Philippians for Tweens - Week Six

You are doing a great job keeping up with this study! I hope the fruit of consistent Bible study is showing up in your life right now!

MondayRead verse one below.
Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

Paul is referring to not being tired of telling them how to live a life worthy of the gospel. He also does not tire of telling them about the gospel. The gospel is the good news that Jesus came and lived a sinless life then died on the cross for our sin, on the third day He then rose to life. When He did this He defeated the enemies work and set us free. We can put our hope in this good news everyday. We must believe this good news of what Jesus has done for us everyday! When Jesus said, it is finished He meant it. All that needed to be done to make us right with God has been done. Can you trust that?

When you sin, can you confess it and admit you are desperate for a Savior. Can you remember He is at work in you? Can you thank Him for the grace He pours out on you daily? He has completed everything that needed to be done. We just have to trust it and He opens our heart to do so. Isn't that amazing! We should never tire of hearing it! As we ponder the cross and what He has done for us it should take our breath away. He loves us enough to trade His perfect standing with our marred one. Now that is love!

Another point is that we need to remember this to keep our faith safe. It will help us not to turn away when we see daily what He has done for us. When we consider and ponder it it helps us to not lose heart.

Think About ItHave you ever considered the length that Christ went to save you? Why or why not?
Take time to thank Him now! It is so amazing that even the angels long to look into it. We will never stop learning what it means to live in that good news day by day. As we grasp it more and more God sets our hearts more free in HIM. Now that is good news!

Tuesday 
Read verses 2-3

"Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort"

Paul is warning them here to be on guard. Watch out for people who will tell you that Jesus is not enough. They are people who will tell you to be right with God you need to have Jesus and be good or have Jesus and pray alot or many other things. They are stomping on the grace of God. We are saved by His grace alone. We trust in what Jesus did on our behalf and nothing else. 

In Paul's day the Jewish people were to be circumcised of their flesh. This was a sign of a true believer. However, many people came to believe in Christ who were not circumcised and there were teachers who were saying they needed to be circumcised to be authentic Christians. 

Paul's argument is that believers are of a circumcised heart. We get a new and pliable heart when we belong to God and that is enough. Believing in what He did on our behalf is enough. Essentially we need Jesus plus nothing else. 

Think About ItDo you have to go to church to be saved? Though church is a good thing that helps all believers and something that God desires for us the answer is no. We are not saved by anything we do.

If you are good enough will you get into Heaven? No. The Bible says no one is righteous. Only Through Christ can we be acceptable to God.

Do you try to add anything to your salvation? All we need is Jesus, we need to trust in His finished work on our behalf. Now there is nothing wrong with going to church or doing good works. In fact they are good and needed things but they will not aid in your salvation. It is through grace in Christ alone.

WednesdayRead verses 4-6
^"though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault." 

<sup>This section is Paul telling us what his pedigree is. If there was anyone to take pride in all they achieved in his time it was Paul. He was among the strictest sect of religion. He was greatly obedient to the law of the Lord. He even hurt Christians because he believed they were wrong in their beliefs while he was right as a Jew. He was circumcised. He was of a noble tribe. He was a true Israelite.

In his day this resume would be very impressive, however Paul is saying we are not to put confidence in our fleshly works when it comes to God. All of our confidence must be in what Christ has done for us. Period. 

Think About It.Maybe you are tempted to think you are alright because your parents are in church ministry. Or maybe you serve in many ways. Or maybe you follow all the rules. It is tempting to think we are something special without Jesus. However it is Jesus and Jesus alone who makes us right before the Father. 

What kind of works of the flesh are you holding onto that make you feel good enough for God outside of Jesus? Are you tempted in this way any? Or do you really believe that Jesus is enough?</sup> 

 ^{ThursdayReady verses 7-9}

"I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith."

Though having a good job or doing amazing works are not bad, they become bad when they are a god to us or a way of trying to earn God's love or favor. They are also wrong if they are things we want to hold up so others will glory in us.

The word for garbage in the Greek is really a word much stronger than garbage, it actually means poop. Now isn't that gross! But Paul is literally calling all those good works that in comparison to trusting Christ.

Paul once considered these things very valuable. However, Christ has opened His eyes to what really matters. Knowing Christ is all that matters. We can never be righteous enough before a holy God. Only Christ can make us this.

Think About It
There is nothing you can do to make God love you more or less. Do you believe this? Why or why not?
God sent His only Son to rescue us from our sinful state. He did this because of His great love for us. Faith and trust in what He has done is what matters. Do you trust in what Christ did for you? 


 ^{FridayRead verse 10-11}

"I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!"

Now these verses are powerful! Paul wants to know Christ and the power that raised Him from the dead even if that needs to come through suffering! Do you want to know Him that badly? It is a lot to consider! 

Often these days the American church seems to be asleep! We entertain ourselves silly. Do we see any power of Christ working? Often ways we see His power at work is through suffering. It is when we are not enough that we see He is. This is often realized through suffering. The Bible tells us when we are weak, He is strong. That is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that lives in each one of us who trust in what Jesus did for them.

