Candygoo58

Q4. (3:18-21) Why is recognizing and affirming your citizenship and allegiance vital to discipleship? How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19? What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship? Q4. (3:18-21) Why is recognizing and affirming your citizenship and allegiance vital to discipleship? I think its important in remembering where we will be going and what we might see when we get there. Will help us to keep our focus where it needs to be. How does it keep us from the temptations outlined in verses 18 and 19? If we keep our focus on where we will be going. We won't want to fall into the temptations this world offers. We will desire what only Jesus can give. What are the dangers of a church combining and confusing the concepts of temporal patriotism with a Christian's true citizenship? It can cause us to lose sight of the prize.

Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Have you ever experienced this? What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? How can we renew our hearing of his call? What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call? Q2. (3:14) What is it like to be called upwards by God? Its a call of salvation. A close intimate relationship with Jesus Have you ever experienced this? yes, i love him with all my heart. What causes God's call to become dim in our hearing? when we start looking at other things instead of keeping our eyes on the prize. If our focus is not on him he can't hear us. How can we renew our hearing of his call? By keeping our focus on him and not on anything in this world What is the content or specifics of this message or summons or call? To always follow him. Be obey all he ask us to do. To press on.

Q3. (3:17) How can Paul be so bold as to ask others to imitate him? Why are we so hesitant to do this? How does God use imitation in building disciples? Who is likely to imitate you? Q3. (3:17) How can Paul be so bold as to ask others to imitate him? Because Paul knew it was easier to follow by example that to try and go it alone. And he was not afaid to show others by how he lived his life for Jesus. Why are we so hesitant to do this? I think we hesitate becuase we know we have things in our lives that doesn't always show Jesus. How does God use imitation in building disciples? Seeing how others are living for Jesus helps us to see what we need to do so that we can make changes in our lives so that others can follow it. Who is likely to imitate you? I work in my churches nursery. And the little ones i watch, i know are watching to see what i do. So i want to be careful that what i do will show them Jesus. That when they get old enough the will choose to make Jesus their LOrd and Savour.

Q1. (3:13) How can the past get in the way of our quest to know Christ? What do you need to "forget" so that you may focus on Christ today and tomorrow? Is there forgiving you need to do so you can grow in Christ? The past has a way of coming back trying to get us to think on it. When we start thinking on it holds us back so that we can draw what we need from Jesus. We need only to choose not to think about it and press on in our relationship with Jesus. The only one i need to forgive is me. I have trouble doing that.

Q4. (3:8-10) What does it mean to "know" Christ? Does this mean to have faith? Or to have a personal relationship? Is it possible to have a personal relationship with Christ without faith? Is it possible to have faith without a personal relationship? Where are you on your quest to know Christ? To know Christ you have to have more than head knowledge of him . You have to believe who he says he is. And have a personal relationship with him. To trust him in all he says and does. You have to have faith to believe he is real. Without faith I don't think there is a away to really know him. We would just know of him. I want to know everything about him that i can. The reason I do these studies. I still have so much to learn. I keep striving to know more.

Q3. (3:9) How does righteousness obtained through faith differ from righteousness obtained through law observance? How seriously does righteousness by law observance infect your congregation? Society's view of Christianity in general? Why is this concept of justification or righteousness by faith so difficult to grasp? Our rightousness obtained through faith is because of our salvation. Comes from our having a relationship with Jesus. With the law. It would only be through our work to do it all right. I think it infects our congregations becuase. We at times think things have to be done a certain way. In stead of folllowing our hearts and doing it Gods way. I think alot of people see us as being stuck up. People who have no fun. People who don't always do as they teach. I think alot of us can't grasp what justification or righteousness by faith is becuase. We try to do everything on our own power. We earned his rightousness when we became saved. But at times still try to do things ourselves

Q2. (3:2-6) Why isn't Paul merely neutral about his religious pedigree? Why does he consider it loss, dung, an obstacle? In what way could your religious background be an impediment to your faith? I think because it didn't satisfy him like having a relationship with Jesus does. It was an obstacle becuase it would block him from being what God wanted him to be. Becuase it holds me back from doing what he is calling me to do. It has casued alot of fears in my life with i am still working to get past them. Pray for me that I do.

Q1. (3:2-6) How does "confidence in the flesh" show up in your congregation? Have you ever struggled with it? It shows up in my church more than it should. There is always people that think they are better than you becuase they have been trained to do a job. Your training does not make us better if we don't know how to show love to others that don't have any training. Unless his Spirit is guiding us. it won't makes us feel any better just because we know something. Yes, i have struggled with it at times. I would be lying if i said i didn't.

