Philippians :: Week 2 :: God’s Purpose in Paul’s Imprisonment

May 27, 2011 by Patti Brown 12 Comments

I am thrilled that Katie and Lara chose Philippians for this summer’s Maximize Your Mornings bible study, and I am privileged to be able to share a few thoughts with you here.

It seems to be my year for Philippians. I started meditating and journaling on Philippians in May of 2010. In August, my children and I decided to memorize Philippians. In September our church began a study of Philippians. And now, a year later, I am still reading this little book, and still discovering new gems!

How true it is that…

…the Word of God is living and active…
Hebrews 4:12

God’s Word meets us where we are and reveals fresh truths to us every time!

If you followed along with the study plan, you have read Philippians 1:12-18 many times this week. You have looked for truths about God, Paul and your identity in Christ. You have discovered promises and commands. And you have sought God for how to apply to your own life what you have gleaned from your study of this passage.

In Chains for Christ

We learned last week that Paul was imprisoned while he was writing his letter to the Philippians. This fact is a central point of Philippians 1:12-18.

Paul has been imprisoned because He is preaching the good news about Jesus Christ …

…my imprisonment is for Christ.
Philippians 1:13b

But against all human inclination, Paul speaks of his imprisonment in nothing but positive terms…

…what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,
Philippians 1:12b

According to Paul, his imprisonment advanced the gospel not only because it received a lot of publicity (v. 13), but also by causing his brothers in Christ to trust in the Lord more fully, thereby strengthening them to speak the Word of God fearlessly (v. 14).

Sadly, some people used the situation to preach Christ for the wrong reasons (v.17) but Paul was able to see that despite their impure motives, he could still be thankful that the good news was being preached (v. 18).

Paul understood that the gospel was progressing not despite his difficult circumstances, but because of his difficult circumstances. He was not dismayed by how things appeared. Instead, Paul used his spiritual eyes to see God’s good work through his trials.

Did you notice that Paul ends this passage about his imprisonment and others’ selfish behavior by rejoicing? It will come as no surprise that when he was imprisoned in Philippi Paul spent his time singing praise songs!

Friend, are you feeling imprisoned right now? Can you, like Paul, look at your situation with spiritual eyes? Does God want you to allow Him to use your sufferings for His glory to advance the gospel?

God’s Word in Your Life

You have spent time each day studying God’s Word this week. Because His Word is living and active, what has stood out to you will be uniquely applicable to your own life. And just as Paul’s boldness in sharing his faith encouraged his fellow believers, your gleanings will bless us!

I hope you will share with us how God has spoken to your heart through Philippians 1:12-18. What new truths have you discovered? What action is God prompting you to through these verses?

Please leave us your thoughts in the comments… we look forward to hearing from you!

Philippians :: Week 1 :: Paul’s Heart

May 20, 2011 by Katie Orr 23 Comments

i usually focus on quantity: how much can i read each day. now i’m focusing on quality: how much Truth and insight can i glean from just a few verses. -Aly at The Mommy Diaries

I love this! This is our hope, that you will learn how to dwell on each verse, each word; looking and digging to find the great treasures in scripture. This study will be different than most of the other studies that you have been a part of. We certainly want to learn from Philippians, but we also want each of you to learn better how to study the Bible on your own. Instead of us simply regurgitating what we’ve learned from Philippians, we want you to find the life-changing truths from Philippians for yourself! The study guide is geared towards that end.

If you are just finding out about the study, you can read more about it here and here. Anyone is welcome to jump in any time! If you haven’t downloaded the study guide, go ahead and head over to Inspired to Action and print it out.

If you were able to follow the study guide plan this week, you should have read this passage at least eight times throughout the week. I like to think of it as putting on different glasses as you read, each time looking for something different. You may not find any “answers” to each question throughout the week, and that is fine. We are training ourselves to look for certain key elements that most passages of scripture will have.

