TVCC Students,
This was our last week where we were not traveling through a specific book. Starting next week we will be in the book of Nehemiah for about 6 weeks. We know that this season of football and other extra-curricular activities makes it difficult for most of you all to get there by 7 but we are just thankful that you are making weekly corporate worship a priority in your busy lives. That is so encouraging to us! This week Sonny taught us from Philippians 1. Here is a recap...
Philippians 1:1-10
~1:1: Paul again prays, as he does in all of his epistles, that grace and peace would be extended to them. Sonny taught us last week about how wonderful it is that grace and peace could even be extended to us. While we were dead in our sins and deserving of all of God's wrath, Christ died for us and took the wrath we deserved. Only through Him can grace and peace be ours. How wonderful that we can experience eternal grace and peace.
Q: Have you been living this week in light of the fact that the wrath you deserved was taken by Jesus and that you can really live in the grace and peace of the Lord, not His judgement? In what ways have you been forgetting his grace and peace? In what ways can you grow in loving others with grace and peace as you have been loved?
~1:9:
a). Paul prays for this church that he was instrumental in starting. Why do people pray? We pray for many reasons but one of the biggest reasons people pray is when they realize that something is outside of their control. Such is the case with Paul here. He is praying for the people to grow in the Lord because he knows that this is an act of God- not something he is in control of. God causes the growth of believers (1 Corinthians 3).
Q: In what ways can your prayer life grow this week? Are you spending intentional time worshipping the Lord and asking Him to change things that are beyond your control (including your own growth and the spiritual growth of others)?
b). Paul prays that their love of the Lord would abound or grow. This love that Paul is talking about here is not the American kind of love that we are used to. This word is used in Romans 5:1-5 when Paul talks about a Spirit led love. The love that Paul is praying that the church would grow in is a love that is given by the Spirit and one that is directed towards the Lord and all things godly. Naturally we are all in a state of decay because of sin, even our love for the Lord can easily decay if it is not strengthened by the Spirit. Paul is praying that the church would be strengthened by the Spirit to grow in loving things that are eternal, godly, and heavenly.
Q: Has your focus this week been on things that are earthly or heavenly? What have you been loving this week- has it been things related to Jesus or things of the flesh that will one day be destroyed?
c). Paul prays that the churches love would abound leading to real knowledge and discernment. These two things are very intertwined. The real knowledge Paul is talking about here is something we have discussed before. It is not just head-knowledge but and experiential knowledge. Just like there is a difference between someone knowing all things about a flying manual and someone actually being a seasoned pilot with "experiential knowledge," so too there is a huge difference between just knowing a lot of Christian facts/lingo and having "experiential knowledge" of his love. When we spend time with Him on a consistent basis- reading His word and praying to Him- we will be able to grow in our experiential knowledge of Him and will thus have more Spirit-led discernment.
Q: Do you feel that you have lately been living with just "head knowledge" of Jesus or have you lately been growing in your "experiential knowledge" of the Lord as you intentionally pursue Him? What things do you feel encourage "experiential knowledge" of the Lord?
d). Paul prays that the church growing in experiential knowledge of the Lord so that they can approve things that please the Lord. This word for approve is a word similar to our word for appraise, meaning to give value to. Only when we are walking closely with the Lord and growing in our experiential knowledge of Him can we have a right mind to give appropriate value to things. Just as in Matthew 13:44 the man sold everything He had to buy the treasure that was hidden, so too we will be able to give up things that are temporary for things that are of great heavenly value when we are led by the Spirit. We will not be able to accurately appraise or approve things unless we are growing in our experiential knowledge of the Lord's goodness and grace.
Q: Do you feel that you have been living for heavenly things lately or for things that will one day fade? What encourages you to live for things that are eternal? What steps can you take this week to live for things that are lasting?
e). Paul prays that they would be sincere and blameless. This word for sincere is a word they used in reference to Egyptian pottery that involved the pottery being without cracks when held up to the light. As we grow in the Lord, we are molded more into the image of Christ and thus have less "cracks" in our lives. Though we will never be without sin in this life, we can grow and overcome sin as we are molded into His image by His grace. This is not something we can do on our own. The Spirit of the Lord must strengthen us and change us as we seek to be molded into the image of the Lord. It is good for us to be reminded that while we are saved without regards to our works, our lives will one day be presented before the Lord to see what things will merit eternal rewards in heaven (again- this has nothing to do with our salvation but with rewards in heaven). 1 Corinthians 3 remind us of this. Our lives will one day be tested to see if we lived for things that are fleshly and fading or heavenly and lasting. Only the things that are heavenly will lead to eternal rewards. Paul is praying that the church would live for heavenly things and be storing up lasting treasures in heaven.
Q: Again, we encourage you to evaluate your lives. Are you living for heavenly or earthly things? What things encourage you to live for lasting things?
Dear Students,
We pray that you will meditate this week on the grace and peace that are offered to you in Christ Jesus. We pray that as you spend time with the Lord, you would grow in your experiential knowledge of His love and be able to share that love with others. We love you guys!
With hope,
~Sonny and Casi
No comments:
Post a Comment