Everything's Possible - End of Week 1

INTRODUCTION
The following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.

OPEN QUESTIONS
Since Philippians has several favorite quotables for the Christian journey, share one or two of your favorite Scripture texts and why they are among your favorites.

HEAD

1. Read Philippians 1 together and share any wisdom, insights, or thoughts that come to you from the reading.
2. We know the kind of “slave” Paul speaks of is one who chooses to be bound to another by choice, not by force.  What do you think it would have been like for someone who had been a slave by force to then choose to become one of their own free will?
3. Paul’s introductions and his closing remarks often use the words Grace (Charis - Greek) and Peace (Shalom - Hebrew).  Why do you think these words had become his common greeting and send-off?
4. Paul writes from a prison cell, but his tone is that of joy and gratitude.  How do you think he was able to rise above his present circumstances and keep a positive outlook?
5. In verses 15-18, Paul seems to say that a person’s motives for preaching the gospel don’t matter as long as the gospel is being preached. Do you agree?  What are some impure motives you can think of for preaching the gospel?
6. In verses 21-24, do you think Paul has contemplated suicide?  If not, can you identify with his struggle?

HEART

1. Knowing that Paul is speaking to a people he is intimately familiar with, people he was in the trenches with to plant a church in Phillipi, have you had or do you now have people that you’ve been in the trenches with; be it through a crisis, or planting a church, or starting something new.  How do you feel about those people and what difference do they make in your life?
2. What kinds of things do we bind ourselves to in this world?  In other words, what besides Christ can we become a slave to?  How might we let go of those false masters, to cling to the one and only, Savior?
3. Let’s think about motives for a moment.  Why do you go to church?  Why do you study Scripture?  Why are you, or would you be, compelled to share the gospel with someone else?
4. In verse 27, Paul says to live as citizens of heaven, as if you’re already there.  How do you think you might approach this life differently if you could continually remember that what you see and experience is only a small part of your story?

HANDS
Gratitude is such a powerful weapon for our mental health.  Who are you grateful for in your life?  Who has helped you through a difficult time?  Who joined forces with you to do something others thought impossible?  Who has made an impact on your life that you wouldn’t be the same without?  Choose at least one person that fits one of these categories and just write them a quick note of gratitude, and tell them what they’ve meant to you.

LIVING WORDS FOR YOUR WEEK
Above 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.
Philippians 1: 27 NLT