ICEBREAKERS
Make sure to start off with prayer. Then choose one or more questions to open up with.
- Tell about a time when you were overwhelmed with joy.
- Tell about a time when you were overwhelmed with pressure.
Message Review
Main points and scriptures from this week's message.
This is the beginning of a 4 week message series on the book of Philippians.
THE MAIN THEME/THE BIG IDEA: JOY Under Pressure [Joy UP!]
This book was written by the Apostle Paul to the church in the city called Philippi. Paul talks about the pressure’s of his own life, the pressure that Jesus dealt with. But what makes this book so relevant is he’s not on vacation when he writes it. But rather he wrote it from a Roman prison cell.
PHILIPPIANS 1:3–5 (NIV)
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
JOY as we see it defined in scripture is an intentional focus and a decision. But Joy is not a feeling that you have no control over.
POINT 1: THERE’S ALWAYS A REASON FOR JOY.
If you’re a believer in Christ and that God has a plan for your life then there is alway a reason for joy.
PHILIPPIANS 1:6 (NIV)
. . . being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
POINT 2: GOD NEVER STOPS WORKING TOWARDS SOMETHING GOOD IN YOUR LIFE.
We look at our bad days as a minus – But God see the – and says I can use that and I can turn that into a +.
PHILIPPIANS 1:12–14 (NIV)
Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
POINT 3: LET’S NOT BE BROUGHT DOWN OR FEEL DEFEATED BY THE PRESSURE WE GET FROM AN UNBELIEVING CULTURE.
Some of you are the only ones who come to church in your family or maybe your peers at school do not agree with your decisions to live in purity, but don’t let the pressure cause you to feel defeated.
Whatever pressure we face as believers we can make a decision to have JOY UP.
TALK-IT-OUT
The following questions will help guide your discussions and give your group some opportunities to open up and share.
- The Apostle Paul starts this letter by thanking God for the church in Philippi. Who is someone in your world that you need to be thanking God for in your prayers?
- Is there anything going on in your world right now that is outside of your control that is stealing joy from you?
- Is there anything going on in your world right now that you do have control over that can give you joy?
- What are some feelings of inadequacy that you struggle with?
- What pressures do you face from an unbelieving culture, and how can you still have joy under that pressure?
WRITE-It-Out
Encourage your group to start writing things down. In a journal or on paper, do the following exercises.
- The Apostle Paul wrote many letters to other believers and churches thanking them for all that they are doing. Write a letter to a fellow believer, church leader, or friend that encourages and thanks them.
Live-It-Out
Encourage your group to start doing. Commit to a step and live it out this week.
- Deliver the letter you wrote in the Write-it-Out section.
- Everytime you face pressure this week and your joy is being stolen make an intentional decision to have joy under pressure.
- Complete Growth Track. Every Saturday in Tacoma 6:00pm, and every Sunday at all of our campuses. Bellevue 9:45am & Tacoma 11:30am.
- Serve together as a group with Summer Love. To view serving opportunities with Champions Foundation, click HERE.
Closing Thoughts
- Finish group with prayer requests and praise reports.
- More resources are always available here: Group Resources.