The second was vitriolic, representative of that which is from below: earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. I told him that I could not approve his comment for though there might be merit in what he said (it was about a past post) his language and tone were a red flag to me. Do I “censor” some who want to come on and participate in this blog? Sometimes (though it is rare) I do. With sadness — for I welcome disagreement, but I don’t want to let the enemy in, and if the language and tone miserably comes below the mark of what James 3:17 says typifies the wisdom from above, then I shut the door.

 How do we discern wisdom from above from the wisdom from below?

The wisdom from above is first, pure, then peaceable, gentle, (so dove like) and open to reason…and leads to good fruit.

The wisdom from below is earthy, unspiritual, demonic. It is vitriolic, like the deadly saliva from a snake bite.

My friends at Midday Connection often have people disagreeing with them, and they experience both kinds of tones, though far too often, those who claim the name of Christ are vitriolic. Recently Melinda hosted a program in which she was endeavoring to address how to love family members who have come out embracing a homosexual lifestyle. As a church, I believe we have failed here. And in today’s culture, we desperately need wisdom on how to love well those caught in this sin. And though she received encouraging mail, there was so much that was, indeed, filled with acid comments. I was with her shortly afterwards and so felt her pain. She’s a tender wise woman endeavoring to have dialogues about hard situations, and she should be cheered instead of crushed. She also has asked the legitimate question: “How does this kind of vitriolic expression (on blogs or anywhere) from someone who claims the name of Christ represent Christ to an unbelieving world?” Melinda was knocked down, but not out, for tomorrow (Monday) she will try again on her new podcast, “Bring to Mind,” which is an attempt to dialogue about these hard issues. You can listen tomorrow, or after the broadcast, here: http://www.moodyradio.org/bringtomind/

When Paul exhorted Euodia and Syntyche in the Philippian church to agree, I wonder if he was as concerned with the tone and the lack of love as much as anything. (I don’t know — and that’s a future week — but I wonder.)

How we need to purify our hearts before we speak or write — with believers and unbelievers alike. I’m going to show you Laura’s letter this week, and because her tone is beautiful, and exemplifies James 3:17, I want to discuss her content.

So often another believer whom I respect has helped me to see a blind spot in my character, my thinking, or my expressing of thoughts. We need one another in the body of Christ to help us see and be what we cannot see alone.  There are some passages in Scripture that are challenging, and Philippians 2:12-13 and 3:11 are two examples. One of the great advantages (and challenges) to going through a book of the Bible is that you cannot leap over the challenging verses — your must struggle through to try to understand what God is really saying.  I’m eager to have us read thoughts together and discuss it. There are some truths in Scripture which seems to contradict one another, such as free will and predestination, yet they are both there. I think Philippians 3:11 is like that, only with the two seemingly contradicting truths of eternal security and perseverance of the saints.(Eternal security is “once saved always saved” and perseverance of the saints is “if you are truly saved, then you will persevere, for God is at work in you.) They aren’t really in conflict, but they can seem to be, as this discussion reveals.

My pastor and his family from Nebraska are with me for a week at the cottage and so I asked, “How do you clearly express eternal security along with perseverance of the saints?”

This pastor said, “I muddle through.” :-)   That was a comfort, for I know I am muddling through. But you help me, together, we help each other express these hard truths which sometimes seem to contradict, but there are only apparent and not real contradictions in Scripture. It is just that we are like six-year-olds when it comes to understanding The Holy One.

There are not “many interpretations” that are right about a verse — there is only one, and that is the meaning that God intends, so when it is challenging, together we must try to see it. Laura’s letter did show me I had been unclear, and I will, when I share my thoughts again this week, endeavor to be clearer.  I will also share with you a few other thoughts from sources I respect, and together, may we have a healthy discussion.

Before we begin, please contemplate this from one who surely lived what he wrote, who humbles us all with how he lived and how he died:

May God be with us all — He cares about this more than we could even imagine.

Sunday/Monday Icebreakers

1. What stands out to you from the above and why?

2. Can you think of a time when you were able to hear criticism from another believer? If so, share something about the way she or he approached you.

Monday through Thursday: ENDEAVORING TO UNDERSTAND PHILIPPIANS 3:10-11

Getting the context:

4. What point is Paul making in Philippians 3:4-8? Why does he count these credentials “as rubbish, or dung?”

5. Following Philippians 3:11 is 3:12. My favorite translation is “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” What do you think this means? I think this is a verse that shows both eternal security and persistence of the saints, so slow down, pray, and then share your thoughts.

Now I’d like you to read Laura’s good letter:

Dee,

I absolutely loved your book Idol Lies.  I also visit your weekly blog often.  I am writing because of your latest blog, “To Be Found In Him On Judgment Day.”  I think healthy disagreement among members of the body of Christ is good, and I write these words with great respect for you and your ministry.

I found that the main thesis of your book was that we can turn from our idols (which lie to us and can never fulfill us) and turn to Jesus (who loves us and will always fulfill us).  I really enjoyed reading about the different metaphors in Scripture that speak to the love our Savior has for us.  It is this unconditional love that allows us to turn from our idol lies to Him.  Now, when I read your last post, I was confused because you seem to suggest that we can lose our salvation if we fail to destroy every idol in our lives.  I know the Scripture you mention in your book that suggests that idolaters have no part in the kingdom.  However, to me, this blog contradicts your entire book, whose message is to show us that God’s love is greater than our idols.  In essence, this blog is motivating us to turn from our idols or else we might not have a place in God’s kingdom.  This is fear, then, not love, that motivates me.  And in my limited experience, fear will never get me to do anything effectively.  How can I turn from my idols to Jesus’ open arms if in the back of my head I am wondering if He will say the words “I never knew you” on Judgment Day?

Then I think of Paul.  If as you suggest, he really is questioning his salvation, I am sure that there are a lot of women out there like me saying to themselves, “Well then I don’t even have a chance!”  The problem with this is that we are returning to works righteousness, just a different form of it.  Instead of giving me a list of spiritual disciplines to do (pray, read your bible, witness, love others, etc.), you are in essence just changing the rules to this:  get rid of your idols.  Where does His finished work come in to the picture?  Or what about the Holy Spirit, who indwells me?  At what point does He leave me if I don’t destroy my idols?  The idea of losing one’s salvation after receiving Jesus Christ and becoming a new creation just doesn’t make sense to me, especially after reading Romans.  Why would Paul use the metaphor of adoption if, on Judgement Day, He might say to us, “I don’t know you?”  He calls us His children; we have been adopted into His family.  This implies permanence, at least in this world.

These are just my ideas.  I have thought about this topic for a long time now, as it is very personal to me.  Again, thank you for your ministry.

