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Everything posted by haar
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Q1. Forgetting What Lies Behind
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #7. Pressing Toward the Goal (Philippians 3:12-4:1)
Q1. (3:13) How can the past get in the way of our quest to know Christ? What do you need to "forget" so that you may focus on Christ today and tomorrow? Is there forgiving you need to do so you can grow in Christ? It can distract us from forging ahead. We need to forgive and forget our past hurts and also forget our past failures or setbacks. I personally cannot recall any but if I do, I will forgive and move forward. -
Q4. Knowing Christ
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #6. That I May Know Him (Philippians 3:1-11)
Q4. (3:8-10) What does it mean to "know" Christ? Does this mean to have faith? Or to have a personal relationship? Is it possible to have a personal relationship with Christ without faith? Is it possible to have faith without a personal relationship? Where are you on your quest to know Christ? Paul already knew Christ but wanted to be more intimate with Him and to be transformed to be like Him in action and mind. Wanting to know Christ did not mean Paul didn't have faith in Christ. He wanted to have an intimate personal relationship that makes him more like Christ. One cannot have an intimate relationship with Christ without faith in Him. I believe however one can have faith in Christ without cultivating a personal relationship with Him. This what many Christians are today. Intimate personal relationship is developed through fellowship with Him through prayer, worship, Bible study and fellowship with other believers. -
Q4. Knowing Christ
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #6. That I May Know Him (Philippians 3:1-11)
Q4. (3:8-10) What does it mean to "know" Christ? Does this mean to have faith? Or to have a personal relationship? Is it possible to have a personal relationship with Christ without faith? Is it possible to have faith without a personal relationship? Where are you on your quest to know Christ? Paul already knew Christ but wanted to be more intimate with Him and to be transformed to be like Him in action and mind. Wanting to know Christ did not mean Paul didn't have faith in Christ. He wanted to have an intimate personal relationship that makes him more like Christ. One cannot have an intimate relationship with Christ without faith in Him. I believe however one can have faith in Christ without cultivating a personal relationship with Him. This what many Christians are today. Intimate personal relationship is developed through fellowship with Him through prayer, worship, Bible study and fellowship with other believers. -
Q3. Righteousness through Faith
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #6. That I May Know Him (Philippians 3:1-11)
Q3. (3:9) How does righteousness obtained through faith differ from righteousness obtained through law observance? How seriously does righteousness by law observance infect your congregation? Society's view of Christianity in general? Why is this concept of justification or righteousness by faith so difficult to grasp? Rigteousnes obtained by faith in Jesus Christ is obtained from God by believing that God sent His only begotten Son to die for our sin and confess so with our mouths. On the other hand righteousness obtained by keeping the law is what Judaizers believe, that salvation is found from keeping the law. Righteousness by faith is a difficult concept because it is a spiritual fact that is understood only through the illumination of the HolySpirit. The human mind wonders why and how someone else can take away some one else's sin. -
Q2. The Obstacle of Pride
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #6. That I May Know Him (Philippians 3:1-11)
Q2. (3:2-6) Why isn't Paul merely neutral about his religious pedigree? Why does he consider it loss, dung, an obstacle? In what way could your religious background be an impediment to your faith? Paul loves his religious pedigree but believes that his new found Lord Jesus Christ is far more important to him. And that salvation is by faith not mere religious activities. Religious background can be an impediment if we lean on it as our yard stick for righteupness. -
Q2. The Obstacle of Pride
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #6. That I May Know Him (Philippians 3:1-11)
