Philippians 1:1-6 Study Guide

By staff on June 5, 2011 in Biblical Perspectives, Resources with 0 comments

A study guide to complement the fist message in the series “Letters From Prison” on June 5th, 2011 at New City Church by Brian Kruckenberg, also available as a PDF.

Philippians 1

1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (NASB)

Paul wrote this letter to the church in Philippi during his first Roman imprisonment, approximately 61 AD, 10 years after he started the church there. During the same imprisonment he wrote four epistles: Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians. Many commentators call this letter the “Epistle of Joy.” Since we know that Paul was locked in a prison cell when he wrote this letter, it is safe to say that joy is NOT related to circumstances.  Joy is a gift from God to those who believe in Jesus. Joy is produced by the Spirit in people who, focused on eternal purposes, obey the word of God in the midst of trials.  (See Galatians 5:22 for more on the “fruit of the spirit.”)

Questions for Reflection
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Letters From Prison: Philippians Sermon Series

By staff on June 4, 2011 in Biblical Perspectives, Resources with 0 comments

Philippians Sermon Series Slide

One wouldn’t expect a letter from prison to be filled with joyous thoughts. Being chained to a prison guard for 24-hours a day does not exactly sound like a great time, but the Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians gives us an entirely new definition of life.

This summer we will be studying the book of Philippians, a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Philippi during his first Roman imprisonment in approximately 61 AD.  This letter, called by many commentators  the “Epistle of Joy,” contains some of Paul’s most inspiring and challenging writing.  We hope you join us as we study this ancient letter and discover together what it means for the church nearly 2000 years after it was written.

The audio for the messages in this series can be found in our media section or in iTunes.

Study Guides
The following message study guides are provided for further personal and/or group study.

Philippians 1: 1-6 Study Guide – Intro to Philippians
Philippians 1: 6-11 Study Guide – Brought to Completion
Philippians 1: 12-22 Study Guide A – Life Defined
Philippians 2: 1-7 Study Guide – Finding Significance
Philippians 2: 5-11 Study Guide Mind of Christ
Philippians 2: 12-17 Study Guide – Living As Light
Philippians 3: 1-9 Study Guide – Righteousness

More to come…

A Church Gathered

By staff on April 8, 2011 in New City with 0 comments

We are a church not just on Sundays, although we gather together as one on Sundays . At New City Church we are not just about a group of people coming into a room, singing a couple of songs, hearing someone speak for 35 minutes, and then leaving. We are a group of people who love Jesus, and whose lives are being transformed by the gospel. We don’t have it all figured out, and we don’t claim to have all the answers. What we do have have is a God who loves us and wants the best for us. Maybe you have never been to ‘church’ thats ok! We hope that you can join us today (or any other time) as we gather to worship together,to connect with other people, and to journey together through life.

Hope to see you today!

The church gathers at 4331 N Central Ave in Phoenix at 9:30 and 11am.