Laura

6. Comment on the tone of Laura’s letter and how she exemplifies James 3:17.

7. What points does she make that you find helpful? (Don’t be afraid of hurting my feelings by agreeing with her!)

Now I want you to read a comment from a blog I like. He comments on what I think is a parallel passage in Philippians. Here is the link to Bill Tell: LINK

8. What points do you agree or disagree with from the above blog?

9. Finally, I am going to try to say what I think Philippians 3:10-11 says — and I open to disagreement.

I believe that when Paul counts his credentials as dung, he is saying he doesn’t want to trust in any of that — he wants to trust in Christ alone.  In so many others places Paul makes it clear that salvation is by faith alone, and not works righteousness. And now, and this is the controversial part, and I may be wrong, I believe there may have been times when Paul had fears, like the fears Bill Tell expressed in his blog, if he was a fake or not. Perhaps not, but I know it not uncommon for believers to have fears like that, I know I have. When I see sin in my life, and think about some of the passages as in I John where it says, “If anyone hates his brother, the love of God is not in him,” I tremble. I But I get past it, for when I think about it, I know Christ has taken hold of me, which is why verse 12 is such a comfort to me.

 I take hold of that which has taken hold of me.

How do I know He has taken hold of me and that I can never lose my salvation? Not only do I trust in His blood, I do see evidence in my life of change, a passion, and a holy fear. When I don’t persevere, I do not lose my salvation, for Christ has me firmly in His hand — and no one can pluck me out of His hand.

Yet I still can be plagued with times of doubt. Sometimes my spirit condemns me. So what do I do? I remember what John said that our very love and life can be evidence of His work in us and then: “By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him, for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart…” (1 John 3:19-20)

I am secure in Him. He will never let me go. And yet I persist to take hold of that which has taken hold of me, that “my any means possible I may attain the resurrection of the dead.” This is not works righteousness, but evidence, indeed, to my own heart that I belong to Him when my spirit condemns me.

I also want to share Nanci J’s answer to what does Philippians 3:10-11 mean, for she very helpfully, in comparing this to Romans 6, shows that the gospel is not just to be rescued from the penalty of sin, but also the power of sin. It did make me wonder if Paul was not having any doubts, but was only talking about the double cure, being rescued from the power of sin. I commended Nanci on her answer and she said she really wanted to know what it meant so sought out God, availing herself of various and good commentaries as well. Here is what Nanci said:

“Jesus’ death and resurrection is the basis of the righteousness the the Father credits to us to make us His children. Jesus’ death and resurrection also provides power to enable the believer to lead a new life in faithful obedience to God rather than rebellion/sin. Only appreciation for what God in His grace has done will provide proper motivation for living “dead to sin” and “alive to God”, resisting sin and temptation, and serving the Lord as an instrument of His righteousness.”

10. Consider Dee’s thoughts, Nanci’s thoughts, Bill Tell’s thoughts and comment, asking God for wisdom.

11. What do you believe God is saying through Philippians 3:10-12?

Friday:

I’m not doing a sermon this week as there is enough homework above. However if you’d like to listen to Melinda’s podcast (above) or to my final session on Idol Lies on Midday, here is the link. Then share your thoughts. The program aired on Thursday, June 19th, but can be found on past programs. There are some great testimonies recorded from women who have done Idol lies in it.

Saturday:

12. What is your take-a-way and why?

Every time I ponder: Why is it so much more vibrant than the church outside the prison?

Women in a Faith Dorm sponsored by Discipleship Unlimited

Two weeks ago I visited Ellsworth, a women’s prison near Milwaukee. About seventy women had completed my Bible study on Idol Lies, and that night I was meeting with just twelve of them. When I walked in their faces lit up, they cheered, and I could hardly wait to hear their stories, for these daughters of God behind bars always revitalize me with their vibrant faith. They prove once again how much God loves “ragamuffins,” how His Kingdom is an upside-down Kingdom populated by ex-prostitutes and ex-thieves and recovering addicts. Heaven will be populated by ragamuffins, for they are the ones who are the most likely to realize their need for grace.

So many of the women in prison have had childhoods filled with horrific abuse and neglect. Many of them have done terrible things even after becoming His children. They struggle with holding onto the gospel, to continually believing that they are cleansed and beautiful in His eyes.

That night I felt led to teach them from The Song of Songs. As Charles Spurgeon says, “We see Jesus in every book of the Bible, but it is in The Song of Songs that we see His heart for us.” I knew they could not hear too often how loved they were. I opened my teaching by reading from the opening of The Song of Songs. The Shulammite maiden, who represents us, says: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.”

I asked “Have you ever had the experience of a verse in the Word jumping out at you – giving you just what you need? Or of His still small voice whispering to you? Or of the Lord absolutely surprising you with circumstances that show you how mindful He is of you? They were all nodding, smiling. They knew. I said, “When that happens, you’ve been kissed by the King.”

“OH!” they chorused.

I went on to explain how at first the Shulammite maiden, when she sees how glorious the king is, feels unworthy, dark, and ashamed. She asks him not to gaze at her. I told them, “That is how people feel when they get close to a holy God – like Peter, who said, “Away from me,” or like Isaiah, when he said, “Woe is me, I am a man of unclean lips.” They nodded. They knew what it was like to feel unworthy. “But,” I said, “I want you to see how the King sees her – how the King sees you! He has cleansed her, made her as white as a lily, and so he reassures her – as He does each of us:

Behold, you are beautiful my love,

            behold, you are beautiful…

                                    Song of Songs 1:19

Julia was sitting next to me, a frail flower that seemed beaten down by the strong winds of her life. When I said, “Behold, you are beautiful,” she began to weep. The tears were coming so fast that a sister jumped up and brought her the roll of toilet paper, a staple during our meetings. I paused and asked her if she wanted to share. She wiped her eyes, nodded, and took a deep breath.

When I read “Idol Lies” I began to understand the root of some of the terrible choices I’ve made. I so wanted my mother to love me, to approve of me, to think I was beautiful. I so longed to hear her say, “You are beautiful.” Just once. Or “I love you.” But because of her own stuff, she just never could. When I was old enough, I turned to men. I wanted them to love me, to approve of me, to think I was beautiful. I did some terrible things to please them in hopes of making that happen. I did what they asked, even when it was illegal. But they didn’t love me. They used me. Shortly before I was incarcerated, I would look in the mirror and scream:

            “I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU.”  

  And then, in here, through this ministry, Christ found me and forgave me. Just this morning I was walking on the track, feeling so thankful, and I told Jesus, “Lord, You are so beautiful.” And then, I thought I heard Him whisper: “Julia, you are beautiful.” It was so incredible I wondered if I’d imagined it. So I asked Him to say it again – but I   didn’t hear it again. But tonight, when you opened the Word, you said He was saying to us:

                     Behold, you are beautiful my love,

                        behold, you are beautiful…

                                    Song of Songs 1:19

We all sat there stunned. A holy moment. Finally I said, “Oh Julia – you have just been kissed by the King!” In fact, we’d all been kissed by the King at that moment, for He had moved so clearly in our midst.

When Paul says, “that I may know Him” it is the same word that is used to express intimacy between a husband and a wife.