Think About It
When you enter a time of suffering, do you view it as an opportunity to see Christ and the power of His resurrection?

We need to wake up and see He is all we need. All other things are worth nothing compared to Him.
Great job this week! Praying you know Him more and more and can understand His great love for you!

Philippians for Tweens - Week Five

Monday Read the following passage.

¹² Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. ¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. ~Phillipians 2:12-13, NLT

Do you still follow your household rules when your mom and dad are away? Why or why not?
Paul is telling these believers to follow his instructions even as he is away in prison. But he wants them to be even more diligent in this task now.

A hypocrite is a person who pretends to be something they really are not. An example is a person who is really "good" at church but mean at home. It is play acting a part you really are not.

Paul wants them to live out the Christian life at all times. However it is more important now because there is persecution. He now is telling them how to walk out their Christian faith. Really he is reminding them. They already know this. He is encouraging them in this.

To walk like a Christian you should desire to obey God out of reverence for Him. He loves us dearly and we did nothing to earn that love. He chose us. We must chose to live in obedience at the same time God works in us the desire for us to obey. Remember the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us once we acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of our life? It is through the Holy Spirit that God works these things in us.

Think About It.In life, often we need to earn things. Our allowance, a reward, etc. However God's love does not come like this. He freely loves us even when we do not deserve it. It is because of this love He desires that we act like Christians. Never to earn His love because we already have it, nothing can separate us from it, but because He loves us. Do you think this way?

Why do you follow Christ?

Tuesday Read the following.¹⁴ Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵ so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. ~Phillipians 2:14-15

Why are we to live without complaining and arguing? (v.15)
Do you shine? We live in a dark world, we need to shine a bright light not hide it.

What is our world full of? (v. 15)

Think About ItHow often do you argue and complain? If you are honest, we all do this whether inwardly or outwardly but God tells us through Paul's letter that we are to do this because, "
Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ (philippians 1:27)."

In order to not complain or argue we must truly believe in our hearts that God is good. He is in control of all things. He loves us completely. So we must chose to die to our self or selfish desire in order to do this. We must consider others. You must consider all of this. This is how this letter goes together.

Do you want to shine a bright light for Jesus? Why or why not?

The brighter you shine in this dark world the more the world will take notice. When the world notices we are showing brightly Jesus. Hopefully it draws others toward Jesus when we live shining our light. 

Wednesday Read the following passage.

¹⁶ Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. ¹⁷ But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. ¹⁸ Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

What does Paul tell them to hold firmly to?

Why will he be proud? 

What will he rejoice?

Think About ItThere will be times when God's word, the truth will be challenged. We must stand strong in what we believe. We must hold tight to the Bible and its truths. Do you believe what the Bible says as truth?

Paul has poured out his life for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He may die from his imprisonment. He wants to be certain his life has meaning or purpose. He knows it does in Christ but he wants the people he disciplined to really be living this out. 

What if your faith required your life? Would you rejoice like Paul? Isn't that a hard question?

Is God worth everything to you? Why or why not?

Paul will rejoice in the work he did even if it requires his life. Christ is worth it to him. We live in America. I will not have to sacrifice my life for sharing Jesus here but there are places in the world where it is illegal to speak of Christ in a way that is trying to bring people to Christ. One day our country could be like that too. 

Thursday Read the following passage.

¹⁹ If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. ²⁰ I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. ²¹ All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. ²² But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. ²³ I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. ²⁴ And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.

What does Timothy care about? (v.20)
What do the others care about? (v.21)

Timothy has been an amazing friend to Paul. In fact they had a father/child like relationship. We know from other places in the Bible that Timothy was raised up knowing the Scriptures by strong Jewish women. His grandmother and mother. His father was a Greek, not a Jew. 

Timothy is a strong believer in Christ now and a very faithful friend. Timothy is concerned for others over himself. Paul says he has no one like him. 

Do you have a loyal friend like this? Someone who not only cares about you but others well being in Christ first and foremost? I pray we will be that kind of person. 

Of course they did not have telephones back then or the internet so when people sent messages to one another it had to be done by a messenger. 

Think About It.What kind of friends do you surround yourself with? Is it people who are faithful and have God in mind first? These are the kind of friends you need. Friends who will point you to Christ.

Friday Read the following passage.
²⁵ Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. ²⁶ I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. ²⁷ And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.

²⁸ So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. ²⁹ Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. ³⁰ For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.

This next friend, Epaphroditus, is a good friend and fellow worker. He was sent by the Philippian church to Paul. He now needed to return to them however he was delayed because of an illness. They have heard this somehow and would love to see him to know he is ok now. He almost died. But God had mercy. He ministered to Paul while he could during this time.

Think About It
Often times we do not risk our lives for the sake of Christ. We live in a free society now that allows us to freely worship. We need to thank God for this. Then take time to pray for our brothers and sisters who live in other regions of the world where serving Christ could be life threatening. 