Q2. (3:2-6) Why isn't Paul merely neutral about his religious pedigree? Why does he consider it loss, dung, an obstacle? In what way could your religious background be an impediment to your faith? Paul is proud to be a Jew but he does not now believes that it is anything to him since being born again. He now believes that what matters most is being transformed by rebirth through Jesus which is also applicable to even the the Gentiles. Thus his consideration of his former credentials as dung. Our religious background can be an impediment when we trust in it for being right with God. -
Q2. The Obstacle of Pride
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #6. That I May Know Him (Philippians 3:1-11)
Q2. (3:2-6) Why isn't Paul merely neutral about his religious pedigree? Why does he consider it loss, dung, an obstacle? In what way could your religious background be an impediment to your faith? Paul is proud to be a Jew but he does not now believes that it is anything to him since being born again. He now believes that what matters most is being transformed by rebirth through Jesus which is also applicable to even the the Gentiles. Thus his consideration of his former credentials as dung. Our religious background can be an impediment when we trust in it for being right with God. -
Q1. Confidence in the Flesh
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #6. That I May Know Him (Philippians 3:1-11)
Q1. (3:2-6) How does "confidence in the flesh" show up in your congregation? Have you ever struggled with it? To have confidence in the flesh is to believe that one can gain salvation by works. Many people in church think and bieve that way. I believe that salvation is by faith in and through Jesus Christ but salvation must be followed by good works. -
Q1. Confidence in the Flesh
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #6. That I May Know Him (Philippians 3:1-11)
Q1. (3:2-6) How does "confidence in the flesh" show up in your congregation? Have you ever struggled with it? To have confidence in the flesh is to believe that one can gain salvation by works. Many people in church think and bieve that way. I believe that salvation is by faith in and through Jesus Christ but salvation must be followed by good works. -
Q4. From what you've read in Philippians so far, what seems to be the Philippian church's chief problem? How does Paul's description of Timothy's character speak to this problem? How does Paul's call to honor men like Epaphroditus speak to this problem? Some members of the Philippians Churh cared only of their own needs but Timothy cared for Paul and had their interest in his heart. Paul wanted people who have served the Lord to be recognised and honoured.
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Q3. (2:22) Q. What is the significance of serving Jesus as a "slave" as opposed to serving him as a preference? A. Serving Jesus as slave means total devotion/ obedience and commitment as a previledge and with love. Anything else is in vain. Q. What does it say about the quality of our service? Of our commitment? A. When we serve Him as a devoted slave, we do it whole hearted and with clear and clean motive- high quality service! Q. What is wrong with leaders who serve out of preference? A. They have the wrong motive and there service will not be pleasing to God
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Q2. (2:22) Q. Who has come alongside you to teach you? A. The Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit! Q. What potential leader in your church needs someone to come alongside them? A. David Bawa Q. Do you have a person or two that you are mentoring "as a son with a father" or "a daughter with a mother"? A. Had one but he moved and we have no contact for now. What a shame. Should look for another opportunity.
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Q1. (2:19-21) Q. Why was Timothy's selfless concern so rare among church leaders? A. Many people in the Church are immature and have not allowed Christ to work thoroughly in them to transform them from selfishness to the genuine love for others. Q. Rather than pointing the finger at others in your church, consider yourself. What things has Jesus had to deal with in your life that has helped you to become genuinely selfless and focused on the concerns of others? A. I am currently being transformed in the area of giving to others by looking at their needs in order to help and not just be concerned with my own personal needs only. Q. In How has he refined you? (Of course, he is still at work in us!) A. Just beginning to change. Want to do better
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Q4. Do Struggles Honor God?
