Discussion Starters | Paul's Letters From Prison

We hope these questions will help you consider (or discuss with others) what God is teaching you through this month’s study of His Word.

Week One:

• Have you ever been surprised by God's blessing in a difficult circumstance? What surprised you most? What was the blessing?
• How has knowing Jesus changed your life? What kinds of things did God use to bring this change about?
• What would the "before and after Jesus" pictures of your life look like? (See Day 4)
• Paul says we can approach God with “freedom and confidence” (See Day 6). Do you feel confident in approaching God? Why or why not?

Week Two:

• How do you know if you are growing in Christ? (See Day 7) What does spiritual growth look like?
• Christians sometimes say, "I'm not perfect. Just forgiven." Is this an accurate representation of the Christian life? Why or why not?
• Some of us get uncomfortable when we are talking about submission. What makes submission difficult? Is submission ever wrong? (See Days 11 and 12)
• What are some ways we can protect ourselves spiritually? (See Day 13)

Week Three:

• How does Paul define joy? Is joy an emotion or something else? (See Day 15)
• What does it mean to "work out your salvation"? How does this differ from earning salvation? (See Day 17)
• What have you lost as a result of following Jesus Christ? What have you gained?  (See Day 18)
• How is the Christian life like a race? How does it differ? What do you think Paul means when he says that his goal is to take hold of "that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me"? (See Day 19)
• What does it mean to be "alive in Christ?"

Week Four:

• Why is praying for one another important? How can we best pray for others? (See Day 22)
• Were you raised in a home or church that had a strict code of conduct? Why does Paul push back against the religious rules at the Colossian church? (See Day 25)
• We are urged to “set our mind on things above” (Col. 3:2). What does this mean in real life? How do we accomplish this? (See Day 26)
• Who has God used to help you grow in Christ and serve Him? What might be some ways to say thank you?