a.        Life presents itself as a series of tasks

                                                               i.      The things we do mindlessly are just “things that happen”

                                                              ii.      The things that are hard we call trials or temptations

1.       For some people the first trial of the day is just getting out of bed

2.       Taking care of ourselves, commuting, work and school, other people

3.       Really hard things like being betrayed, loss, death

2.       A lot of times we look at our life and complain about the thing we are going though

a.        The hard things in life we have to deal with

b.       The temptations that are too strong

c.        We need to accept the circumstances we constantly find ourselves in

                                                               i.      God has yet to bless anyone except for where they actually are

1.       We don’t have to go somewhere else or change who we are

2.       He is going to work and bless us wherever we are

3.       If we look at every situation and say “God isn’t in this” or “can’t work here”

a.        We will never see him move in our lives.

3.       Look at Romans 5:1-5

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Time in Small Groups (15-20 Minutes)

4.       We need to be able to look at trials as a place where we experience and find God

a.        We don’t want to try and put ourselves into  a position to avoid trials

b.       We also don’t want to pretend like it is the “end of the world” when things happen

c.        We need to see every event or situation as an occasion to see God

                                                               i.      The competence of and faithfulness of God will be confirmed

d.       James 1:2-4 (Willard) “Regard it as most joyous occasion when the various kinds of trials hit you. For you know that when your confidence in God is put to practical tests it results in the ability to stay with things – patience. And when your capacity to stay with things is fully developed you will be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.”

5.       In order to make it through with the challenges of everyday life, we need more than all this

a.        We need the other two points of the triangle

                                                               i.      Constant moving of the spirit accompanying us

1.       Allowing us to see Christ and His Kingdom

2.       Working in us to make us more like Christ

                                                              ii.      Incorporate “spiritual disciplines” in our overall life plan

Small Group Questions

1.       Read Romans 5:3-5

a.        Define Suffering, Perseverance, Character, Hope

                                                               i.      How do they each lead to the next one?

                                                              ii.      Why do we want any of these?

b.       Why does hope not disappoint? (Because it comes from God, and God does not disappoint.)

2.       Read 1 Corinthians 10:13

a.        How does God know what is common to man? (Hint: Hebrews 4:15-16)

b.       What does God promise when we are tempted? (No more than we can bear, always a way out)

c.        Is this encouraging, discouraging, or both?

a.       His role is the key to the entire process

2.       The function of the holy spirit

a.       First: To move in our minds and our souls to present Jesus and the reality of his kingdom

                                                               i.      Through the gospel in contrast to the realities life without God

                                                             ii.      Only able to believe Jesus is the one by the spiritual movements of God

1.       1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”

2.       John 3:5 “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.’”

b.      Then: After we receive new life, the spirit works in us to enable us to become Christlike

                                                               i.      Transforms our minds to think like Christ

1.       Philippians Chapter 2 tells us what that is

                                                             ii.      Gives us the fruits of the spirit act like Christ

1.       Galatians 5:22-26 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

3.       Most people tend to focus on one part or the other

a.       Focus only on the gifts of the Spirit

                                                               i.      Think we don’t have to do anything, it will all be taken care of

b.      Focus on our part

                                                               i.      We can work at it hard enough and do it on our own

c.       Need to remember it is a balance

                                                               i.      Part of it is in our control

1.       How we react to Tests and Trials in our Life

2.       Planned Disciplines

                                                             ii.      We can’t do it without God

1.       John 15:5 “apart from me you can do nothing.”

Small Group Questions: Re-read Galatians 5:22-26

1.       Describe in your own words what each of the fruits of the spirit mean.

a.       Which fruits of the spirit do you feel like you already have?

b.      Which fruits of the spirit do you not have or not want? Why?

c.       Are there any fruits that you feel like you don’t ever really need? Why?

