Beyond Sunday - Philippians 3
• Over the years, I have been privileged to walk alongside several men who struggled to live in Christian freedom because of their pasts. I have my own past to deal with, so I frequently used those first two passages above to help them—and myself—remember that Jesus redeemed our pasts, and that God will never throw our past failures back in our faces.
• Over the years, I have been privileged to walk alongside several men who struggled to live in Christian freedom because of their pasts. I have my own past to deal with, so I frequently used those first two passages above to help them—and myself—remember that Jesus redeemed our pasts, and that God will never throw our past failures back in our faces.
o What aspects of God’s character do you think of most as you read those verses?
• I imagine Paul speaking those words in 1 Corinthians, bowing his head slightly as he humbly confesses his past errors, pausing briefly to take a deep breath, and then as he raises his gaze to Heaven saying confidently, “…But by the grace of God, I am what I am…” Paul identified as a forgiven sinner, an apostle, a teacher, and an evangelist.
o How would you complete this sentence? “By the grace of God, I am…”
o If there is a particular past situation that troubles you, how do you think it would help you to share that in confidence with a close friend who is a mature believer?
Read: Matthew 5:23-24, Genesis 45:4-7, Romans 8:28, Psalm 139:13-16, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
• God has redeemed our yesterdays, and I believe He sometimes temporarily shifts our focus to them, not to accuse but to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our present and future. I believe God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow faith in the present.
o What memory of yours do you believe God wants to use for your spiritual growth?
o What is your part in experiencing that growth?
• In this broken, messed up world, we can start to feel spiritually adrift. We must hold onto hope and the promises of God in these times, remembering that He is operating constantly in our lives because of His love for us and ours for Him. His redemptive plan is unfolding in the lives of His children who are called to a new life of realizing His good purposes for them.
o How would you describe God’s purpose(s) for your present life situation?
o What are you doing (or could you do) to cooperate in fulfilling His purposes?
o When you read that “…all the days ordained for [you] were written in [God’s] book before one of them came to be…,” what do you feel, and what questions are raised for you?
o Describe something that you believe God has planned for you, and is calling you to in the future.
Pray: Praise God for His redemptive work in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you God’s purpose for your present, and His plan for your future.
Next Steps:
• There is a baptism party coming up Sunday, August 25. If you have already surrendered completely to God, but have not yet declared that publicly by being water baptized, you can sign up to take that step here.
• We are better together, and healing comes when we gather in a community of others who want to think and act like Jesus. If you are not already in a RHC Small Group, join one today by going to the website or the RHC App.
• Over the years, I have been privileged to walk alongside several men who struggled to live in Christian freedom because of their pasts. I have my own past to deal with, so I frequently used those first two passages above to help them—and myself—remember that Jesus redeemed our pasts, and that God will never throw our past failures back in our faces.
o What aspects of God’s character do you think of most as you read those verses?
• I imagine Paul speaking those words in 1 Corinthians, bowing his head slightly as he humbly confesses his past errors, pausing briefly to take a deep breath, and then as he raises his gaze to Heaven saying confidently, “…But by the grace of God, I am what I am…” Paul identified as a forgiven sinner, an apostle, a teacher, and an evangelist.
o How would you complete this sentence? “By the grace of God, I am…”
o If there is a particular past situation that troubles you, how do you think it would help you to share that in confidence with a close friend who is a mature believer?
Read: Matthew 5:23-24, Genesis 45:4-7, Romans 8:28, Psalm 139:13-16, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
• God has redeemed our yesterdays, and I believe He sometimes temporarily shifts our focus to them, not to accuse but to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our present and future. I believe God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow faith in the present.
o What memory of yours do you believe God wants to use for your spiritual growth?
o What is your part in experiencing that growth?
• In this broken, messed up world, we can start to feel spiritually adrift. We must hold onto hope and the promises of God in these times, remembering that He is operating constantly in our lives because of His love for us and ours for Him. His redemptive plan is unfolding in the lives of His children who are called to a new life of realizing His good purposes for them.
o How would you describe God’s purpose(s) for your present life situation?
o What are you doing (or could you do) to cooperate in fulfilling His purposes?
o When you read that “…all the days ordained for [you] were written in [God’s] book before one of them came to be…,” what do you feel, and what questions are raised for you?
o Describe something that you believe God has planned for you, and is calling you to in the future.
Pray: Praise God for His redemptive work in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you God’s purpose for your present, and His plan for your future.
Next Steps:
• There is a baptism party coming up Sunday, August 25. If you have already surrendered completely to God, but have not yet declared that publicly by being water baptized, you can sign up to take that step here.
• We are better together, and healing comes when we gather in a community of others who want to think and act like Jesus. If you are not already in a RHC Small Group, join one today by going to the website or the RHC App.
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