Sermon Study Questions 4.19.26

Icebreaker Questions

1. Have you ever had a family member/coworker/classmate/teammate who drove you crazy? What did they do?  How do you typically deal with "difficult" people?

2. Have you ever noticed personal growth because of a difficult person in your life?  If so, what did you learn?

Diving Deeper

1. Read Philippians 1:3-4.  Who is Paul praying for in these verses?  How does what we know about the people who constituted the church at Philippi add to our understanding of Paul's joy?

2. Read Philippians 1:5.  What does Paul have in common with those at Philippi?  How does this common bond overcome the difficulties and differences that are natural between flawed people?

3. Read Philippians 1:6.  What does this verse teach us about how God works in people's lives?  How should that reality change the way we view "difficult" people?

Life Application Questions

1. Reflecting in your heart, think about the things that tend to irritate you and bring out negative emotions.  What sorts of character traits or qualities of others brings that out of you?  Now, recognizing that, what can you practically do to address the underlying struggle that this situation is causing you in your heart?

2. Is there someone you need to start praying for instead of complaining about?  What would that look like this week?