There are certain passages in this book that are downright stunning to me. For instance, Paul doesn’t just tell the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord,” he tells them to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4). He doesn’t just say, “...

We have been given the incredible offer by God to not only find forgiveness, but to experience transformation. We have been made different to make a difference.How is this transformation done? Romans 12:2 gives us a hint. “Do ...

What are you known for? Your wit, appearance, talent, or success? Perhaps you’re known for your sharp tongue or short fuse. Or maybe it’s for your biblical knowledge and wisdom. But none of these things (not even the positive ones) ...

In this passage, the Apostle Paul makes one of the most extraordinary statements of this entire letter: “Do not be anxious about anything.” Anything? I can understand saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” but “Don’t worry about an...

The church at Philippi faced a problem that believers have faced down through the years. How do you pursue the dream of extending God’s Kingdom when you have to do it with actual, real-life people – people who can so easily rub you the wrong wa...

One of Paul’s favorite metaphors for the transformational journey everyday disciples are on was the footrace. Paul saw the life of faith as a race to be run... and run well. The goal of this race is to be like Jesus. And while we wi...

She is mentioned more than any other character in the events surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus, yet she is often overlooked. Her name is Mary Magdalene. She had been there at the foot of the cross that Friday for every...

The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to live under the “performance plan” – to try to be good enough, to jump through all the religious hoops in order to be “righteous” before God. Then one day, he met Jesus, and this man who had ...

Our world revolves around “the performance plan.” If we work hard enough, perform well enough, and impress the powers that be sufficiently enough...we’ll make the cut. It’s not surprising, then, that “the performance plan” shows up ...

Philippians chapter 3 begins: “Whatever happens, dear friends, be glad in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you this and it is good for you to hear it again and again.” (TLB) Whatever happens…rejoice in the Lord. Reall...

When Jesus ascended into heaven after the resurrection, He put the entire future of His Kingdom movement into the hands of a group of ordinary men and women. They had no wealth, no position or power, still Jesus entrusted them with the mission ...

In our last episode, we began talking about what it means to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you…” (Phil. 2:12-13). We said that if we hope to see the ongoing transformation of God in our lives,...

Makeover shows have been exceedingly popular television viewing for decades. Do you remember the show, “Extreme Makeover”? They took ordinary people and completely changed their appearance. The transformations were astonishing!While we ...

Have you ever wondered, “Is it worth it?” Is all the sacrifice and effort for the Kingdom really worth it? Is all the ridicule and mockery for following Jesus worth it?  Well, friends, today we are going to find the answer. And tha...

All our lives, we are encouraged to climb up the ladder. The word “up” has come to be cherished in our society. It’s a word reserved for winners, heroes, and overcomers: upscale, up-and-coming, upper class, upwardly mobile.  The premise, i...

In Philippians 2, Paul calls his friends – and us – to live in a totally countercultural manner. This “upside-down living” is the very opposite of what our society sees as normal. The irony is that by living upside down, we’re actually helping ...

What do you think God’s favorite word is? While we aren’t given a direct answer to that question, I’d like to hazard a guess. It’s a word found in the first two verses of Philippians 2: “….make my joy complete by being like-minded, ...

Paul had told his friends, the Philippians, how he had suffered for the sake of Christ. Now, he tells them that they will face the same struggle. Rome, at this time, was the mightiest power on earth. It had utterly crushed its opponents...

When Paul wrote his letter to his Philippian friends, he was under house arrest in Rome, chained constantly to a Roman guard. But Paul saw this as an opportunity for the gospel. He had a captive audience! As a result, members of the palace guar...

There are many kinds of prayer and many reasons for prayer, but most of the time, it seems that we pray when there is a need or crisis. Such prayers are appropriate and powerful! But is that all God had in mind when He gave us the gift of praye...

Have you ever started a good work and not finished it? Maybe it was a New Year’s resolution that started well, but quickly faded. Or a home project that began with good intentions but was never completed. Well, let me give you some good...

Grace and peace. With this simple phrase, the Apostle Paul opens his letter to the Philippians. In fact, it’s how he opens every letter we have recorded in Scripture. Grace and peace. Typically, letters of that day would have begun with...

There was once a group of people - a church - who dared to live out fully the gospel that had been shared with them.  Two thousand years later, we still read of them and can learn from them how we, too, can more fully live out the good new...

Our world is a messy, broken place filled with messy, broken people. But if the birth of Jesus tells us anything, it tells us that God is not afraid of a mess. Born in a stable, wrapped in rags, and laid in a feeding tro...

In the last episode, we talked about Caesar Augustus, ruler of the vast Roman Empire at the time of Jesus’ birth. One of the ways he made governing this massive area more manageable was to establish local kings to rule on his behalf. At...