THE WEEKS OF OCT. 12 - NOV. 16, 2025
A STUDY
IN THE
BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS
WEEK 1
Knowing Jesus is a deeply personal and transformative experience. Living as a Jesus-follower means seeing your own story as an embodied expression of Jesus’ story.
The church in Philippi was the first Jesus community that Paul started in eastern Europe (Acts 16). Philippi was a Roman colony in ancient Macedonia full of retired soldiers and well-known for its patriotic nationalism. So Paul faced resistance there for announcing Jesus as the true King of the world. After Paul had moved on, those who became followers of Jesus continued to suffer persecution, but they remained a vibrant community, faithful to the way of Jesus.
Paul sent this letter to them during one of his many imprisonments for a very practical reason. The Philippians had sent one of their members, Epaphroditus, to take a financial gift to Paul and to support him in prison. Paul sent this letter back with Epaphroditus to say thanks for the generous gift and address the community.
The design of this letter does not develop one singular idea from the beginning to end like some of Paul’s other letters do. Instead, Paul has arranged a series of short, reflective essays or vignettes, all revolving around the center of gravity in this letter, the poem in chapter 2. It artistically retells the story of the Messiah’s incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and exaltation. In each of the letter’s vignettes, Paul takes up key words and ideas from the poem to show how living as a Christian means seeing your own story as a lived expression of Jesus’ story.
“This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”
Philippians 1:1-11 NLT
Philippians 1:3-4 “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy,”
You will notice through Paul’s writings how much affection and care he has for brothers and sisters in Christ.
John 13:34-45 says, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
1. How is your "love level" for your fellow Christian?
Not those on the other side of the world, but those who live near you.
2. What are you doing or saying towards your fellow Christian that proves your love?
Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
God is certainly working by His Spirit in our lives!
We can be confident of this because of His many promises to us.
3. How would you describe the “work” that God has started in you?
We are all in progress.
4. Have you ever noticed God start and complete a work in an area of your life? (Freedom from sin, forgiveness, past pain, grow love, joy, peace, patience)
5. How confident are you that the Holy Spirit is working in your life? Testify! Point to something God is doing in you.
Philippians 1:7 says “So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News.”
Paul could see God’s grace at work even in chains. It is important that daily we are looking for the grace of God at work. Without the supernatural ability of God, our lives will have the same effect as those without God.
1 Peter 2:11-12 says, “Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.”
See also Matthew 5:13-16
Light & Salt
Grace is the greek word “charis” meaning: joy, pleasure, delight, good will, favor, divine influence upon a heart, a gift of grace, thanks
6. Where do you see God’s grace at work in your life?
7. How have you experienced God’s grace as you defend or share the Good News of Jesus Christ?
Philippians 1:9-10 says, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.”
• Paul is praying that the church in Philippi would grow in the knowledge and discernment of their love.
• As we grow in the love of God, we prioritize our relationship with Him, and we begin to love what God loves and hate what God hates.
• We “understand what really matters” and begin living “pure and blameless lives”
8. Looking through the lens of the priority of love and with the help of the Holy Spirit, is there an area in your life that needs to change? (i.e. attitude toward someone, making decisions in fear, pursuing the things of this world, etc.)
9. Will you share with the group?
Remember, when we are convicted of an area, Repent : ask for forgiveness from God and people, leave behind your sin, go a different direction, and ask God for the grace to be strong in this area.
Philippians 1:11 says, “May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.”
Spiritual fruit never comes out of human effort. It only comes from a person who is living dependent on the Holy Spirit.
10. Where are you seeing spiritual fruit in your life?
11. In what area of your life would you like to see an increase of spiritual fruit?
God receives the glory when we produce good fruit!