Sunday, January 15, 2017Sermon NotesPhilippians 4:2-3

“Putting Personal Conflict in its Proper Context”

I. Allow Your Position in the Lord to Govern Your Mindset

II. Allow Your Labor in the Gospel to Unify Your Purpose

III. Allow Your Promise of Eternity to Influence Your Perspective  

SUNDAY SCHOOL PARENTS’ PAGE

JACOB WRESTLES WITH GOD

Passage: Read as a family Genesis 32; Philippians 4:6-7 Principle: God hears the prayers of those who believe in Him. Praise: Whisper a Prayer in the Morning; Our God Is an Awesome God Prompt: Discuss these questions with your children:

What did Jacob ask from God? Why did he pray? How did God answer Jacob’s prayer? How old does one have to be for God to listen to their

prayer? Practice: Help your children apply these truths by encouraging them to:

Trust God instead of fearing men. Confess their need for God. Rely on God’s promises in prayer.

January Memory Verse: Gen 50:20As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Next Week: God Preserves and Prepares Joseph (Genesis 37; 39-41; 1 Cor 10:13; 1 Peter 1:3-9)

=====================================================January Catechism Quest for Children’s Church

21. Q. In what condition did God make Adam and Eve?A. He made them holy and happy (Gen 1:26-28; Ps 8:4-8; Eph 4:24).22. Q. Did Adam and Eve stay holy and happy?A. No. They sinned against God (Gen 3:1-7; Eccl 7:29; Hosea 6:7). 23. Q. What is sin?A. Sin is failing to do what God commands (1 John 3:4; Rom

3:20; James 2:9-11).24. Q. What was the sin of our first parents?A. Eating the forbidden fruit (Gen 2:16-17; 3:6).25. Q. Why did they eat the forbidden fruit?A. Because they did not believe what God had said (Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-6).

Feeding on the Truth

MondayPhilippians 4:2-3. The direct application of this text is quite simple. Get on your knees and ask the Lord to reveal to you any contention or animosity or haughtiness you have towards another believer. Beg the Lord to forgive you for putting your agenda and reputation above your shared position in the Lord, the labor of the gospel, and the value of eternal life. And then seek out that person in order to be reconciled. Ask them for their forgiveness and ask to pray with them for the unity that Christ prayed for would be theirs. Tuesday John 17:1-26 is the most beautiful and meaningful prayer in all of Scripture. In verses 21, 22, and 23 Jesus prays that “they” may be one. But understand that Jesus’ prayer for unity is not an arbitrary, undefined wish that all people who say they are Christian will learn to get along and start hanging out more often. No, the people Christ prays for is a very select and defined group and their unity is by no means artificial. Beginning in verse 1 go through this prayer and jot down all the descriptions of who the “they” are?

By reflecting on this description, you will begin to see that the unity Christ is praying for is by no means artificial or man-made, but is wrought by the Spirit. WednesdayPhilippians 4:2-3. Paul’s apparent lack of interest in the details of this disagreement indicate that he is far more concerned with each believer learning to love the other than he is with who is “right”. This is the same spirit with which Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 6:1-8. According to this passage what is better than being proven right? Why is it better to be defrauded and suffer wrong than to publicly win an argument against your brother or sister in the Lord? Thursday What does Paul’s willingness to involve others in the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche teach us about life in the church family? How should we respond to loving correction from a brother or sister in the Lord? How did you respond the last time someone confronted you about a sinful tendency in your

life? Phil. 4:3 gives the necessary protection against confronting others with impure motives. What protects us from selfishly confronting others in a way that tears down a fellow believer? What are we to be laboring for? Friday The “book of life” mentioned in Philippians 4:3 is a reference to the reality of an eternal future. According to Revelation 13:8 when were those names written in the book of life? According to Revelation 3:5 who are the ones that have their names written in the book of life? How else are they described in Revelation 3:1-6 SaturdayLord willing, tomorrow we will receive our spiritual nourishment from Philippians 4:4-7. Read the text making observations and asking questions, praying for the Lord to bless you in and through preached Word.

Sunday to SundayConnecting Truth to Life

Jan. 15-21, 2017

Sermon Title: “Putting Personal Conflict in its Proper Context”

Sermon Text: Philippians 4:2-3