Perspective of Peace

So it's two in the morning...and I'm pretty much wide awake, so I figured I'd be productive and go ahead and post tonight's notes so people can look at them :) So here's all the nitty-gritty...word for word as it was in my notes.

PS--I love my girls. Discussion totally rocked tonight!


Perspective of Peace…

Announcements:
*Women’s Night: Oct 4, 8-10. Rides?
*Big Bear: application and money due a week from Fri; I have scholarship forms.
*Rides for tomorrow (I can’t go…again…I hate this show.)
*Memory verse?

Recap of our Perspectives Study:
*Gospel—share it
*Unity—cultivate it
*Humility—practice it
*Priority—establish it
*It would be really easy to let all of these perspectives stress us out—we need to live like this and make time for that…I’m not godly enough…I constantly fail. But these aren’t the types of thoughts God wants for us. The Holy Spirit will bring us conviction about things, but only Satan tempts us to wallow in guilt. This is where the idea of peace comes into play. We won’t be perfect. That’s ok.
*So much in life causes us stress and anxiety, but we should learn to make peace a priority in life. When we are constantly worried about how we look, what others think of us, how we are doing in school, the fight we just got into with our roommate, and so on, it’s easy to get caught up in those things and forget about God. When I have panic attacks, it’s usually because I let all the little details of all the stressors in my life pile up and freak me out all at once, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I can learn to let go of those things and allow God to give me peace.
*A proposed thesis: If we are at peace with our surroundings, with life, we will find a deeper joy and God can more readily use us to accomplish His will.

Initial thoughts:
*Who should we be at peace with?
God, friends, enemies, yourself…
*And what are we at peace about?
Circumstances in life, body image, relationships (romantic and friendship)
*So now how do we do that? To the passage…

Philippians 4:2-9
“I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Observations:
*calls out two women who are having a disagreement
*asks others to encourage them
*all the people he mentions are Christians
*2x tells us to rejoice
*Calls us to have a reputation of reasonableness
*Mentions the urgency of Christ coming again
*Opposite to anxiety is “prayer and supplication with thanksgiving”
*Encourages us to tell our requests to God
*Promises peace if we do the abovementioned
*God’s peace is beyond our understanding
*God’s peace is a guard to our minds and hearts
*God’s peace comes through Jesus
*Meditate on the good things, not the bad
*Revamping our thoughts is the first step to achieving peace
*Calls them to practice the things he does
*Practicing Godliness brings peace

Some questions to get the observations flowing:
*What’s with these two women?
Christians in the Philippian church
Probably having a fairly public disagreement (this would look bad reputationally and cause all sorts of uproar)
Asks the other church-members to help in resolving the conflict
*Describe the pathway to peace from vs. 6-9
don’t be anxious (conscious choice)
gives us something to do in place of being anxious: make requests known to God
requests should come from a heart of thanksgiving through prayer and supplication
meditate on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely and of good report
follow Paul’s example
*What does the peace of God guard our hearts and minds from?
Sin, Satan, negative attitudes and actions…
*What does it mean to dwell/think/meditate on the things mentioned? How does that look practically?
Spending time in prayer and reading the Word
Rejecting negative thoughts (kind of like “power of positive thinking” only less cheesy and self-help-group-esque)
**What are some negative thoughts that you repeatedly think that you can make a point to reject?
I have a really bad habit of stressing over boys, so one of the things I really want to work on this week is every time I start overanalyzing some boy situation or stressing over loneliness, I want to make a conscious effort to put those thoughts from my mind.
Putting yourself down—physically, intellectually, or spiritually
Thinking negatively about others (we’re girls, let’s be honest…it’s easier to trash the pretty girl who gets lots of attention than try to be her friend)

“Prescription for Peace” –courtesy of Zack Nigliazzo
*Focus on the Lord
Why? When our heart is in the right place and our focus is on God, the other issues of life fall in line. Theory: that breakup doesn’t hurt so bad when you are focused on God’s amazing love for you and that Midterm isn’t so hard when you think of Christ on the Cross.
How? Prayer, meditation, reading the Word, worship in song, etc.
*Practice gentleness
Helps you to be reconciled to your brothers and sisters—resolving conflicts in love.
Prevents offending or hurting others’ feelings
*Gain eternal perspective
Remember that even the big things aren’t so big when compared to the grand scheme of things in God’s will.
*Count your blessings
An appreciative attitude is generally a positive one…

Greek, for the curious:
*eijrhvnh, pronounced “i-ray’-nay”
a state of national tranquillity
exemption from the rage and havoc of war
peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord
security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)
of the Messiah's peace
the way that leads to peace (salvation)
of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is
*used in vs. 7 and 9; 86x in the New Testament, in every book except 1 John

Charge:
*Remember those negative thoughts that always distract you from living in peace? Pick one that you can consciously do away with this week. Tell your close friends what it is so they can hold you to it…then if you start to dwell on it, they can remind you to keep your Perspective of Peace :)
*If there is anyone with whom you need to reconcile, make a point to do it this week. Jesus is serious about reconciling and reconciling ASAP! (Matt 5:23-24—“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”)