Philippians 3:12-4:1

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Philippians 3:7–11

⁷ But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. ^[1]

So Paul expresses that he has 5 goals:

Goal #1:

To know Christ

~to know him personally

Goal #2:

To know the power of the resurrection

~the power of the resurrected Christ that can be found in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit once we become believers. Paul wants a resurrected life.

Goal #3:

Share in His suffering

In order to share in Christ’s life and in His power we must share in His sufferings.

Goal #4:

Become like Him

Not only does Paul want to become like Him (die to sin) but he wants to daily be willing to die for Him.

Goal #5:

Attain resurrection

Dr. Tom Hale has this to say about this subject in his excellent commentary.

“If we have died with Christ (to sin) we will also rise with Him to live a new life. Just as Christ had to die to be resurrected we must die to sin in order to rise to new life in Him. In order to live a new life, our old sinful self must first be put to death, it must be put off (Ephesians 4:22-24). Then in place of the old self, we need a new mind and heart, a new spiritual self. To be united with Christ in His death means to die with Christ. To die is surely a painful and difficult experience. To give up one’s old life is not easy. Yet Paul makes this promise: If we die with Christ, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. Many people acknowledge that Jesus is a great teacher, and the want to live a new life with Him. But they have no interest whatever in dying with Him! We say easily, “I’m a Christian”; but we need to ask ourselves: “Have I died with Christ?” Because if we have not died with Him-that is, if our old sinful self has not been put to death-we cannot receive new life in Him. And if we have not received new life in Him, how can we then say we are Christians?”

How then to die to self and pursue the holiness of Christ?

Paul likens the Christian life to a race. In my Bible the next section verses 12 and following is subtitled, “Pressing on toward the Goal.”

If our goals are to know Christ, know His power, share in His suffering, become like Him and attain resurrection, we need to go into training. Not that attaining resurrection can be earned or worked for. It is the consequence of a life surrendered to Jesus and lived for Him

So how does one train for a race?

Read 12-14.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Warren Wiersbe has given 5 “d”s to emphasize this section of scripture. The first “D” is:

1.   Dissatisfaction:

Paul recognizes that he isn’t there yet. He isn’t satisfied spiritually, he isn’t complacent, not resting on past accomplishments or conversions or persecutions or imprisonments. He doesn’t compare himself with others, he compares himself with Christ and because of that he knows that he has further to go.

The mature Christian knows that the Holy Spirit is faithful to point out areas where growth is needed. But in order for that to happen you must stay in the Word.

The second “D” necessary for training is devotion.

2.   Devotion:

“This one thing I do”

He recognizes the need to focus in on what is important in his own particular race….this one thing I do. Paul has learned the importance of specializing. He is very intentional about where and how he spends his time and effort.

In an athlete’s life they specialize. They aren’t concerned with being well rounded.

Tiger Woods is concerned with his golf game, not how good he is from the foul line in basketball.

A cellist is focused on her instrument, not whether or not she can play a violin concerto,

A teacher of history becomes proficient in history and forgets what math she may have learned.

The believer must focus on running the Christian race. Like Nehemiah when they were rebuilding the wall said, I am rebuilding the wall, I cannot come down.

And James 1:8 says that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Hebrews 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

In these passages we hear words like throw off and run with perseverance, we hear Paul say straining toward what is ahead. He presses on…

Dr. Hale has this to say,

“Paul is not a passive Christian; he is actively-strenuously-pursuing the goal of becoming like Christ. Many Christians are confused about this point. They say: “Everything is by God’s grace. Not only is our justification by God’s grace, but also our sanctification. Just as fruit ripens on a tree, so will we become like Christ. We don’t need to strive and struggle.” In saying this, Christians are in part correct. It is indeed correct to say that all is by grace, and that we do not need to strive and struggle on our own strength. However, there is another side to the truth-a side which Paul presents in these verses. Men are not quite like fruit on a tree. Fruits submit naturally to the ripening process; men do not. Men must actively submit to God and obey Him; they must actively throw off everything that hinders…and run with perseverance the race marked for them. The Christian life is a race and we must run it. No one ever won a race by sitting on the sideline.”

