Category Archives: Redeemer Day School Devotions

Paul Thanks the Philippians for Their Gifts

Introduction:

There are a number of “Biblical Principles” in this passage for us to consider.

Philippians 4:10-23 NLT
Paul Thanks the Philippians for Their Gifts
¹⁰How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. ¹¹Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. ¹²I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. ¹³For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. ¹⁴Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.
¹⁵As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. ¹⁶Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. ¹⁷I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.
¹⁸At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. ¹⁹And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
²⁰Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.

Paul’s Final Greetings
²¹Give my greetings to each of God’s holy people—all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings. ²²And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household.
²³May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Examine the Scriptures:

Philippians 4:10-23 NLT

Thanksgiving for the Philippians Gifts

¹⁰How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me.

Paul is praising the Lord because the Philippian Church was demonstrating their concern for him.

Galatians 6:10 NLT
¹⁰Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Philippians 2:4 NLT
⁴Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

1 John 3:17-18 NLT
¹⁷If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
¹⁸Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. Galatians 6:10 NLT

¹¹Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.

Paul certainly appreciated the Philippians’ gift, but he knows that he doesn’t need their money. Paul has learned to be content in any situation.

¹²I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.

Learn how to be content with whatever you have.

1 Timothy 6:6-8 NLT
⁶Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.
⁸So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

Matthew 6:25-26 NLT
²⁵“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?

³³Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Hebrews 13:5 NLT
⁵Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”

¹³For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

God gives believers the strength to do whatever He asks them to do.

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 NLT
⁸We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. ⁹In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 NLT
⁷We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
⁸We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. ⁹We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT
⁸Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. ¹⁰That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Galatians 2:20 NLT
²⁰My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Psalm 37:3-5 NLT
³Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
⁴Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
⁵Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.

¹⁴Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

Even though Paul did not need the Philippians money, it was a good thing for them to share their money with Paul in his time of trouble.

God doesn’t need our money, but He does want us to experience the blessing of giving.

Hebrews 13:16 NLT
¹⁶And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

¹⁵As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. ¹⁶Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once.

¹⁷I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.

Paul clarifies that he seeks not the gift itself but the spiritual reward that will benefit them.

Notice this verse does not mention money.

Luke 6:38 NLT
³⁸Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-12 NLT
⁶Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. ⁷You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” ⁸And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. ⁹As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”
¹⁰For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
¹¹Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. ¹²So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.

God loves a person who gives cheerfully.

¹⁸At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.

Offered with the correct attitude.

The Philippians’ gift was a spiritual sacrifice

Gifts given with the correct attitude are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.

Matthew 25:34-40 NLT
³⁴“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. ³⁶I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
³⁷“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? ³⁹When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
⁴⁰“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

Proverbs 19:17 NLT
¹⁷If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—
and he will repay you!

Exodus 29:18 NLT
¹⁸then burn the entire animal on the altar. This is a burnt offering to the Lord; it is a pleasing aroma, a special gift presented to the Lord.

Lev 4:31
a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

¹⁹And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Paul assures the Philippians that God will also meet all their needs, both physical and spiritual, from his glorious riches.

Proverbs 3:9-10 NLT
⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
¹⁰Then he will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.

Luke 6:38 NLT repeated
³⁸Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

An example of God’s spiritual blessings.

Ephesians 3:16-20 NLT
¹⁶I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
²⁰Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

²⁰Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.

God alone deserves the glory. All provisions, blessings, and honor come from Him.

Paul’s Final Greetings

²¹Give my greetings to each of God’s holy people—all who belong to Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send you their greetings. ²²And all the rest of God’s people send you greetings, too, especially those in Caesar’s household.
²³May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

A Challenging “To Do” List.

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Introduction:

A Challenging “To Do” List.

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing.

Philippians 4:4-9 NLT
⁴Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ⁵Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
⁶Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
⁸And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Examine the Scriptures:

A Challenging “To Do” list.

Philippians 4:4-9 NLT
⁴Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

Many translations say:

Rejoice in the Lord always

Other verses to consider:

Philippians 2:18 NLT
¹⁸Yes, you should rejoice,

Philippians 3:1 NLT
Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 NLT
¹⁶Always be joyful.

Psalm 32:11 NLT
¹¹So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Ephesians 5:18-20 NLT
¹⁸… be filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹⁹singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. ²⁰And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Scripture tells us to rejoice in the Lord always.

Paul is not saying “be happy”.