Look up a country where the gospel is not embraced. Learn some about it and pray for them. Go to the Voice of the Martyrs website or the Joshua Project for this.

 

Philippians for Tweens - Week Four

Sorry I skipped several weeks on you! Life has been crazy! My girls are asking for more though so that is exciting to me! I do hope you are experiencing the same thing. Praying God grips our hearts so tight we cannot help but pour forth His amazing joy and love. This month may be a bit hard getting them out consistently but I will try hard. Thanks for your grace in this!
Monday
Read the following and pay close attention to the word "any" and "same" and "one".

"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:1-4).

We will break this down today and tomorrow. Essentially Paul is speaking about unity and selflessness. He is making a plea with them. And the way he uses any is powerful language regarding how important this is to him.

Regarding the "any" words above.

Any-encouragement means if you have any calling in Christ...
Any-comfort means any comfort in Christ's love...
Any-participation means if you have any association with the Spirit...
Any-Affection and sympathy means if you have a heart in which mercy resides and a heart of compassion...

Basically he is making a strong and powerful persuasion. I know I do this at times when I am passionate about something. He is saying if you have gotten anything from Christ please do what he is asking next.

In verse 2. he is telling them what he desires. What is it?
It is to be in unity! Unity means to work together for a common good. Doing this without complaining or arguing.

Think About It
Have you ever made a strong plea or argument for something you really desired like Paul? When and why?

What would it be like if you had one mind with someone else? What do you think?

Why do you think unity is so important to Paul? Why would it be important in your home?

Extra Credit for you! Look up the word unity in a Bible concordance and find a verse or two about unity to memorize. Unity is actually so important that it is one of the last things Jesus prayed for right before He was arrested and taken to the cross. Ask your parent how to use a concordance if you do not know how.

TuesdayNow the question is how do we have one mind? How do we walk in unity with one another? Verses 3-4 tell us how. It is dying to our selves definitely. Look again at verses 3-4.


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

In verse 3 What two things can you pull out?

Selfish Ambition can be defined as electioneering (a desire to put oneself forward). If you think about an election and the commercials that air on tv they usually are doing this very thing. Putting oneself first and many times discounting the others running. This is what we are NOT to do.

Conceit is just being prideful in your self. It is seeking glory for yourself in vain. God is the only one who should get glory.

The remedy for this kind of behavior of selfishness is to count others more significant than yourself. Think of them first. Think of their needs. Don't think of yourself in a worse way but just think of yourself less. God highly esteems you if you are in Christ so He will take care of you and your desires. Do not obsess about having your way.

Then lastly we are told to not only think of your own interests but also the interests of others. This is how to practice unity and being selfless.


Think About It
Do you ever say bad things about others to make yourself look better? This is electioneering or selfish ambition. We should not do these things. Confess this to the Lord and walk selflessly.


How often do you think of yourself? It is hard not to think of yourself because we live in this body. Humility is simply thinking of yourself less by putting others first. Practice this this week and report to your mom or dad what you are learning.

How could you think of someone elses needs today instead of just your own? Perhaps it is letting your sibling pick the game they want to play or letting them pick a show they want to watch. Try this today. Ask God to give you the heart for it. It may be painful because it is dying to your own selfishness.

WednesdayThe next three days we will discuss the verses listed below. 
^{4 "}Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:4-11).

In verse four whose interests should you look out for?
Two things should be listed here. What are they?

The answer is looking out for your needs and the needs of others. It is natural for us to look out for our own needs. We would not let ourselves starve or go without clothes. It is natural to think this way. We are very selfish because thoughts tend to focus on us. It takes practice and discipline to look out for the needs of others. God has given you a great way to practice this if you have siblings.

Then in verse five it starts to explain how you can actually do this. It is possible to consider others needs most of the time but it has to become a pattern of thinking for you.

When you look at the example of Jesus you can copy His example.You can pray He help you put others first. You can ask Him to help you think of yourself less.

Then verse six is incredible to me. Though Jesus was actually God, when He left Heaven to come to Earth entering in a womb being knit together in the secret place just like us (Psalm 139). He was clothed in skin. Become bound in human form forever for the sake of us. Though He was in human form He was still all God. Yet He chose to limit Himself to be like us. He humbled Himself so much He did not even consider Himself to be equal with the Father though He was. That is incredible humility and that is putting us first.

Think About It
How can you practice ways to put others needs first this week?

Practically how can you think of yourself less and others more?

Thursday
Starting with verse eight from the passage above how obedient can we say Jesus was?


Think about this, even to the point of an excruciating death on the cross was the extent of His obedience. That is incredible. Do you think this was easy? Do you think it was easy for Jesus?

Hebrews 12:2b states, "For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Do you know the joy that was set before Jesus was us? He had no real need to do this except to make a once and for all sacrifice for sin. No longer did anyone need to live by the sacrificial system. Jesus was the final and once for all sacrifice that made us right with God. We must believe He did this for us. That is all. 

