As promised, here are my notes from Bible study last Tuesday night...

Thanks so much to all of you girls that have been there the past couple of weeks--we've really been getting some good discussion going, which I totally love, and I feel like we are really all collectively learning together as we all bring our experiences and different perspectives to the table. I also really love getting to go to AGO afterwards to worship with them. It's really awesome to realize that I have so many brothers in Christ right here at SC.

Ok--no more chat...here are the notes :)


Unity

Recap of Last Week: Perspective of the Gospel
What is the gospel?
1 Cor 15—Christ’s fulfillment of Old Testament Scriptures
What do we do with it?
The Great Commission (Matt 28:19)
Abide and bear (Jesus)fruit (John 15)

To the Text: Philippians 1:27, 2:1-8
“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel…Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship in the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry 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. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality With God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Greek Word “Phroneo”
to be of the same mind, agreed together, cherish the same views, be harmonious
to have understanding, to be wise
to direct one’s mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for; to be of one’s party, to side with him.
This word is also used in Matt, Mark, and Acts as well as in 6 of Paul’s (13, maybe 14) letters; hence, important!
Phroneo is used in vs. 2—to be likeminded with the other believers, as well as in vs. 5—to be likeminded with Christ.

Likeminded with Christ:
definitely not where I thought this topic would go, but I think the point deserves further scrutiny…
What does it mean to be likeminded with Christ?
What could be the benefits to that?
How could we be likeminded with other believers if we do not have the same focus?
Analogy: in plowing rows, you have to look ahead to some spot in the distance in order to make a strait line; in the same way, if we focus on Christ, we are able to stay headed in the same direction.
Cheesy, obvious answer question: what are some ways to be likeminded with Christ?

Likeminded with other believers:
first, the why? As in…why is it important?

“Americans take great pride in our independent spirit.
We can do it our way and we don’t need any help, thank you very much.
But the Bible says people need one another.
It says we are to bear one another’s burdens and share one another’s joys.
These aren’t suggestions. They are commands.”
--Donna Partow, Becoming the Woman I Want to Be

What does scripture have to say? Several instances of commands…


Hebrews 10:24-25
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Psalms 133:1
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers can live together!”

Romans 12:16
Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation

I Cor 1:10
Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all say the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.

Eph 4:1-6
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peach. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is oover all and through all and in all.”

1 Peter 3:8
“Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, should love believers, and be compassionate and humble,”

Definitely safe to conclude that Peter, Paul, the writer of Hebrews, and the Psalmist here consider unity really important.

Practially, unity has great results:

When was a time that you felt personal benefit from unity with other believers?
Germany this summer was an amazing time for me because I felt so close and so unified with that group—even when I had a really crappy language class, I had 26 other people to lean on who encouraged me and loved me no matter what. The emotional response I felt to that kind of unity was so incredible, that it spurred me on to love and serve the campers as well as my teammates. I think sometimes just knowing that you are loved, cared for, and unified can make so much difference in your attitude toward life and whatever you are doing.
In Acts 4:32-37
32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles' feet. This was then distributed to each person as anyone had a need. 36 Joseph, who was named by the apostles Barnabas, which is translated Son of Encouragement, a Levite and a Cypriot by birth, 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Now for Our Group:
Pray for unity
Make an effort to meet with one another, get to know each other
Find people that you feel like you can confide in and actually do it!


Next Week…
How does humility helps us to become unified?


For those of you who were there, you know that we strayed a little from these actual notes and of course I don't have all the cool things that everyone else said written on here (which totally stinks) but it does give an idea of what verses we talked about and such (and the fab Donna Partow quote). Das ist alles for now. (I'm totally learning German right now...)