Here are some of the truths I found in my study of Philippians 1:1-11:

What I learned about Paul

Servant. He refers to Timothy and himself as “servants of Christ Jesus.” 1:1 The greek word Paul used here is doulos: “devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests.” This certainly is echoed throughout the book of Philippians, how Paul considered himself a servant of Christ who follows the example of the ultimate servant, Jesus.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant… Philippians 2:4-7a

Thankful. “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine” 1:3-4
Prayerful. “always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy…And it is my prayer that…” 1:4, 9
Joyful. “…making my prayer with joy…“1:4 Philippians is known for the book of joy for a reason. Over and over again Paul speaks of his own joy for God’s people and His purposes. Paul later encourages the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice! (*clap* *clap*) 4:4
Confident in God. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring in to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” 1:6 Yet another theme we will see in Philippians- Paul’s confidence in the Lord and His purposes.
Affectionate. “For God is my witness how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” 1:8
Imprisoned. “…in my imprisonment” 1:7 Paul wrote Philippians, from house arrest in Rome. (See Acts 28:14-31)

What I learned about God

Source of grace. “Grace to you…from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” 1:3
Source of peace. “peace from God our Father” This is a theme that we will see more of in Philippians! “And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” 4:7 See also 4:9.
God is our Father. 1:3
Jesus is our Lord. 1:3
Whom we give thanks. 1:3
Began a good work in us. 1:6
Will complete this good work. 1:6
He knows our yearnings. “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all…” 1:8 God knew Paul’s yearning for the Philippians. He knows our hearts as well. This is the first time I have noticed this truth!
Jesus is the source of righteousness. “the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.”

What did you learn?

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the truths to be found in Philippians 1:1-11 What insights did you see? Any promises? What did you learn about your identity in Christ? What is the Lord leading you to do as a result of what you have learned?

How did you like the study guide? Do you have any questions about the passage or study guide? Did you write a post about your study this week? Leave it in the comments!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Philippians Bible Study

May 16, 2011 by Katie Orr 25 Comments

We are excited to announce our next study here at Do Not Depart…Philippians!

Each week, for the next 13 weeks, we will be studying a new passage from the book of Philippians. The most exciting thing about this is you can study on your own, alongside of us! We have put together a study guide to help you spend daily time in this book.

If you are looking for something to study this summer, we would LOVE for you to join us. This is in conjunction with Inspired to Action’s Maximize Your Mornings summer session, yet anyone is welcome to join in the Bible study.

The Plan

There are five days of simple study questions for each week’s passage. Begin each day with a short prayer, asking God to open your heart to His Word, then use the day’s questions to help you read and study the passage. Have your journal open, ready to jot down what you discover through your time of study.

Day 1: READ

Read the passage. Keep a pen and your journal handy. Write down any questions or observations you may have about the passage. Then reread the passage.

Day 2: TRUTHS

Today, with your journal and pen ready, we are going to look for specific TRUTHS in the passage. We will read the passage three times, each time answering one of the following questions:

What does this passage teach about God?
What does this passage teach about Paul?
What can I learn about my identity in Christ?

As you find truths, list them in your journal. Consider making a master list of all you learn about God, Paul, and yourself throughout the book of Philippians.

Day 3: PROMISES

Read this week’s passage and this time look for PROMISES.

As you find a promise write it out in your journal, figure out if it is a conditional or unconditional promise. A conditional promise usually contains “if…then.”
List out the conditions and what will result if those conditions are met.

Day 4: COMMANDS

Read this week’s passage. As you read, note any COMMANDS in your journal. Read the passage again, this time looking for any implied commands. We can learn much from the experiences and failures of people in the Bible. As the Word commends or disapproves of certain characteristics, we can use this as a model towards Christ-likeness.

Day 5: APPLY

Today we are going to make the passage personal through application. Journal through these questions:

How does my view of God line up with this passage’s teaching about God?
What is the Lord leading me to DO as a result of this passage?

Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to do the work in your heart so that you may walk in obedience to this passage.

UPDATE: Be sure to download the study guide, which includes the schedule and the study questions on cards you can print out to keep in your Bible! You can find the study guide over at Inspired to Action.

The Schedule

Week 1: Philippians 1:1-11 Paul’s heart for God’s people
Week 2: Philippians 1:12-18 God’s purpose in Paul’s imprisonment
Week 3: Philippians 1:19-26 Paul’s desires: God’s people and God’s presence
Week 4: Philippians 1:27-30 God’s gospel-purpose for us
Week 5: Philippians 2:1-11 Paul’s charge to unity through following the example of Christ
Week 6: Philippians 2:12-18 Paul’s charge to Word-centered obedience
Week 7: Philippians 2:19-30 Servants of the gospel (examples to follow)
Week 8: Philippians 3:1-11 The surpassing worth of Christ, our righteousness
Week 9: Philippians 3:12-21 Paul’s example: Press on toward the call of Christ
Week 10: Philippians 4:1-9 Paul’s plea: Pursue the peace of God
Week 11: Philippians 4:10-23 Paul’s contentment in God’s provision

The Result

You may not find “answers” to each of these questions each week. The point is to begin training yourself to look for truths, promises, commands and application points when you read the Bible. After walking through the book of Philippians this way, you might just be ready for another book all on your own! You will certainly encounter Jesus in a deeper way, and that is what this is all about.

If you plan to study with us, we would love to know! Just leave us a comment. We are looking forward to taking this journey with you! We will be posting each ~~Thursday~~ Friday with some insights on each passage, so be sure to stay tuned!

The Discipline of Studying

January 14, 2011 by ScriptureDig 7 Comments

Do you find it difficult to study the Word of God? Many people do. Some, because they aren’t sure where to begin, others because it seems too daunting or they think they have to develop the same study patterns as someone else – while still others struggle with the discipline necessary to make it a part of their daily walk.

But if we really understood the power of the Word of God and the benefits that are ours when we invest time in it, it would become more than a spiritual discipline, it would become as necessary to us eating. Job said, “I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.” Job 23:12

Let’s look at “why” before we look at “how.” Perhaps then we will more readily make Bible study a part of our daily spiritual disciplines.

We study the Word of God because:

The Word of God is Living, Powerful & a Discerner of Our Intents and Our Hearts:

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The fact that the Word of God is living means it can actively speak to us where we are – not matter what we are going through -God’s Word can speak to our hearts and give direction to our lives. When we place our thoughts and actions under the microscope of the Word of God, it discerns the intention of what we think and do.

The Word of God Gives Direction:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

As Christians, we aren’t left here on the planet to try to figure out how to do this thing called life on our own. God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to define and direct our lives. When we exercise the spiritual discipline of studying the Word of God we avail ourselves of the light we need for the next step and the next decision. God’s Word sheds light on our circumstances.

The Word of God Keeps Us From Sin:

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11

Sin is not as attractive or as powerful to a woman who has spent time filling her heart and mind with the Word of God. Dwight L. Moody once said, “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” The choice is ours.

The Word of God Strengthens Our Faith:

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

Oftentimes, we struggle with life as we know it because we don’t really have the faith necessary to sustain us through difficult days, painful circumstances or trying times. Sometimes, we aren’t sure we can step out in obedience to do what God calls us to because it’s beyond us – more than we think we can handle – or perhaps we think it will cost us more than we’re willing to pay. When we spend time in the Word, it strengthens our faith. It enables us to see our circumstances through the eyes of faith and it gives us the courage to act on it.

The Word of God Helps Us Know the Living God More:

“And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.” 2 Chronicles 31:21

Hezekiah made serving God, knowing and obeying the Word of God and seeking God the priority of his life. God’s Word reveals who God is. Through it, we know Him better, we know how He calls us to live, we are shown what to run to and what to run from. Like Hezekiah, we need to seek God with all of our hearts.

