Study Questions for Pronounce It!

1. Day 1—Turn to pg. 11 in the 40 Days workbook. Using the Pronounce It method of Bible study meditate on Philippians 1:6 and record your insights. / It is a certainty that God, who began the good work in me of salvation, will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. Being confident of this - This tells me that first I can have confidence as I go through my day. My attitude must be one of confidence, and not defeat or discouragement. That He who began – God is the One who started this in me, and He doesn’t start something He doesn’t finish. A good work – this is a good work He has begun in me; I can view myself and what is happening in me favorably because God considers it good. In me – this is an internal work; He is transforming me into the image of His Son. Will carry it to completion - He began the work of salvation in me and He will carry this work on in me, even against my will often. Until the day of Jesus Christ – This means that God is working in me, and will carry His work in me forward in generations of disciples that will follow. He will keep on doing this until Jesus Christ returns for His Bride. This verse tells me overall that I am a continuing work of God, so I can serve Him with the confidence that He is actually the One working in me, and that it is a good work He is doing.
2. Day 1—With the insights you gained from question 1 write down specifically how you can apply them to your life. / When I am tempted today to get down on myself I will remember that God is working a good work in me. When I am tempted to try harder, taking matters into my own hands, I will stop and surrender to His work through me which He is bringing to completion. Specifically I will stop talking to myself about how much of a failure I am and rather listen to what God has said – that He began a good work in me, He is continuing a good work in me, and He will finish His good work in me. I must simply cooperate with Him.
3. Day 2—Turn to pg. 12 in the 40 Days workbook. Using the Pronounce It method of Bible study meditate on Philippians 1:27 and record your insights. / “Only” – whether we have accountability or not from spiritual leaders, we must act the way we should. “Let your manner of life” – I must choose to let my overall conduct, the “way” I live, be done according to a certain standard. “Be worthy of the gospel of Christ” – the gospel of Christ is the worthy standard that must shape my life. It is worth living and dying for, because that is what Jesus did. He did it that all would have the opportunity to have a personal relationship with God, so no matter what I have to endure for others, it is okay. “So that whether I remain absent or come and see you I may hear of you” – the way I live must be so obvious that the word of my actions would travel to other places. It must be who I am, not just what I do when I think others are watching. “That you are standing firm in one spirit” – I must stand firmly in promoting the gospel and living for it, and this mindset must be what unites all of us; not my promotion, or our glory, but the gospel of Jesus Christ. “With one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” – This must be a group effort; we must work with one another in leading others to the faith of the gospel. The gospel is all important, so it must shape my life and guide my relationships. It is done better when done as a united group.
4. Day 2—With the insights you gained from question 3 write down specifically how you can apply them to your life. / I must keep the gospel before me as the most important purpose in my life. So, everything I do, every reaction I have, every evaluation I make, every word I speak, every relationship I engage, must have as its objective to promote the faith of the gospel. Nothing else matters as much. I must also gather and unite with like-minded believers to pursue this objective and seek to be in unity with those who have the same mindset and purpose. The question must always be, “How does this impact the faith of the gospel?”
5. Day 3—Turn to pg. 13 in the 40 Days workbook. Using the Pronounce It method of Bible study meditate on Phil 2:13 and record your insights. / For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. “For it is God” – the reasonI can work about my salvation with fear and trembling is because it is God before whom I am working it out and it is God who is working in me. “who is at work” – God is the One doing this work in me – I am not on my own but can depend on Him. “In you” – this is an internal work; I need to change internally to be able to fulfill God’s purpose for my life. “both to will” – God is working on my “will” or my “want to” as He changes me; my greatest need is to have my wanter changed and God is doing that. I must pay attention as that occurs. “and to work” – this is the action part of the promise, the part that impacts those around me. It does no good to simply want to do something unless I actually do it. I must act! “for His good pleasure”. Ultimately, this is about God, not me. All I do is for Him, and for what pleases Him. Amazingly, when I do what He wants me to, it does bring Him pleasure.
6. Day 3—With the insights you gained from question 5 write down specifically how you can apply them to your life. / I must be sensitive to the positive desires within me and respond to them today. I must be willing to step out in faith when I sense God is leading me; this bring Him pleasure. I must remember I can do it because God is the One doing it in me.
7. Day 4—Turn to pg. 14 in the 40 Days workbook. Using the Pronounce It method of Bible study meditate on Phil 3:12b and record your insights. / I press on – This is an action I must take, one that requires “push back” against the forces of my sin nature, the world, and Satan. To take hold – This implies to me that there is a process of pressing on that leads to the ability to actually “take hold” of something. I must walk the road to get to the destination, but the road is not the destination. Of that for which – there is a purpose of my being taken hold of; Christ has a purpose for me. Christ Jesus took hold – Christ began this process of ultimate salvation in my life and I am to pursue it. Of me – this is personal; Jesus Christ took hold of me for ultimate salvation and my response is to press on in this life until I take hold of it. This is all about perseverance and endurance, keeping my eye on the prize of the “resurrection of the dead” (v.11), the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v.14). My salvation, while certain, is not complete until the end when I am raised with Christ. So, I must continue to press on.
