Group Time | December 31

Pressing On
December 31, 2017
Pastor Jonathan Falwell

 

Open:

Finding a time or circumstance in which to make a fresh start is a great thing. The beginning of a new year definitely seems to be the optimal time when we hope for a change in our lives! What other times might hold new hope?

As we end 2017, we know we answered firmly that Christ is the only reason for the Christmas season. Now we can’t help but hope 2018 might be a year of new beginnings. Perhaps it will be the year we achieve a long dreamed-of goal, or reach a new level of faith. Let’s strive with the apostle Paul toward the goal of knowing Christ and the power of His resurrection better than we ever have before.

Focal Passage: Philippians 3:1-14.

Discuss:

THE PAST SHOULD STAY THERE

Our beliefs about the past

  1. Read verse 13. Why did Paul give this piece of advice he himself followed? What happens to any living organism if it remains stagnant? Read verses 2-3. Why does he warn against holding onto traditions learned as immature believers?
  2. Read verses 6-7. All the good works in the world can’t save anyone. How did Paul find this out for himself? Read Eph. 2:8-9. What are some traditions the church is still holding onto today that should be put into the past?

What we should believe

  1. Read verse 8. What is the only thing worthwhile that will help you, keep you, protect you, and save you? What were some of them Paul counted as nothing? (Is there anything you are relying on for salvation, other than the work of Jesus Christ on the cross? Answer in your heart.)
  2. How can you commit to “knowing Him better” as one of your New Year’s goals—and then keeping a daily journal to see that you do?

THE GOAL IS CLEAR

  1. Read verse 10. If you set your goal for 2018 to know Christ better, what could that look like? What would change as you come to know Him more intimately?
  2. What is the fruit that begins to come as you know Him better? (Gal. 5:22-23.)
  3. Read verse 12. Paul wanted the church to know he had not “arrived.” What does he say he has to do?

THE GOAL? PURSUIT OF CHRIST AND THE PROMISE OF HEAVEN

  1. Read verses 13-14. What were the three things Paul disciplined himself to do?
  2. What are some ways you can take control in these areas? Read Heb. 12:1. 

Close

If you’ve ever stood in the sand at a beach as the waves roll in, you know that remaining in one spot will soon pull sand away from your feet, only to cover them higher with each incoming wave. Standing still in the Christian life will destroy your progress, just as surely. Paul knew that he could not let his family, his reputation as a Pharisee, his zeal for God and eventually his torture of Christians, define who he was: he became a child of the King the day Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, and from that point on he had to forget those things which had seemed to matter, to become the person God intended him to be. When you reach(ed) the point at which you surrender(ed) your heart to Christ, from then on you must pursue a life of knowing Him, serving Him, and letting the change in your heart be reflected in your lifestyle. What better time to discipline yourself setting these worthy goals than the beginning of a new year? Keep a journal of your progress, your prayers, and His answers this year, so you can see your growth. In a way, life as a disciplined Christian will never become any more of a habit than a new lifestyle of healthy eating habits. One piece of pie, one bag of chips, and suddenly the control slips. Be honest with yourself: admit the slip, and begin again (Prov. 24:16). Strive for the prize that Jesus Christ has promised! Keep pressing on, and if you stumble, get up, knowing the heavenly reward will be waiting when He calls you.

Key Verses: Phil. 3:14: I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (NKJV)

 

 

 

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