Though it was hard He did it because of the great love He had for us. It was shameful. He was beaten, bloody, exhausted, in great pain. It was a horrible way to die. However the difference with Jesus and the others who died by crucifixion was that Jesus was innocent. Jesus never sinned. He lived the life we could not live then died for us making us right with God. That is amazing love!

Think About It
Jesus did not have to grant us salvation the way He did. He chose this way before the beginning of time as we know it. He chose an incredibly hard way giving up all He had in Heaven to be like us, then die the way He did. He knows what it is like to experience any temptation or pain that we might experience in this life. He is a high priest who can truly understand what we go through as humans. He is amazing! Take some time to just ponder this. Praise Him for this. 

Friday
Today we will end with the final section of this passage. Read verses 9-11. 
God accomplished an amazing thing by what Jesus did. Because He greatly humbled Himself in this way God will now exalt Him to the highest place. It is done. Our King sits secure on His throne. He does not fret when things are going crazy here. He knows how all things will end. Then if we are His we spend all of eternity with Him.

However for those who are not His, they will suffer forever separation from Him. Yet they will see and bow and confess that He is the true King. Every one will do this. Those in Heaven, on Earth, and under the Earth. All will be exposed and shown for what it is. They will finally see. This is all to God the Father's glory. Can you imagine this moment?

Think About ItThere will always be things raging against God in this world now. It is just part of a fallen sin filled world. Yet there will be one day that all will have to give an account. One day everyone will see rightly. What do you think about this?

Believers like Paul are persecuted all the time all around the world. Take a moment to encourage someone by this truth you learned above and pray for a missionary who is imprisoned falsely for the sake of Christ.

God could have had you born anywhere and in any country or in any situation. I am in awe that God put me in a place where speaking about Him and hearing His message is legal. I am so thankful for this. Praise God for where He placed you too and ponder how you can help others around the world in different circumstances.

Philippians for Tweens Week 3

Great job keeping up with the study! It is so rewarding to stay grounded in God's word! Especially in our culture that is flowing in many ways against God. The only way to not get caught in the flow is to know God's ways. He will keep you on the right path that is very different from our culture. It is a narrow path. It is a cross bearing path.

                                         Photo credit: Eternallifeblog.com

Monday
Read the following passage Philippians 1:20-26. We will be working through it for the next couple of days.

"20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. ²¹ For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. ²² But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. ²³ I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. ²⁴ But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.
²⁵ Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. ²⁶ And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me."

Regarding verse 20, Being in prison can bring shame on a person. Just the other day I saw a prison worker weed wacking some grass in our subdivision. Just because he was a prisoner I was feeling like I did not want him there or near our house. However, I do not know what he did. Have you ever thought the same? 

Paul's imprisonment could bring great shame on him and anyone he associates with. However, what is most important to Paul is preaching Christ. He in fact knows God's love for him and is so secure he has faith that he will continue to be bold for Christ in prison or out of prison. In fact he is confident that in life or death he will make an effort to bring honor to Christ. That is his supreme and highest goal. We should pray that God will make that ours as well.

Think About It
Have you ever been in a situation that brought deep hurt or embarrassment because you were living for Christ or speaking about Christ? I know you are young but some situations may have appeared already in your life. Think about this.

Here is an example. I was serving in ministry at a place filled with other Christians. Some of those who claimed they were Christians got very uncomfortable with my teaching Christ. So they complained about me. The leader spoke to me and asked me to not do that so much. I appeared to love God too much. I was very hurt. Unlike Paul being bold I felt shame and hurt. I stopped doing what God called me to do for a time. Can you relate to this? How?


The good thing about these experiences of carrying the cross of Christ is we can learn from them and we can grow to be more like Him. I am thankful for this experience now because I know I will be more bold the next time it happens to me. I did not practice the "whatever" principle we spoke of last week.
How did you practice the "whatever" example last week? Did it help?


TuesdayNow read verses 21-22 again we will discuss those today.
Paul does say that living means living for Christ. While you are breathing air on this planet God has things for you to do! What kinds of things do you think God has for you to do right now?

Paul says that dying is better. We can look ahead and see why he says this from looking at verse 23. Why is dying better for Paul?
Wouldn't being with Christ be the best!? But while he leaves us on this planet we have work to do to bring Christ glory. 

In verse 22 why does Paul say living is better?


Think About itWhat are some practical ways you can give glory to Christ in your home? List them. I can think of a few. Ask your mom or dad how you can help them. Doing your chores without complaining brings glory to God. Getting along with your brothers or sisters brings glory to God. Honoring your parents brings glory to God. Taking care of your body and house brings glory to God. How can you practice today?

Do you ever have to fear dying if you are in Christ?
Remember if you believe by faith what Christ did for you by dying on the cross and being raised to life you are under His Lordship and you live for Him. Your life is no longer your own it is now hidden in Christ. So dying then unites us with Him.

Wednesday
Now read verses 23-26.
Paul desires to be with Jesus as we too should. However like I said earlier if we are breathing on this planet we are here for His purposes. He has work for you to do.

