing to salvage that relationship?
d. How much does the fact that you are a Christian give you extra incentive to work hard to resolve disputes and maintain relationships with people?

Discussion Questions

2. In verse 2, Paul pleads with Euodia and Syntyche to “agree with each other,” or “be of the same mind” in the Lord. Why is this an important command? Reconsider the other times Paul wrote this command in his letter to the Philippian church? (Phil 2:2 & 2:5)

a. What effect do you think their broken relationship was having on the rest of the church?
b. What does it mean to “agree in the Lord” or “be of the same mind in the Lord”? What would that look like in your life?
c. Does this mean that we can’t disagree? Is there room in the church for different opinions?
d. How should we respond to disagreements within our church or small group?

3. What was the role of the “loyal yokefellow,” Clement, and the rest of Paul’s fellow workers in this dispute between these women?

a. Have you ever been involved in helping others work through a disagreement? What was the most difficult part of being a “peacemaker”?
b. How important is it that we strive to be peacemakers in our homes, at work, and in our church?
c. Is this ability to help others work through a dispute something that everyone is called to do in their life? Is this something that can be learned, or is it a “spiritual gift”?

In/Joy Life

Philippians 3:1–21

Guarding your Joy – Philippians 3:1-21

In the first half of Philippians Paul emphasizes that faith in Christ is what gives him right standing (righteousness) with God, not any of his past accomplishments. Nothing in this life
compares to faith in Christ. Paul now turns his attention to living out the Christian faith with heaven, eternity with Christ, as our goal.
His writing is an invitation to all of us on how to live out our faith.
READ Philippians 3:13-14

1. Why does focusing on the past (achievements and failures) hinder us from running the race God desires for us? Discuss why it is so difficult to keep from focusing on your past.
2. What past experiences (achievements and failures) have hindered you in your walk with God? How have you overcome those experiences?
3. How does the hope of a heavenly prize keep you encouraged to “press on” in your spiritual race?

Read Philippians 3:17-19

4. How does surrounding ourselves with Christians who exemplify Christ-like behaviour help us in our own walk with the Lord? Share about a person who has been a positive influence
on your faith journey.
5. How does our culture influence people to “think only about life here on earth”? Discuss ways we can stop culture from distracting us from heavenly things.
6. Read Romans 8:5. How do our thoughts impact our actions?

Read Philippians 3:20-21

7. Discuss how being “citizens of heaven” makes us different from citizens of earth.
8. Read 2 Corinthians 5:20. What responsibilities do we have as “citizens of heaven” (ambassadors for Christ) living temporarily on the earth?

Life Application

What will you do to not let the past or the culture hinder you from continuing on with your faith journey in Christ. It’s important to live in the present with an eye toward your heavenly
prize.

In/Joy Life

Philippians 2:12-30

Staying Positive – Philippians 2:12-30

Opening Reflections

1. What do you think God promises when it comes to following Jesus?
2. What are the potential factors that could lead people to give up following Jesus in these present times?

Considering the Text

3. Why does Paul expect the Philippians to continue working out their salvation as they always have?
4. What does it mean to work out your salvation with fear and trembling (v 12)?
5. What does this work look like in v 13?
6. What does this work look like in vv 14-16?
7. Discuss what a “crooked and warped generation” might look like, and how are followers of Jesus meant to shine into it?
8. How does Paul explain his own relationship with the Philippians, and what response is he looking for from them (v 17)?
9. In vv 19-30, how does Paul describe his relationships with Timothy and Ephaphroditus?
10.In what ways are Timothy and Ephaphroditus examples of conduct worthy of the gospel (1:27)?
11.How should we honour servants like Ephaphroditus as Paul calls us to do in v 29?

Life Application

12.What sorts of things do you hear Christians grumbling and complaining about?
13.How do we personally avoid grumbling and complaining?
14. In what ways do you think this passage helps us to serve the church and shine a light into the world?

In/Joy Life

Philippians 2:1-11

A Joyful Mind Set – Philippians 2:1-11

Discussion Questions:
Philippians 2 begins with the word “if” but the idea conveyed is that the things he lists are a certainty for believers. Paul’s point in this paragraph is that the presence of the things listed in Phil 2:1 should change who we are and how we act.

