Philippians 1:12-19

Read through Philippians 1:12-19. Remember that Paul is imprisoned in Rome, not because of any crime, but because of his faith in Christ. As you read, jot down any questions you have or any details that stand out.

A Closer Look:
Observation #1: Paul is a prisoner and was constantly guarded by a soldier.

• They say that each guard was with him for six hours. That’s up to four different guards every day.
• Does it surprise you that Paul is leading the guards to Christ? Think back to Acts 16… Paul led the jailer and his entire family to Christ.

Observation #2: Paul was able to encourage the Christians in Rome.

• Paul’s example – his perseverance and joy, even while he was a prisoner – encouraged the Christians in Rome to share the Gospel.
• When Paul wrote that the Roman Christians were telling others about Christ, the phrase refers to an “everyday conversation,” not to preaching.

Observation #3: Paul wasn’t the only one preaching and teaching in Rome.

• Some people continued Paul’s work and preached the Good News in order to lead others to Christ.
• There were also some people who preached the Good News with selfish motives. Yet, even though these people had selfish motives, Paul still rejoiced at the outcome – people were coming to Christ.

Read through Philippians 1:12-19 again.

Even though Paul was illegally arrested and put in prison, even though he had been in prison for over two years, even though people in Rome were preaching the Good News with selfish motives… still Paul rejoiced. His focus was on helping people come to Christ. That’s all that mattered to him.

Questions:

1. Based on what we’ve read about Paul so far (in Acts 16 and in Philippians 1:1-19), how would you describe him? What stands out about him?
2. Imagine what it must have been like to be the guard, chained to Paul for six hours… as Paul writes letters to the believers in other cities, as he visits with people in Rome, as he prayed and sang hymns. What would be going through your mind? What questions would you want to ask him?
3. The believers in Rome shared Christ through their everyday conversations. How comfortable would you be talking about Christ to your friends? to the people you work with? to your family?
4. Verse 19 shows us that Paul counted on the prayers of the Philippian believers. Do you believe it’s important to pray for other people? How do you feel when you know that others are praying for you?
5. What can we learn about God from this passage?

Challenge: Read through Acts 21:17-28:31 to learn more about how Paul ended up as a prisoner in Rome. As you read, make a timeline – list the city where Paul is at, the major events that happened while he was there, and the people that he encounters.

(Feel free to comment and discuss this passage of Scripture by clicking on the “comments” link below.)

Big Stuf Countdown

ONLY 32 HOURS UNTIL WE LEAVE FOR BIG STUF! YEAH!!!

A great time!

Thanks to everyone who came out and joined us at Winona Lake Park last night. I hope that everyone enjoyed the full contact volleyball game! We have another gathering on the calendar for July 11th. I hope that everyone will come out and check it out. Have a great day! Only 57.5 hours until we leave for Big Stuf!

Tomorrow Night @ WInona Lake Park

Hey everyone! Don't forget about tomorrow night at Winona Lake Park. Mo and I are hosting a gathering to play some games and just hang out from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. If you have any question please just let us know. Have a great day! - Evan

Philippians 1:1-11

Read through Philippians 1:1-11. Keep in mind what had happened during Paul’s trip to Philippi: he was beaten, illegally arrested, and humiliated before the people there. As you read, jot down any questions you have or any details that stand out.

A Closer Look:
Observation #1: Paul is writing to the believers of Philippi, including the “elders and deacons.” What does this tell us?

• That the believers had continued to gather together, even after Paul and Silas left Philippi
• That the “gathering” started to resemble what we know as “church” – deacons were responsible for the upkeep of the building/home where the people met for prayer
• That the church in Philippi was growing – there are at least two elders and at least two deacons (churches add staff as the congregation grows)

Observation #2: Paul refers to the Philippians as “partners in spreading the Good News about Christ.” What does this mean?

• “Partners” is a word that describes people who contribute financially
• The believers of Philippi had sent supplies to Paul when he was in prison (see Philippians 4:14-19)
• Since the church at Philippi was growing, it’s also logical to conclude that they had been sharing the Good News with others in their community

Observation #3: Paul prays for the Philippian believers. What does he pray for?

• Love – “that your love for each other will overflow more and more”
• Knowledge – “that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding”
• Wisdom – “I want you to understand what really matters”
• Character – “that you may live pure and blameless lives”
• Fruit of the Spirit – that “you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation…”

Read through Philippians 1:1-11 again.

Questions:

1. How would you describe the Philippian believers now? Do they remind you of anyone you know?
2. Have you ever had someone contribute financially to a mission trip or camp for you? How did that gift help you? (Go ahead and write them a thank-you note!)
3. Paul mentions the “fruit of salvation”, which points us to the “fruit of the Spirit.” Read through Galatians 5:22-23. Are these “fruits” showing up in your life? Read through John 15 to find out how to “bear fruit.”
4. What can we learn about God from this passage?

Challenge: Pray through Philippians 1:9-11 every day this week. Pray for love, knowledge, wisdom, character, and the fruit of the Spirit – not only in your life, but in the lives of others. Include your family members, your friends, your small group leaders, your teachers, your youth pastors, etc.

(Feel free to comment and discuss this passage of Scripture by clicking on the “comments” link below.)

Calendar Update

Hey everyone! Here is a up on the upcoming events we have planned.

June 20th - Get together at Winona Lake Park! - We are getting everyone together on June 20th for a time of fun at the Volleyball courts at Winona Lake park from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Everyone is invited. We hope to see you there!

