Read Philippians 1:25-26 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Discover
When Paul started following Jesus, he never planned on being in prison. He chose God, and obedience to God landed him in prison. But he didn’t waste any opportunity. Instead, he allowed God to use him in every circumstance to help others grow and experience the joy of their faith.
For us today, that’s usually done best through personal testimony. Oftentimes our biggest loss – or the thing that has brought us the most pain – is what God uses to bring hope to others. As we share our story, it plants seeds of hope in others and seeds of joy in us. If we’re breathing, it’s for a purpose!
Have you lost anything important to you? Someone needs to hear your story. Someone needs to know it’s possible to lose something big but to still have faith and joy. Your loss can become their gain.
• Help others grow and experience the joy of their faith. Write down a situation where you’ve lost something important to you, and then write down the ways that God helped you through it or gave you hope. Who can you share your story with this week?
Respond
Use your Philippians Guidebook to reflect and respond. For a digital copy of the guidebook, visit tpcc.org/rebels-guide.
Want to go deeper? Look up the following verses to see the impact that sharing your story can have. Note what you observe and then continue with your time of response.
• Matthew 5:14-16
• 2 Corinthians 4:6-7