Soapy Philippian 3

Philippians 3

Scripture: 1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Observation: This just speaks of Paul's love of this church and his heart for making sure that they keep the truths that they first learned.

Assessment: I love this because it reminds me that no matter how much we study or how good a teacher we have - even Paul thought it was good for us to hear these truths over and over - a safeguard for us.

Prayer: I just ask Jesus to make my learning and my life a prayer. If I spend the rest of my life doing that I will still not get enough, understand enough, love enough, BE enough.

Scripture: 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

Observation: Paul is talking about the legalists and reminding the Philippians against believing in salvation through works and the warning against the Jewish legalists who were saying that someone needs to become a jew before they can become a Christian.

Assessment: What kind of expectations do we put on each other as Christians?

Prayer: I am just praying for discernment on this because I have trouble with this one.

Scripture:
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Observation: Paul speaks with authority and I think if we were able to hear him preach we would think that he was already halfway to heaven. He is telling the church that he is on his way just like them and that he can't turn back and neither can they.

Assessment: This encourages me on two levels - one that all of us as Christians are on the same journey - no matter what point we may be at we are none of us perfected yet. The second is that Jesus has already "taken hold of us" We get distracted, we stumble, but the love of Jesus Christ is so compelling that we are forever brought back to Him, His cross, and His resurrection.

Prayer : I just pray to always feel that pull that Christ has on me and that He keeps my feet, my hands, my mouth, and my spirit moving in His direction.