The study of God’s Word is a discipline that benefits us greatly. It grounds us, teaches us, challenges us, directs us and protects us. It gives us wisdom, peace and power – strength, faith and courage. It comforts our hurting hearts and brings clarity to a confusing world. Like Job, we need it more than we need food.

How Do We Study the Word of God?

There are a variety of Bible study plans available, but I’d like to give you a five-step approach to the discipline of studying the Word of God.

1. Define Your Time & Place – Although some spiritual disciplines come more easily for some than others, studying, by its very nature, requires discipline. If you don’t have a time and place, your day slips away and before you know it, your head has hit the pillow and you haven’t even opened the Word of God.

2. Have a Plan – Whether you’re planning on reading through the Bible in a year, two years or three months, have a plan that takes you through the Word of God. Give yourself enough time to not just read it but study it. Research what you don’t know or topics that may deal with your circumstances. Do word searches, topic studies or choose to study a specific book of the Bible. But whatever you do, have a plan.

3. Consider the Context – Context is key. It’s important to know who the Scripture is addressing, why, what were the historical and cultural circumstances and how can it be biblically and accurately applied in our lives.

4. What Is It Saying – Based on the context in which it was written, what is it saying?

5. What Is It Saying to Me & How Can I Apply It – As you study the Word of God, it’s important to remember it’s living. That it’s the primary way God speaks to us. So, ask yourself, what it is saying and how you can apply what it is saying to your life.

The discipline of studying God’s Word is different than the discipline of reading God’s Word. This is your time to dig deeper. You may want to add additional tools for your excavation of the Word. Tools like commentaries, concordances, biblical dictionaries and lexicons.

If you need some additional resources, you can click on the “Resources and References” link at the top of the page or the “Time in the Word” link in the Resources column on the right hand side of the page. You can also click here and read a great post by Teri Lynne on our goals for being in the Word.

As we start this new year digging the disciplines, please remember, the discipline of studying God’s Word will benefit you more than food, itself!

Do you struggle with the discipline of studying? What are you studying? How do you study the Bible?

My Time to Dig – Key Ingredients

July 12, 2010 by Stephanie Shott 13 Comments

On my recent post, How Much Time Is Enough, I mentioned some advice I had received in the early days of my Christian walk. A sweet man of God told me, “Stephanie, there’s a difference between reading God’s Word and studying it…and you need to try to do both every day.” That advice has been my quiet time filter for over 20 years.

With the exception of a few things, my quiet time hasn’t really changed much. Some of the seasons of my life have caused me to juggle my schedule and change my routine, but the key ingredients have virtually remained the same. I may have juggled the order in which they fall-I may have grown along the way, but there are five elements that have remained a constant in my quiet time over the years.

STUDY – This is my “must do” of the day. I’m a “word” girl, so I love to study the original meaning of things and expand my understanding of God’s Word. That probably explains why I love the Amplified version and why I love study books. I study words, topics, books of the Bible and characters. Most of the time I just get out my Bible, my Bible study books (some of my favorites are on an older post entitled, “Finding What I’m Looking For”) and just dig in, but other times I use a workbook. Right now, I’m going through “A Woman After God’s Own Heart” by Elizabeth George.

My study time also goes hand in hand with what I’m speaking on or writing about, so while I’m going through “A Woman After God’s Own Heart” – I’m also studying the New Testament church, character studies of moms of the Bible and the book of Philippians.

READ – I like to read through the Bible every year. I confess that I’ve never purchased a One Year Bible before, but that’s a personal preference. When I read through the Bible, I want to be able to make notes of how God speaks to me or write a prayer beside a promise and date it. I want to leave a trail in my Bible of where I’ve been and where God has led me.

I also confess that when life gets complicated and I’m on overload that the “Reading” time is the one that gets set aside for a season. Don’t get me wrong, I continue to spend time studying the Word, but when I can’t fit it all in, I set aside my reading until my life gets back on an even keel.

