Sunday, June 19th – Proud of Humility
The world tells us to be proud of our success, our power, our wealth and our prestige just to name a few. Yet the irony is while we take pride in those things, we often find our lives still wanting and the important relationships around us adversely impacted. Our feelings about ourselves can actually undermine who we want to be. So of what should we feel proud? Let’s continue to journey through Philippians to find out!
Work through the following questions on your own, and get together with your running partner, Life Group or friends and family around the dinner table to talk through what you’re learning!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- In what ways does the cultural idea of taking pride in money, success, prestige and power influence how you view your own life?
- Read Philippians 2:3-4. How have you been selfish or tried to impress others? How has that gotten in the way of building the type of relationships with others for which you were hoping?
- Read Philippians 2:5-8. How does Jesus’ example of humility and selflessness strike you? What do you believe motivated Him to leave the legacy of a servant?
- What are some practical ways you can follow Jesus’ example and be a servant to those around you?
- What are you currently pursuing that’s keeping you from leaving a legacy of which God, you and those close to you could be proud?
- Read Philippians 2:9-11. How did God respond to Jesus display of humility and sacrifice? How do you think he will respond if you follow Jesus’ example?
- What’s the legacy you think God would be proud for you to leave? What steps can you start taking this week towards that in response to Jesus’ example described in Philippians 2?
KEY SCRIPTURES
Philippians 2:3-4 — Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
Philippians 2:5-8 — You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Philippians 2:9-11 — Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
BIBLE APP by YOU VERSION
If you’ve yet to do so, we encourage you to download the Bible App by YouVersion on your smart phone. Create a free YouVersion account. Tap Plans > Discover > Search: Outreach New Testament > Start Plan. Then you can read along each day with us!
DIGGING DEEPER – PHILIPPIANS
Read, Study & Meditate This Week on Chapter 2
SPIRITUAL GROWTH PATH
Did you know you can now track your progress working through the outcomes we include in Next Steps right on Gateway’s website?! Go to Spiritual Growth Path and create an account. You’ll get access to Spiritual Fitness Checks and training with the spiritual outcomes.
Spiritual Outcomes – Humility & Serve
Scripture states that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
Learn more about being proud of humility by working through the Humility outcome.
One of the more stunning statements of Scripture is Jesus’ description of why he came: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45). As this Scripture describes, the being through whom “all things were made” (John 1:3) enters into His very own creation not to be served but to serve.
Learn more about being proud of humility by working through the Serve outcome.