Studies in Philipians

Date: November 5, 2005
Passage: Philippians 4:14-23
Message: Give ‘till it Helps
Series in Philippians [15]

Why is money such a touchy subject to talk about?
Jesus talked about our money and possessions all the time.
Can you think of examples from the gospels?

What does it mean to honour God with your life and possessions? What specific ways can you honour Him through your wealth and influence?

Read v14-17
What does God hold you accountable for in regard to your money and possessions?

How does your wealth affect you?
How does giving affect you?
How is generous giving a blessing to the giver?

Date: October 30, 2005
Passage: Philippians 4:10-13
Message: How Much is Enough?
Series in Philippians [14]

How much is enough?
Share some examples of where you have had to try and answer that question. [Refer Matthew 18:21-22,
Exodus 16:11-20]
Why do we have trouble working out when and where we have enough?
How much of this dilemma can we attribute to the materialistic, ‘must have’ world in which we live?
Or is it more personal than that?

1. Contentment is GRACIOUS Read v10
Paul was in prison and it seems that in recent times the care from the Christians in Philippi had dropped off.

Date: October 9, 2005
Passage: Philippians 4:2-9
Message: The Bottom Line
Series in Philippians [13]

Imagine being in the congregation when this letter was read for the first time.
Read v2-3 How do you think Euodia and Syntyche felt having their dirty laundry aired publicly?
How would you react to this? Why?

“One of the things I love about the Bible is that it never seeks to cover up what seems to contradict it!
We have the sins of all the saints in clear view.
We have the failures, doubts, impetuousness, fear, ignorance of the people of God on full display!”
Give examples.

Date: October 2, 2005
Passage: Philippians 3:15-4:1
Message: Finishing Well
Series in Philippians [12]

What sort of things would you like someone to include in a eulogy about you?

‘So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision--you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.’ [v15-16 The Message]

What ‘goal’ is Paul talking about?
How focused are you?
Share what you do to help you stay focused.

Date: September 4, 2005
Passage: Philippians 3: 4-11
Message: Trash and Treasure
Series in Philippians [10]

Many testimonies emphasise how bad we were before we became a Christian and how Christ changed us. Paul’s testimony was just the opposite. He tells us how good he was before he came to Christ. However he knew that even his best was worthless when it came to making him right with God.
Share something of your testimony? How similar or dis-similar is it to Paul?

“One of the hardest things in life is to be clear and focused about something. The second hardest thing is to stay clear and focused about it…… Within every one of us, there is a pull from CLARITY to FUZZINESS or CONFUSION.”