Our Resurrection Weekend services begin with our Good Friday Evening Gathering, March 29 at 7:00 pm, and conclude with our regular Sunday activities on Resurrection Sunday Morning, March 31!

Preparing 20161127 post

Prepare your heart for Sunday by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and tangibly putting scripture to action in your personal life and in our corporate body.

Carefully Think

  • Read Philippians 1:1-11 (the sermon will focus on vs. 3-11). What is stated about the author and the audience?
  • What kind of tone do you sense from Paul to his audience? What commonality with them does he reference? What does he say about Jesus in regard to his relationship with the audience?
  • What does Paul want for his audience? Why?
  • The Sermon Study equipping class notes are available online for anyone wanting to dig deeper.  Please review this week's notes to help study this passage.  Click here for the notes.

Prayerfully Meditate

  • How do you view other believers in comparison with this passage?  Would you consider those relationships a "partnership in the gospel"?  If not, why not?
  • What does this passage insinuate about the power of the gospel and Christ? How do your expectations of the power of the gospel compare with this passage?
  • Reflecting on your recent prayers; what is most important in your life? How does that compare with what is supremely important to Paul from this passage?
  • Consider how the spiritual growth in vs. 9-11 would be practically accomplished. What role does teaching and preaching within the church play in this? Is the growth that is portrayed in this passage the goal of your life? Do you view the ministry of the church as a means of getting there?

Intentionally Act

  • Consider how this passage could shape how you pray for others. In light of this passage, pray specifically for other believers you know.
  • Reflect on how you could incorporate this passage in the opportunities you have to communicate the gospel in the course of daily life. Make plans to share the gospel with someone specific this week. 
  • Pray for the elders that shepherd our souls and continue to build on the foundation of Christ. Pray that they will seek to build in a manner that is pleasing to the Lord and in accordance with his Word.
  • Examine your thinking and search your heart to see if there are any ways that you are seeking to build on the foundation of Christ that are unbiblical. Ask the Lord to reveal these areas of sin to you that you might repent.
  • Follow the links below to the lyrics and recordings of the songs planned for our gathering this Sunday; sing the songs while being mindful of the lyrics.
  • Pray for those leading our corporate gathering this week and for the Holy Spirit’s work as the Word of God is further explained and applied: Dawson Bryant: music; Sam Karl: Elders' prayer and Scripture reading; Bret Capranica: teaching.

Songs for Sunday

Lyrics

Lyrics Morning Gathering - November 27, 2016 by Summit Woods Baptist Church on Scribd