Memory Verse: Philippians 2:5-7
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Day 1 – Unity - Read Philippians 2:1-11
Dig In: Why is important that everyone on a team knows the “game plan”? In the military, how important is it that the soldiers on the ground understand the commanding officer’s instructions? How does this playout within the church family?
Take Root: This passage has four “ifs” and one “then”. Paul is emphasizing to the church that being unified in love and spirit will only take place when we embrace the “if” statements. He helps the reader of this passage understand that unity does not take place just because we say it should, but occurs only when we find comfort from being united with Jesus and his way of living.
Cultivate: Look at the four “if” statements. Evaluate yourself against these prerequisites to being unified with other believers. How does being unified help a follower of Christ lead others?
Journal: Write down your thoughts about this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Life Together, “Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this. Whether it be a brief, single encounter or the daily fellowship of years, Christian community is only this. We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ.” (p. 21)
Day 2 – Humility - Read Philippians 2:1-11*
*yes, it is the same passage from yesterday. We need to read this passage as a whole to see the sections that are being used for our devotional. Spoiler alert: you will read the same passage tomorrow…
Dig In: A definition of humility is “a low view of one’s own importance”. When this definition is lived out, how is one able to serve those in their life better? How would you rate yourself in the area of humility?
Take Root: Paul realizes that everyone naturally looks out for his or her own interests. The key is to take the same level of concern and apply it also to the interests of others. With the radical change in Paul’s life, he is committed to helping others understand the foundational principle that one cannot represent Christ, while making themselves the priority.
Cultivate: Who, in your life models humility well? What do you need to do to be more like that example? Harder question: what changes in your life need to reflect Jesus’ humility?
Journal: Think for a few moments about how you might have felt about the new Paul taking over your leadership role. No one likes to be upstaged, right? Make a list of complaints Barnabus could have presented to the Lord. Then beside each one record what Barnabus did in light of Paul’s leadership, and how things turned out in the end.
Day 3 – Christ-like - Read Philippians 2:1-11
Dig In: When you were younger, who did you want to be like? An athlete, movie star, parent...? What did you change about yourself then to be more like them? With Jesus we have a perfect example, but our imperfection makes it difficult to achieve a good reflection of Him.
Take Root: Re-read vs. 6-11. Think about how important this passage is for followers of Jesus. When we think about how God became one of us to save us from our sins – we see that Christ’s humility is what allows us to be unified. This truth is crucial for believers if they want to lead others to Him! Paul reminds us that if we want to live for Christ, we must live like Christ.
Cultivate: When we lead others, who are we leading them to? Yes, we can lead people to do tasks, move from one place to another, or follow our example…but how often do we think about leading people to something greater than anything this earth can offer…Jesus? Being unified, humble, and Christ-like will accomplish more than anything we try on our own, with our strength, and “me” as the example.
Day 4 – Paul’s Example - Read Philippians 3:3-6
Dig In: What are three things that you are good at doing? How has God uniquely gifted you to help strengthen the church?
Take Root: We start off with a section of scripture that paints Paul in an arrogant and prideful light. If these four verses were all we read, we would miss the parallels that Paul is drawing with the previous chapter. We have read about Jesus having full reason to boast of His greatness (Phil. 2:6), but choosing not to. These verses show the same thing for Paul.
Cultivate: In what ways do we tend to begin to take credit for what God is actually doing? Has there ever been a time where you saw God do something amazing and found yourself bragging about “your part” of the miracle (I prayed and this happened… I shared my faith and they followed my example… I made all this food and they felt blessed…). God uses us to point people to Him, not us.
Day 5 – Paul’s Example, Part 2 – Read Philippians 3:7-11
Dig In: How hard is it to share credit for a job you did? What does that say about our human condition? When was the last time you took time to really comprehend God’s power and grace and its impact on your everyday life?
Take Root: This section destroys the notion that we have anything to boast about in efforts to please God or to serve Him. Paul is comparing our feeble gains with what it really means to know Christ and His righteousness. Paul is modeling for all of us what unity, humility, and Christ-likeness are.
Cultivate: Take a few moments and look for the parallels of what Paul says about himself (3:3-11) and how he encouraged the Philippians to view Christ (2:6-11). In what ways does your life reflect the mindset of Christ? What are you doing to allow God to transform you more into who He is calling you to be? God will build your leadership in others’ lives when He is the one getting the glory.
Journal: Thy will be done. Uttering that sentence may be one of the most difficult that many people have prayed. Have you ever been there? Write down something that you have struggled with; a dream that hasn’t been fulfilled, a relationship that hasn’t been made right, a growing panic over yet another act of violence, a job in jeopardy, a report from the doctor. Now consider praying those four short words, “Thy will be done.”
Cultivate the Soil:
What does the Bible say about ego? Is it wrong to have an ego? Is there such a thing as a biblically healthy ego?
What is your definition of humility? Does it simply mean having a humble spirit? Does it describe someone with a lack of feeling entitled? Does it mean having appreciation for the lives or work of others? The Bible describes humility as meekness, lowliness and absence of self. Read the following scriptures to see exactly what God’s word says: Luke 18:10 – 14, Proverbs 11:2, Philippians 2:3, Colossians 3:12.
Would you describe Barnabus as a man with humility? Why or why not?
What examples do we have of people in the scriptures who had a spirit of humility? (Hint: Matthew 8: 5 – 10, Luke 21: 1, Luke 8: 43-48, John 13: 3-5)
Small Group Questions:
Why do you think praying “Thy will be done.” Is so difficult sometimes?
What outcomes do you expect when you pray that prayer?
Who taught us to pray that prayer? (Matthew 6: 10)
Did He ever pray it? (Mark 14: 36) What was the outcome? (Philippians 2: 8) What was the eventual outcome? (Philippians 2: 9 – 11, and Romans 5: 8 – 11)
Will you pray “Thy will be done?”
I know you see me, I know you hear me, Lord Your plans are for me Goodness you have in store, so Thy will be done. Thy will be done. Thy will be done. - Hilary Scott and the Scott Family