Connect How can you shine like a light in your community this week?

Warm-Up

1. Have you ever placed your confidence in the wrong thing? What happened?
2. What gives you confidence on your frontline, day-to-day?

Read Philippians 3:1-6

3. What instruction does Paul give to the Philippians to be their safeguard? 
4. What do you think it means to rejoice in the Lord? How do you rejoice in the Lord? 
5. How can joy in Christ be a safeguard against deception or false teaching? 
6. Who are the dogs, evildoers, and mutilators of the flesh? How are each three of these terms ironic? What is Paul warning them against? Why might a warning be necessary?
7. What credentials does Paul have to speak about having confidence in your own law-fulfilling actions? Which credentials are by right of birth? Which credentials are by achievement?
8. Do you think Christians can ever be tempted to have spiritual pride, either in achievement or spiritual heritage? When have you seen this? 
9. Does spiritual pride typically bring about more joy in Christ? Why or why not?

Read Philippians 3:7-14

10. What type of things do you think our culture highly prizes above all else?
11. How does Christ change how Paul evaluated the things he had spent his life on?
12. How has Christ changed how you evaluate the things you value or have achieved?
13. What does knowing Christ mean? 
14. How would you describe your relationship with Jesus? What does it look like?
15. Who does righteousness come from? Who is righteousness found in? How does this compare with Paul’s previous experience?
16. When did you put your faith in Jesus, or when did you realise you had put your faith in Jesus?
17. What difference in your life has faith in Jesus made?
18. Does ‘participation in his sufferings’ mean seeking out difficulty? What does it mean (cf. Phil 2:1-11)?
19. Why should we press on, even when Jesus has done it all? What is ‘the prize’? 
20. How can you nurture your relationship with Jesus? How might you encourage others in Christ too? 

Apply How can you nurture your relationship with Jesus? How might you encourage others in Christ too?

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On Your Front Line this Week

Pray for a situation where you will need courage this week, to follow Jesus.

For Families

• Download: some of the family resources to use at home: stbartskids.org

Listen, Watch, and Read

• Listen: “Incarnation” by Tim Keller:
  https://gospelinlife.com/sermon/incarnation/ 
• Listen: “Gospel Mindset” by Pete Wilkinson:
  https://stebbes.org/sermons/gospel-mindset/ 
• Listen: “Gospel Thinking” by William Taylor:
  https://www.st-helens.org.uk/resources/talk/56121/ 

Series Resources

• Book: “Reading Philippians: A Theological Introduction” by Nijah Kupta
  (Available in the Church Library)
• Commentary: “Philippians (New Combridge Bible Commentary Series)”: by Mike Bird and Nijay Gupta. (Available in the Church Library)
• Video: “Joy” by the Bible Project: https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/chara-joy/  
• Video: “Book of Philippians Overview” by The Bible Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE9qqW1-BkU  
• Audio: “The Joy of Jesus” from St Bart’s series on the Fruit of the Spirit: https://www.stbarts.com.au/sermons/the-fruit-of-the-spirit-the-joy-of-jesus  

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