Paul knows he will probably live because it will benefit his friends. He can mentor and encourage and teach them more. God has so many purposes for us. It amazes me that the God who created the entire universe, that keeps our planet spinning and rotating and floating in the atmosphere perfectly, has work for little ones like us to do! He does though. He is God. He does not need us but chose to create us for His glory.

Think About It.
Paul said he would "help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith." How can you help others grow so they will experience the joy of their faith? Any ideas?

Again, remember Paul is not in great conditions here. Yet instead of thinking about himself he is thinking about how to help his friends. What are some ways you can think of yourself less and help your friends?

God made all things "good" but His final creation He made as "very good." The final creation He made by the way was human beings. He saved the best for last which was us. Think of some of His amazing creation, how beautiful, or vast like the universe or the deep deep ocean. Or crazy animals like the ostrich or majestic horse. Such wonderful creations but we are the apple of His eye. We are what He came to save and rescue. Do you look at yourself in this light? Do you look at other human beings in this light? Take time to worship God and thank Him for everything.

                                             Photo credit:setsnservice.wordpress.com


Thursday
Read Philippians 1:27, "Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News."

According to this verse how must we live?
How do we live this way?
Why?

Paul wants us to live as if Heaven is our home not this present world. We do this by behaving in a manner that loves His good news. Knowing He lived a perfect life, died a perfect sacrifice for sin, then came back to life and is seated with God. We can behave in this way when we trust what He did for us. We know His love is so great toward us, and out of response to His love for us we should desire to live it out and speak about it.

Paul hopes they will all stand together united with this purpose in mind. How beautiful would that be? As we read later in this letter we will see there are some people arguing in this body of believers. Unity should be our goal always. Sometimes we have to be ok with agreeing to disagree as well.

Think About It.Do you live currently as if you are an alien on this planet? Why or why not? Where is your true home?
Have you seen any movies where an alien comes to another planet not their own? They are pretty funny huh? We should not get to settled here because it is not our final home.

If you ever wonder what our lives should look like while we are on this earth look to Christ in the gospels. He is the only one we should compare ourselves too. We are not to be Christ but will be made more and more into His image as we follow Him.

Unity is important because in this world we are fighting a battle for the faith. Why do you think arguments and fighting with each other hurts this? How can you work for unity in your relationships? or in your home?

FridayRead verses 28-30.
^"Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it."

How should we act around our enemies according to these verses?
Why?
What privilege have you been given?

Paul says we have been given the privilege of trusting in Christ which is a miracle. God grabs ahold of our hearts as He woos us to Himself. Salvation is a gift from Him not our doing so it is an amazing and mysterious miracle I am so thankful for! Ephesians 2:8-10 states it like this, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." Isn't that amazing! God is so good to us!

Paul also says it is a privilege to suffer to Christ as well. Have you ever looked at a trial you experienced this way?

No one can do anything to us that God will not use for greater glory! We have no reason to be afraid.

We are all in this together! Let us stick together to fight the good fight of the faith.

Think About It.Who do you have to fight the faith with? Who is in your life who will help you stay focused on Christ? It is good to have friends and family who do this?

If you belong to Christ have you thanked Him for this gift? Take time thinking and praising Him for this.

Have you ever considered it a privilege to suffer for Christ? Why or why not.
Here is an example you may relate too. My daughter has been suffering from a very painful and annoying ear infection. She has been so irritated by it. However, how you can suffer in Christ-likeness is finding the things you can be thankful for in a bad situation and trust Him to get you through because He suffered and can relate to anything you go through. My daughter shared with me what she is learning is that God will get her through it. And she wants it fixed now but she is learning trust and patience in God's perfect timing. She is bearing  a cross and dying to her self by walking through this trial trusting Him. It would be much easier to be mean and rude because she does not feel well but she is choosing the narrow path.

Great job this week! Keep growing in His work. Stay disciplined in His word and living it out. We must fight this fight of faith together! Praying you will grow in His truth and grace this week!




 

Philippians for Tweens - Week Two

My nine year old told me to use some smaller words this week! So I will try to do that. Please let me know what I can do to improve this for you. It has been a little while since I have been a tween. 

Did you memorize last weeks verses? Say it out loud to someone or write it down today.

Monday
Remember this book of the Bible is a letter Paul is writing to his friends, fellow believers, in Philippi. They are concerned about him because he is in prison. This week we move past the greeting of this letter and on to the main topics.

Read Philippians 1:12-14
^"I want you to know, brothers,that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."

Take note of how Paul writes, "I want you to know." This is a typical greeting in letter writing in Paul's day. He is getting to the root of what he wants these friends to know. He is probably writing in response to a letter they have written to him inquiring of his well being. 

Paul first wants them to know he is well but most importantly to his heart that this imprisonment really has moved God's good news of the gospel into the prison guards lives. Paul is telling everyone why he is in chains. 