This week’s Bible study is so important — I truly believe He will meet you in it. And I am so eager to hear about your kisses!

Paul could have prayed to be released from prison, to be healed of his illness — but looking ahead to Judgment Day, he prayed “That I may be found in Him.” Paul? Did Paul fear that he might not be found in Him? I am convinced that the same man who said such confident statements about his future, like “To die is gain,” also had a holy fear of his propensity toward idolatry. I know there are moments in my life when I have failed so badly that I begin to wonder, “Am I a fake? Or do I really know Him?” Just as John tells us in his letter that as we walk in the light our confidence that we know Him will grow, I wonder if that is what Paul is saying here

“That I may know Him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11)

Come. Let us begin to tap into these mysterious life-changing depths.

Monday/Wednesday Bible Study

When the Bible talks about “the flesh,” God is not talking about the body, but about the ways outside of Christ that people make themselves feel valuable. The very things that may have given us confidence (wealth, a college degree, standing in the community, beauty, talent) may actually keep us out of the Kingdom. That is why Paul counts everything, all his credentials that created awe in the world, as “dung.” And hear this — they can be dangerous to our very souls, for we are so tempted to trust in them instead of in Christ.

The women in prison have to understand that they are loved despite their badness. We must grasp that too, but we must also grasp that our “goodness” cannot save us, in fact, trusting in it, in our own “credentials,” can keep us out.

3. Read Philippians 3:1-6

      A. False teachers (dogs) had infiltrated saying that to be saved you needed faith plus circumcision. This feels foreign to us, but it is an example of putting confidence in something other than the shed blood of Christ. We do this all the time, we feel good about ourselves if we look good, do well, or are admired by our peers. Where do you tend to put your confidence, get your sense of well-being, other than Christ?

B. What are some of the things Paul could have put his confidence in according to verses 4-6?

4.  Read Philippians 3:7-9

      A. How does Paul see the things the world valued in him now, according to verses 7-8? Why do you think he uses such a strong term?

Thinking of the coming day of judgment Paul wants “to be found in him.” I want “to be found in Him!” So many who think they are going to heaven are not. The parable of the ten virgins, the story of the sheep and the goats, and the words “I never knew you,” from Matthew 25 put a cleansing fear of God in my heart.

Ain Vares
http://www.bibleartexperience.com/Gallery5b.html

B. What does it mean “to be found in Him?”

 

5. Oh the passion of Philippians 3:10-11. Again, go slowly, asking the Spirit, “what does this phrase mean?”

     A. That I may know Him (Jonathan Edwards said that “there is a difference between having a rational judgment that honey is sweet and tasting it.”)  What does this mean, and how does this relate to this phrase?

Tasting honey

And I can’t resist: Miabelle tasting my blueberry smoothie this week. She wasn’t so sure she wanted it when she saw me putting wheat germ in it, but she did finally taste it. And this is no mere assent to the facts. This is experience.

The word “know” is also the word for intimacy between a husband and a wife. Again, no simple intellectual knowledge, but experiencing the Lord. This is the mystery Paul talks about in Ephesians. Sex has been so distorted in our world that we may have trouble with the parallel God makes. Therefore, I’ve chosen a picture that shows a different kind of intimacy between a husband and wife — the kind that makes you fight through trouble to understanding because of the deep love you have for one another. You are not going to let go, you are going to push through to being one again because of your commitment, your love, and your longing.

I will share a way that I experienced God this week, for it is relevant to understanding this important passage. I was troubled by Philippians 3:11. My thoughts were, “Is Paul really uncertain of his salvation?”  I kept asking God, praying, talking to my daughter Annie about it, reading commentators. I wanted to push through and understand.

And God came to me, helping me to understand.

Was Paul uncertain of his salvation? Yes and no. Greg Scharf, who now leads John Stott ministries, told me, “There is enough in Scripture to make us feel secure, and enough to keep us on our toes.” Paul did not want to trust in anything other than Christ, which is why he wanted to count all of his impressive credentials as dung. He wants the gospel to save him from himself, and his default mode of works righteousness.

This is a difficult passage and I’ll be interested in your take.Commentaries I respect said to compare Philippians 3:10-11 to Romans 6, where it talks about dying to self and living to Christ. We become like Christ in sufferings and in death when we die to our idols, to the things of the world we have over-valued, to sin — then, we will know the power of the resurrection.

Again, our idols are not our friends. They keep us from experiencing the power of His resurrection.

 

C. Important: Compare Philippians 3:10-11 to Romans 6. Does this help you gain understanding? If so, explain.

D. Explain Philippians 3:10-11.

E. Read this phrase from Philippians 3:12 in the NIV. Does it give you further illumination? If so, explain:

 I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

F. How have you experienced the Lord (been kissed!) this week?

 Thursday/Friday: Sermon: To Be Found In Him (LINK)

6. Share your notes from the above.

Saturday:

7. What is your take-a-way and why?

I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.

(Philippians 2:20)

Wow. Paul looks at the believers with him and said, that with the exception of Timothy:

“All seek their own interests.”

Even in the church, self-absorption is the norm.

We think about our own needs and our own reputation.

Caravaggio: Narcissus (1594-1596)

The Greek myth of Narcissus depicts a young man who falls in love with his own reflection. Caravaggio has captured “the circle of melancholy” in one so self-obsessed.  Narcissus clearly demonstrates the unhappy end of those who love themselves and their things too much. But Christ longs to set us free.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE DUNN

IT IS RARE TO FIND A BELIEVER WHO DOESN’T SEEK HIS OWN INTERESTS

WHEN YOU MEET SOMEONE LIKE THIS, YOU ARE DRAWN, SENSING THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST

I am choosing John Stott, who died last year, as an example of self-forgetfulness. Even in his nineties, he was flying across the world to bring the gospel to others. He was so focused on the Kingdom, so in love with the Lord, that he was, indeed, self-forgetful.

John Stott

The whole world was impacted by John Stott, whom Christianity Today called “the premier leader” of evangelicalism. When Stott spoke just a few years ago at Redeemer, Tim Keller introduced him as the man who gave us a choice between fundamentalism and liberalism.

On a side note, but an important one, for I want to herald Stott not only has one who had a passion for the lost and the broken, but as an amazing Bible scholar and one you might want to turn to. Keller  spoke at Stott’s memorial at Wheaton College, and commented on his ability to exegete a passage. I have turned to Stott when there is a passage that has troubled me and on which commentators have so many interpretations that it makes my head spin. I absolutely remember the day when my friend Sylvia showed me Stott’s exposition of 1 Timothy 2:8-15. Though you may not agree, I have never read an exposition on that thorny passage that had the same clarity as Stott’s. He wrote that there were three eternal principles in this passage and three cultural examples. The eternal principles are forever. The cultural examples were relevant then,  but not binding now.

