Philippians (Bible Study)

Before We Begin

Welcome to the Philippians Bible Study Mini-Series!

We're going to dive deeper into the history of the Philippians, why Paul wrote to them, and the wisdom that each chapter of this short book of the Bible contains. 

I'll be uploading one part per day until the mini-series is complete.

Why I Chose This Book

For a long time years ago, I read my Bible nearly every day. Then, I stopped. I don't have a reason for it, but I plateaued for a long time and avoided it. That turned out to be one of my greatest mistakes. To this day, I still struggle with consistency. 

I had the urge to get back into reading my Bible. Not just skimming over a chapter to say that I've read it, but to truly read it. 

Philippians really kickstarted my recent Bible Study journey. It is short, only containing four chapters, and is one that I felt I could truly commit to and see to the end. In studying this book of the Bible, I learned more about my study style, how I learn best, discipline, and a slew of other things. However, that's not why I chose this book. 

I chose this book because the sheer amount of wisdom to be gained from it is incredible. When I first read the book, I had no idea that I'd be stuck for hours, hung up on just a handful of verses, trying to understand and unpack what they truly mean. Some verses hit me like a ton of bricks, and truly brought me closer to God in a way I can hardly begin to describe. 

This book taught me so much, and I hope that in writing out my notes for you all, it'll teach you too. 

I think that when we read books, we often tend to forget that the author is human too (at least, I do sometimes). It's important to me to be raw, real, and transparent. I hope that in doing so, you remember that I'm just as flawed as any other person. We're here to learn and grow together; don't think I have things all together just because I wrote about it, because I most certainly do not!

How this works

1. Say a prayer before you begin reading.

2. Grab your Bible! I'll post the chapters we'll be reading from in each part at the beginning, and I encourage you to read each chapter first before you begin the study. I'll be including our focus verse for the study, but context matters - read the whole chapter!

Don't have a Bible? Download one! I recommend the YouVersion App, but there are tons of others out there. Otherwise, feel free to follow along with the key verses.

3. Read along with my study notes. These aren't "devotional-style" notes, and usually don't read like a typical chapter of a book. My intention is to be concise, but detailed. I take notes best in bullet points, and while there may be a bit of commentary here and there, expect the study to read like a sheet of notes rather than a chapter of a book.

4. Join me! Have anything to add while you're reading? Throw it in the comments! Whether it's your thoughts on the study or the chapters we read together, a cool resource or video you found related to the material, questions you have, or just to say hi, I'd love to see you there!

Note: I do not claim to be an expert by any means. These study series are just as much meant for me as they are for you; in other words, we may interpret things differently, and that's okay! Let's have a discussion in the comments if you think something isn't quite right. I'm here to grow and learn just like you, and I'm more than open to any feedback or additional information you have as you read. I'm also the farthest thing from perfect. When I say these studies are just as much for me as they are for you, I mean that. I'm a sinner too, and with this study series, I hope to learn how to better control my language which is sometimes more harmful than helpful.

5. We're a community here. Open to having a discussion in the comments with me or someone else? Awesome! Just be kind, stay open-minded, and help me to promote a positive culture here. For additional information, see the "House Rules" section of my Bio.

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Alright, now that we've covered all the bases, let's get started.