Philippians, Day 6

A Day to Catch Up  

If you've had a busy week, today you have a chance to play catch up on any of the selections of Philippians you might have missed.
 Click to open the information for any of this week's readings.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday
Friday

Share Your Thoughts

A good way to remember something you've recently read or done is to talk about it or to write it down.  Take a few minutes to think about this week's Bible readings.

• If you like to journal, reflect on the passage that surprised you the most or the one that was the most emotional to read.
• Talk to a family member, friend, or neighbor about something you've read this week.
• Join the discussion of the Godsway 66 Facebook page.

Get Ready for Sunday's Sermon

Rev. Joshua Patty will preach on Philippians tomorrow at Eastgate Christian Church in Independence, MO.  Join us for the sermon or check back here for the recorded sermon.

Philippians, Day 5 Readings

The Good Life, Even in Hard Times      

Today's reading provides the fitting conclusion of Paul's letter to the Philippians.  Having praised their faithfulness, Paul simply encourages them to continue living out their faith as they have been.  They need to take care of each other, focus on the good things they can do for each other, and have joy in their purpose for God, even when times are tough.  If they do these things, exemplified through their consistent and selfless financial support of Paul's ministry, they will receive God's blessings -- some in this world and many more in the next.

Read Philippians 4:2-23  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

[links to Bible Gateway open in a new window]

Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Philippians 4:2-23 today.

Philippians, Day 4 Readings

The Goal of Faith      

Today's reading provides a concise description of Paul's vision of a faithful life.  Many have become confused about the gospel, teaching that true Christians must follow Jewish law to be completely faithful.  However, this is a total misunderstanding of the gospel.  The example and meaning of Jesus are far greater than Torah, and ultimately teach that righteousness is a gift from God, not a human action.

The life of faith encourages people to stop worrying about what they can or cannot do and instead focus on what God can do through them.  When people let God work through them, their lives continue to be transformed for the better.  This is what Paul still strives to do, even in prison, and what he hopes all Christians will do every day -- empty their own ambition and be open to God's ambitions for their lives on earth.

Read Philippians 3:1-4:1  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Philippians 3:1-4:1 today.

Philippians, Day 3 Readings

Following Good Teaching      

Today's reading offers Paul's appreciation for the Philippians never being swayed by other Christian teachers -- like the so called "super-apostles" who beguiled the Corinthians and the Galatians.  This example of the Philippians faith in God has been a source of pride for Paul, encouraging him even in challenging times, and it means that God's transforming work in the Philippians continues.

Paul wants to do something to reward the faithfulness of the Philippians, but his imprisonment prevents his own travel.  Instead, Paul promises to send Timothy, his right-hand man, and Epaphroditus, one of the Philippians own members who had been working alongside Paul until a serious illness threatened his life.  Implicitly, Paul expects that the Philippians will accept the teaching of these co-workers as completely as they would from Paul himself.

Read Philippians 2:12-30  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

[links to Bible Gateway open in a new window]

Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Philippians 2:12-30 today.

Philippians, Day 2 Readings

Christian Humility     

Today's reading continues Paul's encouragement to the Philippians, based on realizations from his imprisonment.  In this brief section, he suggests a practical way to build and strengthen the Christian community: be humble towards others in the way that Jesus himself was humble.  While Jesus was God, he decided to become human -- he worried less about being equal to God and instead about being an equal to other people.  This humble action was not about degrading himself, but rather about being able to help others in need.  For Jesus, this action would lead to his death on the cross.  For Christians, humility means focusing on the needs and desires of others, instead of selfishly worrying about ourselves.  In essences, this is the type of life that Paul has led since he became a Christian, and which he encourages others to live as well.

Read Philippians 1:27-2:11  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

[links to Bible Gateway open in a new window]

Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Philippians 1:27-2:11 today.

Sermon - "Citizens of the New World" (Ephesians)

On Sunday, Rev. Joshua Patty preached on Paul's letter to the Ephesians, where the apostle describes how Christians begin to experience heaven on earth.  In contrast to a world that consistently divides people into groups where some are "in" and some are "out," though Christ God has created a single group for all of the faithful. The main demonstration of this is the end of the division between Jew and non-Jew, but it extends to other groups and identities as well.  If people want to be faithful Christians, they need to seeing beyond the barriers and divisions that humans say exist between them -- because such divisions will not exist in heaven.

That said, Christians still need to find ways to live on earth, which means that they must cope with these very divisions and their challenges.  In many ways, Christians need to claim their heavenly identity -- their citizenship in God's new world -- while still living on earth.

Click here to listen to the sermon.

You can also listen to the related Communion meditation.

Philippians, Day 1 Readings

Torn Between Two Worlds     

Today's reading is the beginning of Paul's letter to the church in Philippi, which was written while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.  Imprisonment was only the most recent way in which Paul had suffered while preaching the gospel.  Writing this letter, he reflected on the many hardships he had faced and determined that it was all for God's glory -- through his perseverance, Paul was able to continue to teach new people about Jesus.

From this experience, Paul believes that he has come to appreciate the best way for Christians to approach suffering, which he is trying to exemplify to the Philippians.  On the one hand, Paul holds on to the promise of a heavenly life with Christ beyond this world; on the other, he understands that his continued preaching is helping more people to become -- or remain -- faithful Christians.  Both are very good things, and Paul finds satisfaction and even joy about his life on earth, despite the obstacles he has faced,and the promise of eternal life with God.

Read Philippians 1:1-26  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

[links to Bible Gateway open in a new window]

Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Philippians 1:1-26 today.