𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣
• Would you be willing to try a sport, hobby, or interest because a family member or friend enjoys it? Why or why not?
• How do you show someone you value him or her? What do you do or say to show this?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗
𝘚𝘰 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟮:𝟭–𝟯

(Read also 𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟮:𝟰-𝟭𝟭.)

The apostle Paul paints an ideal picture here: completed joy, because believers are walking in unity and humility, following Christ’s perfect example. In reality, though, our relationships with God and one another have been broken and are dysfunctional because of sin. Left to ourselves, we can’t be of the same mind, have the same love, or be in full accord with each other. In fact, we would more naturally do the opposite. Paul’s picture of a united and humble body of believers is only possible in Christ, through Christ, and because of Christ. Many Bible scholars believe that Paul quoted an early Christian hymn, found in Philippians 2:6–11. Through Christ’s incarnation, life, death, and resurrection, our relationship with God and one another can be restored, and we can experience complete joy. In this lesson, we will look at how to apply this in our lives.

𝟭. 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.

𝘚𝘰 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟮:𝟭–𝟮

In Philippi at that time, people related to one another based on their socioeconomic, ethnic, and political status. This culture would have made walking in unity difficult. How could people of differing stations in life be of the same mind or in full accord? Paul challenged the church in Philippi that this could be done because of the gospel. In Christ, riches, rank, migrant status, and family situations do not matter. We are all loved by God, saved by His grace, and brought into His kingdom. We value each other based on Christ’s love and sacrifice, not our differences or disagreements. In Philippians 4:2–3, what did Paul appeal to Euodia and Syntyche to do? How important was unity and agreement to Paul?

𝟮. 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟮:𝟯–𝟰

Humility is considering others before ourselves. It is looking out for their interests, not our own. It is setting aside what we want for others. Jesus did this: In all His deity, He humbled Himself and became a man—slave and servant of all. Having lived a perfect life, He died for our sins and took our punishment so that we may be saved. How has Christ’s example enabled you to serve others with humility?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
• Reflect on Philippians 2:5–11 this week. What can you learn about humility from the Lord Jesus Christ? How will you apply it in your life?
• Ask God to reveal a broken or dysfunctional relationship in your life that needs healing. What are you willing to do to walk in unity and humility with this person?
• What hinders you from being of the same mind and in full accord with the body of Christ? How can you maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3)? Why do you think Jesus prayed earnestly for the church to be united (John 17:20–21)?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥
• Thank God for Christ’s perfect life and death for our salvation and redemption. Thank Him for His humility and love for us.
• Ask God for your joy to be complete and for this to be reflected in every relationship you have. Pray for strength and grace to walk in unity and serve with humility.
• Pray for specific people with whom you may have a dysfunctional relationship. Ask God to heal the brokenness and restore the relationship through His love and peace.