1. Look at the items in Phil 2:1 and describe how you have experienced them and how they have changed you.
2. How would you rate yourself on the 4 qualities of Phil 2:2? How would you rate our church? (Be careful not to become critical but rather to honestly evaluate how we are doing and how we can grow.)
3. Phil 2:3 says that we should consider others better than ourselves. What about the things you’re good at? The fact is, each of us is better than other people at certain things. Is it prideful to acknowledge this fact? Why or why not? What does humility actually look like? What things would change if you consistently applied Phil. 2:3-5 in your family? At your workplace? What would WCBC look like if everyone here consistently applied these verses in our church?
4. Phil 2:5 is about attitude. At what times do you struggle to have a good attitude? What thoughts are going through your mind at that time? How does this passage provide help?
5. Phil 2:5-11 shows how Jesus is the perfect example of what Paul instructs in Phil 2:1-4. These verses also contain some deep theology about Christ. What do we learn about Jesus from these verses? What should our response be to these truths?

In/Joy Life

Philippians 1:12-30

A Joyful Mind Set – Philippians 1:12-30

Discussion Questions:

Opening Question:
When you think of Jesus, what comes to your mind first?

Overview:
Paul is clearly in prison while writing this epistle. But instead of focusing on his hardships and difficulties, he finds the strength to rejoice because the Gospel is still being declared. Imagine finding the courage to do the thing you fear the most simply because you believe that Christ will help you. That takes supernatural faith! Or does it? What makes Paul different from us? Does he know a different Christ than we do?

Text Questions:

1. Why does Paul think that it is beneficial for him to be suffering in prison?
2. What are the potential outcomes of Paul’s imprisonment? How serious is it?
3. Why would Paul’s “brothers in the Lord” have been encouraged by his imprisonment?
4. How might the Philippians felt reading this?
5. Why would Paul choose continued life here rather than dying and being with Christ?

Application Questions:

1. Name some of the important decisions we make in life.
2. If God used Paul’s suffering and imprisonment for good, how might he use your suffering for his glory?
3. How do you react in times of hardship, or when something isn’t going the way that you’d like?
4. Paul repeats a few ideas throughout this passage: advancing the Gospel, suffering for Christ, rejoicing in all situations. Which one of these impacts you the most today, and why?

In/Joy Life

Philippians 1:1-11

[The discussion guides through Philippians are more experiential than interpretive for this series. The text is highly relational, rather than didactic or theological, so our discussion/reflections should follow that relational tone.]
Discussion Questions:

1. What is your impression of the tone of Paul’s greetings and introduction? What kinds of feelings does Paul communicate? Do you usually associate this kind of emotional writing with the Apostle Paul? With Christians in general? Why or why not?
2. What kind of greeting is “grace and peace to you”? Have you ever had grace and peace extended to you, or how do you extend it to others? What does that look like?
3. In verse 7, Paul says, “all of you share in God’s grace with me.” What kind of relationship does Paul express through this statement? Have you “shared in God’s grace” with someone before? What is that like?
4. What holds us back from sharing this kind of affection for one another? How would we overcome these challenges?
5. Reread Paul’s prayer in verses 9-11. Reflect on it for a minute or two, and then write your own paraphrase of it with your own understanding and imagery. (If meeting as a group, would anyone like to share what they wrote?)
6. What kind of life does Paul want for the Christians at Philippi?
7. Do you ever lose hope of becoming the kind of person you long to be and that God wants you to be? What events or decisions have possibly led you to think this? How does this passage help or give you hope that this will change for you now?
8. Reread verse 6. What is Paul saying, and what does that mean for you? For us?

Close:
Pray individually or as a group according to the promise of verse 6.

Laodicea: For Arrogant People

Revelation 3:14–22

What have you learned so far in this study that has made the biggest impression on you? Have you seen changes or growth?

READ & PRAY
Open your Bible to Revelation 3:14–22. Pray that God will open your ears to hear what he says through these words.