JOURNAL – Although I’m not really into “diary-style” journaling, I love to journal my journey through the Word. This helps me be attentive when I’m in the Word…looking for nuggets of truth and listening for His still small voice.

Each page of my journal normally contains two titles. THE WORD. PRAYER.

The Word – is where I write down insights in His Word, places where He has spoken to me, promises I’m claiming, wisdom I’m seeking, direction I’m in need of, correction I’m also in need of and moments where He has clearly made Himself known to me.

Prayer – is where I write those things that I was prompted to pray for as I was reading. Where I pray in reference to something I had just read in Scripture. Where I list a promise I’m clinging to or a praise for speaking to my heart.

PRAYER – I like to maintain a list for daily prayer. I’ve changed this up over the years as to the way I keep track of it, but I have to have a list or things fall through the crack of things “I meant to pray.” I make a list with headings like, Family, Friends, Church, Nation, Costa Rica & Panama, Pastors, Missionaries & the Persecuted Church.

DEVOTIONAL – I love to read short, challenging and encouraging devotionals. My all time favorite is My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I also like Streams in the Desert, The Daily Bread and many blogs that I subscribe to for daily devotionals. Ann Graham Lotz has a great one, as well.

Something new I’ve learned to do over the past year is to “settle” in with the Lord. I learned about it when I went through a book called Saturdays With Stella and it changed my concept of being still before God. It’s more about getting to a place where you just enjoy His presence. Nothing has to be said, nothing has to be done. Like when you sit in the room with a loved one and enjoy the sweetness of being together – silently saying “I love you.”

And when you think about it, isn’t that what our time with the Lord is all about. Through spending time in God’s Word and in prayer – we are telling Him, “I love you” and hearing Him say the same back to us.

Tell us about your quiet time with the Lord. Do you struggle with some things more than others?

Daily Time in the Word: A Recap

July 9, 2010 by ScriptureDig 2 Comments

We’ve covered a lot of ground over the past three weeks. Here is a brief summary of all our posts on this topic of developing and maintaining a daily time in the Bible.

Reading God’s Word: In this introductory post, Stephanie gave us some great questions to ask ourselves as we begin the pursuit of spending time every day in God’s Word.

Why Should We Read the Bible Anyway? Kathy reminded us of the many characteristics of the Bible and, that the bottom line is, “The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself and His ways to mankind – the very words of God ‘breathed’through divinely inspired humans (2 Timothy 3:16).”

What’s Your Goal? Breaking down five different methods of interaction with Scripture, Teri Lynne gave a descriptions of study, devotional reading, meditation, memorization, and action … as well as the goal and significance of each.

Time to Mull, Ponder, Meditate: Kathy’s excellent explanation of meditation also offered specific ideas about how to incorporate this spiritual discipline into our lives.

How Much Time is Enough? “When it comes to the time we spend in God’s Word, there is no such thing as ‘too much’ – there is no such thing as ‘too little.'” Great encouragement from Stephanie about the value of all time spent in Scripture.

Do I HAVE to Memorize? For many of us, memorizing Scripture seems out of reach and far too difficult to even attempt. Teri Lynne explains the benefits of investing time in “hiding the Word in our hearts.”

What? Me Memorize Scripture? Kathy offers some specific methods of memorization and the ways doing so benefits us in our Christian life.

How do I fit it in? part 1 Julie gives wise suggestions about making the Word of God easily accessible. Many seasons of life are particularly difficult and Julie’s practical ideas about “easy access” are very encouraging.

How do I fit it in? part 2 Julie offers more Godly counsel on the nature of our time spent in the Word. This post challenges us to consider the amount of Scripture we consume and the accountability that can help us stay on track, especially during busy times of life.

The Buddy System in Bible Study Teri Lynne looks at Proverbs 27:17 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 for guidelines in developing accountability relationships.