1. Eternal Principle: Men ought always to pray. Cultural example: Lifting up holy hands
2. Eternal Principle: Women should dress modestly. Cultural example: Not with braided hair or pearls
3. Eternal Principle: Women should learn quietly and be submissive to authority. Cultural example: Not permitted to teach over men.

This has freed me. Though I have not sought to teach men, when the male authorities of a church or organization have invited me to do so, I have felt freed. Right now I am so thankful to be teaching the adult Sunday school at my church in Wisonsin, under the authority of the male leadership. Stott’s exposition released me to do so.

Stott was a “world Christian,” who cared not only about the spiritual needs of a lost world, but about the hungry, the lonely, and the oppressed. What a legacy he left. And what joy was in this man. He was so self-forgetful he stood out, like a diamond in the universe.

John Stott’s death was mourned throughout the world. If you have time this week, I believe you’d be blessed to watch Tim Keller’s wonderful tribute to him at this Memorial Service at Wheaton College.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3WkR0LPCxM

I found myself moved to tears, but perhaps that is because John Stott has had such an impact on my own life. His writings impacted me, but it was a personal incident that I will never forget.

It was over twenty-five years ago and I was desperate about my dad’s salvation. Dad and Mother were taking Steve and me to England, so I boldly wrote Dr. Stott. Though I can hardly believe I did this — I asked: “Is there any possibility we could meet you? Somehow I think that if Dad met you, only for a moment, he would know Jesus was real.” That’s how real the spirit of Christ was in Dr. Stott.

Dr. Stott wrote me the kindest letter back, saying that if he were not in China that he would meet with us. He encouraged me to remember God’s great compassion and sovereignty, and to trust His ability to reach my dad through His own good plan. (I believe my dad came to Christ on his deathbed.) Stott took the time to write me because he was looking out for the interests of others.

How did he do this?

Philippians gives us the key.

Note: This Thursday and Friday I’m suggesting, instead of a sermon, if you have an e-book device, to get a very short book by Keller for .99. You may want to get it before Thursday. It takes less than an hour to read, but you may want to contemplate it in smaller pieces.

Sunday/Monday

1. What stands out to you from the above and why?

2. It is human nature to put ourselves first, to think primarily of our own needs. It is supernatural to be other-centered, focused on the Kingdom. Are you changing? If so, what is helping you? Have you experienced the surprising joy that comes when you do something for the Kingdom that you thought would be so hard but instead fills you with joy?

3. Give an example of someone in your life who radiates the joy of Christ, is self-forgetful, and looks continually to the needs of others. What do you think is his or her secret?

Monday-Wednesday Bible Study

The Roman prison in Paul’s day was a dark dank pit. No food. No toilet. No heat.
Any food came from friends or family.

Philippians was written by Paul from a Roman prison. This last Sunday my pastor in Wisconsin, Doug Quenzer,  showed this picture of a Roman prison that was similar to where Paul stayed for two years when he wrote to the Philippians. It was a pit, dug in the ground. Dark, cold, with the stench of human excrement. This is where Paul stayed and had an inextinguishable job. Why? He assessed what was important and was was not in the eternal scheme of things.

THREE EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO SOARED ABOVE THE PLAGUE OF NARCISSISM

4. Find these three examples and write down whatever you learn about them in Philippians 2:17-30

    A. Paul

    B. Timothy

    C. Epaphroditus

5. What statement does Paul make in Philippians 2:21? That was true in the church then and true in the church today. Why, do you think? How can we change?

“Why is it so hard to let others go before us — even in traffic or at the store? Why is that we have so much trouble giving up our own rights?” Richey Cable, my pastor in Kansas City, said it is because our “inner assessor” is off.

He talked about how nervous he was when he and his wife were going to sell their sixty-year-old home and an assessor came, kicking at the foundation, peering at the roof, and circling the home. Ritchey feared he would under-value the home and they would have trouble getting a fair price.

“Our problem,” Ritchey said, “is that we have an assessor in our hearts that is off. We over-value the things of this world and we under-value the things that are eternal.”

My friend Rachael had asked me to pray the last week. Her husband would like to be in ministry, but that would probably mean a move, and Rachael dreaded that — leaving family, leaving the familiar, uprooting her kids.

After church she sent me an e-mail saying God awakened her through Ritchey’s sermon: I’m seeing more clearly that I’ve been in danger of seeking my own interests above God’s glory and the mission He has given us.  I have been overestimating the weight of the things of the world (the comfort of living in KC, close to family, and the “control” of my kids’ worlds, etc.).  And I’ve been underestimating the riches found in Christ and following Him.

6. Be still before God. What might you be over-valuing? What might you be under-valuing?

7. Read Philippians 2:25-30 again. (Epaphroditus)

A. Why was Epaphroditus distressed?

I cannot help but think of my husband’s distress when he was sick. Not for himself, but for us. He told Annie, “Annie — I am so sorry I have to leave you.”

B. How can you tell from verse 27 how much Epaphroditus meant to Paul?

C How do you think Epaphroditus was able to soar above the plague of narcissism?

Thursday-Friday: Short Keller book

I am hoping that most of you have some kind of e-book device. I’d like you to purchase Keller’s 3 chapter book on Self-Forgetfulness for .99 from Amazon. If you are able to do that, read it (I read it in less than an hour): LINK

8. Write down three main points that stood out to you.

9. If you do not have a kindle device, listen to Keller’s tribute to John Stott above, and write a few things that stood out to you.

Saturday:

10. What is your take-a-way and why?

A nagging wife is like a faucet that goes drip, drip, drip…

IT’S NOT A RESPECTABLE SIN TO GRUMBLE.

IT KEPT THE ISRAELITES OUT OF THE PROMISED LAND.

IT IS EVIDENCE OF NOT TRUSTING GOD,

WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE FROM THE PROMISED LAND.

SOLOMON CALLS A COMPLAINING SPIRIT “A BROKEN SPIRIT”

BENEATH A “BROKEN SPIRIT” IS A LACK OF TRUST IN GOD

AND

BENEATH A JOYFUL SPIRIT IS A CONFIDENCE IN GOD

Remember when Anne of Green Gables complains that God gave her red hair?

And she asks Marilla, “Marilla — don’t you ever DESPAIR OF LIFE?”

Marilla says: “No, I don’t. To despair is to turn your back on God.”

TO DESPAIR IS TO TURN YOUR BACK ON GOD

My husband was confident God was good, and that led to his joyful spirit, even in the face of great pain. Everyone talked of his laugh and his encouraging ways. Here is my daughter-in-law, Julie, sharing about Steve at his funeral:

Jessamyn Eve and Julie Brestin in 2009

 Link

Julie, as you can tell, is a gentle soul. Our son John, her husband, is a leader with a strong will. Like his mother, he is often very confident that he is right.

At their wedding, the pastor began to give a word of warning to John. He began, “John, I know you are strong-willed…” But before he could say anymore, Steve, seated in the front row, BROKE OUT into laughter, that contagious laugh, and  soon the whole congregation, John’s bride, and the pastor was laughing.