The third necessity of training is:

3.   Direction:

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”

The unsaved person could be controlled by the past, but the Christian running the race looks toward the future. How many a race has been lost when the athlete/runner looks back to see how he/she is doing.

This is one of the reasons blinders are put on racehorses; so that they maintain their direction.

The word, “forget” here does not mean, fail to remember. To forget in the Bible means “no longer influenced by or affected by.”

When God promises,

“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 10:17),

 He is not suggesting that He will conveniently have a bad memory; He is saying that I will no longer hold their sins against them. Their sins can no longer affect their standing with me or influence my attitude toward them.

So forgetting what is behind means that we break the power of the past by living for the future.

We cannot change the past, but we can change the meaning of the past.

You know there were things in Paul’s past that could have disabled him but he didn’t allow that to happen.

Too many Christians are shackled with regrets of the past. They are trying to run the race by looking backward! No wonder they stumble and fall. Some Christian runners are even distracted by past successes and live on the laurels of the past. The danger is that they stop running the race in the present.

It is possible to have dissatisfaction, devotion and direction and still lose the race and the reward. The fourth is essential.

4.   Determination:

“straining toward what is ahead” I press on”

                                                           I

I press on, the same verb is translated “I follow after”

It gives the idea of intense endeavor.

No one wins a race by reading about running or watching training videos. No one wins a race by reading books of others that have run successful races and gone onto victory. The only way you win a race is by training with determination and focus and then:

Get into the race.

5.   Discipline:

Every athlete knows that you need to go into strict training before competition. There are rules that must be followed. We have all heard of athletes that win competitions but then are disqualified for the prize because some rules of the game have been broken.

We also have game rules to follow. We also could be disqualified for the prize. Not to lose our salvation, but to lose the prizes that will be awarded in heaven for the life lived in this body.

I just want to make a few comments about the remainder of this chapter:

¹⁷ Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. ¹⁸ For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

4 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! ^[2]

                          

We are to remember that we are examples to those around us. Just as Paul was an example to the Philippians, so we are examples to a watching world. (Saved and Unsaved)

Paul is so connected to Christ that he is broken hearted for the lost; “the enemies of the cross of Christ.”

He goes on to describe what that looks like:

Destiny is destruction~

        ~not just eternal destruction but earthly destruction as well.

God is their stomach

        ~they are concerned with pleasing their senses, not just with food but with anything else that pleases them: sensual pleasures, they serve their own desires and appetites.

“If it feels good do it.”

Glory is in their shame

Bragging about their sinful exploits

“I got so wasted last night”

Bragging about sexual exploits

Their mind is on earthly things

If they have no hope for heaven then they are trying to make this heaven on earth and that is what they are pursuing.

Summary:

What are you pursuing?

          ~is your mind set on things of God or things of this world?

Have you entered the race or are you sitting on the sidelines?

          ~reading books about the Christian life or focused on knowing God?

Have you gone into training or waiting until you have more time?

(Today is the day of salvation)

Are you willing to surrender it all?

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot

Have you died with Christ so that you can live fully with Him?

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Questions Week 8 Philippians 3:12-4:1

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Week 8

1. What have been your 2 or 3 primary goals and what have you done to achieve them?

2. Paul compares his quest for heaven to a race. What are the similarities?

3. How can looking back distract us from running the Christian race?

4. What is behind you that you need to forget in order to strain toward the things ahead?

5. What are you presently doing that could be described as “straining toward heaven”?

6. Why is Paul so confident about his views?

7. In verse 17 Paul is like a coach calling his team to follow his example. Summarize the tips the coach has given us in this passage.

8. Read Matthew 13:44-46. Why are the people in these parables so willing to sell all that they have?

9. What might you have to sell in order to gain the pearl?

10.In what specific ways can you begin to follow Paul’s example more fully?

Prayer Requests:

Philippians 3:1-11

On what basis do people believe they will go to heaven?

~church attendance

~baptism

~ministry/service

~history

~Bible knowledge

~good works

Read verses 1-6:

“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh-though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.”