There are many circumstances in which we cannot be happy, but we can always rejoice in the Lord and delight in Him.

Rejoicing in the Lord is an act of faith.

Do you need a reason to rejoice? Consider the following.

*Start by knowing that you are loved, chosen, and holy. (Colossians 3:12)

Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
⁸God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Colossians 1:13 NLT
¹³For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

John 14:1-3 NLT
^14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ²There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

What verses do you want to add?

Reflect on the following translations of Philippians 4:5a

⁵Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. NLT

⁵Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. CEB

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. ESV

Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. ERV

Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. NASB

Let your moderation be known unto all men. KJV

Let your gentleness be known to all men. NKJV

Let everyone know how considerate you are. NOG

Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do. TLB

Let your gracious attitude be known to all people. ISV

Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. GNT

Let your patient mind be known unto all men. GNV

Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. LSB

Be kind and patient in a way that everyone can see. EASY

Let your modesty be known to all men. DRA

What did you hear?

Matthew 5:43-44 NLT
⁴³“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

Philippians 2:3 NLT
³Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind.

Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

Live with an active sense of purpose, love, and readiness.

Matthew 24:42 NLT
⁴²“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.

Leave justice in God’s hands.

Romans 12:19 NLT
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD.

Be ready for the coming of the Lord.

⁶Don’t worry about anything;

Don’t be anxious about anything

Scripture tells us not to worry or be anxious about anything.

We can care and be genuinely concerned, but we should not worry or be anxious.

Worry indicates a lack of trust in God’s wisdom, sovereignty or power.

Don’t worry about anything.

instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need,

and thank him for all he has done.

Pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.

Romans 12:12 NLT
¹²Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
¹⁷Never stop praying.

1 Peter 5:7 NLT
⁷Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

⁷Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.

The peace of God surpasses all understanding.

John 14:27 NLT
strong>²⁷“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Colossians 3:15 NLT
¹⁵And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 26:3 NLT
³You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

⁸And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Colossians 3:2 NLT
²Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Think about the things of heaven.

⁹Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing.

Focus on what you know to do.

Do not focus on the things you don’t understand.

Don’t focus on the hypothetical.

Do what you know you should be doing.

Then the God of peace will be with you.

Live Together in a Manner Worthy of Christ’s Gospel

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Introduction:

Live Together in a Manner Worthy of Christ’s Gospel.

Stay true to the Lord.

Love others.

Settle your disagreements with others.

Be available to help others resolve their conflicts.

Philippians 4:1-3 NLT
¹ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.
²Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. ³And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.

Examine the Scriptures:

Philippians 4:1-3 NLT

¹ Therefore,

Therefore applies to the content in chapter 3.

Following Paul’s example (3:17)

Straining Toward the Goal. (3:14)

Setting their minds on heavenly things (3:20-21)

Sanctification

Etc.

my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord.

Stay true to the Lord (or Stand firm in the Lord.)

Paul exhorts these Philippian believers to “stay true to the Lord”.

Stand firm in the Lord (the wording used in numerous translations)

This is an exhortation I would give to you and hopefully you would all give this exhortation to me.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT
¹¹So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

We ought to encourage each other to “stay true to the Lord”.

Stay true to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT
¹³Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

Philippians 1:27 NLT
²⁷Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

Colossians 1:22-23 NLT
²²Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.
²³But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. …

Hebrews 10:23 NLT
²³Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

Hebrews 3:12-14 NLT
¹²Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. ¹³You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. ¹⁴For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.

Galatians 6:9 NLT
⁹So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

These saints were to their spiritual father Paul what victory wreaths were to runners in the Greek races.

1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NLT
¹⁹After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! ²⁰Yes, you are our pride and joy.

Leading others to Christ gives Paul hope and joy. Helping believers develop, grow to maturity, produce and reproduce is what Paul lived for.

Their continuing faithfulness to Christ was a deep source of joy to Paul and the crown for his hard work.

ASK:

Who (or what) is your joy and crown?

Your own family?

Your students (and their families)?

Other?

I love you and long to see you, dear friends,

Paul is addressing a group of brothers and sisters in Christ that he loves and longs to be with.

Paul does the following well:

Mark 12:30-31 NLT
³⁰And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ ³¹The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

John 13:34-35 NLT
³⁴So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Love each other.

²Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement.

Settle your disagreements with other believers.

Mark 3:24-25 NLT
²⁴“A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. ²⁵Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.