2.       What does it mean to crucify our “sinful nature?” (Hint: Galatians 2:20)

3.       How do we “keep in step with the spirit?” (Hint: Psalm 32:8-10, )

4.       Why does Paul warn us against “provoking and envying each other?” (Hint: Galatians 5:13-15)

a.       That is why we are here

                                                               i.      Be together in community (encouragement, accountability, love)

                                                             ii.      Grow closer to Christ personally

b.      Hopefully that is why you are here

2.       Need a model for spiritual growth

a.       The Golden Triangle – “Divine Conspiracy” by Dallas Willard

b.      Different parts that have to work together for spiritual growth

                                                               i.      The Action of the Holy Spirit

                                                             ii.      Ordinary Events of Life

                                                            iii.      Planned Disciplines to put on a New Heart

c.       Holding everything together is being Centered on the Mind of Christ

                                                               i.      Colossians 3:1-2 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

1.       Our hearts and minds should be set on Christ, not on the garbage that we world is telling us.

                                                             ii.      Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

1.       His yoke is the things he is teaching, a new way of thinking and living

2.       He wants us to learn how we are supposed to live

3.       In order for everything to hold together, we need Christ at the center

a.       Our heads and hearts are holding us back

                                                               i.      Romans 1:20-25 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.”

b.      God promises us a new heart

                                                               i.      Ezekiel 36:26 “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.”

                                                             ii.      2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

1.       God has promised us a new heart if we are in Christ

c.       We need Christ

                                                               i.      Romans 3:22-24 “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

1.       Justified – brought into right relationship with God

2.       Redeem – To pay off, buy back, or to clear a debt by payment.

Small Group Questions:

1.       Romans 1:20-25 says our hearts (feelings) and our heads (thoughts) get in the way of us being centered on the mind of Christ. What are some feelings or thoughts that get in your way?
(Ex. Doubts. What kind of doubts? Feeling alone. Why do you feel that way?)

2.       2 Corinthians 5:17 says we will be a new creation. What parts of you would you trade in as part of being created new? What parts would you have trouble letting go?

3.       Reread Romans 3:22-24. Put it in your own words. Do you really believe what Paul is saying? What parts do you struggle to understand. How can really believing this help us to be centered on the mind of Christ?

Background: In Jesus’ time, Jews and Samaritans did not like each other to the extent of having no interaction whatsoever. If a Jew interacted with a Samaritan, they were considered “unclean”.

There were three different routes Jesus could have taken from Judea to Galilee. (Judea was a land where Jews lived and Galilee where Gentiles lived so in Jesus’ going from one to the other he was bringing the news to gentiles since the Jews rejected his teaching) only one road went through Samaria, and it was the shortest route, but no Jew would ever go through Samaria, so the Lord going through there meant He knew the woman would be there and believe.

It was very uncommon for a woman to go get water so late in the afternoon, but she lived a sinful life and went at that time to avoid judgment from others.

v.23 “in spirit and in truth” Jesus was rebuking both Jews and Samaritans here. Jews worshipped on the outside with no connection to the heart (spirit), and the Samaritans worshipped what was untrue (truth).

*Jesus always encounters someone when He travels

*Jesus asks her about her husband because people need to acknowledge they’re sinful before they can be given a new life (no need= no need for a savior)

*The woman was missing the truth about Jesus because of a respect for the past. Things we grew up believing can sometimes get in the way of our perception of Jesus.

Questions:

1) What does it show you about Jesus that he would ask for a drink from the woman (v.7-9)?

2) What is the “water” in your life? What do you keep going to hoping to fill you (v 13-14)?

3) Why would Jesus ask about her husband when he knew her situation (v.16)?

4) Why is it significant that the woman left her water jar (v 28)? What do you need to leave behind?

5) Why did the people believe the woman (v. 39)?

Ending point v. 35b/ 39-42–Nobody can argue what God has done in your life. The harvest is ready. Go out and live a life to show what He has done in yours. People will be curious. The closer they get to Jesus, the more they’ll see his truth. Same with us.

1. Chapter 1 talks about Paul’s situation. Though he is in prison, he is still doing his best to be faithful to his calling.
2. Beginning of Chapter 2 Paul talks about imitating Christ humility.
   1. Humility – A quality by which a person considering his own defects has a humble opinion of himself and willingly submits himself to God and to others for God’s sake.”
3. Middle of Chapter 2 Paul talks about working out your faith and also standing out like stars in the dark sky because   of the life we choose to live.
4. The end of chapter 2 discusses the character of Epaphroditus and how he was Paul’s brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, and messenger. He had a servant’s heart and was one of the only ones who stood by Paul’s side till the end.
5. The beginning of Chapter 3 talks about the difference between having “confidence in the flesh” and confidence in Christ no matter the obstacles and hardships because life with Christ is always better than life without Him.
6. The end of Chapter 3 talks about “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” as we seek to draw closer to God and serve him and people.

