Week 1
Philippians 1:12–26, Luke 9:22-26
Joy and happiness aren’t the same thing at all. Happiness is fragile — it depends on what’s happening around us. Joy is something deeper, something that sits safely in the heart even when life is messy, painful, or downright unfair. And that’s exactly the kind of joy Paul talks about in Philippians.
Paul knew what it was to face hard times. From planting the church in Philippi — where he met Lydia, freed a slave girl, ended up in prison, and still managed to sing worship songs at midnight — to sitting in chains again as he writes this letter, his life had been one long rollercoaster. Yet he keeps talking about joy. Why? Because for Paul, joy wasn’t tied to comfortable circumstances but to a living, breathing, daily relationship with Jesus.
Paul’s past shows a pattern: wherever he went, there was chaos, opposition, suffering — but also a deep, unshakable sense of God’s presence. Even bruised and beaten, he sang. Even locked away, he rejoiced. Even when others were cruel, he responded with love. His joy didn’t come from his situation but from his Saviour.
Now, writing from prison again, Paul opens his heart. He doesn’t know whether he’ll live or die. Yet he shows this beautiful inner freedom: if he lives, he gets to serve Jesus. If he dies, he gets to be with Jesus. For him, either option is a win. That’s what joy rooted in Christ does — it changes your whole outlook on life and death.
And that future hope transforms his present. Paul knows Jesus loves him personally, completely, sacrificially. He knows that nothing can separate him from that love. And so he can say with total honesty: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Joy, real joy, is found in Christ — not because life gets easier, but because Jesus walks with us through everything. Circumstances may make us unhappy, but they can’t touch the joy he gives. We can be like Paul and Silas: even in the darkest places, we can sing. Because the final word over our lives isn’t hardship or fear — it’s Jesus. And he offers us a joy that lasts forever.
You can find a study guide for this session here
🌱 Three Reflection Points
Joy grows when Jesus becomes the focus, not our circumstances.
Paul didn’t minimise suffering — he just refused to let it define him.
Knowing Jesus personally changes how we see life, death, and everything in between.
The more real his love becomes to us, the more fearless we become.
True strength comes from Christ within us.
Our limits are real, but his presence in our weakness is even more real.
❓ Three Questions to Ponder
Where do I tend to look for happiness — and how might Jesus be inviting me into something deeper?
What would it look like for me to see my current circumstances through Paul’s lens of joy?
Do I believe, deep down, that Jesus loves me personally and unconditionally — and if not, what holds me back from trusting that?
🙏 Three Prayer Points
“Jesus, fill my heart with your joy — the kind that doesn’t depend on circumstances.”
“Holy Spirit, strengthen me where I feel weak, tired, or overwhelmed.”
“Father, help me to trust your love more deeply and walk through each day with confidence in you.”
Week 2
Philippians 2:1–18
Life has a way of convincing us that we know best — that if we chase the right things, put ourselves first, and push hard enough, we’ll finally find happiness and peace. But experience has a habit of exposing that illusion. So many of our regrets grow from moments when ambition, pride, or self-focus took centre stage, often at the expense of the people we love most .
Christian faith turns that logic upside down. The way of Jesus doesn’t fit comfortably with a world obsessed with success, recognition, and self-promotion. Instead, it invites a radical re-centring of life — away from ourselves and towards God and others. This isn’t theory or moral posturing; it’s modelled in Jesus himself. The God who made everything chose humility, service, and sacrifice, even to the point of death, and in doing so redefined what true greatness looks like .
Love sits at the heart of this way of life — not as a feeling that comes and goes, but as a deliberate, sometimes costly choice. Choosing to value others, to serve without needing applause, and to let go of comparison brings an unexpected freedom. And underneath it all is this unshakable truth: you are deeply, passionately loved by God — not because of what you’ve done or failed to do, but simply because of who God is. When that door is opened, even a crack, God rushes in with grace, purpose, and life in all its fullness
You can find a study guide for this session here
Reflection Points
True freedom is found not in self-promotion, but in self-giving humility.
Love, as Jesus defines it, is an intentional choice — especially when it’s difficult.