James 3:16 NLT
¹⁶For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

This is important! (Scripture is filled with verses similar to the following verses.)

Refer back to:
Philippians 2:2
²Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

1 Corinthians 1:10 NLT
¹⁰I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.

Ephesians 4:1-3 NLT
^4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. ²Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT
³¹Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³²Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Colossians 3:12-15 NLT
¹²Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

How important is reconciliation?

Reconciliation needs to be a priority.

Matthew 5:23-24 NLT
²³“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, ²⁴leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

A Biblical example of working out differences.

The Matthew 18 principle

Matthew 18:15-17
¹⁵“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. ¹⁶But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. ¹⁷If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

³And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women,

This person is unknown

Be available to help resolve conflicts.

for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News.

Christians are not immune to conflict.

At one point in time Euodia and Syntyche worked hard with Paul telling others the Good News.

They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.

Euodia and Syntyche had also worked along with Clement and the rest of Paul’s co-workers.

Do not be Led Astray by False Teachers

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Introduction:

Do not be Led Astray by False Teachers

Do not be deceived when people try to trick you with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

A lesson about Heaven and Hell.

For or against:

Matthew 12:30 NLT
³⁰“Anyone who isn’t with me (Jesus) opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

Philippians 3:17-21 NLT
¹⁷Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. ¹⁸For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. ²⁰But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ²¹He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

Examine the Scriptures:

Pressing Toward the Goal (continued)

Philippians 3:17-21 NLT
¹⁷Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine,

1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT
¹And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

We know that Paul desired to live a Christlike life.

Pattern your lives after believers who are less imperfect than you and know how to deal with imperfection and who can model the process of pursuing the goal of Christlikeness.

Pursue Christlikeness.

Christlikeness refers to the process by which believers are conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. It involves obedience to and trust in God, and through the Holy Spirit, God refashions believers in the image of his Son.

and learn from those who follow our example.

Imitate other mature Christians.

Hebrews 13:7 NLT
⁷Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

This would certainly include Timothy and Epaphroditus.

Philippians 2:19-20 NLT
¹⁹If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. ²⁰I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare.

Philippians 2:25 NLT
²⁵Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need.

Pattern your lives after believers who model the process of pursuing the goal of Christlikeness.

Is your life a good model for your students? Many will be imitating you.

¹⁸For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ.

Many of the people around us are enemies of the cross.

Here these could be Jews or Gentiles. They might be in the church or outside the church.

Acts 20:28-30 NLT (Paul speaking to the Ephesian Elders.)
²⁸“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders. ²⁹I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.

Ephesians 4:14 NLT
¹⁴Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

Be careful who you imitate.

Do not be deceived when people try to trick you with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

Acts 17:11 NLT
¹¹And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

¹⁹They are headed for destruction.

Eternal destruction (Hell) is the ultimate judgment of God for those who reject Christ and live self-centered lives.

John 3:18 NLT
¹⁸“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 NLT
⁷And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, ⁸in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. ⁹They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.

Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.

Enemies of the cross of Christ described:

Their god is their appetite, (serving their own personal interests)

they brag about shameful things, (living immoral lives)

and they think only about this life here on earth.

Romans 16:18 NLT
¹⁸Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.

2 Peter 2 (selected verses)
¹²These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. ¹³Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. ¹⁴They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. ¹⁵They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. ¹⁶…
¹⁷These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. ¹⁸They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. ¹⁹They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.

Jude (selected verses)
⁸In the same way, these people—…—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings. ⁹… ¹⁰… these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction. ¹¹What sorrow awaits them! …
¹²When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots. ¹³They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.

Remember who you are.

²⁰But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.

Philippi prided itself on being a Roman colony.

Roman citizenship was considered a significant honor and privilege in ancient Rome.

Colossians 1:13 NLT
¹³For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

1 Peter 1:1-5 NLT
1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I am writing to God’s chosen people …
³All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

John 14:1-3 NLT
¹ “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ²There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.

And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

We are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

Romans 8:23 NLT
²³… We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

1 Corinthians 1:7 NLT
⁷Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²¹He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

1 John 3:2 NLT
²Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

2 Corinthians 5:8 NLT
⁸Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:53 NLT
⁵³For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:43-44 NLT
⁴³Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. ⁴⁴They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.

The best is yet to come.

The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

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The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

Introduction:

Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
⁸God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

A warning against confidence in the flesh.

