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Scripture
Intro Questions
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Other Resources:
The Humility of Jesus - Philippians 2 https://virtualbiblestudy.com/lessons/philippians/2/
Your Problem is You
—David Deffenbaugh
Who is your biggest opponent? Who gives you the most trouble? From whom do most of your challenges and struggles come? You may already have the culprit identified. Chances are, you may be wrong.
You likely have looked this person in the face today, probably more than once. It was that person looking back at you in the mirror.
The greatest challenge any of us face is self. Really.
Think about Jesus' fundamental instruction about following Him. He said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24).
Most people never get past the very first requirement to follow Jesus: deny self. Our culture is certainly of absolutely no help. All day every day we're told that self is to be indulged and satisfied and served and fulfilled. Self is moved to the front of the line and made the highest priority. Happiness itself, we're told, depends on satisfying self; that is, getting what we want.
And there stands the lonely voice of Jesus with His unwanted message of self-denial.
Think about it, though. Was Jesus successful? Was He happy? Was He contented and fulfilled? We often talk about being like Jesus and walking in His steps. Doing so doesn't mean attempting to do what cannot be done, rather, it is achieving what is within reach of us all.
That doesn't mean it's easy. "Christ did not please himself" and so neither should we (Rom. 15:1,3). The attitude that Christ had, which we are to have is that we “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Php 2:3,5).
The first step to follow Jesus is the biggest; deny self.
https://youtu.be/YmQInbAagEA?list=PLF823s0yhvVxm4E6Hn0xYjpk0tkUxrKhS
IF I WON THE LOTTERY
Dr. Joe Pettigrew
“”Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more
significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 2:3-5
Every time one of those lottery jackpots reaches $400 million, I start to play “What if?”
I wonder, “What if I won? How would I spend the money?” The first $40 million is easy. It’s right about then that my wife Trudy pops
my bubble and reminds me, “I think if you’re going to win the lottery, first you have to buy a ticket.” I always forget that part.
Many of us spend considerable time dreaming about "what if?" Many of these "what ifs" have to deal with money and what
we could do if we had it. “What if we had an unknown, but very rich relative die and leave us a fortune?” “What if an unknown stranger came up to us on the street, gave us a paper bag filled with 100-dollar bills and
said, ‘Here this is for you.’”
Most of the time being rich is just wishful thinking. This is why I was shocked to hear about Dr. Manuel Padaroyal. He is the Columbian
scientist who developed the first vaccine against malaria, an illness that strikes 300 million people a year and kills 3 million. Dr. Padaroyal says is he giving the vaccine to the world for free!
There are two ways of evaluating the good doctor. Some think he has lost his marbles, others believe he is an earthly saint. I think it's
the latter. He is an earthly reflection of the Christ who gave Himself so we might be forgiven and eternally rich.
Thought of the Day
As Christians, we have the ability to cook a meal for someone who just got out
of the hospital. We can spend an afternoon babysitting the children of a worn-out mother. There are a million ways we can help others, and you don't have to be a millionaire to do it. All you need to be is a person who cares.
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I HAVE AN IDEA
Dr. Joe Pettigrew
“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4
What a rare community Acts 4 describes! No needy people, no beggars, no worried widows. In fact, the Bible says, "There were no needy persons among them.” Wouldn't that be a great way to live today?
This past Sunday most of us gathered together as the community of God to worship Him. Today we must be the community of God as we live for him in the real world. Have you thought about what a privilege that is?
But you may be thinking, "Let's not get carried away." After all, you have to take care of your own business, right?
Let's be frank with each another. Selfishness has a way of infecting us. It accounts for much of what we say and do. But the cure to selfishness is to have the mind of Christ.
A few years ago it was popular to wear bracelets with the initials WWJD-"What Would Jesus Do?" Today, do you really think about that question?
Will you give a few groceries for a canned food drive in your neighborhood? Can you help send a medical team from your area to assist people more needy than you are? Will you watch, without charge, the children of the struggling young couple that really needs a little time away?
What would it be like if our communities began to resemble a little more the one described for us in Acts 4? Let's search hard for answers, and "let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).
Thought of the Day Ask Jesus today to give you eyes to see, willing hands, and a compassionate heart so that your efforts today may reflect the heart of Christ.
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