BULLETIN OUTLINE Chain Reaction: A Rare Find Philippians 2:19-30 01.19.

14 Tom Oyler, Lead Pastor genuine concern (vs.20-21) proven character (vs. 22-24) simple faithfulness (v. 25) risky sacrifice (vs. 26-30) LOOKING BACK Chain Reaction: A Rare Find

Philippians 2:19-30

Timothy and Epaphroditus. Rare finds indeed! Ever wonder where the gospel would be if there were a few more of them? Ever wonder about how your life will be measured when it comes to an end? It comes down to both our attitude and actions. What do we value, what will we do? Thinking it Through

Life is essentially a series of events to be lived through rather than intellectual riddles to be played with and solved. ~George Buttrick Our religion, not matter how orthodox, will be salt to no one unless when it rains, it pours.
~Keith Huttenlocker ~Frederick Faber

Loves secret is to be always doing little things for God and not to mind because they are so little. Self-pity is a death that has no resurrection, a sinkhole from which no rescuing hand can drag you because you have chosen to sink. ~Elizabeth Elliot
Working it Out 1. Who has been a rare find in your life, why, and how have they influenced you? Do they know that you hold them in high regard? How so?

2. How do the interests of Christ stack up against your own self-interests these days?

3. Have a conversation with someone of like mind regarding, What do we want to be true of our lives and how can we get there?

LOOKING AHEAD Chain Reaction: Rejoice!

Philippians 3:1

For the great majority of us, joy is an elusive goal. To begin with, it is difficult to describe and we are not quite sure where to look for it. When we encounter it, we are unsure how to capture it, and when we occasionally possess it, it seems to quickly flee again. Into this dilemma Paul shouts, Rejoice in the Lord! Huh? Joy is a command? Can it simply be chosen? How? Paul seems confident that this particular command is exactly what his readers need to hear. Looking It Up Read Philippians 3:1. When Paul says he is writing the same things again, what is he referring to? Where else in the letter so far have we found an emphasis or instruction about joy? Write down each reference you find in chapters 1 and 2. Now look ahead to 4:1. Given the context of Pauls letter to the Philippians, why do you think the emotion of joy is so prevalent in this letter? The verb rejoice is in the imperative (command) form. Does it seem strange that Paul would command his readers to rejoice? Do you think joy is something you choose to feel or something you have little or no control over? What does Paul mean when he says, It is a safeguard for you? What kind of safeguard? What were his readers being protected from? How does the context of the verses that follow (3:2-11) shed light on 3:1?