Philippians 3:1-9 NLT
The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ
^3:1 Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
²Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. ³For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, ⁴though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
⁵I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. ⁶I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
⁷I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. ⁸Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ⁹and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

Examine the Scriptures:

Philippians 3:1-9 NLT
The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

^3:1 Whatever happens,

Paul’s circumstances.

^2:23I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here.

Paul was uncertain of his future. (As we all are.)

my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord.

Philippians 4: NLT
⁴Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
¹⁶Always be joyful. ¹⁷Never stop praying. ¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

James 1:2-4 NLT
²Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Always be joyful.

I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

Repetition of Biblical truths is a good thing.

We need reminders.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NLT
⁶And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷Repeat them again and again to your children.

²Watch out for those dogs,

Here Paul is describing Judaizers, not Gentiles.

those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.

Warning.

Judaizers.

In the early church, those who taught a combination of God’s grace and human effort were called “Judaizers.” The word Judaizer comes from a Greek verb meaning “to live according to Jewish customs.”
A Judaizer taught that, in order for a Christian to truly be right with God, he must conform to the Mosaic Law. Circumcision, especially, was promoted as necessary for salvation. Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes first, and then they could come to Christ. The doctrine of the Judaizers was a mixture of grace (through Christ) and works (through the keeping of the Law). (Got Questions)

Think about:

- - Judaizers were teaching what they had been taught when they were growing up.

2 Peter 2:1 NLT
^2:1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them.

2 Timothy 4:3 NLT
³For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

Beware of false teachers.

³For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised.

True circumcision is an inner transformation, a cutting away of sin and selfishness from our hearts, allowing us to fully love and obey God.

Colossians 2:11 NLT<¹¹When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.

Not performed by human hands, but by the Holy Spirit.

not “outward and physical.”

Deuteronomy 10:15-16 NLT
¹⁵Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today. ¹⁶Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn.

Truly circumcised – a changed heart.

We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,

Those who put their trust in Jesus Christ are the ones who are truly circumcised.

Romans 2:28-29 NLT
²⁸For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. ²⁹No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

Warning against confidence in the flesh.

Do not put your confidence in human effort.

⁴though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

Paul had a strong Jewish background.

⁵I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. ⁶I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

Paul had practiced the strictest obedience to the Jewish law and was extremely zealous for the Jewish religion.

Galatians 1:14 NLT
¹⁴I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.

⁷I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.

Salvation does not come through power, position, or performance.

⁸Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

When it comes to salvation, power, position, and performance are worthless.

⁹and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.

John 6:28-29 NLT
²⁸They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
²⁹Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9 NLT
⁹If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Jesus tells us to abide in Him.

John 15:4-5 NLT⁴Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
⁵“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

1 John 5:11-13 NLT
¹¹And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹²Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.
¹³I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.

1 John 5:20 NLT
²⁰And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

Apart from Christ you can do nothing.

Note:

After we are made right with God, we do have work to do.

1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT
⁵⁸So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Galatians 6:9 NLT
⁹So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Paul “Practiced What He Preached”

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Paul “Practiced What He Preached”

Paul’s plans for Timothy and Epaphroditus. Two men who were very important to Paul.

Introduction:

Paul “practiced what he preached”.

Do the things that you advise other people to do.

Paul taught:

Philippians 2:3 NLT
³Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Romans 12:10 NLT
¹⁰Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other.

Ephesians 5:21 NLT
²¹And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

1 Peter 5:5 NLT
⁵… . And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Philippians 2:4 NLT
⁴Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Paul had a genuine concern for the Philippians.

Note how Paul treats these two men in this passage.

Paul was not certain of his own future.

How did Paul die?

The Bible does not say how the apostle Paul died.

It is universally accepted that he died a martyr. Based on historical events, the Romans beheaded him. (Christian.net)

The accuracy of this tradition is impossible to gauge. Again, the Bible does not record how Paul died, so there is no way to be certain regarding the circumstances of his death. (gotquestions.org)

Paul knew that his release or death could come at any time.

Notice how Paul put others before himself.

Philippians 2:19-30 NLT
Paul Commends Timothy
¹⁹If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. ²⁰I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. ²¹All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. ²²But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. ²³I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. ²⁴And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.
Paul Commends Epaphroditus
²⁵Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. ²⁶I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. ²⁷And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
²⁸So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. ²⁹Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. ³⁰For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.