Paul has so much concern for the church at Philippi that he wants to make sure that they are on their guard against false teaching.

One of the problems facing the church of that day were Jews that had accepted Jesus teaching but that felt that they were somehow more complete because they had been circumcised as God had commanded according to the Abrahamic covenant. So they were encouraging other gentile believers to be circumcised as well.

Paul uses an interesting turn of phrase here. He refers to false teachers as dogs and that is what Jews would commonly refer to Gentiles as, gentile dogs, but here he turns the table and calls false teachers dogs to make a point. He also calls them mutilators of the flesh. A colorful phrase to describe circumcision.

Paul attacks this thinking head-on.

He describes 4 attributes that should be exhibited by all believers.

1. “We who are the circumcision”

What does he mean by this?

The Jewish nation began with Abraham when God chose Abraham to start a dynasty of a chosen nation. When God entered into covenant with Abraham the proof of the relationship was that on the eighth day after birth a Jewish male was to be circumcised. The significance of this was that this life was being set apart for God. When Jesus came He said He didn’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. Therefore circumcision was no longer necessary. Jesus began a new covenant with believers. He says that during the last supper. That he has established a new covenant.

So what circumcision is Paul referring to if not to the Old Testament circumcision?

Let’s take a look at Romans 2:25-29

^“25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. ²⁶ So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? ²⁷ The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the^[a] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

 ²⁸ A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. ²⁹ No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.”

What Paul is trying to get them to see is that the act of circumcision alone had little to do with true relationship with God, it was an outward sign of relationship but unless they were evidencing their heart relationship with God with their actions, their circumcision was of no real value.

Man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart. Just as a circumcised Jew is only a real Jew if he is one from the heart so is a Christian a real Christian if he is one from the heart.

What is a circumcised heart?

A circumcision of the heart is done through the power of the Holy Spirit and it is a cutting away of the sin and evil in our hearts.

So the first attribute that should be present in all believers is:

1. A circumcised heart.

A heart that has accepted the gift of salvation and a heart that is fully yielded to God, His will and His way.

The second attribute of a believer is those who:

2. Worship by the Spirit.

1Peter 2:9 says it this way:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

3. Glory in Christ Jesus.

4.  Put no confidence in the flesh.

Hebrews 4:15 says: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name.”

Do you know how rare it is for someone to give credit to someone else when they are praised? Our sin nature would like to take all that praise and glory for ourselves. But our circumcised heart recognizes that all that needs to go to God. For it is God who wills in us to work for His good pleasure.

I think this whole section can be summarized by Galatians 6:12-15:

“Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.”

What counts is a new creation.

Those are weighty words.

A Circumcised heart, worship by the Spirit, glory in Christ Jesus and no confidence in the flesh. No confidence in our own righteousness. No confidence in our works, our church attendance, our heritage, our history, our baptism, our walking forward during an altar call.

Paul goes on to talk about if anyone could have confidence in the flesh it would be him. He had it all, Jewishly speaking. But he recognizes that it was of no value.

He willingly gave up his position for Christ. He goes on to say that he gives up everything for Christ.

Let’s read together.

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”

“Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law…”

What is the difference of a righteousness that comes from the law and a righteousness that comes from God?

Law: depends on me

        I get the glory

        Insecure reward

God: depends on Him

        He gets the glory

        Secure reward

There is nothing on this earth more valuable than knowing Jesus Christ personally. Nothing else can give a person salvation and eternal life. Only by knowing and accepting Christ as our personal Savior can we obtain salvation.

I heard an illustration that may help you picture this.

Imagine a boat. The boat is loaded with valuable goods. The boat is crossing the sea when a great storm comes up. The boat begins to sink. What must the sailors in the boat do to be saved? They must throw all those valuable goods overboard. Yes, the goods are valuable; but because of the weight of the goods, the boat is sinking and the men are about to drown. In the same way, Paul has had to “throw overboard” all his old religious goods so that He might gain Christ.

What are you hanging onto?

What are you afraid to throw out of the boat?

Paul is so single-minded in his desire that he says in verses 10,11:

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead.”