Next Paul is telling them he is seeing how what has happened to him is making others more bold to proclaim the good news of Christ. These are two very exciting things amidst hard circumstances. Paul takes time to see these things that matter, which are the eternal things, not just his present earthly circumstance that he is in prison as a innocent man who has done nothing wrong. 

Think About It.
1-Have you ever thought that without Paul being in prison, maybe the gospel would not had made it to prison guards? Every place your foot touches is an opportunity to spread the good news of Christ. You may be placed in various places that are not typical. Places where the gospel message needs to be shared.
What are some places you could do this?

I think of summer vacations or activities. These may not be typical places you go but for a time because of your circumstances you will be there. Take time to share the good news. You never know maybe God had you there for a time such as this. 

2-Have you ever heard stories of past missionaries who have died for the cause of Christ? Or who have gone through tough situations just to bring the good news of Christ to others? They inspire me to want to share Jesus more. They inspire me to want to do more for God. This is what was going on with Paul's time in prison. Some believers were actually encouraged to speak more boldly because of it. Do you have a friend or person in your life who seems to serve Christ with all they have in them? Do they encourage you to be more?

I have a friend who goes many days to the projects which are homes for people who are very poor financially. In this environment gangs frequent and unexpected shootings occur. Yet they continue to go there and serve out of love that comes from Christ. They continue to share the good news of Jesus with these people despite the circumstances and possibility of being shot. That encourages me to want to be more in Christ. 

Great work today! Keep it up!

Tuesday
Read Philippians 1:15-17 - Underline preach then note what words follow.^"It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me."

Compare and contrast these two groups of preachers:
1-Preach - Jealousy/rivalry - selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make Paul's chains more painful.
2-Preach - pure motives - love Paul - support because they know he was appointed to defend the gospel..

Sounds like children fighting or sibling rivalry huh? How could grown men preach to make things harder for Paul? I do not know. I do know that jealousy does do really bad things though.

Think About It.
Name a time you were jealous of someone and bad behavior that resulted? Did it make it worse for the person you were jealous of?

When we know who we are in Christ we never have to be jealous. We have God as our Father when we trust in Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. Because of this we are daughters of the King of the Universe. Our identity rests in Him. Every good thing we have comes from Him so we never have anything to be jealous of. God gives each of us exactly what He wants and we need. We serve a good God who does not withhold good things from us. Do you trust Him? If so when you start to feel jealous, confess it to Him. Let it go and trust what He has done for you. 

Name a time you were in a hard situation and someone stepped up to help you get through it. Can you think of a time? The Bible says that two are better than one. It is good to have a friend who can come alongside you and lift you up when you are struggling. Thank God for them!

Paul had these kind of people in his life. Those who were jealous making things hard for him and those who were making things easier for him. We will have those kinds of people in our lives as well. We can learn from Paul how to deal with these types of people. He will tell us in the next set of verses tomorrow. Great job! 

WednesdayRead this next section, verse 18, and look at how Paul thought about these two types of people we learned about yesterday.
"But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice."

How did Paul respond to these people?
Do you see it?! He rejoices! Why? He only cares about Christ and the message of Christ being preached whether it hurts him or not. Is not that an incredible way to view things? Paul is completely focused on Christ. This is amazing to me! This is what I hope to be like one day. How about you?

Think About It.
Paul says about those people who are making things hard for him, "It does not matter." 
Wouldn't your life be much better and have less arguing and fighting if you just said this, "it does not matter."?

When you brother or sister or friend does something that is frustrating to you. You respond. It does not matter.

When your mom or dad blame you for something you did not do? You respond, it does not matter. Just go about your business. Make things right and make an effort to work it out.

It takes incredible confidence in who you are in Christ to do this. You have to know that God is your identity, your focus to stay rested in this thought pattern of "It does not matter." Because God will defend you when you are accused. He will work things out. And His love covers over a multitude of sins so when you are sinned against just say, "it does not matter" and go about your business knowing the ONE who truly loves completely already knows the truth and loves you more than anything else.

What are you thoughts about this line of thought? Try it today. Try thinking when you get frustrated or angry, "it does not matter." Walk along trusting God is in control of all things. He will work it out. Tomorrow we will see why Paul can say with confidence, "It does not matter."

ThursdayRead verse 19 today.
^"For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance."

Paul knows that the prayers of his friends will help him. He knows God listens to prayers and answers. He is confident that the Holy Spirit that lives in him and every believer will help him. He is confident it will lead to his deliverance. We will see more of what this means tomorrow. Paul is in a situation that could actually lead to his death because the trial he is waiting for could end in the death penalty. He does not know how it will end but through it no matter what he has faith in Christ and will stay strong in HIM. 

Think About It.Prayer is such an important part of our life in Christ. God our Father delights to hear from us. We should practice talking to Him everyday. I know one thing I often hear is how do I talk to someone I cannot see? I understand this is hard. However our Christian faith is believing by faith and faith means, be sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). We cannot see God as we cry out to Him or talk to Him but we must believe He hears us and delights to hear us. He is our Father who loves us so much that He sent His Son to die to restore us to Himself. That is incredible love and He desires a relationship with us. We must talk to have a relationship.