Examine the Scriptures:

Plans for Timothy and Epaphroditus

Philippians 2:19-30 NLT

Paul Commends Timothy

¹⁹If the Lord Jesus is willing,

If the Lord Jesus is willing.

Paul was not certain of his own future.

Paul knew that his release or death could come at any time.

James 4:13-17 NLT
¹³Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” ¹⁴How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ¹⁵What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.

I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit.

Paul is planning to send Timothy to Philippi so that he can encourage the believers at Philippi and report back to Paul how the Philippian Church is doing.

If Paul ever needed Timothy it was while he was there in Rome under house arrest. Yet he was willing to sacrifice Timothy’s companionship so others could be helped.

Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along.

Paul’s letter and Timothy’s visit would encourage the believers at Philippi.

Good news about the Philippians would be an encouragement to Paul.

²⁰I have no one else like Timothy,

Several translations use the word “likeminded”.

Timothy was one in thought, feeling, and spirit with Paul in love for the church.

who genuinely cares about your welfare.

Timothy has a genuine concern for the welfare of the Philippians.

Philippians 2:4 NLT
⁴Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

²¹All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.

Living for self vs. living for Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
³¹So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Did Paul mean to include everyone he had ever known, or did he mean those who were with him in Rome? Most likely the latter.

²²But you know how Timothy has proved himself.

The Philippians knew Timothy.

Timothy’s qualities were unexcelled.

Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News.

Timothy “served” with me …

Most translations use the word “served”.

Some translations use

toiled

labors

slaved

worked

Paul and Timothy had a father son relationship.

Timothy was Paul’s beloved son in the faith.

1 Timothy 1:2 NLT
²I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith.

Philippians 1:1 NLT
Greetings from Paul
^1:1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.

Timothy had a servant attitude.

²³I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here.

This may be referring to the outcome of Paul’s trial.

²⁴And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.

Paul most likely wrote this letter to the Philippians during his first Roman imprisonment (A.D. 60-62). It is believed that Paul also wrote Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, the other Prison Epistles during this same time period.

It is possible that Paul never saw the Philippian Christians again (but see 1 Timothy 1:3, about AD 63.) (also see Acts 28:30)

Paul Commends Epaphroditus

This is a story of selfless affection.

²⁵Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you.

Little is known about Epaphroditus.

Epaphroditus was from Philippi.

Epaphroditus was the messenger who had delivered gifts to Paul from the Philippian church.

Philippians 4:18 NLT
¹⁸At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God.

Epaphroditus was most likely delivering Paul’s epistle (Paul’s Letter to the Philippians) to Philippi.

He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier.

Paul described Epaphroditus as a brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier.

Fellow soldier suggests the difficulties, opposition, and dangers encountered in Christ’s work.

Epaphroditus is an example of genuine Christian love.

Paul loved and needed Epaphroditus.

And he was your messenger to help me in my need.

The messenger sent by the Philippian Church with gifts to the imprisoned Paul.

²⁶I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. ²⁷And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died.

While in Rome, Epaphroditus had become seriously ill and almost died.

Epaphroditus was distressed about the Philippians hearing that he was ill.

Epaphroditus longed to return to Philippi.

He was very distressed that you heard he was ill.

But God had mercy on him—and also on me,

God’s healing was a result of God’s mercy on both Epaphroditus and Paul.

so that I would not have one sorrow after another.

²⁸So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you.

Paul did not want the Philippians to be worried about Epaphroditus.

Paul had the best interests of the Philippian believers and Epaphroditus at heart.

²⁹Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve.

People like Epaphroditus deserve honor.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 NLT
Paul’s Final Advice
¹²Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. ¹³Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

³⁰For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.

Epaphroditus could do things for Paul that the Philippian believers living in Philippi could not do.

Paul was indeed selfless.

Galatians 5:22 NLT
²²But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love …

Let Your Light Shine

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Introduction:

Let Your Light Shine

This lesson is a repeat of the last lesson we had last school year with some revisions.

Scripture is full of passages telling us how we should live our lives.

Lessons for us as well as lessons for our students.

As we begin another school year remember that your faithful service is an offering to God.

2 Corinthians 13:11
Paul’s Final Greetings
¹¹Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

Philippians 2:14-17 NLT
Let Your Light Shine
¹³For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
¹⁴Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. ¹⁶Hold firmly to the word of life; … ¹⁷… your faithful service is an offering to God. …

Examine the Scriptures:

Lessons for us as well as lessons for our students.