Then the pastor said, “I guess my point has been made.” John turned to his dad, shaking his head, a bit embarrassed, but laughing as well.

This next picture was taken when Steve was dying from cancer, but still having fun with his three girls and daughter-in-law, who had just done crazy things with their hair. He told them they looked like they should be in a rock band. (Annie is hidden, behind him, her dark hair thrown over his head.) He died four months after this picture was taken.

Beth, Annie (hidden behind Steve) Steve, Julie, Sally (with dyed hair)

 At his funeral, Annie said, “I would call him when he was going through chemo to see how he was doing, and he’d say, ‘Oh Annie — I’m doing GREAT! Aside from the diarrhea and the vomiting, I’m doing GREAT!”

How do we possibly stop complaining?

Sunday/Monday Icebreakers

1. What stands out to you from the above and why?

2. Have you experienced the truth of Proverbs 17:22 concerning a merry spirit versus a broken one? Share something about it.

3. What do you think is the difference between a lament to God and complaining? (This is challenging, I know, but important!)

Monday/Wednesday Bible Study

He divided the sea and let them pass through it
But they forgot his works…and did not trust His saving power
Psalm 78:13 and Psalm 78:22

4. Read Psalm 78:1-6 and explain the purpose of this psalm.

5. If you are a mother or aunt or grandmother, what are some creative ways to obey the above?

6. According to Psalm 78:11-14, name a few of the miracles the Israelites forgot.

7. When the people grumbled and questioned God, why was God angry, according to Psalm 78:21-22?

8. Challenge question: How was the Exodus a foreshadowing of the crucifixion and our deliverance?

Optional: If you have never heard Keller’s classic sermon on The Exodus, and how to see Christ in the Old Testament, this is one of his best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Os9V4ATa4A

9. Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

A. What was the sin beneath their sins of sexual immorality and grumbling according to verses 6-7?

B. Why did these things happen to them, according to verse 11?

C. What promise is given in verse 13?

D. Challenge question: What do you think is the way of escape when we are tempted to question or grumble?

10. Read Philippians 2:14-18

A. If we carry out verse 14, what will we become — what light will grow in us, according to verse 15?

B. What do you think “the word of life” is in verse 16? (Compare John 1:1-4) How might holding  to this help you not to grumble or question?

C. Paul knew he was facing persecution and probable martyrdom. How do you see this in verse 17? How do you think, despite this realization, he was able to neither grumble nor question?

Thursday/Friday Sermon: Self-Control (LINK)

How do we develop self-control, whether it is keeping from grumbling, manipulating, or indulging?

11. Share your sermon notes — either from the free sermon or the sermon on self-control.

Saturday

12. What is your take-a-way and why?

REFLECTING HIS GLORY

WHEN WE FELL WE LOST

COMMUNION WITH HIM.

OUR HEARTS HARDENED

MAKING US LESS THAN HUMAN,

MARRING HIS IMAGE

BUT HE REDEEMED US BY HIS BLOOD

TO BEGIN AGAIN:

MELTING US,

MOLDING US,

MAKING US HUMAN AGAIN.

WE CAN RESIST HIM

OR YIELD TO HIM

Every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different than it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state of the other.   (C. S. Lewis)

 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;
I will remove from you your heart of stone
and give you a heart of flesh. (Eze 36:26).

 …work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

for it is God who works in you,

both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

(Philippians 2:12-13)

This is a challenging passage. Many have stumbled on it, misunderstanding it. But when you understand it, you learn the secret of growth, and hope fills your heart that you really can grow, you really can become His masterpiece, reflecting His image again.

Sunday/Monday Icebreakers

1. What stands out to you from the above and why?

2. In Sarah Wimberly’s testimony above, how did you see God at work in her life? How did her responsiveness to Him aid in the process?

Monday/Wednesday Bible Study

  I so often pray that God will help me stop eating, to give me more patience with my grandchildren, to help me not to lose important things. I want deliverance from these sins that pester me. I want remodeling into a sweet little cottage.

 But He wants so much more. He wants me to share my    bread with the hungry, bring the homeless poor into my house, when I see the naked, to cover him, and not turn away from my own flesh and blood. He wants to turn me into a palace that reflects His glory.

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

(C. S. Lewis: Mere Christianity)

What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.

8. What would it mean for you to live in “responsive obedience?” Ask the Lord what that would look like for you today.

9. What if you do not want to do what His Spirit leads you to do? How could you pray verse 13?

Here is how my son J. R. answered this when visiting me on Mother’s Day:

The enemy lies to us, telling us if we do what His Spirit leads, we will be unhappy. But the truth is, as we join His Spirit, we are like the seagulls who fly with the wind, gliding in joy and peace. One of my favorite quotes from the great John Stott is:

Our love and our hatred not only reveal if we are in the light or the darkness, but actually contribute to the light or darkness in which we already are.                                 

Thursday/Friday Listen to the Sermon: LINK

This is an excellent sermon by Jeffry White at Redeemer. Share your notes.

Saturday:

10. What is your take-a-way and why?

Time:

Begins at 8:00am each day

Speaker(s):

Dee Brestin

Topic:

TBD

Location:

Northwestern College, 3003 Snelling Ave. N
St. Paul, MN 55113

More information:

Phone: (651) 631-5380

Contact information:

Monica Groves, mrgroves@nwc.edu

YOU GOT THE JOB!

YOU FOUND THE MAN!

YOU LOST THE WEIGHT!

We as children of God have news that outshines all earthly treasures. We have something that can never be taken from us. The one true God left paradise for us. He stumbled to His throne for us. We are His beloved. He woos, He wins, and one incredible day He is coming back to wed. He will put to death all enemies of His children and take us to be with Him forever.

I never tire of Martin French’s drawings. This is my favorite, and when Kathy Troccoli and I commissioned him to draw this one from Revelation 19 for Forever in Love with Jesus, he was hesitant, feeling it was too holy to try to catch. But finally he felt free and it always takes my breath away, and helps me believe: this is true, this is really going to happen. Just as He came to earth as a baby, just as He rose from the dead, just as He ascended into heaven, He is also coming back.

What can change us into joyful Christians? Believing the Gospel not only for forever, but for the here and now.

Philippians 2:5-11 is a passage so worth your time in memorizing. Pastor Henry Brandt told his grandchildren that if they could recite it word perfect every time he came, he would give them five dollars. He knew it was one of those passages that had life-transforming power. This week’s passage is the peak mountain of Philippians.  It will help you gaze into the gospel and believe His love for you. It’s an important week to be with Him. The Christian’s secret of a joyful life? Believing the Gospel for the here and now. As we do that, His mind will be in us, we will look to the interests of others, and we will see rivalry fade. We, with His Spirit unquenched, though we will know sorrow, will also experience unquenchable joy.

Sunday/Monday Icebreakers

1.  What stands out to you from the above and why?
2.  What is some of the best earthly news you have ever received? Do you remember how you felt when you knew it was true?

