It is while he is in prison that Encouraging Paul writes this letter of encouragement to his friends. He assures them that “I will continue to rejoice, for…what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” and that “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Despite his own suffering, Paul encourages his friends in their own troubles, urging them to “Stand firm in the Spirit, striving together…without being frightened.”
Read the passage:
You could read together in Phil 1: 12-30 in a children’s bible or use an easy to read version here
Even though Paul is going through a lot of troubles, he is writing to encourage his friends to be brave. That’s a very hard thing to do! Yet Paul says that he will ‘continue to rejoice‘ (rejoice means to be glad and celebrate), because he knows that the hard things that happen to him, more people will know Jesus, and He will know Jesus better.
Questions to think about together:
- Think of one of the hard things your family has been through, or are still going through.
- How can we celebrate this and be glad?
- Where can we see God using it to send His good news of Jesus to other people?
- Where can we see God using this hard thing to pull us closer to Him and His people and His word?
Activities:
Memory Verse:
Verse 27: ‘Stand together, with the same purpose, and work together like a team to help others believe the Good News,” Can you learn this memory verse? You can use it to encourage each other when it’s tough. You could each draw round someone in the family and then write the verse on the outline of the person. Put it up somewhere at home where you will see it standing to remind you that you work together as a team to help others…
Songs:
Prayer
Are there other families in our church family who need encouragement? Who can we be praying for? How can we encourage them to ‘Stand together, with the same purpose, and work together like a team to help others believe the Good News,” as we read in verse 27?
Perhaps you could send them a postcard with Phil 1: 27 on it and let them know you are praying for them.