Q4. From what you've read in Philippians so far, what seems to be the Philippian church's chief problem? How does Paul's description of Timothy's character speak to this problem? How does Paul's call to honor men like Epaphroditus speak to this problem? The church here seemed to have a real love for paul, cause of the way they took care of him. But they seemed to want to grumble and complain. They needed to learn to become selfless like paul, Timothy and Epaphoditus. Timothy was ready to give up what he might have thought about the problems. To do the things the way that would please God. Paul knew the philippians loved Ephapaphroditus. He knew they would listen to him.

Q3. (2:22) What is the significance of serving Jesus as a "slave" as opposed to serving him as a preference? What does it say about the quality of our service? Of our commitment? What is wrong with leaders who serve out of preference? We should serve him becuase we love him. No matter what our job is we are to put our whole heart into it. Doesn't mater if we are doing work with kids or cleaning toilets. We would all love to pick what we do. But we need to be where God wants us not always where we want to be. He has given to each of us a job and the talent to do it. Those who pick where they want to serve, give the feeling that they are not good enough for the low jobs. They want to be seen Let us all serve him out of our love for him. And do our best job at what ever he has called us to do for him.

Q2. (2:22) Who has come alongside you to teach you? What potential leader in your church needs someone to come alongside them? Do you have a person or two that you are mentoring "as a son with a father" or "a daughter with a mother"? I had not had alot of teaching till i came online. Even though I been saved a long time.My parents were christians but didn't really talk to us about it. But a lady friend online has taught me so much that i know i couldn't learn on my own. And I go into a church room at night and i have learned alot from them as well. Its good to have someone that knows how to teach that you will learn and grow. I would love to mentor someone, but right now i really don't have anyone. I know it has helped me alot. Also know i have a long ways to go.

Q1. (2:19-21) Why was Timothy's selfless concern so rare among church leaders? Rather than pointing the finger at others in your church, consider yourself. What things has Jesus had to deal with in your life that has helped you to become genuinely selfless and focused on the concerns of others? How has he refined you? (Of course, he is still at work in us!) I sometimes feel that some church leaders hold them selves a little higher than everyone else. When you do it makes it hard to care about the needs of those in your church. It takes alot sometimes to step up and do what ever it takes to be able to speak out abuot Jesus. I have a real love for little ones. I have taught babies in the nursery during sunday school our for years. I have no trouble talking to them. But my problem is talking to there parents or other adults. I have always been shy. I know that God is still working on me with this. Cause its getting to be a little easier than it was. But still havea long ways to go.

Q4. (2:17) You have gone through struggles and obstacles to your faith. If you were to look at your sufferings as a "drink offering" poured out before God, how does that honor God? How does that bring value to your struggles? Its during the times of our struggles to get through our trials that we depend the most on God. Its how we handle while going through that shows others that we trust God to see us through to victory. It makes us stronger and helps us to trust him even more. Brings us closer to God where we should always desire to be.

Q3. (2:16) In what sense are we Christians to "hold fast" the Word of Life? In what sense are we to "hold forth" this Word of Life? How does this relate to the purpose of the church? We need to hold fast to the word, to helps us grow. So that we can be better witnesses to others. If we don't know it how can we live it? We need to study it and learn all we can from it. As a church if we know it and practice it we will be better witnesses for Jesus.

Q2. (2:14-15) How does ceasing complaining and arguing enable a church to shine as stars in a dark sky? What does this shining as stars signify? Have complaining and arguing compromised your church's witness as a God-place? If so, what can you do to change this? We we are complaining or arguing there is no love shown. When we stop. Then our love will shine like the stars at night. The shining singifies our love for one another. Everything we do or say should show our love for one another. Its hard be comfortable in a church that all members don't show Christ love for one another. I have seen divisions in my church becuase of it at times. I try to show love where ever i am at. I don't like division cause it hurts people. I do what ever i can to show love to all.

Q1. (2:12-13). In this passage, what does it mean to "work out your own salvation"? Is this referring to salvation from sin? If not, what kind of salvation is it referring to? I believe to working our our salvations means we are to live so that our lives prove we are saved. Our lives are to reflect Jesus at all times. To do that we need to practice the fruit of the spirit at all times. Even when alone. No this is not talking about sin, cause we are already covered by his blood. I believe its the unity of all who are the body of christ, working together to be able to bring others to Christ.

