What are 3 things that you are grateful for?
What is something that you enjoyed from the retreat yesterday? Why?
What is something that you learned or a spiritual decision that you made in either of the sessions or both yesterday? What is your next step from that?
Take a couple of minutes and talk to God. Thank Him for the things you are grateful for and talk to Him about what He’s spoken to you this weekend. Also ask Him to speak through His word to you this morning and to help you understand.
Read Philippians 3:7–14. Use the 5P method to study this passage and discover what Paul says about being all in.
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Why do you think the author wrote this? Why is it important enough to be in the Bible? In a sentence or two, write what you think the overall theme or topic is.
Which verse seems to contain the most important thought in the passage? Which one stands out most to you? Write out the verse completely and the corresponding reference.
Make a list of any promises you find. Sometimes you need to infer promises from a passage. For example, John 3:16 does not come right out and promise you heaven. But it implies a promise: “if you believe, you will have eternal life.”
If you find anything you don’t understand—even if it’s just a word—write it down as a question. Then ask someone for the answer or look it up yourself. One way to know if you have any “problems” is to ask yourself “is there anything in this passage that I could not explain to a friend?”
Think about what the passage means to you. What action should you take? What do you need to change or work on so that what you have read is real in your life? Be specific—your application should tell who, what, and when.