Monday/Wednesday Bible Study: The Mountain Peak of Philippians (Philippians 2:5-11)

Philippians 2:6-11 is the mountain peak of this beautiful letter

3. Using your imagination, what do you think it was like for Jesus before He emptied Himself of His rights, when He was with God the Father and God the Spirit in heaven.

4. According to verses 6-7, what was Jesus like before He came to earth, and what did He do in order to come to earth and be with us?

When we are told He emptied Himself, it is important to know He did not empty Himself of His Deity, but of His rights. In the Greek, as Keller will emphasize, it is “being God, He also became human.”

5. According to verse 8, how did Christ further humble Himself?

6. Christ went from the highest to the lowest. In what ways was a crucifixion the greatest humiliation?

7. What was the one thing that the Lord did not have that made Him willing to make such a sacrifice?

J. D. Greear writes, in his book, Gospel:

Every day Jesus says to us, “You are My Beloved child. I am well pleased with you. Now live that way.” Satan, on the other hand, says, “Look at you. Look at the condition of your circumstances. Look at how poorly you’re living . There is no way you are God’s beloved child. Which voice are you going to believe?

ACTION ASSIGNMENT:

Today, silence the voice of the enemy with the voice of truth each time he hisses at you.  Come back here and report, at the end of the day, if you  did this and how it impacted you.

Report:__________________________________________________________________________________

8. According to Philippians 2:9-11, what has God the Father therefore done for God the Son? How is this a return to the highest position?

9. What name is given now to Jesus? (Find it in verse 11.)

The initiative for exalting Jesus was all on the part of the Father. The “gave” is “freely gave” (echarisato)

10. To understand what verses 10-11 mean, read Isaiah 45:23-24 and explain the passage.

The emphasis of this passage however, is not exaltation over His enemies, but that Christ will be LORD over all creation.

11. Write a prayer of praise based on this passage.

Thursday/Friday  Listen to the free Keller Sermon. Share your thoughts and answer the following questions (LINK).

12. Keller talks about the “earthiness of God.” We do not have a far off God, but a God to whom matter matters. He made a man out of dirt. He humbled Himself and took on a human body. He had a real resurrected body. There are going to be real bodies, real music, and real food in heaven. There are many applications of this to us. Consider:

A. The earthiness of life matters to God, and we can lift our mundane earthy chores of washing dishes, changing diapers, and digging in the garden to Him in thanksgiving. Does this permeate your life? Explain.

B. Because matter matters to God, He is concerned about the poor, the hungry, and the hurting. If we have the mind of Christ, so should we. Is this growing in your life? Explain.

C. Because matter matters, in heaven we will have real bodies, real food, real trees — comment on this.

13. Because Jesus was also fully God, people always had extreme reactions to Him. (John Stott) They were never “lukewarm.” Open your Bible to a Gospel and give an example.

14. What other notes do you have that you’d like to share?

Saturday

15. What is your take-a-way and why?

Within ten minutes we became like mother bears defending our cubs.

The tension began immediately. Margaret said: “I’m surprised you mentioned R-rated movies. In our home we don’t watch PG-13 movies.”

Quietly but firmly Hannah said, “In our home we don’t watch movies.”

We each bristled a bit. I suggested, “Why don’t we try dating age? I was thinking not before sixteen.”

“Sixteen! They are babies! They have no business dating before they are ready to marry.”

“In our home,” one said evenly, “there will be no dating.”

One by one my friends left in tears, until all that was left was my dear friend Shell and me. Shell and I have promised one another unfailing love. Our daughters, Robin and Sally, became friends in kindergarten. My soul is knit to Shell’s. But I had always thought Shell was too strict, and I thought this would be a good time to tell her so. She felt I too permissive, and told me so.

Shell left in tears. I was undone. What had happened?

We had forgotten the gospel.

This happened over twenty-five years ago when I was writing The Friendships of Women, ironically. The Lord worked in our hearts so that we did humble ourselves and reconcile, and then God did a mighty work through that prayer group, so Satan did not have the victory. Looking back today, I have more insight than I did then. I see how wise my husband Steve was when I came to him in tears, saying, “Shell doesn’t realize what a precious friend she could be losing in me!”

He comforted me but he also said “I have heard you say that when there is a problem in a horizontal relationship, there is almost always a problem in your vertical relationship with God.”

He was gently pointing out of of the most important aspects of the gospel. We are so depraved, so wicked, that Christ had to die for us, yet sin blinds us. We always think it is the fault of the other person. Usually there is sin on both sides, and even if we think ours is the lesser, God calls us to do whatever we can to be at peace. I had to go, humble myself, and tell her what I had done wrong, and how I had hurt her. And she responded in humility, with the forgiveness of the gospel.

We talked about it later — how the specific issues addressed that day were Romans 13 issues — gray issues — and we shouldn’t have even tried to agree, and simply needed to give one another grace. When Paul says, “Have the same mind,” he wasn’t saying that we had to agree about everything, but that we needed to have the humility of Christ, not clinging to our “rights.” And when Shell and I had quarreled, though there was truth in what we each said, neither of us had spoken in love and we each felt attacked. Why? What causes tempers to flare?

Philippians 2 gives us insight into the root behind our outbursts. It is so helpful. I can’t wait to do the study with you — I need to be reminded of these truths constantly.

(And by the way, I need to credit Rebecca D. with the title for this week, who credits Elizabeth! That was fun — and I had fun with the mother bear pictures!)

Sunday/Monday

1. What stood out to you from the above and why?

2. Before you do the study, take a stab at this: What do you think was the root that causes our tempers to flare? (You can review your answer at the end of the study.)

Monday/Wednesday

3. Paul begins his plea in Philippians 2:1 by listing some of the sure realities of being a child of God, of being cleansed and embraced by the Lord, of having His Spirit in us.  His Spirit encourages, comforts, and can give us a unique fellowship, like we are experiencing here. Slow down and contemplate this verse, and then take just one reality and give an illustration from your life on how it has blessed you recently.

One key aspect of the gospel is “sonship.” Our identity now should not be in the success of our mothering, ministry, marriage, or anything but in being a child of God. If our identity is in something else, we are vulnerable to defeat, division, and despair. I believe, in our situation, our identity was in being good mothers, and so we became defensive and angry.

4. The Philippian church was the healthiest of the churches, yet they too had discord. What request does Paul make of them in Philippians 2:2? What does it mean to be of the same mind and to have the same love? (See Phil. 2:5) Can you disagree about an issue and still have the same mind and same love? If so, can you give an illustration?

Read Philippians 2:3 in the KJV, which Keller says is a helpful translation for this verse:

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

5. What do you think “vainglory” means?

6. Where, according to John 17:22, should we find our glory, our identity, our significance?

I realize now that in that mother bear prayer group, we were finding our glory, our identity, in being good mothers. So we erupted when it was attacked. We might have been able to have a constructive conversation about these peripheral issues, but our tempers flared because our glory was in the wrong place. Yet despite all that, God came to us, loved us, humbled us, and brought us back together.