Big Stuf - Only 9 days just we leave for Big Stuf! I hope you are packed and ready.

July 11 - Get together at Winona Lake Park from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

July 18 - Get together at Winona Lake Park from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Camp With An Impact - Only 39 more days until CWAI begins!

Introduction to Philippians

The book of Philippians is actually a letter written by Paul to the Christians who lived in a city called Philippi, in Macedonia. We can read about Paul's visit to the Philippians in Acts 16:11-40.

Four KEY EVENTS that happened during Paul’s visit to Philippi:
1. Lydia (a businesswoman) was the first one to convert to Christianity. She provided a place for Paul and Silas to stay.
2. Paul and Silas cast a demon out of a young slave girl. Because of this, they were mobbed, beaten, and thrown into prison.
3. Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from prison, which caused the jailor and his entire family to believe in Christ.
4. City officials begged Paul and Silas to leave the city in order to avoid more trouble, so they went to the city of Thessalonica instead.

A summary of their trip to Philippi? In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul writes, "You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there" (1 Thessalonians 2:2). Yet it was still one of Paul's favorite cities, and he was able to stop by again a little bit later (Acts 20:6; see also 1 Corinthians 16:5-6 and 2 Corinthians 7:5).

It wasn't long before Paul was placed in a Roman prison. While he was there, the Philippians sent a man named Epaphroditus to visit him and give him some basic necessities and supplies. Even though the Philippians were generally poor, they were generous in their gifts and were actually the only church to send supplies to Paul during his imprisonment. After receiving these supplies, Paul writes a letter to send back to them.

That letter is what we know as the book of Philippians.

Go ahead and read through Acts 16:11-40 to get a grasp of Paul's trip to Philippi and his relationship to the believers there.

Questions:

1. How would you describe the Philippian believers?
2. How are you like the Philippian believers? How are you different?
3. What do you think about how Paul and Silas responded to being mobbed and attacked (i.e., singing while sitting in prison)?
4. How do you respond when others “attack” you for the things that you do?
5. What can we learn about God from this passage?

Challenge: Read through Acts 16:11-40 every day this week. Each day, try to read it from a different person’s perspective: Paul, Lydia, the slave girl/fortune-teller, the men who owned the slave girl, and the jailer. Imagine what it must have been like for each individual to go through that experience.

(Feel free to comment and discuss this passage of Scripture by clicking on the “comments” link below.)

ONE Recap

What an amazing night! I hope everyone enjoyed the music of the David Stone Band. It was really cool to see students on stage leading us in worship. I was also glad that we got to welcome the new 7th graders tonight. Hopefully they liked what they experienced and will join us again in the future. The next ONE is on July 8th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. Mark it down on your calendars. Don't forget that we are getting together on June 20th at Winona Lake Park. It will be a lot of fun. Check back for updates on the summer calendar. Have a great week! - Evo

Bible Study Series

On Monday, June 11, we will be starting a Bible Study Series on the book of Philippians. I hope that you will follow along with the series and feel free to post your thoughts and comments as we encounter God's Word together.

Why should we study the Bible? Because God is inviting you to know Him. One way we do that is through reading and studying the Bible. And, let's be honest... a lot of times it's easier to study the Bible with others than on our own.

So let's use this blog as a place to chat about what we're learning. Let's figure out what we can learn about God...

Who Are You Looking At?

These past few weeks, I have thinking about the story of David and Goliath (see 1 Samuel 17.32-51). David, a little shepherd boy who was bringing his brothers some food, volunteered to fight against a Philistine giant named Goliath. That in itself is an amazing thought, considering that everyone else in his country was trembling in fear and running away.

But there's more. As David stood against the giant, he wasn't focusing on the fact that Goliath was over nine feet tall, or that Goliath was strong enough to carry more than 125 pounds in armor alone. David was focusing on God.

• "This is the Lord's battle."
• "The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!"
• "Today the Lord will conquer you."

It is clear that David is focusing on God, trusting Him to win this battle. I only wish that I had the same focus when I fight my own battles.

Granted, I don't have any real-life Goliaths that I'm fighting; there's no giant who is threatening my life. But I do have other "Goliaths" - a conflict with a friend, problems at school. Can you think of any "Goliaths" in your life? Maybe dealing with gossip or depression, loneliness or a bully.

If you're anything like me, you get caught up in focusing on your problem instead of looking to God and His strength, power, and love.

There's quite a difference. When I stare at Goliath, I see my weakness, my inadequacy. When I stare at Goliath, I am paralyzed in fear. Just like the Israelites, I find myself hearing his challenge to fight, and I run away.

But when I look into the eyes of God, I see love and encouragement. When I look into the eyes of God, I find strength and perseverence. I am able to stand firm in His Truth. Because I know that He has already won the fight.

Who are you looking at - your "Goliath", or your God? I urge you to follow David's example and focus your eyes on God, trusting Him to bring about the victory...

ONE this Weekend!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to remind everyone that we do have ONE this weekend. It will start at 7:00 pm at the Main Campus and it will end at 8:30 pm. During the school year ONE ended at 9:00 pm so please make sure if you are getting picked up that your ride knows it is 8:30 and not 9:00. If you have any questions please let us know. Have a great day! - Evo

Countdown to Big Stuf

Only 23 more days until we leave for Big Stuf! Are you ready? You should start packing now.