Category: Philippians

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Finally, Paul deals with Eudoia and Syntyche directly. He doesn’t berate, but pleads. He also asks a third person to help these two prominent women. What does Paul want? What is one point of comfort or strength you find in this passage?

SJA Notes

* Dear God, please help us understand and put into practice Your word to us today.

“… Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

These words resonate with Peter’s in 1 Peter 5, the continual casting of our anxieties on the Lord.

But – How do we cast our cares and worries, our concerns, the anxious thoughts of our heart – How do we cast them on our Lord?

With prayer!

And notice the attitude of prayer, “with thanksgiving”.

Thankfulness is a wonderful antidote that God gives us for care and worry, for anxiety.

Let us be encouraged to work hard at being thankful in our prayers as we wrestle through our concerns and cares.

* Father God,

Thank You for Jesus, through whom You saved us from the just punishment for our sin.

Thank You for loving us, caring for us.

Thank You that we have this promise of Your peace upon us, when we come to You in prayer with thanksgiving.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Where do you place your self-esteem – on who you are in Christ or in what you are in the church, in the club, at work, in society? Consider Paul’s great desire for himself in verses 10,11. He wants to live the resurrection quality of life NOW!

SJA Notes

* Loving God, please show us what You want for us to know today.

“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, …”

Look at the marks of what putting confidence in the flesh means.

Things that man considers important.

Things that are earthly and temporary, the outward appearance.

But what of confidence in the Holy Spirit?

Why would we give up and count as rubbish the things of the flesh?

To gain Christ!

To be found in Him!

His righteousness as our own, this wonderful gift of faith – so that we would KNOW JESUS!

This is what the world can never offer.

No world-view of ideology can compare. Because in Jesus we have the power of His resurrection.

So we can be encouraged and exhorted to press on toward that wonderful hope, the goal set before us, the crown of eternal life.

* Father God,

Thank You for Jesus!

We praise you, for You have given to us an inheritance that will never rust or pass away, a citizenship in heaven.

O Lord God, we look forward to that day when we are bound up with You, You dwelling with us, the heavens and earth remade.

Please write Your word upon our hearts today.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Complaint and argument come naturally to us. These are some of the things we must put off! What do people hear from you: how great your God is, or how terrible your church is or fellow believers are?

SJA Notes

* Dear God, please write Your word on our hearts today, plant it deep and grow it, that we might be good soil and bear much fruit.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, …”

We shouldn’t need to be reminded to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

But we do.

And how blessed we are to have Paul’s words here – GOD’S WORD TO US – That reminds us.

Our salvation – WORK IT OUT.

How?

With fear and trembling!

Wrestle with God’s will, work it over in our minds and hearts like a puzzle, a mystery, like a juicy plum seed, like an all-day lolly.

Keep rolling through it, keep being brought back to the realities of God’s word, keep pressing through and grab hold of the hope God has given to us.

This is the calling of every disciple of Jesus, every child of God.

To take time each day in His WORD that tells us of His salvation plan, that wonderful and full providential writing of our names in the book of life, from before the world began.

Work it out!

* Gracious Father,

Please help us to understand what it means to work out our salvation, and our faith, with fear and trembling.

Please Lord, work Your gift of faith in us, even small as a mustard seed.

Amen.