Paul’s desire is to so know Jesus that he is willing to even share in His suffering. He is not only willing to outwardly suffer trouble and persecution but also willing to die to self, die to the sin nature. That is what he means about attaining the resurrection of the dead.

How does one become this single-minded?

Application:

See if you can identify things/people/circumstances/dreams/desires that you are hanging onto that may be interfering with single-minded pursuit of Jesus.

What are some ways that you can be more intentional in your relationship with Him?

Challenge Questions:
What steals your joy? As you find yourself "losing it" try to determine what is stealing your joy and start a Joy Stealers List.
What are you hanging onto that is interfering with your relationship with Christ?
How can you become more intentional in your relationship with Him?

Let it snow, but maybe not on Tuesdays!

Hi Ladies,
Another snowy Tuesday! We did have Bible Study today for the brave (or crazy) women who made it. There were about 20 of us there, a small more intimate time. It was actually quite peaceful once we got started and then we broke into 2 discussion groups. Please take some time to look at my notes, particularly at the end because I have some challenge questions for you to consider. Lord willing (and I mean that) we will be together again to study the Word next time. Please pray for Kristen Allen as she prepares the teaching for us. I will be there but am excited to hear what God puts on paper for Kristen to share!
Cindy

Philippians 3:1-11 Week 7 Questions

Philippians 3:1-11

Week 7 Questions

Read Philippians 3:1-11

1.   What factors under your control prevent your days from being joyful?

2.   What has Paul found that brings joy and what has he found that destroys joy?

3.   What would the old Paul have been like as a friend? (vv. 4-6)

4.   In verse 6 Paul speaks of legalistic “righteousness.” What legalisms are today’s Christians pressured to keep?

5.   What is the danger of legalism as far as knowing Christ and having joy?

6.   What are Paul’s goals in life?

7.   How are suffering and death involved in helping us know Christ? (v. 10).

8.   How has following Christ been costly for you?

9.   Philippians 3:7-11 seems to characterize Paul’s life and could be seen as his life purpose. If you were to sum up your life purpose, what would you say?

10.                 If you haven’t already done so, prayerfully consider adopting a life verse. Commit it to memory. Share with your small group.

Prayer Requests:

Philippians 2:12-30

Philippians 2:12-30

Review: Because verse 12 starts with the word therefore it is a reminder that we need to back up and see what Paul had been saying in the previous verses. When you see the word therefore you need to see what it is “there for?”

As you will remember he had been talking about the humility exhibited byChrist;

          ~Humility that allowed him to come to earth as a baby and grow to be a servant of so many;

~A servant willing to die a painful, humiliating death. 

Paul was asking that we would do nothing out of “selfish ambition” or “vain conceit, but “consider others as better than ourselves.”

And because of the example that Christ set we are therefore (onto verse 12) to obey and continue to work out our salvation with “fear and trembling;” For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

What does Paul mean when he says we are to work out our salvation?

Is salvation something that can be earned?

Ephesians 2:8, 9 says that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Once we have accepted the free gift of salvation, our work is just beginning.

We aren’t working for our salvation but we should then put our attention and effort towards doing the good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do.

Why with fear and trembling?

….fear and trembling?

Being human we can sometimes go to extremes, either we become legalistic and have so much fear that everything gets scrutinized and we are so much about performance we forget our love relationship with God

 or we go the other extreme and focus so much on our love relationship with God and our justification by faith that we take advantage of God’s forgiveness and mercy and allow ourselves too much freedom to sin.

I call this “easy grace.”

I see too much of this operating in this world of tolerance in which we live.

Sometimes I fear I am too quick to offer easy grace.

Not long ago someone came to me to confess a sin in her life. I was grateful that she did so but struggled with my response. I found that out of compassion to her I wanted to offer mercy and forgiveness.

But I was at war in my spirit. God is a merciful, loving and forgiving God. That is true.

But He is also a right living God who expects His children to obey His principals. He has given us guidelines that work.

Everyone just wants to forgive and forget and live and let live.

God has a right to expect us to take sin seriously.