Read Philippians 4:1-23

Chapter 4 focuses on Paul wrapping up his letter to the people of Philippi. He begins by telling them how dear they are to him in verse 1. The message version says it like this “My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God.”  Even though Paul is urging them to press on and be faithful, he is telling them not in a judgmental or critical way; he is pleading with them to pursue hard after Christ because he loves them so dearly. He just wants them to live life to the full and in doing so glorify God.

In verse 2, it’s interesting that Paul seems to be mentioning a personal fight between Euodia and Syntyche. He isn’t calling them out and trying to shame them, but rather he acknowledges that they are his fellow workers and that his concern is genuine. Notice he doesn’t choose a side or preach about what is right or wrong; he merely these women and others who know them to help them resolve their disagreement.  Pau’s concern is like Christ’s concern for us in that he is not just worried with the big issues of the heart like being faithful in times of trouble, but also the smaller, but just as important, concerns like a fight between friends.

Questions to read and reflect on your own:

1. What does it look like to rejoice in the Lord looks like? When is it easier or harder for you to rejoice or be glad or joyful in Him? (verse 1)

2.  What are things that you are or have been anxious about before? Why does it make you anxious or what about it makes you worried or scared? What does Paul urge us to do instead of dwell and worry about things? (verse 6) ?

3. The Message Version of the Bible says verses 6&7 like this…

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

When is a time you have felt this kind of peace before? If you haven’t, what is holding you back?

4. In verses 8-9, what are the things that you feel are easy or you usually think about? What are the things that are harder or you forget to think about? Why do you think he asks us to make an effort to think about these things?

5. Read verse 13. What areas or situations do you need the strength of God to help you? Why might it look like to rely on God’s strength and not your own? What are practical ways that you could do this, or how might this look?

I pray that God would help you “Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves.”

Questions:
1) What significance does verse 12 have? How does it make you feel?
2) Why is it important to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead (v13)?
3) What does Paul mean in verse 16? Do you do a good job of this? Read Luke 8:18, how does this verse relate?
4) Do you have people in your life like Paul talks about in verse 17? If so, do you follow their example?
5) Why does it make a difference where we consider our citizenship to be? (verse 20)
6) Did anything else stand out to you when you read it? What did?

1.      Where are some areas of my life where I have “confidence in the flesh,” or can think I am better than someone else?

2.      Read verse 8.  What would it look like to consider everything a loss for Christ? In what ways would my life be different?

3.      Read verse 10.  What did it mean for Paul to share in Christ’s sufferings? (What are some ways that Paul suffered for the Gospel?)

4.      What does it mean for me today to suffer for the Gospel?

5.      What else stuck out to you in these verses?

1.        Chapter 1 talks about Paul’s situation. Though he is in prison, he is still doing his best to be faithful to his calling.

2.        Beginning of Chapter 2 Paul talks about imitating Christ humility.

a.        Humility – A quality by which a person considering his own defects has a humble opinion of himself and willingly submits himself to God and to others for God’s sake.”

3.        Middle of Chapter 2 Paul talks about working out your faith and also standing out like stars in the dark sky because of the life we choose to live.

Read Philippians 2:19-30

Now, after some really deep teaching, Paul gives us the travel plans of two of his friends. Why would he stick this right in the middle of some really deep theological teaching? Why can’t we just skip this and go on to the really good stuff?

I think it is because Paul wants to give us real life examples of the life he is talking about. It sounds impossible to live the way he is trying to convince us is the best way to live. God gave us Christ to show us what his original plan was supposed to be. Now Paul is doing the same thing with Timothy and Epaphroditus to show the people in Philippi a living example.

A few things to know about these two guys.

Timothy: he helped to found the Church at Philippi and was instrumental in the spiritual growth of its people, he worked alongside Paul for 10 years, and he was very timid and wasn’t known for his courage.

Epaphroditus: he was a member of the church in Philippi, he traveled 700 miles to bring Paul some money and to help him while he was in prison, through all the travel he got sick and almost died, and he was sick long enough that the news traveled 700 miles back to Philippi.

Small Group Questions:

1.        What are three of Timothy’s character traits that Paul points out in this section?

a.        He genuinely cares for people (v. 20)

b.        He lived sacrificially, wasn’t self absorbed (v. 21)

c.        He proved himself over a long period of time (v. 22)

2.        Why is it important that Paul says that Timothy is like a son to him in his work? (v. 22)

a.        In New Testament times, a son who served his father did so to learn the family trade. Serving in this way meant learning all about the business and being willing to obey the teacher in order to become as skillful as possible in the work.

