Organizing Data

Study Project In Philippians by David Powlison

This is a study on the Christian life. The goal of the study is to sort through in detail the interplay between our situation, our motives, our responses and our Lord. In the world view of the Scriptures, the Christian life is lived in the midst of various trials, not within a neutral or easy situation. It is a life of faith in the Lord rather than in various persuasive idols. Faith expresses itself in concrete obedience, turning from particular sins. The interplay of situation, motive and response occurs under the sovereign justice and love of the Living God, Who speaks in the Scriptures, and Whose promises and actions culminate in Jesus Christ.

Carefully read through Acts 1 6:6-40 and Philippians 1 -4, answering the following questions.

(1) What are all the pressures, stresses, problems, failures, impotencies, threats, and pains– actual and potential–which Paul faces? What is “coming at him” or “landing on his head” that is negative?

(2) How would you (or “people in general”) tend to experience these things? What is life like when these things weigh upon our hearts? How would you tend to react: in thoughts, words and actions? What temptations would you face?

(3) What are all the successes, triumphs, vindications and blessings which Paul experiences? What is occurring positively in terms of his impact on events and people? How are people responding favorably to him and his efforts? What is God doing around him?

(4) How would you tend to experience these things? What would occur in your heart? How would you tend to react: in thoughts, words and actions? What temptations would you face?

(5) How does Paul respond to his circumstances, both positive and negative? How does he interpret them? How does he think? How does he act? What does he say and do in the midst of trials and of victories?

(6) What does Acts 1 6 and Philippians tell or imply about why “people in general” tend to react in quite a different way from Paul? What motivates or controls our interpretation of our experience and then our responses? What tends to rule us? As you think through your tendencies in facing trials, what motives underlie your response? What desires, fears, idols, gods … reign as the objects of your “faith”? How do such motives give us eyes only for our situation (Ql and Q3 above)?

(7) What do Acts 1 6 and Philippians tell us about Who God is– Father, Son, Spirit–and about how He works, what He has done, and what He will do? What truth do we see and hear about the God Who is our “environment,” Who constitutes and defines our true situation?

(8) What do Acts I 6 and Philippians tell or imply about why Paul responds in such an unusual way? What ruled Paul? What controlled both his interpretation of circumstances and his response? How do such motives give us eyes and ears for Who God is (Q7 above)? How do such motives directly produce Paul’s response (Q5 above)?

(9) How does faith in this message and these promises enable us to “cross the line,” moving from our natural reactions to a response like Paul’s? How do we move FROM compulsive self-interest (2:3f and 2:21 ), from confidence in ourselves (3:3-7), from making our desires into our gods (3:1 9), from living for what is before our eyes and all around us (3:1 9), from preoccupation with our anxieties or comforts (4:6 and 4:1 2), and TO faith in a living, loving and powerful Savior? Why will this necessarily reshape our particular thoughts, behavior and experience?

(10) What pressures (difficult or pleasurable!) are coming upon you right now? What successes or failures from your past are still “present tense,” controlling you even now? As you look to the future, what anticipations–fearful or desirable–are controlling you? How are you reacting? What are you doing, or tempted to do? What is ruling you? How can you “cross the line” to be ruled by Christ, not whatever else is personally past, present or future? How must you now think and act in obedience to Christ today (4:8-9)? Work this through “microscopically,” dissecting a particular incident or anticipated event. Work it through “wide angle,” with recurrent patterns in your life. Get to DETAILS in each box: specifics of your situation, specifics of experience and reaction, specifics of mixed motives, specifics from Scripture, specifics of how faith will draw near to God, specifics of behavior and thought, specifics of how all this will address the situation constructively. Ask for help where things are fuzzy. Ask for prayer, for in attempting to do all this you are tackling the areas where you most need the power and wisdom of God (see Paul’s prayer in Philippians 1:9-11). These are the areas you most need the encouragement, counsel and example of wise Christians (everything Paul was trying to give to the Philippian believers!).

© Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries