Philippians: A Journey Toward Humble Joy, Part 2
Paul’s opening prayer in his letter to Philippians leads us to great depth regarding the qualities of true Christ-followers.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR SHEPHERD GROUPS
- From last week's questions – were you able to reach out to a specific person in fellowship? Give a report of what happened.
- What is one thing from this teaching that you hope to discuss as a group?
- Pastor Mike said, "Love is a distinguishing mark of a true Christ-follower. " What do you think of when you think of "love"? How would you define "love"?
- Read and discuss Philippians 1:1-11. What themes do you see in these verses? What do you note about Paul's prayer at the end of this section? What is he praying for? Why does he pray for these specific things?
- What do you tend to pray most about?
- What is "the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ" that Paul includes in his prayer (v. 11)?
- Why do you trust the Bible? How have you experienced knowledge and depth of insight from the Scriptures?
- Are there some areas of your life where you need to move toward "pure and blameless" (v. 10)? How might the gospel empower you to growth in these areas?
- In light of Paul's prayer, share prayer requests and spend some time in prayer for the areas in question 8, using the themes you've identified from Paul's prayer in Philippians 1.