Prepare your heart for the Sermon by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together hearing God's Word.

You will find suggestions for thinking more critically through the passage, meditating more intently on the text, and prayerfully seeking wisdom to deepen your understanding of the passage to be preached this Sunday.

Carefully Think

• Read Philippians 1:9-11.
• What are the two main emphases of Paul’s prayer for the Philippian church? (v.9-10)
• What does Paul pray specifically would occur as a result of abounding love? (v.9b)
• What does Paul mean by “approve the things that are excellent?” (v.10)
• What is significant about the verb tense “having been filled?” (v.11)

Prayerfully Meditate

• In hopes of what event does Paul pray? (v.10b) Why is this significant?
• Why did Paul include language of “filling” as it pertains to the “fruit of righteousness” when we might expect “bearing” fruit, like in Mat 3:8?
• Through whom does the fruit of righteousness come? Why is this significant?
• What does this passage teach us about prayer?