In Keller message he also talks about a “spirit of rivalry,” the one who gets his identity by always disagreeing. He wants to be noticed. Our greatest fear is being unknown, forgotten. But we are known by the One who matters most. If our identity is in Him that spirit of rivalry will fade. I keep thinking of Brennan Mannings words from a few weeks back — do we realize how much God loves us? Or will He one day say to us, “I never knew you?” Let us receive His love now and cultivate that intimacy.

7. What is Paul’s next plea according to Philippians 2:4? (This is a theme in Philippians.) How did Christ do this?

8. Think, if you can, of someone with whom you disagree or tend to disagree. Ask the Lord to help you see her side of things, why she is upset, why he has felt unheard, why she may have been hurt. (Paul is addressing believers, but this could be applied to your view of an unbeliever as well.)

9. What is the solution, according to Philippians 2:5?

10. How might you apply this to your life?

Thursday-Friday

11. Listen to this sermon and share your highlights. (This is $2.50 — but next week’s is free.)  LINK

Saturday:

12. What’s your take-a-way and why?

But so often, if we are honest, we would have to say:

For me to live is family.

For me to live is health.

For me to live is success.

And when those things fail us, and we come to the brink of despair, it is a gift from God.

For if we realize that Christ must be our life,

then we can enjoy the gifts without demanding from them what they cannot give.

Last week I was blessed with another gift. A grandson. Born to Beth and Seth.

Introducing Kenneth Steven Harrington: 4/16/13

This child, plump with possibility, had been given to us. We were euphoric.

But mountaintops are for a moment.

We were told he was jaundiced. Had to go under the lights, a blindfold on his wee head.

He wailed and flailed and his mother could only stand and watch.

He cried.

So she cried.

So I cried.

Finally I took their two-year-old home and left the parents at the hospital. It rained all night and in the morning my basement guestroom was filled with water. I had to evacuate my soggy belongings while Seth hurried home, removed furniture, vacuumed up water, pulled back carpet, and tried to convince his wife, who was experiencing baby blues, that the house was not a disaster, when indeed, it was.

the abandoned guest room

The next night I was  attempting to get their two and a half year old, Katherine, to bed. I did everything I could think to do: water, story, prayers, rocking, more water…Still, she kept getting up, wailing, pointing toward the living room. We had begun at 7 and it was nearly 9. Past my bedtime.

“Use your words, Katherine.” (This is the new phrase I’ve picked up from my children and laughed to see it is the “in” phrase when I watched the comedy Parental Guidance.)

Katherine couldn’t use her words. Instead she sobbed, pointing to the air.

“Show me.” We wandered about the house again. She sobbed. “Honey, I don’t know what you want. Use your words.”

She collapsed, WAILING. When I picked her up she had a tantrum, screaming and kicking. Anger WELLED up in me. I held her legs tight, dropped her in her bed, and said, “STAY THERE!” I left abruptly, flicking off the light, slamming the door.

I slid to the floor outside her room, my head in my hands, listening to her heart-broken cries. Her grandmother had turned into Mr. Hyde. I hate this monster in me too, Lord! Help me! Her life has been turned topsy turvy, she probably wants her mother, and I can’t give her that. (An hour later, while she was still whimpering, I spied her pink bear under the couch. Maybe, I thought. I opened the door a crack, waved the pink bear, and she cried out in delight. She clutched it to her heart while I knelt and told her I was sorry I was mean. (She nodded!) Then I stroked her sweaty head until sleep came. Here she is the next day, when her grandmother was behaving better.

For me to live is my pink bear

In heaven there will be no jaundiced babies, flooded basements, or wicked grandmothers. But we are not in heaven yet. We need the gospel for the here and now, and Philippians shows us how to apply the gospel to the trials of life, whether they are small or overwhelming, as some of you are facing. I so long to become the kind of believer Paul was, who knew Jesus was real and could see through what he called “these light momentary afflictions” (though they hardly seemed like that) to eternal glory.

It is natural to grieve when we lose family, health, ministry — but we should not be devastated, for our real hope is in Christ.

SUNDAY/MONDAY

1. What stood out to you from the above and why?

2. Describe a trial you are facing today. Can you see through it to how it might press you to Christ? How, if you persevere, it might build character? How it might lead to eternal glory? Ponder and then share. 

(On a personal note I’m traveling this week to two speaking engagements in Morton, Illinois. The first is a conference for pastors and their wives where Bryan Chappel and others will be speaking. I will be speaking to the women and covet your prayers for quickening, sensitivity to them, health, tech needs. Then I’ll speak Thursday night at the E. Free Church in Morton — if you are in the area, look it up on my website and come!)

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY: BIBLE STUDY

As background, Paul knew the Philippians would be concerned about him, for he had been flogged and imprisoned and chained for sharing Christ. So, he is writing to assure them, and to help them to see through his troubles to what God might be doing. The purpose of Paul’s life was Christ, and to make Him known, and he is aware, indeed, that God has only given Satan enough rope to hang himself. Like the cross, which seemed so bad, eventually showed the mighty power of God.

3. Read Philippians 1:12-14 and find two ways that Paul’s imprisonment has advanced the gospel.

4. Paul says “Most of the brothers have become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment.” Can you explain why this would be?

5. Matthew Henry calls the above, like Romans 8:28, “the alchemy” of God.  What seems bad works together for the good to those who love God, to build character, to advance the gospel, to show the mighty power of God. Think about a trial in your life that built character or showed the mighty power of God. Share it, succinctly, here.

6. Read Philippians 1:15-18 and describe two kinds of preaching and what both may accomplish.

I’ve been reading J. D. Grear’s book: Gospel.

Tim Keller writes the forward and it is absolutely filled with the teaching of Keller, whom Grear credits as profoundly impacting him. Grear honestly shares the rivalry he felt with other preachers when his purpose in life was to be successful in ministry. And yet, even then, his preaching, provoked by rivalry, advanced the cause of Christ. This indeed, is the “alchemy” of God. I find comfort in this, for my motives for writing, speaking, have all been pure and impure mixed together, yet I am humbled God has not struck me down, but used some of it for good. He is purifying my heart, but oh, how I need grace. He works with us, flawed as we are, and even when our motives are mixed, He can use it for the good.  I used to be confused by this passage wondering if he was saying that even some televangelists who are simply in it for the fame and money could be used for the good — and perhaps they could, but if their message is off, if it is a prosperity gospel, then I think it does more harm than good.

7. How do you interpret Philippians 1:18?

THE PROCESS OF SALVATION (Read Philippians 1:19-20)

Salvation is both an event and a process. We are saved from the penalty of sin instantaneously, but the process takes time.

Read Philippians 1:19 in your version and then see this phrase from it in these:

For I know that this shall turn to my salvation (KJV)

I know that what is happening will be for the good of my own soul (Phillips)

8. How do you interpret the word translated “salvation” or “deliverance” in verse 19? See verse 20 as well. Was Paul talking about salvation from the penalty of sin? Why or why not?