DISCUSS

1. The Laodiceans had it good. They were the richest and most comfortable of all the churches in The Seven. Yet what does Jesus say about them in these verses?
2. These seven letters say a lot to Christians facing suffering. But affluent Christians face their own challenges. How can comfort and a sense of self-reliance threaten a vital faith?
3. How are you doing in this area? Have you ever felt as if a focus on self-reliance and your own achievement has kept you from realizing your need for God? Does a love of comfort ever interfere with your commitment to serve God?
4. If you have been revitalised from a period of being “lukewarm,” what happened? How was your heart turned toward him?
5. Jesus tells the Laodiceans to realise life’s true treasures. What are the “hidden treasures” that affluent people can sometimes undervalue?
6. Jesus also tells them to receive his correction. It’s easy in our pride to think every word of correction in the Bible applies to someone else, and not us. Why is this so? How can we overcome this tendency?
7. Jesus ends with an almost heart-breaking picture of himself, the Lord of the Universe, patiently standing at the door of our hearts, knocking, waiting for us to open up. What does this tell you about Jesus?
8. It’s interesting that this invitation to open the door to Jesus is written not to unbelievers, but to Christians. How is it possible to be saved, to be a believer, and yet not have fellowship daily with Jesus? Have you ever been there? What helped you?
9. What main images or ideas from this study have impacted your life? What do you hope to make a part of your daily life with Christ?

Philadelphia: For Worried People

Revelation 3:7-13

Letter Six: PHILADELPHIA
Revelation 3:7-13

Philadelphia is the newest of the seven cities. It was located on a major trade route to Sardis and it had flourished. It was located in a fine agriculture area, especially for grapes. The god Bacchus, or Dionysus, was one of its chief deities. It was also an active earthquake area and was destroyed in the huge quake of AD 17, which also destroyed ten other major cities of the area. However, the after-shocks continued in this area and the population moved to the surrounding countryside. It was also a centre for the Emperor’s cult (as were Smyrna and Pergamum) which was possibly the source of much of the Churches’ persecution in the provinces. It was a major centre of Hellenistic culture and aggressively exported its influence. It seems to have been founded for this very purpose on the border of Mysia, Lydia and Phrygia.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. 1. Jesus says that the Church in Philadelphia has only a little power. What is an area of our life in which we don’t have full control of the outcome of things? How do you trust God in those areas of life? What have you learned along the way?
   2. Have you ever been discouraged when one thing after another seems to go wrong in life? What helped you?
   3. Jesus tells these discouraged people, hammered by earthquakes, bad government, persecution, and more, some very encouraging things:
      • a. First, he tells them that he is the “true” one, meaning he will stay true and faithful. He will not betray them. How would this encourage you if you were in their situation?
        b. Next he tells them he “knows your works.” How is it encouraging to a suffering, persecuted minority to hear that God knows what good they are doing?
        c. He promises them that they will be “pillars.” How was this an image of comfort particularly to these people?
        d. Then he says he will write on them three things: The name of God, the name of the city of God, and Jesus’ own heavenly name. It’s a poetic way of reminding them what to “tattoo” on their hearts. The worship of the true God, the hope of the eternal city, and the love of Jesus for us is where we find our strength. How is this a comfort to suffering people?
   4. When you face trials, are you more likely to pray to ask God to remove those trials from your life, or to give you the strength in the midst of those trials? Can you ask for both of these at the same time? Read Matthew 26:39 to see an example from Jesus.
   5. If you have undergone times of suffering, what particularly was it about your faith that was important for your endurance? Does it relate to any of the things Jesus tells the Philadelphians here?
   6. What can Christ’s words tell us about how to pray for and comfort those going through times of trouble?
   7. How does it encourage you to know that this tiny band of suffering Christians became a consistent witness of Christ, sending missionaries to the world for centuries after this was written?

WRAP UP
Take time now to pray for Christians suffering persecution around the globe, and for those we know are suffering locally as well.

Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, Luke 8:22-25

Jesus Calms the Storm

1. How do you tend to respond to storms in your life—with panic or peace? Or both?
2. Can you think of any times in your life when doing the right thing (obeying God)…
   …led you into a storm?
   …led you out of a storm?
3. We hear this phrase quoted by many in our culture today in a variety of difficult or confusing situations: “Everything happens for a reason.” How accurate do you think this statement is?
4. What was the worst “life storm” you have ever experienced? How did God see you through that event? How does that encourage you now?
5. Take some time to silently pray and meditate on God’s power to calm the storms in your life and who Jesus is in your life.