As we are beginning another school year a good component to our prayers could/should be to ask God to help us to:

Be joyful.

Grow to maturity.

Encourage each other.

Live in harmony and peace.

Be joyful.
Grow to maturity.
Encourage each other.
Live in harmony and peace.

Expect the God of love and peace to be with you.

Philippians 2:13-18 NLT
Let Your Light Shine
¹³For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

God empowers and energizes believer’s lives.

2 Peter 1:3 NLT
³By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

John 15:5 NLT
⁵“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

1 Corinthians 12:6 NLT
⁶God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

Among other things, God uses scripture and the Holy Spirit to work in us.

Hebrews 4:12 NLT
For the word of God is alive and powerful.

John 16:13 NLT
¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.

¹⁴Do everything without complaining and arguing,

More specific instructions for Christians.

Here Paul is speaking to the church at Philippi, but the same principles would apply to us.

Do everything

Without complaining.

No complaining.

No muttering or grumbling.

Complaining about our circumstances could be seen as a contradiction to recognizing God as sovereign and all powerful.

Without arguing

No arguing.

No disputing.

No questioning.

No criticisms.

Do everything without complaining and arguing.

2 Timothy 2:23 NLT
²³Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.

Titus 3:9 NLT
⁹Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.

Replace complaining and arguing with:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
¹⁶Always be joyful. ¹⁷Never stop praying. ¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:8 NLT (Later in Paul’s letter)
⁸And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

¹⁵so that no one can criticize you.

It’s hard to have an effective testimony for Christ when you are always arguing with the people around you.

Philippians 2:2 NLT
²Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

Christians need to show themselves as united and as one in Christ.

Live clean, innocent lives as children of God,

Become blameless and pure … without fault. (NIV)

Not perfection, but wholehearted devotion to doing God’s will.

Above reproach – undiluted, not weakened.

(Don’t be like wine that has been diluted or metal that has been weakened)

Romans 14:13 NLT
¹³…. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

Relate to others in such a way that you do not cause them to stumble.

Go back to Paul’s prayer (1:9-11)

Philippians 1:9-10 NLT
⁹I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. ¹⁰For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.

Progress in your spiritual maturity.

Keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.

Matthew 10:16 NLT
¹⁶“Look, I (Jesus) am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.

shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Matthew 5:14-16 NLT
¹⁴“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. ¹⁵No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Ephesians 5:8 NLT
⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.

We too are living in a world full of crooked, unscrupulous, and perverse people.

For the most part, our nation has turned it back on God and on Biblical principles.

We should shine as lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

¹⁶Hold firmly to the word of life;

Believing God’s Word and following it.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Share God’s Word with the lost and the dying.

Believe God’s Word and follow it.
Share God’s Word with the lost and the dying.

¹⁷… your faithful service is an offering to God.

Our faithful service is an offering to God.

Welcome Back (2024-2025 School Year)

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Welcome Back (2024-2025 School Year)

We all know the importance of spending time in the Word. We need to act on what we know.

We all know:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Hebrews 4:12 NLT
¹²For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

The Word of God is alive and powerful. It is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.

God uses scripture to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

This morning, I want us to focus on a phrase found in Hosea chapter 4.

Hosea 4:6 NLT
⁶My people are being destroyed
because they don’t know me. …

This verse communicates a powerful message to all of us who are living in the 21^st century.

My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me.

These are God’s words directed to his chosen people, the Israelites.

These words certainly apply to the 21^st century church.

God’s people are being destroyed because they do not know God.

The next generation will be destroyed if they do not know God.

Hosea 4:6 NLT
⁶My people are being destroyed
because they don’t know me. …

As parents and teachers we have an incredibly important and challenging, and at times seemingly overwhelming, God given assignment.

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) starts out by saying:
Train up a child in the way he should go:

Proverbs 22:6 NLT
⁶Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Train up a child in the way he should go.

Where do we start?

Scripture tells us:

Proverbs 1:7 NLT
⁷Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

ESV The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Scripture also says:

Mark 12:30-31 NLT
³⁰And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ ³¹The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

We need to:

Create an atmosphere where children have the opportunity to “fear the Lord”.

All of us here have a part in this ministry.

We are One body with many parts.

1 Corinthians 12:18 NLT
¹⁸But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

God has put each one of you just where He wants you.

