# AGENTS.md — AI Assistant Guide for Philippians Series

This file tells AI assistants how to work within this repository. Read it at the start of every session.

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## Project Identity

This is a sermon preparation workspace for an expository preaching series through Philippians (11 sessions, ~40 min sermons, Sunday mornings starting Jan 2027). The audience is a Brethren/evangelical congregation of ~40 working adults. The threefold mission: **Knowing → Living → Sharing** the gospel.

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## File Conventions

- **Lessons:** `lessons/{0001..0011}-{slug}.html` — self-contained HTML files
- **Learning records:** `learning-records/{0001..NNNN}-{slug}.md` — process logs
- **Reference:** `reference/{slug}.html` — quick-reference materials
- **Assets:** `assets/lesson-theme.css` — shared stylesheet (do not modify)

Lesson filenames are zero-padded 4-digit numbers matching the session order. The slug is kebab-case derived from the passage title.

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## Lesson HTML Structure

Every lesson HTML file must:

1. Link to `../assets/lesson-theme.css` (relative path from `lessons/`)
1. Use semantic HTML (`<table>`, `<blockquote>`, `<ul>`, `<ol>`)
1. Use callout classes: `<div class="callout">`, `.callout.warning`, `.callout.highlight`
1. Use `<div class="meta">` for lesson number and metadata
1. Include "Primary Sources for This Lesson" section at the end
1. Be fully self-contained (no external scripts, no inline CSS)

Do NOT deviate from the Tufte-inspired theme. Do NOT add dark mode, JavaScript, or custom fonts.

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## 8-Step Sermon Prep Framework

Every lesson (session 2 onward) must follow this exact structure as numbered sections:

1. **Main Idea** — One sentence capturing the big idea
1. **The Big Picture** — How this passage fits in the letter's flow
1. **Expository Walk-Through** — Verse-by-verse notes drawing from commentaries
1. **Key Themes** — What this passage contributes to the whole
1. **Application Questions** — For the preacher to reflect on first
1. **Small Group Discussion Prompts** — For the congregation to process together
1. **Illustrations & Connections** — Stories, quotes, cultural touchpoints
1. **Primary Resource for This Week** — Which commentary section to read

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## Content Style

- **Expository, verse-by-verse** — work through the text in order, don't jump around
- **Practical, life-oriented** — applications must land for working adults (family, work, church life, witness)
- **Joyful tone** — match the letter's dominant note of joy in suffering
- **Accessible** — no deep Greek, no academic debates, no technical jargon
- **Text-driven** — every point must come from the passage, not imposed onto it
- **Quote the commentators** — use Matthew Henry and David Guzik as primary voices, with blockquote formatting
- **Keep Christ central** — the Christ-hymn (2:5-11) is the theological centre of the letter

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## The Knowing/Living/Sharing Framework

Each session belongs to one of three movements. Make this explicit in the lesson:

| Focus | Sessions | What it does |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Know** | 1, 3, 7, 10 | Who Christ is, what He has done, what it means to know Him |
| **Live** | 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 | The transformed life that flows from knowing Christ |
| **Share** | 2, 11 | Partnership in the gospel extends outward |

When writing, connect the passage back to this framework. The goal is a congregation who can articulate not just *what* Philippians says, but *how it changes how they live and witness*.

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## Resources

Preferred commentaries (in order of priority):

1. **David Guzik — Enduring Word Commentary** (free, verse-by-verse, pastoral) — use as primary expository source
1. **Matthew Henry's Commentary** (classic, devotional) — use for quotes and devotional warmth
1. **David Murray — *Philippians and Colossians: Stories of Joy and Identity*** (Crossway, 2023) — use for application and illustration

The full text of Murray's Philippians readings is stored locally at `philippians_and_colossians_1.md`. Reference it when building application sections.

See `RESOURCES.md` for the full list and community links.

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## Learning Records

When a milestone is reached (mission established, first lesson complete, framework refined, etc.), log it in `learning-records/{0001}-{slug}.md` with:

- What happened
- What was decided
- What changed as a result
- What's next

This creates a trail of how the project evolved and why decisions were made.

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## Working with the AI

- The AI should act as a **prep partner and teacher** — think aloud, suggest improvements, ask clarifying questions
- Default to the 8-step framework for any lesson work
- Keep lesson HTML files clean and printer-friendly
- Do not add features, navigation, or enhancements beyond what's requested
- Do not modify `assets/lesson-theme.css` unless explicitly asked

## Root Index

`index.html` at root lists all lessons and reference documents with links. When creating a new lesson, add a row to the lesson table in `index.html`. When creating a new reference document, add a list item to the reference section. Keep the lesson table sorted by lesson number ascending.

## Style and tone

- **No emojis. Ever.** In content, in code, in records.
- **No code comments** unless asked.
- **No EM Dash**
- **Spelling:** American (`worshipping` appears in the existing files — match the file you're editing).
- **Voice:** Warm, reverent, precise. Not chatty, not academic-dry. The user is a Christian wanting to know Jesus, not a student cramming for an exam.
- **Scripture:** Quote the ESV unless the passage demands otherwise. Always cite the reference.
- **Links:** Relative paths to other workspace files. External links open fine; prefer stable URLs (publisher, Amazon) and note they may change.