Our identity is rooted in God’s unchanging love, not in achievement, comparison, or failure.
Questions
Where do you notice yourself slipping into putting your own needs, ambitions, or recognition first?
Who might God be inviting you to love or serve in a more intentional, practical way right now?
What would change if you genuinely believed that God delights in you exactly as you are?
Prayer Points
Pray for the grace to lay down self-centred ambition and learn the way of humility and service.
Ask God to help you choose love — especially in relationships that feel hard or unrewarding.
Thank God for his unconditional love, and ask for a deeper trust in who you are in him.
Week 3
Philippians 3:1–21
It’s easy to measure life by achievements — careers, qualifications, reputation, even how impressive our faith looks on paper. But that way of living quietly wears us down. When worth is tied to performance, comparison creeps in, pressure builds, and joy slowly drains away .
Paul’s story turns all of that on its head. Someone with a flawless religious CV discovers that none of it brings him closer to God. In fact, it gets in the way. Rules, rituals, and trying to be “good enough” can slowly replace relationship, until faith becomes exhausting rather than life-giving. What once looked impressive turns out to be worthless compared with knowing Jesus — not knowing about him, but being known by him .
Freedom comes through letting go. Empty hands make room to receive grace. Jesus doesn’t invite people into a performance-based faith but into a relationship marked by gentleness, humility, and rest. That rest doesn’t lead to passivity — it leads to a new way of working and living, no longer driven by fear or self-promotion, but shaped by love and eternal purpose. When achievements lose their grip, space opens for God to build something that truly lasts
You can find a study guide for this session here
Reflection Points
Trying to earn God’s approval always leads to pressure; receiving God’s love leads to freedom.
Even good religious activity can become an obstacle if it replaces relationship with God.
Letting go of status, ambition, or false images of God creates space for deeper joy and purpose.
Questions
What things do you instinctively use to measure your worth or success?
Are there ways faith has become more about effort and achievement than trust and relationship?
What might God be inviting you to loosen your grip on in order to experience greater freedom?
Prayer Points
Pray for the grace to let go of performance-based faith and receive God’s love afresh.
Ask God to reveal and heal any false images of him that create fear, guilt, or pressure.
Thank God for the freedom found in knowing Jesus and ask for courage to live for what truly lasts.
Week 4
Philippians 4:4–23
Life doesn’t always get easier, neater, or less painful — and yet deep contentment is still possible. Paul writes from prison, facing uncertainty and suffering, and somehow keeps returning to joy, peace, and gratitude. Not because circumstances are good, but because God is present. Contentment isn’t about pretending things are fine or shutting down hope; it’s about learning where to place the weight of our lives .
True peace is found by shifting our gaze. Looking up in worship reminds us that God is steady when everything else feels unstable. Looking out draws us beyond our own pain, helping us notice others — both those we can serve and those we need to allow to serve us. Gratitude and generosity then begin to reshape the heart, loosening anxiety’s grip and opening space for joy, even in the middle of loss or limitation .
This kind of peace doesn’t deny grief. Hardship can still be loud, overwhelming, and deeply painful. But alongside it runs another melody — the peace of God that doesn’t always make sense, but holds steady. It’s the peace that comes from being deeply loved, carried by grace, and trusting that God gives the strength we need for today — and will provide tomorrow’s grace when tomorrow comes
You can find a study guide for this session here
Reflection Points
Contentment grows not from control, but from trusting God with what we’re carrying.
Worship, gratitude, and generosity can quietly transform anxiety into peace.
God’s grace is always sufficient for today — we don’t need tomorrow’s strength yet.
Questions
Where do you find yourself most tempted to worry about the future rather than live in today’s grace?
What helps you “look up” when life feels overwhelming or painful?
Is there an area where God might be inviting you to receive help rather than cope alone?
Prayer Points
Pray for the ability to rest in God’s presence, even when circumstances feel unsettled or painful.
Ask God to replace anxiety with a deeper awareness of his unchanging love and peace.
Thank God for daily grace, and ask for trust to take life one day at a time.