~In our lives and in the lives of others; we fear this because we don’t want to be labeled judgmental and have been conditioned to believe that judgment is wrong. We have all heard; judge not, lest you be judged.

And yet in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul has this to say;

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. Down to verse 9: I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people~not at all meaning people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and the swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked man form among you.”

We are not to make judgments in regards to unbelievers.

They do not know Christ and therefore cannot be held to the same standards. We are called to judge believers within the church but this is regarding their actions, not their hearts. We cannot judge another’s heart or motives because we don’t have access to that. Only God can judge the heart. But this judgment is for repetitive sin.

This doesn’t really relate to the person that came and confessed to me because it was obvious she recognized her sin and was repenting of it. The reason I brought that up was because it raised a question within myself about where and how to land on the continuum of mercy/forgiveness vs. right living judgment.

We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling not because we have to worry that we will lose our salvation. We need to have fear and trembling because we need to remember that we have a responsibility to obey Christ and do God’s will.

Our lives should be becoming more holy.

Jesus says in Matt 5:48: “Be perfect, therefore as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Just as a child fears displeasing his father we need to fear displeasing God. One day we are going to be judged for everything we have done in this life. That should be a sobering thought.

The encouraging part of this thought is found in verse 13: “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”

Not only does God give us the work to do, He gives us the desire to do the work and the ability to accomplish it.

But what you need to know is this: you have free will. You have a choice, you can refuse to obey God’s will, you can continue in sin without repenting. But if you choose to accept his grace and obey Him, then He has promised to help you.

Admonition:

Do everything with complaining (grumbling) or arguing

Why? So that you may become blameless and pure and shine like the stars in the universe.

Our witness will not be tarnished. We can share the gospel, the good news of Jesus with no fear that our talk won’t match our walk.

This is not just “behavior modification.” This is from the heart. This is taking control of your thought life so that your thoughts are pure form grumbling so that the complaining never hits your mouth.

What are some common complaints?

Weather, work load, children, husband, health, fatigue, business, stress

Where does complaining come from?

Lack of gratitude, inability to see God’s hand in circumstances

What is the antidote for complaining?

Gratitude:

1 Thessalonians 5:16: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:8: “finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”

Vs. 17: We are to be glad and rejoice if we are poured out like a drink offering.

Paul is referring to the drink offering based in the Old Testament. It was an offering of wine that was prophetic as a symbol of Christ’s blood. Jesus gave his life as an offering so that we might live and we are to be willing to spend our lives as an offering to Him. Without complaint.

At this point in the letter Paul talks about the 2 men that are meeting his needs. They are Timothy and Epaphroditus. We learn here that the Philippian church sent Epaphroditus to Paul to take care of his needs but while there Epaphroditus became ill and almost died. Paul’s praise of Timothy comes through loud and clear. He says in verse 20:

“I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare; For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.”

Everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

What causes us to be self focused?

How can we become more kingdom/others focused?

In the concluding portion of this chapter we see Paul encouraging the Philippians to welcome Epaphroditus home with great joy and to honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. We also should be encouraged to care for those that are risking all for the gospel. Paul makes it a point to give honor to those who serve Jesus.

Questions:

Are you soft on sin?

Is your life reflecting holiness?

Are you looking for the work God has for you?

Do you grumble and complain?

Do you have a thankful spirit?

Does your life reflect Christ enough so that you have the reputation to share Him with others?

Application:

Commit to obedience.

Concentrate on the work He has for you.

Conscientiously follow His will.

Create a thanksgiving journal.

Commend those who serve.

Next Bible Study Jan. 4th

Happy New Year!
It feels like a long time since we have been together! If you are confused as what we will be studying on Tuesday, join the club! The last time I taught was November 16th, can you believe that? We met again on Dec. 7th and had the pleasure of hearing Ann Hillyer speak. So.....this Tuesday we will be discussing Philippians 2:12-30. The questions are on the blog and they are titled Week 6. So feel free to review your notes and re-read the chapter. I know I have been. I am looking forward to seeing all of you and getting back into this book.
Cindy