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #4. God Is at Work in You (Philippians 2:12-18)
Q4. Q. (2:17) You have gone through struggles and obstacles to your faith. If you were to look at your sufferings as a "drink offering" poured out before God, how does that honor God? A. God would be honoured if we suffered for His sake and persevered joyfully. Q. How does that bring value to your struggles? A. Encouragement from the knowledge that God is honoured will make me to make more effort to do more, will thus add value to my struggle. -
Q3. Holding Fast the Word of Life
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #4. God Is at Work in You (Philippians 2:12-18)
Q3. Q. (2:16) In what sense are we Christians to "hold fast" the Word of Life? A. It means to cling to the word of God and not to let it slip away from us because it the bread of life that sustains tour spiritual lives. It is the word that when heard, leads to salvation of souls. Q. In what sense are we to "hold forth" this Word of Life? A. This means that we should not only hold tide the word of God, we should also pass it on to others to hear and be saved. Q. How does this relate to the purpose of the church? A. The Church is to preach the word of God to the unsaved and send other people out to the uttermost parts of the world. -
Q2. Shining as Stars
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #4. God Is at Work in You (Philippians 2:12-18)
Q2. (2:14-15) Q. How does ceasing complaining and arguing enable a church to shine as stars in a dark sky? A. It will show the world clearly how lovely and different we are just as the stars stand out and illuminate the surrounding. Q. What does this shining as stars signify? A. As said above, being Christlike and thus different from the depraved world in our conduct will illuminate the lives of others and bring them to check out what makes us different. Q. Have complaining and arguing compromised your church's witness as a God-place? If so, what can you do to change this? A. I am not very aware of this. But if it has, we need to pray God to give us Christlike spirit to change. -
Q1. Work Out Your Salvation
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #4. God Is at Work in You (Philippians 2:12-18)
Q1. (2:12-13). Q. In this passage, what does it mean to "work out your own salvation"? A. Taliking to Philippians Church, Paul commanded them to endeavour to live by the power of the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of love, peace and harmony/ unity as children of god. Q. Is this referring to salvation from sin? A. Not really but it is a process of growth to the likeness of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. It occurs after the encounter with Christ saving act. Q. If not, what kind of salvation is it referring to? B. This to my mind is the salvation process of sanctification, a process of becoming more and more like Christ in our conduct and character. -
Q4. Exalting the Humble
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #3. He Emptied Himself (Philippians 2:1-11)
Q4. (2:9-11) Q4. (2:9-11) We know we're supposed to humble ourselves like Jesus did. But how can we know whether or not God will exalt us? Why do we get impatient with this? What does our impatience sometimes lead to? The word of God has said in many references that who ever humbles himself will be exalted. I believe that God cannot lie. I am not sure whether we do get impatient with this. -
Q3. Jesus the Human Being
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #3. He Emptied Himself (Philippians 2:1-11)
Q3. (2:7-8) Was Jesus really a human being or only pretending to be one? What do these verses teach? What difference does it really make whether or not Jesus was human? Jesus was not pretending to be man. He was God, gave up His privileges and position as God to be born as man (by a woman) in the form of man but all processes through the power of the Holy Spirit. It really matter that Jesus had to be man because only as man He could die on the cross for our sin. -
Q3. Jesus the Human Being
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #3. He Emptied Himself (Philippians 2:1-11)
Q3. (2:7-8) Was Jesus really a human being or only pretending to be one? What do these verses teach? What difference does it really make whether or not Jesus was human? Jesus was not pretending to be man. He was God, gave up His privileges and position as God to be born as man a woman in the form of man but all processes through the power of the Holy Spirit. It really matter that Jesus had to be man because only as man He die on the cross for our sin. -
Q2. Equality with God
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #3. He Emptied Himself (Philippians 2:1-11)
Q2. (2:6) In your own words, what does it mean that Christ didn't cling to his equality with God? How specifically does this passage teach that Jesus is divine? It means Christ was equal with God but did not insist on being equal and thus humbled himself to become man and died a humiliating death on the cross. He was God and thus divine. -
Q1. Humility and Unity
haar replied to Pastor Ralph's topic in #3. He Emptied Himself (Philippians 2:1-11)
Q1. (2:1-4). To achieve unity in your congregation, why is humility necessary? Can you give an example of how lack of humility caused a division in your church? What are you doing to bring unity in your church? Humility is necessary for unity in the boy of Christ because haughtiness, pride and selfishness breaks unity. Can't think of any Showing and sharing love to one another -
. (1:23) What do Philippians 1:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 teach about the state of Christians immediately after death? How does this comfort you? How does this energize you? We will be with Christ immediately after death This encourages me that death is not the end but a beginning of life with Christ.
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Q3. (1:20-21) How can fear keep us from being a bold witness? Why does fear of people bind our tongues? How does "losing our life" for Christ's sake actually give us an abundant life? What fear is keeping your from clear witness? Fear of persecution and suffering numbs us and makes us give up gospel Loosing our life for Christ leads to eternity with Christ where we live with for ever Fear of failure perhaps
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Q2. (1:18b-19) Why is our ability to rejoice so dependent upon our faith that God is in control, working even in the midst of difficulty? What must you believe in order to be able to rejoice in the midst of problems? What is your basis for believing that? Faith in God makes us to hang on knowing that He will be with us and will deliver us from whatever the challenge. That God is with us and able to see us through victoriously. His word assures us that he will ever be with us