Look at:

1 Corinthians 3:6-9 NLT
⁶I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. ⁷It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. ⁸The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. ⁹For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.

Some of us plant the seed, some of us waters the seed, but what’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

Hosea 4:6 NLT
⁶My people are being destroyed
because they don’t know me. …

God’s people are being destroyed because they do not know God.

The next generation will be destroyed if they do not know God.

You can be used by God in this ministry.

Acts 4:13 NLT
¹³The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures.

They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. (More on this later.)

God uses ordinary people with no special training in the scriptures.

God is equipping each one of us for this ministry.

Resources available to each of us here today include the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures.

The Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8 NLT (A promise to the apostles)
⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

John 14:26 NLT
²⁶But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

Acts 2:38 NLT
³⁸Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
³⁹This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

(Baptism is an act of obedience, not a requirement for salvation.)

John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9 NLT
⁹If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 8:9-11 NLT
⁹But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) ¹⁰And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. ¹¹The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.

God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He also gave us:

The scriptures.

The Word of God is alive and powerful. It is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.

God uses scripture to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

What happens when we spend time in the Word?

2 Peter 1:2-4 (NLT)
²May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
³By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Knowing God better should be a number one priority in our lives.

As we come to know God better, God is giving us everything we need for living a Godly life.

As we learn to know God’s promises, we are able to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Acts 4:20 NLT
²⁰We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”

We are all

Changed lives changing lives.

Hosea 4:6 NLT
⁶My people are being destroyed
because they don’t know me. …

God’s people are being destroyed because they do not know God.

The next generation will be destroyed if they do not know God.

Shine Brightly for Christ (Part 2)

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Shine Brightly for Christ (Part 2)

Introduction:

Remember: Your faithful service is an offering to God.

Philippians 2:14-18 NLT
Shine Brightly for Christ (Part 2)
¹⁴Do everything without complaining and arguing, ¹⁵so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. ¹⁶Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. ¹⁷But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. ¹⁸Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Examine the Scriptures:

Philippians 2:14-18 NLT
Shine Brightly for Christ (Part 2)

¹⁴Do everything without complaining and arguing,

More specific instructions for Christians.

Here Paul is speaking to the church at Philippi, but the same principles would apply to us.

Do everything

Without complaining.

No complaining.

No muttering or grumbling.

Complaining about our circumstances could be seen as a contradiction to recognizing God as sovereign and all powerful.

Without arguing

No arguing.

No disputing.

No questioning.

No criticisms.

Do everything without complaining and arguing.

2 Timothy 2:23 NLT
²³Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.

Titus 3:9 NLT
⁹Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.

Complaining and arguing should not be a part of our lives.

Jude 16 NLT
¹⁶These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires.

Complaining and arguing arise from self-centeredness.

Replace complaining and arguing with:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT
¹⁶Always be joyful. ¹⁷Never stop praying. ¹⁸Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

¹⁵so that no one can criticize you.

It’s hard to have an effective testimony for Christ when you are always arguing with the people around you.

Philippians 2:2 NLT
²Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

Christians need to show themselves as united and as one in Christ.

Live clean, innocent lives as children of God,

Become blameless and pure … without fault. (NIV)

Not perfection, but whole hearted devotion to doing God’s will.

Above reproach – undiluted, not weakened.

(Don’t be like wine that has been diluted or metal that has been weakened)

Romans 14:13 NLT
¹³…. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

Relate to others in such a way that you do not cause them to stumble.

Go back to Paul’s prayer (1:9-11)

Progress in your spiritual maturity.

Keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.

Matthew 10:16 NLT
¹⁶“Look, I (Jesus) am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves.

shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

Ephesians 5:8 NLT
⁸For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

John 8:12 NLT
¹²Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.

We too are living in a world full of crooked, unscrupulous, and perverse people.

For the most part, our nation has turned it back on God and on Biblical principles.

We should shine as lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.

¹⁶Hold firmly to the word of life;

Believing God’s Word and following it.

Hold forth. Share God’s Word with the lost and the dying.

John 6:68 NLT
⁶⁸Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.

Believe God’s Word and follow it.
Share God’s Word with the lost and the dying.

then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.

3 John 4 NLT
⁴I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.

2 Timothy 4:7 NLT
⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.

I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.

¹⁷But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God,

Pouring out wine onto the altar or onto the ground.

Illustrating a life “poured out” for God’s service.