9. Read Philippians 1:21-26 and then explain what you think Paul means by verse 21.

10. Fill it in as honestly as you can — and then pray for your own soul — and we can pray for one another.

For to me to live is ________________________________.

Here is my answer, to pave the way: For to me to live is Christ, yet so often it is really for my own comfort, so help me trust You more, believe Your love more, so that I may glorify You more.

11. Read Philippians 1:27-30

       A. What does “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” mean?

       B. What two things have been granted to us for the sake of Christ according to verse 29?

                                The Son of man suffered unto death, not that man might not suffer,

                                but that their suffering might be like His.

                                                                                               George MacDonald

Thursday-Friday: Keller Sermon: Joy in God’s Plan (It is 2.50): Link

You may want to buy next week’s sermon now as well. It is called Be Humble and Make Peace (Keller on Philippians 2:1-4) The following week will be a free sermon.

Share your notes — he has four points:

The hardness of life

The alchemy of life

The definition of life

The dynamic of life

Saturday:

12. What’s your take-a-way and why?

I was wrong. It isn’t just the baby steps.

It is all of the steps.

It is every step for every day.

It isn’t just for the future.

It is for the here and now.

This is a new way of seeing.

And so I am inviting you to a different kind of study.

We are going to look at Philippians, but it will be through the lens

of the gospel for the here and now.

God has blessed us with a precious fellowship here — one I never imagined was possible through the internet. When Paul tells the Philippians that he thanks God every time he remembers them, he is remembering “their partnership in the gospel.” I feel that way about you who have come on this blog. We are rediscovering the gospel together and it is changing our lives.

I have come to realize that God has given us the privilege of being a part of a revival of recovering the gospel. Indeed, we are “partners in the gospel.”

RECOVERING THE GOSPEL TOGETHER

Our tendency is to forget the gospel — to forget God’s amazing love — and to go back to:

• Rules
• Religion
• Morality
• Idolatry

Instead of saying, as Paul did, “For me to live is Christ,” we think:

• For me to live is family
• For me to live is health
• For me to live is happiness
• For me to live is success

The gospel keeps slipping out of our hands, but together we are recovering it.

Every once in a while you meet someone with a gospel-transformed heart — and they stand out. Most people and even many in the church are “seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 2:21) But I have seen gospel transformed hearts here, and I pray that “our love may abound more and more,” and that as we practice this new way of seeing, of seeing the gospel everywhere, that we will be changed, that we will be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:11)

Before we begin, it is so fitting to give a tribute to two men who stood out for their gospel transformed hearts and who died this week. You will hear, in their own words, what transformed them.

THE GOSPEL TRANFORMED HEART OF BRENNAN MANNING

CHRISTIANITY TODAY began their remembrance with:

The first time the late singer-songwriter Rich Mullins heard former Franciscan priest Brennan Manning on tape as he drove through the edge of the Flint Hills in Kansas, his eyes filled with tears. He steered the truck to the side of the road. There, as he later wrote, the message “broke the power of mere ‘moralistic religiosity’ in my life, and revived a deeper acceptance that had long ago withered in me.”

DURING ADVENT ONE OF THE POSTS FEATURED MANNING’S RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL. (LINK)

LISTEN TO BRENNAN MANNING SHARING “THE ONE QUESTION” THAT GOD WILL ASK YOU AT HEAVEN’S GATE (under four minutes)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQi_IDV2bgM

THE GOSPEL TRANSFORMED HEART OF GEORGE BEVERLY SHEA

Before he sings this song with which we have come to associate him, he tells how it came to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk9f8zhTwIg

SUNDAY/MONDAY ICE-BREAKERS

1. What stood out to you from the above and why?

2. Have you read anything by Brennan Manning? If so, share something about it — or something else you know about him that has caused you to ponder or change.

3. Have you studied Philippians before — and if so, do you have a favorite verse? (If you have been with us for a while and are beginning to “get” the breadth of the gospel, does it give you any new light on that favorite verse?)

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY:

THE UNIQUE FELLOWSHIP OF PARTNERS IN THE GOSPEL

Read Philippians 1:1-11

4. From whom does this letter come, according to verse 1, and how does Paul describe their identity?

Paul felt “knit,” to Timothy, as many of us are feeling “knit” to one another. He calls him, elsewhere, “my son in the faith.” When you see how the truths of the gospel that you have shared have the power to transform a heart, and what you are seeing is being passed on to another, there is a feeling akin to giving birth to a child. As I have many of you grow, my heart is knit to you. Then, in turn, I see you mentoring and encouraging one another, as the Spirit moves, giving us this incredible partnership in the gospel. This is a fellowship like no other. Zechariah, in his song of praise when his tongue was loosed, called Jesus “the sunrise from on high.” The power of the gospel spreading through our hearts is like the rising sun, giving light and warmth throughout the land.

5. Compare this fellowship to the fellowship you have with those who share a common interest such as work, children, or gardening — how does this fellowship differ? Contemplate.

6. Learn more about why Paul was so knit to Timothy in Philippians 2:19-21. Meditate on these words. Then answer this challenge question: Why does a gospel-transformed heart lead to the kind of  character Paul described in Timothy in Philippians 2:19-21?

Paul’s Prayer

7. How does Paul begin his prayer in verse 3? How could you echo that for your sisters here?

8. What is Paul sure of in verse 6, and why can He be sure of this?

9. In a past lesson, Tim Keller said if you don’t have all the fruit of the Spirit, you may not have any. For those who were with us (or who want to attempt an answer!) why did he say that?

10. Those with gospel-transformed hearts are likely to be willing to pay the cost to stand beside others when they are facing trials. How did the Philippians do that for Paul according to verse 7?

11. Share one example of a believer standing beside you in adversity though it cost them to do so.

YOU PUT THIS LOVE IN MY HEART

12. How much affection does Paul feel for them according to verse 8?

THE PRAYER

As Deitrich Bonhoeffer said, “It is a dangerous error to think the heart can pray by itself.” Scripture saturated prayer is the most powerful prayer in the world. Take verses 9 through 11 and pray it, here, for your sisters, as they begin this study on The Gospel According to Philippians.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY: FREE TIM KELLER SERMON

THE CHURCH PLANT AT PHILIPPI INCLUDED THREE NEW BELIEVERS: LYDIA, A WEALTHY CAREER WOMAN, A SLAVE GIRL WITH A SPIRIT OF “A PYTHON,” AND A SURLY JAILER.

Our fellowship  crosses the lines of age, race, and socio-economic standing. The church in Philippi began with a wealthy woman, a girl that is akin to a child prostitute, and a rough and cruel jailer. God moved differently with each to use His gospel to bring them into His family.

Listen: Link

13. Share your notes here.

14. How did God initially move in your life to woo you in?

Saturday

15. What is your take-a-way and why?