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Genuine friendship is built on disclosure.

Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

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Philippians Bible Study Discussions

Why does Paul distinguish the overseers and deacons in vs. 1?

There could be many reasons for distinguishing. One reason could be - sometimes, leaders have a false sense that something directed to their congregations may not be applicable to them directly so Paul could've wanted them to also feel included in both encouragement and admonishing.

What is the “good work” from vs. 6 that will be completed “at the day of Jesus Christ?”

To be like more like Christ everyday and this work of Jesus and Holy Spirit won't stop till He returns in Second Coming - perhaps with new spiritual bodies when we finally get them in new Kingdom of God.

Twice in this section Paul refers to the ‘defense’ of the gospel. Why does the gospel need to be defended, and how do you defend the gospel in your life?

Gospel needs to be defended against false news or incomplete truth of Gospel which have given rise to divisions and cults. I try to defend the gospel in my life as much as I'm able to when I see incorrect views of God as mentioned in discussions with fellow believers and I try to correct so that they have more Bible-based view of God and His goodness and not the false sense of Jesus that sometimes people have and blindly follow. The more I try to pray, read Bible and learn from other clear preaching, the better I'm able to understand and love God and the better equipped to defend the Good News.

What is the relationship between love, knowledge, and discernment in vs. 9?

The more we love God, the more we should have a understanding or knowledge of God and what His will and likes and dislikes are for us in personal relationship. The counter is also true in that the more we understand and discern God's presence, the more appreciative we are of His love and the more convicted we are as well in loving Him purely and better than we did before because we will understand that He deserves the best of ourselves for His glory and nothing less.

What does it mean to preach the gospel from “envy and rivalry”? How do we look out for this today?

The saying that "the ends justifies the means" isn't applicable to God in terms of how He looks inside of us and searches our motives for everything we do to see if it's pure and done out of love or not. However, the end results of actions can be beneficial to others - like in this case preachers may share Gospel to try to build their reputation but the ones who choose to believe in God will still gain salvation and grace. We should look out for this today by having similar attitude like Paul in not opposing others who may share Gospel for wrong motives but instead rejoice in end results of more being saved with Good News! We should be very conscious of our motives in judging ourselves whether our actions are done for glory of God or any other reason (which may seem like it's valid or justifiable but at the end of day, the primary reason should be FOR God's glory THROUGH His wisdom and guidance BY the power of His grace.)

Praise God for reddit for having community that would help with personal bible study. It's a blessing to be part of and do self-devotions. Join: https://www.reddit.com/r/biblereading/

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Wow very well explained and immaturity as Christian

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Amen! How to fight against Satan!

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Ecclesiastes book of all about this

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How to hear the voice of the Lord in your life - a short encouraging message!

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Can We Pray for God to Teach Someone a Lesson? by John Piper - Notes

To-Do’s:

Pray for Heart Transformation: Ask God to work in the person's heart, guiding them towards repentance, humility, and spiritual growth.

Seek God's Will: Focus on praying for alignment with God's will, asking for His guidance and wisdom in the situation.

Pray with Love: Approach your prayers with a spirit of love and compassion, desiring the person's spiritual well-being rather than personal retribution.

Ask for General Guidance: Pray for general guidance and correction rather than specific punitive outcomes.

To-Don’t’s:

Avoid Praying for Punishment: Refrain from asking God to bring specific punitive actions or negative consequences upon the person.

Don’t Pray for Retribution: Avoid prayers motivated by a desire for personal vindication or retribution.

Don’t Be Presumptuous: Be cautious about assuming you know exactly what lesson needs to be taught or how God should address the person's behavior.

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Notes from Devotional: More Than Pausing

Actively seeking God in periods of waiting yields the best gift of all—knowing Him better.

How to wait? Contrary to expectations, waiting often involves action. There are things both we and the Lord can actively accomplish during waiting for things to happen.

We should talk to God through prayer about our concerns, dreams, and desires. Read His Word diligently to learn more about His character and love. Develop patience and grow as our faith is strengthened and stretched by God.

Then, we will begin to see what God does and will experience God in a deeper and more personal way.

Source: Daily Devotional by InTouch Ministry

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Burnout as Christian is really important topic!

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Questioning God?

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Found new song. I LIKE IT!

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SHORT MEDITATION ON Daily Verse

Proverbs 11:24 (NIV): One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

What types of things can be given? Our Time, Money, Love, Other Resources, Good News of Gospel, and such

What should we do - Give or Withhold? Give freely but justly and God will decide whether we gain even more or not. He will protect us from poverty that comes from unwise over-giving. Do not be unjustly stingy. Do not be generous and unwise giver. Check your motive when giving anything whether out of cheerfulness or unwillingness (2 Corinthians 9:7)

How can we decide? For godly wisdom on whether to give or withhold, ask God (James 1:5) in prayer (Ephesians 6:18) and God promises to give answers and provide for all our needs (Philippians 4:19)

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Praise God for being the Light and bringing us his promise!

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How to Pray

Colossians 4:2 AMP

Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving.

Context: Paul (with Timothy) writes to the believers in city of Colosse. This verse comes after Paul focuses on what Christ has done (1:1 to 2:23) and then encourages what Christians should do (3:1 to 4:18). Book starts with Pauls’ Greetings and Prayer and ends with an encouragement for prayer and final personal greetings.

Life application:

Pray persistently despite busy life, emotional struggles, or opposition from others or even ourselves.

Pray devotedly even if there are no prayer requests to ask God because the focus is communication with God, not just getting answers to prayers requests.

Pray specifically rather than generally so that you are alert to what’s happening in your own life and others.

Pray in focus without distractions since it’s rude to be in a conversation while only paying half attention to the other person.

Pray with an attitude of thanksgiving since our God loves us, listens to us, knows and takes care of our needs, and blesses us

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Is it wrong to question God?

Short answer, NO. Long answer, what's your motive? Is it sincere confusion or unbelief with lack of trust, bitterness and rebelliousness?

If still unsure, consider what your response will be if you know for certain that you WILL NOT find the answer? Would you still believe in God or will back away? That will clarify whether it's coming from confusion or unbelief.

Either way, you're not alone. Many unbelievers and godly people questioned God and continue to question Him. Make sure that the questions and answers (if or when provided) do not lead you astray from God.

Learn more at Got Questions