The Silent Sabbath

The followers of Jesus Christ were left to ponder their fates and their faith while Christ's body remained in the tomb for three days. (Matt 28:1-3) The third day was a holy day, or sabbath for Jesus' followers, who surely didn't feel like celebrating. Have you ever felt like God has gone silent, and left you with a false faith? Christians take heart, at the end of the silent sabbath, Christ was risen.

World Cross-Over Event

Do you look at some of the people around you and wonder, "what world are they living in?" or "what is their world like?" These questions show how different we feel about others, but also remind us that to be truly Christ-like, we must be willing to leave the world of our comfort and consider other points of view. How can you enter your neighbor's world, the way Christ entered our world? Phil 2:5-10

Humility Contest

The Christian's great example, Jesus Christ, demonstrated radical humility by leaving the Godhead and joining us in our daily struggles (Phil 2:5-8) To be more like Christ, we might try to force a kind of false humility which is meant to bolster our image. Can you think of a time you've been proud of how humble you had been?

Can you agree with your own critics?

Even during his persecution, the apostle Paul had his critics. Paul managed to find joy even in midst of this difficult time, by remembering the love that God had shown him. We too can face our critics by remembering that the one opinion that matters most, that of God himself, is always one of perfect love and care. Philippians 1:27-30

Eyes Front!

While writing Philippians 1:27, Paul may have been thinking of Roman soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder while facing an enemy. Turning to face each other meant shifting their protective shields and exposing themselves and their army to the spears and arrows of their enemies. Do you find yourself distracted from the gospel message by your brother's actions?

Who's the prisoner?

The apostle Paul was famously imprisoned and yet wrote of his great joy (
Phil 1). When considering his situation, we might ask, who was really the prisoner? Paul, who was still preaching through his epistles and demonstrating the power of Christ, or his guards , who were forced to listen to him.

Praying for the problem-makers

We all have 'difficult people' in our lives that we don't like being around. The apostle Paul had more than his fair share of 'haters.' In his letter to the Philippians, Paul states that he gave thanks for all of the people in their church Phil 1:3 - this included those who meant to cause Paul harm Phil 1:12-18. Are you able to give thanks and pray for your 'difficult people?'