This document contains excerpts from the book of Philippians in the Bible and commentary on having a positive attitude. It discusses how Paul viewed his imprisonment as advancing the gospel, as it allowed him to spread the Christian message to the palace guard and emboldened other believers to proclaim the gospel without fear. The document advocates adopting an attitude of finding what is great about every situation, based on Paul's example and the biblical verse that God works all things for good.

1. Coffee Cup Verses
Highlights from Philippians

4. Do everything without
grumbling or arguing,
so that you may become
blameless and pure, “children
of God without fault in a
warped and crooked
generation.”

5. Then you will shine
among them like
stars in the sky
Philippians 2:14–15
(NIV)

6. Today:
An attitude that
will make all of life
better.

7. Now I want you to know,
brothers and sisters, that
what has happened to
me has actually served to
advance the gospel.

8. As a result, it has become
clear throughout the whole
palace guard and to
everyone else that I am in
chains for Christ.

9. And because of my chains,
most of the brothers and sisters
have become confident in the
Lord and dare all the more to
proclaim the gospel without
fear. Philippians 1:12–14 (NIV)

10. Paul’s example teaches us
to view every situation in
which we find ourselves as
an opportunity for
spreading the gospel.
Roger Ellsworth, Opening up Philippians,
Opening Up Commentary
(Leominster: Day One Publications, 2004), 25.

11. One of the surest
measures of a Christian’s
spiritual maturity is what
it takes to rob him of his
Spirit-bestowed joy.
John F. MacArthur Jr., Philippians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary
(Chicago: Moody Press, 2001), 55.

12. “What’s-great-about-
this?”
attitude.

13. Three kinds of attitude
•Ain’t it awful!
•We will get through this.
•“What’s-great-about-this?”

15. William A. Ward…
• The pessimist
complains about the
wind;
• the optimist expects it
to change;
• the realist adjusts the
sails.

16. And we know that in all
things God works for the
good of those who love him,
who have been called
according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NIV)

20. You intended to harm me,
but God intended it for good
to accomplish what is now
being done, the saving of
many lives. Genesis 50:20
(NIV)

21. Now I want you to know,
brothers and sisters, that
what has happened to
me has actually served to
advance the gospel.

22. “What’s-great-about-
this?”
attitude.

26. Now I want you to know,
brothers and sisters, that
what has happened to
me has actually served to
advance the gospel.

27. What?

35. Other prisoners of Christ. . .
• Joseph
• Jeremiah
• John
• John Bunyan
• Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
• Charles Colson
• Nelson Mandela
• Martin Luther King, Jr.

36. Three times I was beaten with
rods, once I was pelted with
stones, three times I was
shipwrecked, I spent a night and
a day in the open sea, I have
been constantly on the move.

38. Three times I was beaten with
rods, once I was pelted with
stones, three times I was
shipwrecked, I spent a night and
a day in the open sea, I have
been constantly on the move.

39. I have been in danger from rivers,
in danger from bandits,
in danger from my fellow Jews,
in danger from Gentiles;
in danger in the city,
in danger in the country,
in danger at sea;
and in danger from
false believers.

40. I have labored and toiled and have
often gone without sleep; I have
known hunger and thirst and have
often gone without food; I have
been cold and naked. Besides
everything else, I face daily the
pressure of my concern for all the
churches. 2 Corinthians 11:25–28
(NIV)

41. And we know that in all
things God works for the
good of those who love him,
who have been called
according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NIV)

42. Now I want you to know,
brothers and sisters, that
what has happened to
me has actually served to
advance the gospel.

43. “What’s-great-about-
this?”
attitude.

44. Why?

45. When we arrived at Jerusalem,
the brothers and sisters
received us warmly. The next
day Paul and the rest of us went
to see James, and all the elders
were present.

46. Paul greeted them and
reported in detail what
God had done among the
Gentiles through his
ministry. Acts 21:17–19
(NIV)

47. The next day Paul
took the men and
purified himself
along with them.

48. Then he went to the temple
to give notice of the date
when the days of
purification would end and
the offering would be made
for each of them.

49. When the seven days were
nearly over, some Jews from
the province of Asia saw Paul at
the temple. They stirred up the
whole crowd and seized him,
shouting, “Fellow Israelites,
help us!

50. This is the man who teaches
everyone everywhere against
our people and our law and this
place. And besides, he has
brought Greeks into the temple
and defiled this holy place.”

51. (They had previously seen
Trophimus the Ephesian in
the city with Paul and
assumed that Paul had
brought him into the
temple.) Acts 21:26–29
(NIV)

52. Now I want you to know,
brothers and sisters, that
what has happened to
me has actually served to
advance the gospel.

53. “What’s-great-about-
this?”
attitude.

54. Benefits of being in prison
• Gospel spread to palace guard
• Believers outside of prison
emboldened
• Half the New Testament books
written

61. Now I want you to know,
brothers and sisters, that
what has happened to
me has actually served to
advance the gospel.

62. “What’s-great-about-
this?”
attitude.