PHILIPPIANS 1:19-30
The church in Philippians was started by Paul. He was given a dream in the night by God that told him to help the people in their region. Paul's new church plant loved him and helped him as he continued to spread God's word. Jailed for preaching the Gospel, He wrote a letter to the Philippian church to encourage them, challenge them, and urge them to lay down their lives for the cause of Christ.
Questions:
Paul wants his readers to work together fearlessly to spread the truth about Jesus. What reasons does he give in 1:27-30 for doing this?
Do you know (or know about) anyone who is suffering for Christ? If so, what are they going through? How do you react to the idea of suffering for Christ yourself?
What part of the mind-set of a kingdom citizen would you most like to grow in (for instance, unity, unselfishness, humility, getting over yourself not being afraid to be open about your faith…)?
Pray and ask God to help us grow in that area. Is there a practical step we can take to build that muscle and mind-set?
Connection (within a House Church):
In your group, discuss how you can courageously work together to show people who Jesus is? What opposition are others in your group facing, and how can you support each other in dealing with that? How can you love each other better?
Go Deeper:
Philippians 2:7 says Jesus “emptied himself” or “made himself nothing”. Explore what that means. Jesus remained fully God while He was on the earth (see Col 1:19, 2:9; Heb 1:3). So what did He give up in becoming fully human, too?
Memory Verse of the Week:
Did a particular verse make you think? Write it down and memorize it!
More Resources: https://thebibleproject.com/explore/philippians/