2 Timothy 4:6 NLT
⁶As for me (Paul), my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.

Just like your faithful service is an offering to God.

Romans 12:1 NLT
^12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

The Philippians’ faithful service is an offering to God.

Genuine faith is active and working.

Faithful service is hard work.

Philippians 2:12 NLT … Work hard to show the results of your salvation …

Our faithful service is an offering to God.

And I want all of you to share that joy.

Share in the joy of serving the Lord.

¹⁸Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Philippians 4:4 NLT
⁴Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (NIV)

Shine Brightly for Christ (Part 1)

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Shine Brightly for Christ

Philippians 2:12-18 NLT
¹²Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. ¹³For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Examine the Scriptures:

Philippians 2:12-13 NLT
Shine Brightly for Christ

¹²Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important.

Note: We aren’t really talking about Paul’s instructions. 2 Timothy was written by Paul, but notice what it says.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT
¹⁶All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ¹⁷God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

We are not really talking about Paul’s instructions. We’re talking about instructions from God.

(repeat) And now that I am away, it is even more important.

What is more important?

Let’s look at another passage recorded by Paul.

Ephesians 6:5-8 NLT
⁵Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. ⁶Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. ⁷Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ⁸Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. ⁷Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

The word “work” is going to show up a lot in this lesson.

Who are you working for? Who are you trying to please?

Work hard to show the results of your salvation,

work out your own salvation ESV

Keep on working to complete your salvation. International Children’s Bible

Work with fear and trembling. CEV + others

This is not working for salvation. The Philippians had already received the gift of salvation.

This is talking about an ongoing process that continues after receiving the gift of salvation.

*** “work out” means continually work to bring your salvation to fulfillment.

Sanctification is an ongoing process which will not be complete or reach perfection in this life.

Sanctification is the process of becoming more Christ like.

In “progressive sanctification” we have a part to play.

We work out our salvation by keeping in step with the Holy Spirit who leads us in the will of God.

Ephesians 4:1 NLT
^4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

Galatians 5:16 NLT
¹⁶So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

2 Peter 1:10 NLT
¹⁰So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen.

Galatians 6:7-9 NLT
⁷Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. ⁸Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. ⁹So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Romans 6:19 NLT
¹⁹Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.

2 Corinthians 7:1 NLT
^7:1 Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

Hebrews 6:10-11 NLT
¹⁰For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. ¹¹Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.

Living the life that God wants you to live takes hard work.

Working at Redeemer Day School is hard work.

obeying God

Obey. Do the things scripture tells believers to do.

John 14:15 NLT
¹⁵“If you love me, obey my commandments.

1 John 5:3 NLT
³Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.

James 1:22 NLT
²²But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

John 14:21 NLT
²¹Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

2 John 6 NLT
⁶Love means doing what God has commanded us,

Luke 11:28 NLT
²⁸Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”

Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.

Don’t get hung up on the passages of scripture you don’t understand. You already know a lot of scripture. Do what you know you should be doing.

Example:

Put verses 2 and 3 into practice (achieving unity through humility).

Philippians 2:3-4 NLT
³Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

with deep reverence and fear.

We need to have a healthy fear of offending God and a righteous awe and respect of Him.

Proverbs 1:7 NLT
⁷Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Deuteronomy 8:6 NIV
⁶Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him.

Psalm 34:9 NIV
⁹Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.

Proverbs 9:10 NLT
¹⁰Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

We have a strong and crafty adversary, and we are weak and dependent on God for all that we need.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.

We need to be practicing and teaching “respect”.

Practicing respect is becoming a lost art.

Fearing God is respecting God. We need to always honor and esteem God.

Can we do all of this on our own? Of course not.

¹³For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

God empowers and energizes believer’s lives.

John 15:5 NLT
⁵“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

1 Corinthians 12:6 NLT
⁶God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.

Among other things, God uses scripture and the Holy Spirit to work in us.

Hebrews 4:12 NLT
For the word of God is alive and powerful.

John 16:13 NLT
¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.

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Category Archives: Redeemer Day School Devotions

Paul Thanks the Philippians for Their Gifts

A Challenging “To Do” List.

Live Together in a Manner Worthy of Christ’s Gospel

Do not be Led Astray by False Teachers

The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

Paul “Practiced What He Preached”

Let Your Light Shine

Welcome Back (2024-2025 School Year)

Shine Brightly for Christ (Part 2)

Shine Brightly for Christ (Part 1)