It’s All Good | Week 1

Bloom Where you’re Planted

Key Verse:

Philippians 1:6 … he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 

Getting Started:

What is one positive lesson or insight you have discovered during this time of pandemic and political unrest?

This series is designed to help us grow and thrive when our circumstances are not ideal. Life is a series of chaotic events that can cumulate into making us better or making us bitter.  When we encounter bad circumstances, we can choose to wallow, whine and complain, or worship, make the most of the opportunity to bring glory to God.

Who has had the largest impact on your spiritual growth? How does your thoughts of this person make you feel?

Read Philippians 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. …It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, … And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

·      Paul had the opportunity to be a spiritual father to people from all walks of life and had a deep affection for the church at Philippi.

·      In fact, this is the only letter of Paul’s to any of the New testament churches that did not contain one critic.

·      Instead, this letter contains some of the most encouraging and uplifting verse of all the scripture.

·      It could be stated that the church at Philippi began by accident, although we know there is no accident in God’s purpose.

Things don’t always go as planned on purpose.

·      We can all agree that things don’t go as we plan but how can our plans be disrupted for God’s purpose?

Read Acts 16:6-9

6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul[c] had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

·      How do most people react when things don’t go as planned?

·      How does our reaction differ from Paul’s?

·      We don’t align God without plans, we align ourself with His plans.

·      This doesn’t mean we understand, but we must have faith that God’s plan is always better.

God never puts us in a place without a purpose.

·      After Paul had followed the vision and ended up in Philippi he began looking for opportunity.

Read Acts 16:12-15  

We remained in this city some days. And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.  One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Wherever you are, opportunity is there.

·      Paul set out to accomplish God’s purpose even though it wasn’t completely clear.

·      When he saw the women’s bible study taking place outside the gate, he jumped in.

·      Paul wasn’t focusing on his former plans instead he decided to look for the opportunities in front of him. 

·      Through Lydia, he was able to establish a base to grow a very diverse church in Philippi.

·      How do we allow our circumstances to keep us from looking at the opportunities around us?

Fruit is produced when purpose meets opportunity. 

·      As the sermon said, Paul had freed a young girl from demon possession and cost her owners a lot of money.

·      They forced some charges and had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown in Jail.

Read Acts 16:25-34

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer[e] called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

·      Instead of wallowing in their circumstances Paul and Silos began to worship.

·      Instead of letting anger towards the guard rule their choices they allowed their purpose to guide their actions

·      This same guard who had beat them and put them in chains found freedom from Paul’s message of hope in Christ.

From Paul’s story what can we learn about dealing with our unpleasant circumstances?

·      Don’t focus on your circumstance, focus on your purpose

·      Wherever you go, there you are, God is with you and it’s all Good!

·      You’re there on purpose, to bloom where you are planted. 

Next Steps:

What are you doing in the circumstances that allow you to be used for God’s purpose?