Q4. (2:9-11) We know we're supposed to humble ourselves like Jesus did. But how can we know whether or not God will exalt us? Why do we get impatient with this? What does our impatience sometimes lead to? Its a promise to us that he will. 1Pe 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time We get impatient becuase we get tired of waiting for him. We want to get it done. This leads us into not getting the best that God wants us to have

Q3. (2:7-8) Was Jesus really a human being or only pretending to be one? What do these verses teach? What difference does it really make whether or not Jesus was human? If he had not become human, we might have never believed in him. He had to had to go through everything we would go through. So that we would believe in him. It really makes no differnce where he became human or not. But he did that for us so that we would be able to relate to him and come and accept him as our savuor. Its had for us to relate to something or someone that has not been through what we have gone through. So i feel he had to come and show us that what he says is true. Otherwise we would not believe him>

Q2. (2:6) In your own words, what does it mean that Christ didn't cling to his equality with God? How specifically does this passage teach that Jesus is divine? He became lower than God he let himself take on the physical body to be able to feel what we feel to be tempted and he was still equal to God but he was able to be hurt. It teaching us he is devine because a human any man or woman could not go through the things that he did and still hang on a cross and say Father forgive them none of us could do that he is devine.

Q1. (2:1-4). To achieve unity in your congregation, why is humility necessary? Can you give an example of how lack of humility caused a division in your church? What are you doing to bring unity in your church? For unity to be felt by all in our churchs we need to show humilty to others. We need to always consider the other persons feelings and not just our own. We need to show love and compassion for all not just those that we are friends with. In my church it always seems something is going on to cause hurt feelings. Instead of repairing the hurts some jsut seem to get ingored. And that is never right. For myself i try to reach out to everyone. It hurts me when i see something that is not being dealt with. I try to be a friend to all

Q4. (1:23) What do Philippians 1:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 teach about the state of Christians immediately after death? How does this comfort you? How does this energize you? It teaches me that as soon as i die i will be with Jesus. No waiting around for his second coming. Its very comforting to know that we will be immediatly with him. I no long worry about that time. Just knowing I will be with him energizes me. I look forward to that day. Come Jesus come

Q3. (1:20-21) How can fear keep us from being a bold witness? Why does fear of people bind our tongues? How does "losing our life" for Christ's sake actually give us an abundant life? What fear is keeping your from clear witness? Fear cripples us up. Keeps us from doing what we know we should be doing. We don't speak out about Christ cauase we fear their reaction. We don't like to be made to look stupid. We don't speak out because we are afraid of what others will think of us. But when we live for Christ and completely give ourselves to him. We shouldn't be afraid to speak out what we believe that they to may choose to be saved. Our lives are richer whe we can get past our fears and speak for Christ anyway. Something I am still working on. My fear is looking stupid to others and afraid of doing something that will cause others not like me. Pray for me to lose these fears please. So I can be free to speak out

Q2. (1:18b-19) Why is our ability to rejoice so dependent upon our faith that God is in control, working even in the midst of difficulty? What must you believe in order to be able to rejoice in the midst of problems? What is your basis for believing that? Knowing that God is in control of my life makes it easier to rejoice knowing he is already working out what i may be struggling with to make me stronger and to draw me closer to him. Which is where I desire to be. I know that I can rejoice cause of his promise to never leave me or forsake me. If it wasn't for him being there I could never press through Knowing from times past that he has stepped in and made things work out better for me, helps me to know he will always be there for me no matter what is happening.

Q1. (1:12-14) From the standpoint of witness to others, you are much more credible when you are undergoing personal struggles, stress, and problems. Why is this so? Why was Paul's witness so powerful? What personal struggle are you going through that could enhance your testimony if you handled it right? In times that we are feeling stress and struggling. Are times others can see what we are made of. If we stay strong depending on the Lord to take us through them it helps others to see the way out of their struggles. Paul being in prision still was able to witness to the ones that were around him. He didn't let his struggles hold him back. He pressed on knowing that either he live or die he would be ok. There is a lot going on im my family right now. I pray that when others see the way I handle it that they would be able to see how I am trusting God to take care of it. That maybe they to will come to know and trust God with their own struggles.

Q4. (1:9-11) Why does Paul ask God to give the Philippian Christians discernment? What will be the result of discernment in their lives? How does selfishness cloud discernment? How is the good the enemy of the best in our lives? I believe he wants discernment for them so they always know what is right. To draw them closer to him. It will keep them from making wrong decisions and their fore make their lives easier to live. But when we become selfish. We only think about us not anyone else. I think we miss out on Gods best when we only think about us. Sometimes we choose to not wait on God and go ahead and do something that will keep us from getting Gods best for us. Even though its a good it holds us back from being all we can be for him