𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Recall a time when you felt truly content. What made you feel that way?

• Share a time when you had very little but still experienced joy and peace.

• What’s one thing you often find yourself worrying about? Why?

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥. 𝘐𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘦. 𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟰:𝟭𝟬–𝟭𝟯

Philippians is one of Paul’s most encouraging letters. While he didn’t write this letter from a place of comfort—he was in prison—his words overflowed with joy because the Philippian church renewed their concern for him. They sent Epaphroditus with a gift, showing their willingness to share in his hardships. Their care went beyond the gift itself; even when Epaphroditus became seriously ill, their commitment to Paul and the gospel remained strong. In this period of testing, Paul declared this truth: whether in plenty or in need, in freedom or in chains, his strength always rested in Christ. Today, we’ll look at how we, too, can learn to be content in every season—through Him, who gives us strength.

𝟭. 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥. 𝘐𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥. 𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟰:𝟭𝟮

True contentment isn’t found in amassing or hoarding wealth. Some may live in abundance, and yet still miss the joy and fullness that only Christ can give. Gaining the whole world is worthless if we lose our souls (Mark 8:36–38). We can be content not because we have much but because we have Christ in our hearts. The depth of our relationship with Him shapes how we face every situation. The deeper we grow in Him, the more strength we have to live with purpose—using His blessings to serve rather than store up. In your life, how has using what you have for God’s purposes brought you joy? How does 1 Timothy 6:17–18 challenge those who have much to use their resources well?

𝟮. 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱.

𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥. 𝘐𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥. 𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟰:𝟭𝟮

Moments of lack can challenge our faith, but Jesus reminds us not to worry because our heavenly Father knows exactly what we need (Matthew 6:25–30). Real contentment comes not from what we have but from trusting God—even when things are hard. In times of need, our security is not in our circumstances but in Christ Himself. What does Psalm 37:25–26 tell us about God’s faithfulness to provide? How have you experienced His provision and care in a difficult season?

𝟯. 𝗜𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵.

𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘦. 𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟰:𝟭𝟯

It is Christ who enables us to endure seasons of both abundance and lack with a steady heart. When we seek God’s kingdom above all else, we can rest in His promise to provide—not just our daily needs, but also the patience, strength, and endurance to trust His timing (Matthew 6:33). This guards us from greed and helps us anchor our hearts in Him, knowing our lives are secure in His hands. What does Isaiah 40:29–31 say about the strength God gives? In your life, how have you relied on His strength to sustain you through everything?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• Pause and give some thought to how God has shown His faithfulness to you in seasons of plenty and want. How does this help you trust Him today?

• Identify one area where you wrestle with discontent (e.g., finances, parenting, career). Ask God to teach you how to let go of worry or comparison and rest in His provision.

• How can you use what you have right now—whether much or little—to bless someone and point them to Christ?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for His provision in every season. Praise Him for times of abundance and for the reminder that true contentment comes from Him.

• Ask for strength to trust God more deeply, especially in seasons of need. Pray that even in lack, your joy will be anchored in Him.

• Pray for a heart that’s content in Christ and always puts Him first above all. Pray that you will be able to help others embrace this truth as well.