Philippians 3:7-12 (ESV)
A Surpassing Worth This week we’re learning about worth. We’re learning about the worth of Christ and how God gives us the worth of Jesus to be our worth too.
Share Your Story Begin by praying together. This should be a brief, simple prayer in which you invite God to give you insight as you study. You can pray for specific requests at the end of your time together or stop momentarily to pray if a particular situation comes up during your discussion. Then begin your time together by discussing the following questions. • What’s the most valuable thing in your life? • What are the most valuable things about yourself? • What brings worth to a person? What are ways people try to develop a great sense of self-worth? WATCH THE VIDEO
NorthlandChurch.net/Studies Afterward have someone read the discussion questions in the “Hear God’s Story” section and start the conversation.
Hear God’s Story and Create a New Story READ 1 PETER 2:4-10 (NIV) Read the passages together, and then discuss the following questions. • Who is the “living Stone” referred to in verse 4? To whom is that stone valuable? • In the Philippians 3 passage, why does the apostle Paul consider knowing Christ to be worth so much? • According to these passages, what happens to people who come to Jesus in faith? • In Philippians 3, Paul wrote, “For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him” (v. 8). What are some things in life that you’ve suffered or lost for the sake of Christ? • What are parts of life you’ve gained through Christ? • Where have you seen the worth of Christ bring a greater sense of worth in your own life? Where have you seen a friend experience a change in his or her sense of self-worth because of Jesus?
•A cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6) is the first block laid in a building, on which everything else is built. What are the cornerstones you’ve built your life on? •W hat would it look like to build the life ahead of you on Jesus? How might that look different from the life you’re building now? Give each person an opportunity to share prayer requests.
Find Your Story in God’s Story
If you feel God is nudging you to go deeper, take some time between now and our next discussion to dig into His Word. Explore the Bible passages related to this session’s theme on your own, jotting your reflections in a journal or in this study guide. Want to go deeper? Select a few verses and try paraphrasing them: writing them in your own words. If you like, share them with the group the next time you meet.
11
The Giant Secret of Joy
The mission of Northland, A Church Distributed is to respond to God for the benefit of others. Our vision is to see people coming to Christ and to be transformed together as we link locally and globally to worship and serve everywhere, every day. Join us!
A Journey with the Philippians
Connect & Grow
What is it about Jesus that is so valuable that our own worth and value can be transformed through faith? How can we cultivate a heart like Jesus’ to see the real worth in the people around us? READ 1 PETER 1:18-25 (NIV)
Our website has hundreds of archived worship services, stories about the great work God is doing and ways for YOU to be the church everywhere, every day. NorthlandChurch.net
• Why couldn’t gold or silver redeem us? Why could the “precious blood of Christ” redeem us (v. 19)? • When we’re born again, it’s through the living and eternal and enduring word of God (v. 23). How does that change our eternal destiny, according to verse 24? • How does it change your perspective of the people around you to realize the things of this world are impermanent? How does it change your perspective of those same people when you consider God’s standing invitation into a permanent relationship? READ ROMANS 5:1-8 (NIV) •T he world teaches us to treat people in accordance with their perceived worth, as seen in 1 Samuel 16:7. How does God view us instead? • Why did Christ die for us, according to verse 8? What did we do to earn that? •H ow can you and your group practice loving people who haven’t earned and cannot earn that love? What makes that hard? •W ho are some specific people that this week you can treat as worthy, as Jesus did for us?
Looking for more questions and reflections so you can keep digging deeper? There’s even more to this week’s study available on Northland’s apps or at NorthlandChurch.net/Studies.
Welcome Let’s worship God together!
JANUARY 27-29, 2018
DIGGING DEEPER
WEEK
For more information or to get involved as a volunteer, email Hello@NorthlandChurch.net or call 407-949-4000. We are located at 530 Dog Track Road, Longwood, FL 32750.