Joy Unshakeable - Philippians Series - Week 4
Breaking The Power Of The Past
Discovery Bible Method
Watch Andrew share on the DBM Method - HERE
The Bible is the most-read book in history. It is a beautiful, meaningful and at times complex document. It is the revelation of who God is, who we are and God’s plan for salvation as told through the historical words and stories of his people. This revelation spans many time periods and cultures. Starting at the creation of the world and ending in the return of Jesus to the world, setting all things right.
The Bible is the “word of God” in the sense that it is a written document about God's revelation to humanity and that God uses it to reveal himself to believers through the Holy Spirit.
A critical step in helping people grow as disciples of Jesus is teaching them to read the bible and find their story in God’s story.
A simple way to do this is to use a tool called “Discovery Bible Method” (DBM). This tool can be used with people who are disciples of Jesus or with people who are interested in finding out more about Jesus and looking into the Christian faith.
During our 1 Peter series, we will be basing our connect group studies around the Discovery Bible Method.
Here is how it works:
Before you jump into the Discovery Bible Method. Open up the conversation:
Open up
To begin the study, ask these questions:
What are you thankful for?
What is causing you stress?
Who needs our help? How can this group help them?
Read
Read Philippians 3:1-21 as a group:
1 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Re- Read
Read the passage again as a group. Then take 1 min of silence to think about what has been read.
Retell
Shut your Bible and ask one person or a few people to volunteer to retell the Bible passage in their own words.
Reflect:
What stood out to you in that passage?
What character or theme did you most connect with?
What does this passage teach us about God?
What does this passage teach us about people?
Respond:
What do you want to keep thinking about or do this week as a result of this passage? (What application am I taking from this study?)
Who do you know that could benefit from hearing about this passage?