True Confidence Print
Sunday, 19 August 2007

WELCOME ICEBREAKER

What skill do you have that you could brag about?

WORSHIP

Psalm 20 - For the choir director; a psalm by David.

The Lord will answer you in times of trouble.
The name of the God of Jacob will protect you.
He will send you help from his holy place and support you from Zion.
He will remember all your grain offerings and look with favor on your burnt
offerings.
 
He will give you your heart's desire and carry out all your plans.
We will joyfully sing about your victory.
We will wave our flags in the name of our God.
The Lord will fulfill all your requests.
 
Now I know that the Lord will give victory to his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty deeds of his powerful hand.
Some rely on chariots and others on horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord our God.
They will sink to their knees and fall, but we will rise and stand firm.
Give victory to the king, O Lord. Answer us when we call.

WORD

As a group read Philippians chapter three.

There were those who had come to the church in Philippi and wanted to introduce circumcision to them.  In essence they were saying that grace wasnot enough, they needed aspects of the law to be right with God. These teachers presented a list of their qualifications to gain the attention of the people.

Paul was saying, "I have more reasons to be confident than they do. But what my confidence is built on is not what I can accomplish or what I was born into. My confidence is in knowing Jesus and in His power there is no limitation." In Philippians chapter three Paul expands on what true confidence is but first he lists what is false confidence.

Discussion questions:

  1. What are some examples of what gives people confidence today?
  2. What does Paul mention as "false confidence"?
  3. On what kind of things do religious people put value today? What gives them confidence?
  4. Paul counted these "things" as loss for the purpose of knowing Christ. What things have you had to walk away from in order to know Christ? What things may be holding you back from knowing Jesus more?
  5. Paul drew his true confidence from being found in Jesus, from knowing Him and the power of His resurrection. Why do those who have a real relationship with Christ have a certain confidence?
  6. According to verses 12-14 what does Paul not do? What verbs does he use to express what he does do? What picture do these verbs present of Paul's idea of the Christian life?
  7. How would you finish the sentence in verse 13: "But one thing I do ... "
  8. Why is it important to forget what lies behind, whether it be successes or failures?
  9. What negative effects may there be upon a Christian if he/she thinks they have arrived spiritually?
  10. Contrast the people described in verses 20, 21 with those in verse 19. What perspective do they have? How would this affect their daily lives?

WORK

Pray for the needs of those in your group. Encourage your group to draw their confidence from their walk with Christ.