2021 ECPA Award Finalist Are you burning out from busyness? We often glorify "the hustle," hoping to find acceptance in our hard work. Yet for most of us, we find ourselves on the way to burnout and anxiety from sometimes pointless pursuits. What if meaningful struggle can instead lead us to growth, depth, and even joy?
The apostle Paul understood hard work and struggle better than most. But even in prison, where we'd expect him to be at his lowest, he wrote a letter to his Philippian friends filled with thankfulness, generosity, and joy. This letter shows us how we can blossom by finding the meaning in our struggles.
Perfect for individual or group study, this Get Wisdom Bible study includes:
7 weeks of in-depth devotionals on the book of Philippians
Prayer sections to journal your thoughts at the end of each day
5-8 daily reflection questions for deeper study
History Lessons that provide background context for Scripture
Guidance on using online word study and commentary resources
Cross-references to connect God's larger story of the Bible
The Get Wisdom Bible Studies empower women to connect with Scripture in a fresh and powerful way and are accessible for Christians in any stage of their faith journey. Get the whole series, and experience soul refreshment in a new wayâindividually or with friends.
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"These guided studies are for any woman who is wrestling with a sense of direction and believing in her worth." âMarshawn Evans Daniels, Godfidence Coach, reinvention strategist for women
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Yes, you can access Living for What Really Matters by Teresa Swanstrom Anderson in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Biblical Studies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
I used to write out exactly what I was going to say when I broke up with someone. One time in college, I wrote and rewrote my break-up monologue for an entire week straight. I penned it during every class, every study break, and any other time I had a few minutes to myself. I had a really hard time telling people what needed to be said.
Our buddy Paul, though? Not so much.
In the book of Philippians, Paul has some hard conversations with the church in Philippi. He says what needs to be said, encourages what needs encouragement, and corrects what need correcting. Paul doesnât sugarcoat anything.
My husband is this way. Heâs always quick to tell me when I hurt his feelings or if my tone with the kids was harsher than Iâd intended. He gives me ideas on how I can lead more effectively, and heâs up front when he needs more us-time. Maybe thatâs why I like Paul so much. After years of living with someone who gives it to me straight, I understand the importance of real, authentic conversation. Sometimes these kinds of conversations are empowering. Sometimes theyâre not super fun. But since Benâs words are coming from a place of love, I know theyâre not meant to harm. We meet in authenticity to help each other grow. Sweeping things under the rug or being passive-aggressive isnât beneficial or healthy.
If we want to be bold, dynamic women of God, we need to be willing to fight for authenticity in community. We have one life to liveâone shot to make a mark on this earth in the name of Jesus Christ. And with Paul as our teacher, weâll learn how to do that.
But if weâre going to learn from Paul, we need to first understand a bit more about who this man is. Now, I do realize you may know Paulâs backstory already, but as we walk through it again, God may point something out to you that somehow reflects and refracts differently today. God likes to highlight things at certain times, as He wants you to know, learn, and grow.
In Acts, we learn that Saul (Paulâs original Hebrew name) hated those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. If we look at Philippians 3:5, we can get a sense why he felt this way: Not only was he from a Jewish family, but he was a devout and legalistic Pharisee. This new faith seemed like heresy to him.
1. What does Acts 9:1-2 say about Saul?
Saulâs conversion is incredible. God intervenes in a dramatic and supernatural wayâand He steps into the path of someone no one thought would ever become a Christian.
Do you know someone like that? A person youâve been praying for, and yet it just seems so unlikely that theyâd turn from their current lifestyle and become a new creation? But the beginning of Paulâs story tells us something extraordinary: We serve a limitless God who often does the unlikely.
History Lesson
We know that God changed Abramâs name to Abraham (Genesis 17:5), Sarai to Sarah (Genesis 17:15), and Jacob to Israel (Genesis 32:28). And most of us probably thought God did the same to Saul, whom we know as Paul in the New Testament. But is that really what happened? Letâs find out.
When Jesus speaks to him on the road to Damascus, he addresses him as Saul: âSaul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?â (Acts 9:4).
When Ananias speaks to him after his conversion, he also calls him Saul: âBrother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spiritâ (Acts 9:17).
When Paul was called out before his first missionary trip, the Holy Spirit refers to him as Saul: âSet apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called themâ (Acts 13:2).
In fact, after his conversion, Paul is referred to as Saul fourteen times![1] Hmm. So . . . whatâs the deal? Why did his name change?
The shift from Saul to Paul happens as he sets sail for his missionary journeys. In Acts 13:9, we see Saul is called âPaulâ for the first time on the island of Cyprus, which is much later than his conversion. Luke, the author of Acts, indicates in this verse that these two names are interchangeable: âBut Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him.â
Saul was the Hebrew form of his name; Paul was the Roman form. He uses the name Paul as he continues to travel and share the Good News of Jesus to mostly non-Jewish individuals throughout the Mediterranean. The shift in names is a sign of Paulâs desire to be approachable in the way he shared the gospel, using language and even his name in a way unique audiences could relate to (see 1 Corinthians 9:19-23).[2]
In Acts 9:10-11, we see God ask a man named Ananias to do something that seemed crazy: to go meet up with Saul. Ananias knows of this man named Saul of Tarsus and all the horrible things heâs been a part of in and around Jerusalem. In fact, the first time we hear Saulâs name in the Bible is during the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr:
Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Can you imagine being asked to meet with this kind of man? Ananias probably felt like he was being asked to go to his death!
2. How does Ananias initially respond to God?
3. How does the Lord reply to Ananiasâ concern? (Hint: See verses 15-16.)
God knows something Ananias doesnât: The man who had spent so much time persecuting Christians is now a completely new person.
4. Flip over to 2 Corinthians 5:17. What happens when we follow Jesus?
You can make yourself better, but only Christ can make you new. And if ever there was someone who became a new creation, it was Paul.
So what exactly does new mean, anyway? Letâs go to the BLB app to find out. Head to 2 Corinthians 5 and click on verse 17. Tap on the Interlinear and scroll down to find the word new or kainos (ÎșαÎčÎœÏÏ, pronounced kai-nos). Click on the word to find English synonyms and descriptions from Outline of Biblical Usage, Strongâs Definitions, and Thayerâs Greek Lexicon, as well as all the other New Testament verses that use kainos.
5. Pen down what kainos means:
I absolutely love how Thayerâs Greek Lexicon explains this word: ârecently made, fresh, recent, unused, unworn.â[3] So often as Christians, we talk about being restored . . . but this verse reveals that weâre more than restored. Restored would mean weâre just a new-and-improved version of what we were before...