3.        What are the four titles that Paul gives Epaphroditus? What does each one say about Epaphroditus and what Paul though of him? (v. 25)

a.        Brother – They are brothers in Christ, Christ is their common origin.

b.        Fellow Worker – They are equals in the work of the Gospel.

c.        Fellow Soldier – The title of fellow soldier was given only to those who had fought honorably alongside another, Paul was giving him high praise for his faithful service.

d.        Messenger – He was willing to do common tasks and not be in the spotlight, humility.

4.        Why was Epaphroditus sick?

a.        It is not a punishment or because of his sin, because of his work for the Lord. (v.30)

b.        It is not always God’s will to heal instantly and miraculously

                                                               i.      Jesus and Paul have both healed people, but not outside the will and timing of God

c.        Healing is a mercy from God and not something we can demand from Him (v. 27)

5.        How can we apply what we learned about their character to your daily lives?

Large Group Discussion:

Paul lists 26 people by name in Romans 16 who cared for him while he was in prison. But only two of them came though. They all loved God and they all loved Paul. But in v. 21 he says “For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” Maybe their schedules got in the way. Maybe they were too busy. Maybe they had other concerns. Maybe they were too ambitious. They ended up letting Paul down. They were more interested in their own affairs than in what matters to Jesus Christ.

1.        What are the things that matter to Christ?

2.        What are the things in our life that we put in front that?

a.       What does it mean to work out our salvation with “fear and trembling?”

b.      Why is it important to remember that “it is God who works” in us?

c.       How does being “blameless and pure” make you “shine like stars?”

                                                               i.      What kind of life is he calling us to?

                                                             ii.      What does he ask us to hold out?

                                                            iii.      How do we do this in our daily lives?

Read Phillipians 2:1-11

verse 1–according to paul, what should we find in encouragement in? comfort in? fellowship in? (united in christ, his love, the holy spirit)
           — do you always feel or think this way? or is this a new idea?
           — how do you think it works? or what does that look like to be encouraged by being united with christ, etc?
          — remembering what we’ve learned about the author, paul, and his situation as he writes this letter do you think it gives this passage more meaning, or perspective? if so, how?
verse 2 — what do you think being “like-minded” means?  (my study note says “not uniformity in thought, but the common disposition to work together and server one another–the attitude of “Christ”)
verse 3–my study note says that “selfish ambition and vain conceit” are “the mortal enemies of unity and harmony in the church”–do you think this is true? how so?
           –its important to notice that paul is calling us to get rid of one behavior or mindset and asks us to replace it with another, what is the replacement attitude?
           — what do you think humility is and why or why not is it easy to have this attitude?
verse 4–what is paul calling us to do here?
           –note that it says “not only to your own interests” my study note says “these are proper, but only if there is equal concern for the interests of others” do you think that you always look to the
             intrests of others too? why or why not?
verse 5 –why do you think paul says “attitude” instead of “actions”? how do you feel about that?
            — what do you think Christ’s attitude is?
verse 6 and 7– try to reread this and put it into your own words. (this is how the message reads if it helps…5-8Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.)
                — what part of these two verses speaks to you the most or maybe even confuses you?
                 — “made him self nothing” (translates literally into “emptied himself” ) and “taking the very nature of a servant”  what do you think it means when it says he took the nature of a servant?
                –what does that look like for him? for you?
verse 8 –Jesus first humbled himself and then from that came obedience, what do you think it means to humble yourself to the point of obedience, what does that look like or how do you think that works?
            –death on a cross at that point was considered the most degrading kind of execution that could be inflicted on a person. why or how do you think that Jesus endured such an awful death?
            –what do you think or feel about that?
verse 9- 11 –Jesus went from being born in a lowly manger, to dying on a rugged cross to being exalted to the highest place. what do you think about that? about the power of God?
So. now. –what do you think now about what it means to have the “same attitude as Jesus”?
              –do you find any comfort or encouragement or love in what you have read and discussed in phillipians?
              — how do you think you can humble yourself? what does that look like?
             — where do you think God is calling you to be obedient, and what does that look like? what can help you be obedient?
 any additional questions or thoughts?