If you had a friend that had not talked to you in a long time how would your relationship be? It would have its challenges I am sure. That is why we must talk to God. Tell Him what we are thinking. Practice this today. Do you pray often? Paul believed the prayers of his friends would make a difference. Who can you pray for today?

 The Holy Spirit also helps us like Paul was confident of. When we trust in Christ for our salvation. The third part of the God-head comes to live inside of us. He is our Helper, Teacher, Comforter, Counselor. He helps us through life. He helps us connect to God in prayer because He is God. He helps us know God's word. He helps us to be strengthened when we are weak. He helps us stay on the right path. Did you realize this? What are your thoughts?

The God of Christianity is One God in three parts. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All in perfect fellowship and love, before the foundation of the world they had you in mind to be one of God's beloved. It is a big mystery how it all works out but it is such a beautiful thing the more and more you think about it. God needed no one. Yet He chose to make us His own with all our faults and blemishes. He loved us beyond that. It is amazing to think about isn't it?!

Ok good job. Take time praying to God today. Thanking Him for His goodness and love.

FridayRead Philippians 1:20^"For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die."

What is another reason for Paul's confidence? Remember he is still talking about those who made things hard for him in his chains. Yesterday we looked at how his confidence was from the peoples prayers and help from the Holy Spirit. 

Despite being in prison we see his incredible hope and expectation in Christ. Because of this even in prison he will be bold for Christ just as he always has been. He is trusting that his life will bring honor to Christ in life or death. 

Paul is a great man of faith despite these hard circumstances. That is how we can walk in boldness, by walking in faith and trust in what Christ has done on our behalf. It is enough for any situation we may encounter in this life. Even facing death because this earth is not our final destination. Our home and citizenship is in Heaven with God if we belong to Him. If we trust that Christ lived the perfect, sinless life we could not live and died the perfect sacrifice for all our sins because of His love for us. If we truly believe this we can rest in this confidence because life or death, it does not matter. Christ is our life and all that matters.

Think About It.Name one way you can be bold for Christ this week?
How will you follow through with this?
How can others pray for you in this? Do you ever ask others to pray for you?
If Christ is with you in life or death is there ever any real reason to be afraid? 





Sweet girls, I am so proud of your perseverance. I am praying you will be bold in Christ. That you will share His good news with others in your life by example and in your speech as you speak about Him. Great job studying!

 

Week One - Joy in Christ! Philippians for Tweens. Summer Bible Study

First I am so glad you have chosen to join me and my girls in this study for tweens! I am praying it will bring forth much fruit. That we will grow in the gospel of grace together. That our children will desire God’s word above all things. That they learn to cling to Him continually knowing what He did for us brings great joy.

If you would like me to send this to you weekly in a document form so you can print it out easier send me your email address at angela @ refreshmysoul.com otherwise I will post here each day’s home work on Sunday or Monday of each week. Leave comments as you feel led I would love to hear.

So let’s dig right in!

Introduction/Monday
The book of Philippians is a letter written from Paul, (an amazing man of God who wrote most of the New Testament) to a group of believers that he dearly loves. These people have been amazing as well toward him. They had been supporters of Paul for a long time. Paul was the man who formed the church in the location of Philippi probably about 11 years earlier. This group of people formed the first church on the continent of Europe.

 Photo credit to saintjameskids.blogspot.com

When Paul writes this letter we now him as an older man who is living in prison. His crime is preaching the gospel of Jesus. He has done nothing wrong. Prison cells at this time were not like they are today. They were carved in the ground or made with stone which gets really hot or really cold depending on the climate. Since he older now, his body probably hurts in these conditions. He has been beaten many times by enemies for preaching the gospel; he has had a really hard life. He has much to be sad about or even complain about yet we see he does not. I admire this about him. We will be exploring why he was like this as we read the letter. Here is a picture of an entrance to a prison cell in his time. Many Scholars have differing opinions about this particular imprisonment so this could have also been a time Paul was on house arrest. We cannot be completely sure but the principles still remain the same.

Photo credit to historylink101.com

The time frame of history features a horribly cruel leader of the romans who persecuted Christians greatly. His name was Nero. As Paul was in this prison he was most likely awaiting his trial in Rome which could end in the death penalty. He has all the reason to be anxious or worried about himself yet we see this man selflessly concerned about his friends instead. This is remarkable. We will see also how we too can be like Paul when we are tempted to worry.

Read this then answer the questions below.
1-Circle Holy Spirit and Spirit of Jesus
2-Underline each place mentioned

Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia,but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.

That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there. Acts 16:6-10

1-Why could Paul not go to Asia?
2-Why did Paul go to Macedonia?
Macedonia is where Philippi is located. I think this is so important for you to take notice of. God moved Paul to Philippi to establish this church by sharing the good news of the gospel. This is how his relationship with these people started.

Think About It.
Do you have any friends you know that God placed in your life for a significant purpose or reason? If yes, do you value those friendships? If no, ask God to do that for you. Do you share the gospel with those friends?