8. Day 4—With the insights you gained from question 7 write down specifically how you can apply them to your life. / Today, with all of its distractions, frustrations, and setbacks, will pass. I must not allow these things to make me give up or throw in the towel. Life if difficult and it will always be that way; Christ traveled this road much more intensely than me, but for the “glory set before Him” He did not waver and is now sitting at the right hand of God (Heb 12:3). Today when I get frustrated or upset about something I will remember the “peace of Christ” that He had as He went through all of His trials.
9. Day 5—Turn to pg. 15 in the 40 Days workbook. Using the Pronounce It method of Bible study meditate on Phil 4:6 and record your insights. / Do not – this is a command. Be anxious about anything – I must not allow fear to rule me when something comes up. If anxiety occurs I must acknowledge it and do something about it. But in everything – this is comprehensive, universal, every single situation in life. By prayer and petition – prayer is humbling myself before God and submitting to Him, and petition is bringing my needs to Him and asking Him for help. With thanksgiving – I must remember that God will bring about good in everything, so I must thank Him for the working out of His good purpose in me. This will turn out for my good and His glory. If obviously good I can say thanks, and if apparently bad and can thank Him for the opportunity to develop faith and to identify with His sufferings. Present your requests – These are requests, not demands; I am not in charge. I must ask with a loose grip. However, it is comforting to know that I can take my requests to God without fear of rejection.To God – He is the only One who can really solve the issue for me, so He is the One to whom I must take my requests.
10. Day 5—With the insights you gained from question 9 write down specifically how you can apply them to your life. / Today I must stop and pray about every single thing that brings on anxiety – submitting my will to His, making my request known, and saying thank you even if I don’t understand it. My attitude must be humble, hopeful, and thankful as I ask.
11. Day 6—Turn to pg. 16 in the 40 Days workbook. Using the Pronounce It method of Bible study meditate on Phil 3:12b and record your insights. / I can – this is an attitude of optimism and hope; I must start with this attitude when I face the difficulties (and successes) of life. Do all things – this refers to the preceding verses, meaning I can be content in great circumstances and in difficult circumstances. I can abound when depleted, but I can be humble and dependent when I have a lot. Through Christ – it is by virtue of Christ’s presence in me that I am able to have this unnatural attitude of hope and optimism, and able to adapt to any situation. Who strengthens me – Christ gives me His inner strength so that I can endure any situation in a way that brings God glory and results in my good.
12. Day 6—With the insights you gained from question 11 write down specifically how you can apply them to your life. / Whenever today I am unhappy with my lot in life, my current situation in life, or my relationships, my financial condition, the demands on my life – whatever is tempting me to get distracted from the prize of God’s upward call, good or bad – I can draw on Christ’s strength to make the most of it. I am not “under the circumstances” but I can rise above them by calling on Christ to help. I must remember today that my response to each situation is the most important thing, and not the situation itself. Every response must glorify God.
13. Day 7—Turn to pg. 17 in the 40 Days workbook. Using the Pronounce It method of Bible study meditate on Phil 4:19 and record your insights. / My God – this was Paul’s personal experience, and I have the same experience factor with God. He is my God. Will meet – This is not hypothetical, but a certainty. I can completely trust Him because He is completely trustworthy. All – not some, but all. There is nothing going on in my life that God is not concerned about and willing to do something about. Your needs – not wants, but needs. I must realize that many of the things that lead to frustration in my life are based simply on what I want, not on what I need. God is committed to my best, therefore He will give me what I need to conform me to the image of His Son, and not merely what I want to be temporarily happy. According to his glorious riches – Wow! God is not limited to my imagination or my concept of what is available. His riches are glorious – they are so abundant and awesome that if I my needs are met from these there will be no lack at all. In Christ Jesus – Jesus has inherited all of God’s glorious riches and He is the One who dispenses them to me. I know Him personally and He is willing to share His inheritance with me because I am His younger brother. This entire verse tells me that there is nothing that I need that God won’t give or that God is unable to give. Life with God is abundant because all He has, I have.
14. Day 7—With the insights you gained from question 13 write down specifically how you can apply them to your life. / I must begin every day remembering that all Christ has is mine. I should never feel like I am in poverty, no matter what my outward circumstance. When I feel a lack I must turn to Him specifically and ask Him to supply that need because He wants to and is able to. I must stop any negative thought regarding any lack that I have. As Ps 23 says, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing”.