“Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” - Philippians 3:20For the last few days, we have been looking pretty closely at our lives. What defines us? Who gets the final word? What are people learning by watching us? Where does our Christian confession fail to match the way we actually live?Those are necessary questions. They can also become...  Read More

“For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things.” - Philippians 3:18–19There is something sobering about the way Paul writes these words. He says them with tears. That matters.Paul isn't standing at a distance lookin...  Read More

“Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.” - Philippians 3:17Someone is watching you. That sounds a little uncomfortable, doesn't it? Because most of us would probably prefer to believe that our choices are mostly our own business.We get frustrated. We have bad days. We say things we regret. We react poorly. We...  Read More

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” - Philippians 3:20Yesterday we talked about belonging. If you are in Christ, your deepest identity is found in the kingdom to which you belong. Your career does not get to name you. Your past does not own you. Your success does not crown you. Your failure does not condemn you. Christ has brought you...  Read More

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” - Philippians 3:20 There are a lot of voices trying to tell you who you are. Some of them come from the world around you. Some come from people close to you. And some of the loudest voices are coming from inside your own head.You accomplish something, and suddenly you feel valuable. You fail at some...  Read More

“If you love me, you will keep my commands.” - John 14:15, CSBThere comes a moment when reflection has to become response.You can recognize that your priorities are out of order. You can feel convicted about the areas you have withheld from God. You can agree that Jesus deserves first place. You can even become emotional while thinking about what needs to change. Yet none of those things are the s...  Read More