Just so we are clear, the gospel, is the good news that because we are sinners by birth, Jesus came and lived the perfect life we could not live then died as the perfect sacrifice once and all for all of our sins then three days later rose from the dead defeating all death and sin. So if you believe what Jesus did for you, God sees you as if you lived that perfect life Jesus lived. Pretty amazing news right? Good enough to share! And news we need to remind ourselves of everyday especially when we mess up. God does not see the failure, He sees perfection in Christ. Now that is grace!
Great work today! It was a lot to take in for day one. Keep it up!

Tuesday

Today let’s look at the first two verses of this letter.

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons^: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:1-2, NIV).

Paul is with his friend Timothy. Timothy is a younger friend who is helping Paul. Paul is a father like figure to Timothy.

How do you identify yourself when you introduce yourself to someone else?

Paul introduces them in this letter as servants of Jesus. In fact this word can actually be slave. Is this a prestigious title? Hi my name is Angela and I am a slave? But Paul takes pride in this title. It is of great joy he is a servant of Christ even after all the hardships he has faced. I love his faith, don’t you?

He is writing to all the believers in this city of Philippi. He is also including the leaders of the church. It is good that we give them special recognition for serving us while they do God’s work.

Do you ever think about this? Do you ever thank your pastor for his hard work of service?

Then they open this letter as a standard greeting of the times. It is going to them in grace and peace that comes from God. He is the only one who can give us ultimate grace and peace.

Think About It
Nero was an evil emperor who hated Christians. At the time he wrote down many things. So did the apostle Paul. Now looking ahead to our day what writings remain? Tons of Bibles are all around us that include Paul’s letters. Did you know none of Nero’s writings survived? God is in control despite the circumstances. His word is true and unending. It will remain.

This was a shorter day but good work! Keep up the good work of studying His word! It is what is useful for us in all things.

Wednesday
Read the following passage and take note of what Paul is thankful for.

^“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-8).

1-Is there someone that you can give thanks to God for every time you think of them?
2-Are you the type of person that people can be thankful for when they think of you?

3-How have these people been partners with Paul? (in the 2^nd sentence)
These friends in Philippi were faithful in sharing the gospel with others. Paul is encouraged to hear and see this. He is genuinely thankful for them. He is certain of something too. What is he certain of? Find that word certain and write down what he is certain of.

Paul was convinced that God who began a good work in them would bring it to full completion. Do you feel this way about others in your own life? When you look at them now they are not perfect but God has begun a work in their lives. In this view can you trust God to bring it fully to completion? There are some people it is easier for me to see this in than others.

However, in your home especially with your brothers and sisters, consider that God created them in His image. He will finish the good work in them He started. It is His promise. We must trust it. Or even if you are frustrated with yourself for not being as close to God as you like, trust God is working in you and will finish His work in your life. We can trust Him in this and His promises.

Paul has a special place in his heart for these friends. They are true friends who do not desert him while he is in prison. They continue to remain concerned and care for him even though this could be embarrassing. They are true friends.

Think About It
1-Do you have friends like Paul has here? If you did something embarrassing would they still remain faithful friends? Faithful friends who love you for you are the best kind. Maybe you could take time today to pray for one of your faithful friends. Maybe you could even take time to write them a card thanking them for their friendship.

2-When you are frustrated with someone but especially a fellow Christian; can you trust that God is working in their life? When you feel this particular frustration remember God is working in them until they are complete just as He is working in you. He is always using all things in our lives to mold and change us more and more into His image.

3-Paul is thinking of others in his time of trial in this prison. This is part of the secret of his ability to have joy in these hard circumstances. Think about how often you think of others vs. thinking of yourself today. Just take note of it. We will discuss it more later.

Thursday
Read this next section of Paul’s letter. It is a prayer.

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

This is a great prayer to pray for anyone you know! Why don’t you take time to memorize it today? A tip to make this easier is to read it 7 times. Slowly read and let it sink in. Then try to say it line by line until you got it. Next try to write it without looking several times. This is hiding God’s word in your heart and is a good practice. This is all you need to do today.

Friday
Did you try to memorize yesterday? How did you do?
Reread the passage Philippians 1:9-11.
In the first sentence what does Paul pray about their love?
Then what does he pray about them growing?
Next what does he want them to understand?
Why does he want them to understand this?
What does he want them to be filled with always?
Why?

This is a beautiful prayer. Since you are working on memorizing it why not pray it for your friends? God hears our prayers. He is true to His promises so praying Scripture is a great way to pray. 

Think About It
1-Are people drawn to Jesus by others when they are loving or condemning? Why?
2-Have you seen an example of this?
3-Do you use a benefit to memorizing Scriptures? Why or why not?
Take time to pray this Scripture for your friends.
4-Do you make it your goal to bring glory to God or yourself? The prayer Paul is praying for these friends is a prayer for God’s glory.

Great job this week! Keep it up! His word is so important to hold in your heart.