You can check out more resource suggestions on the Time in the Word page under Resources and References tab in the right sidebar!

Over the next few days we will be sharing about our own personal Bible study times. We will have an ongoing feature “My Time to Dig” … and we’d love for you to share with us what your quiet time involves. If you are interested, please email us at scripturedig {at} comcast {dot} net and ask for the guidelines.

What’s your goal?

June 25, 2010 by ScriptureDig 26 Comments

The Bible is to us what the star was to the wise men; but if we spend all our time in gazing upon it, observing its motions, and admiring its splendor, without being led to Christ by it, the use of it will be lost on us. Thomas Adams (1583–1652), English clergyman and religious writer

We are called to use our Bibles … our time spent in Scripture must alter us if it has truly been an encounter with God. Just as Moses’ countenance glowed upon his interaction with The I AM, so to must our light shine brighter upon our meeting with the Living God revealed through the Word.

The good news is … we are all wired differently! In our unique personality and makeup, God has created us to interact and respond to His Word in multiple ways. Each is valuable and we should all endeavor to engage in every way; but, rest assured, it is absolutely normal and appropriate that one or two of these will be more comfortable and natural to you!!

STUDY

For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. ~ Ezra 7:10, NASB

When we study God’s Word we are investing focused time in a passage, word, character or theme. Study is analytical. Study requires concentration and focus. Richard Foster explains, “In the study of Scripture a high priority is placed upon interpretation: what it means” (Celebration of Discipline, 69). This reflects back to the important truth Kristi explained, “The Bible is not about us. The Bible is about God.” Spending time studying God’s Word is our intentional determination to grow in our understanding of Him. Simply put, the primary goal of study is UNDERSTANDING.

DEVOTIONAL

The second method we use to engage in the Bible is devotional. This is perhaps the most common method. Foster contrasts devotional reading from study in this manner, “In the devotional reading of Scripture a high priority is placed upon application: what it means to me” (69). In no way is there an implication that devotional reading is not important, but we must make certain this is not the ONLY way we interact with Scripture; for in doing so, we risk losing the truth that ALL Scripture is useful (2 Timothy 3:16). The goal of devotional reading is APPLICATION.

MEDITATION

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. ~ Psalm 1:2, NASB

On Monday, Kathy will be sharing more detailed information about how to meditate. But I wanted to share with you a few thoughts. Again from Foster, “Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey His Word” (17). We have a tendency to make meditation a complex thing or something only the “super spiritual” can accomplish. Or on the flip side, we shy away from this discipline because of it’s association with eastern religions. I have heard it said that eastern meditation is the goal of emptying the mind while Christian meditation’s purpose is to fill the mind with Christ. Honestly, I believe the goal of mediation is simple: REFLECTION.

MEMORIZATION

Thy Word have I treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee. Psalm 119:11, NASB

Familiar verse to most of us … but a powerful, powerful promise! We will be digging deeper into the hows and whys of Scripture memorization next week. For today, however, it is important to understand that Scripture clearly teaches and Christ clearly models the value and necessity of embedding Scripture into our hearts and minds. Memorizing Scripture helps us achieve the goal of DISCIPLINE. Within this goal, we find that we are more self-controlled in our actions and protected from temptation to sin.

ACTION

But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. ~ James 1:22, NASB

Clearly, we must be focused on DOING what Scripture teaches. For if we spend hours in study, delight in meditation, engage in devotional reading, and memorize countless passages but never DO anything in response, we have not truly encountered the Living Word of God. We must be changed and compelled into action – whether in our thoughts and motives or our actions and mannerisms – spending time in the Word must lead us to OBEDIENCE!

Which of these five comes most easily to you? Which is most difficult?

Sources for Further Reading or Reference:

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas (a great resource for understanding how you are wired to interact with God)

Seeking the Face of God by Gary Thomas

Intimate Faith: A Woman’s Guide to the Spiritual Disciplines by Jan Winebrenner