A Worthy Life

Introduction:

A Worthy Life (Philippians 1:27-29):

1. Stand firm in Unity . (Phil 1:27)

   Phil 2:3-4 - Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

2. Have no Fear . (Phil 1:28)

   Isaiah 41:10 - Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

   Phil 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus.

3. Receive the Gift of Suffering. (Phil 1:29)

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Small Group Discussion
Read Phil 1:27-29

1. What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
   

2. We’re called to strive in unity with fellow believers. Read Philippians 2:3-4. In light of this verse, what specifically is keeping you from striving in unity with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? What can you do, or what do you need to change over the next month to improve in this area? Be specific.
   

3. We’ve all experienced fear, but let’s encourage one another on this one. Share a time in your life when you experienced the emotion of fear, but you trusted God and saw Him deliver you from your fears. How did you do this, and what was the result?
   

4. Read Acts 5:41. Have you accepted your free gift of suffering and rejoiced that you have been counted worthy to suffer for his name? Or are you rejecting the gift and replacing the rejoicing with anger, frustration, and desperation. Be honest. Be specific.
   

Breakout
Take time to lift each member of your group up in prayer specifically about what they’ve shared this evening.

Jesus' Christmas Presence: An Example - He Gives a New Attitude

Introduction:

4 Things the Incarnation Teaches Us About Selflessness (Philippians 2:5-11):

1. Selflessness starts in the Mind . (Phil 2:6)
2. Selflessness is a matter of Identity . (Phil 2:7)
3. Selflessness shows up in Action . (Phil 2:8)
4. Selflessness leads to Glory . (Phil 2:9-11)

   Matthew 23:12 - Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

   Luke 14:11 - For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

   Luke 18:14 - For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

   1 Peter 5:6 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

   James 4:10 - Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

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Small Group Discussion
Read Philippians 2:5-11

1. What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
   

2. Have you ever felt like some job at the church was “beneath you”? What does God becoming man teach you about how we view any job at the church?
   

3. Have you ever felt like you have served too much or given too much? What does the incarnation teach us about how far we should be willing to serve and give?

Breakout
Pray for one another.

Why Don't You Grow Up?

Introduction:

Why Don't You Grow Up?
(Philippians 3:12-4:1)

1. Growing up involves Exertion . (Phil 3:12-14)
   1. Why we must grow: Jesus has Ahold of us .
   2. How we must grow: By Forgetting and Striving .

2. Growing up involves right Thinking and careful Imitation. (Phil 3:15-18)

   See: Matthew 19:16, 17b-22   |   1 Corinthians 6:12   |   1 Corinthians 10:23

3. Growing up involves glorious Transformation . (Phil 3:18-21,4:1)

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Small Group Discussion
Read Philippians 3:12-4:1

1. What is one thing that God revealed to you personally during the sermon?
   

2. Do you pursue Jesus as zealously as you once pursued sin? Why is it difficult for us to do that?
   

3. What comes to mind when you think of maturity? What do you think of Jesus’s perspective on maturity (Matthew 19:22)?
   

4. It was said during the message that a good starting point for evaluating what we value is that “everything is crap” and “everything about us and our values is wrong.” What do you think about those statements?
   

5. What does the process of sorting through your values look like for you? (1 Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23)?

Breakout
Pray for one another.

Is Christ Enough?

Introduction:

The Path to Significance: Three Questions to Answer With Christ. (Philippians 3:7-16):

1. What's important to me? Knowing Christ. (Phil 3:7-8)
2. Who am I? Righteous in Christ. (Phil 3:9-11)
3. What's my purpose in life? Becoming Like Christ. (Phil 3:12-16)

John 17:17 - Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Romans 15:16 - ...sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

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Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Philippians 3

1. Honesty time: for you, what would you naturally want to find your significance (sense of self-worth) in?
   How does that compare with knowing Christ, according to Paul (Phil 3:8)?

2. According to Phil 3:15 (and previous the 3 verses Phil 3:11-14), what is "mature thinking" regarding pursuing Christ-likeness? What specifically would be "immature thinking"?

3. You can't make yourself grow, but you can do things to put yourself in a position to maximize your growth. What are the things you can do to help your growth?

Breakout Questions:

Pray for one another to be full of God, not full of ourselves. 

The Secret of Contentment

What do I need to learn about contentment?

1. Contentment is trusting God’s Timing. (Phil 4:10)


2. Contentment has nothing to do with my Circumstances. (Phil 4:11-12)


3. Contentment is resting in the strength of Christ. (Phil 4:13)

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Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Philippians 4:10-23

Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.