Month: July 2026

Sermon text: Philippians 2:19-30
When it comes to matters of faith, there is a truth that can actually be trusted, unlike the countless promises of quick success circulating on social media. This part of the letter to the Philippians continues an arc that began back in chapter 1, where the call to have the mind of Christ shaped everything Paul discussed about his life and ministry. This passage weaves that same mindset into the practical details of how the early church operated, offering a glimpse into the inner workings of gospel ministry spreading across continents without modern technology or transportation.

Sermon text: Philippians 2:12-18
Paul completes the discussion he began back in chapter 1, verse 27, urging believers to strive together for the gospel. Having just presented Jesus as the ultimate example of humility in the kenosis passage—emptying himself of heavenly glory to become a servant to all, even to the point of death—Paul now turns that example into a practical charge for the church at Philippi. The word “therefore” that opens verse 12 signals this shift from example to application.

Sermon text: Philippians 2:5-11
This “riches to rags to riches” account is not the usual tale of someone rising from nothing, but the reverse: Jesus, who held all the glory and power of God, willingly gave it up to live among us, and was then raised back to the highest place of honor. The passage picks up where Paul had been urging the church in Philippi toward unity — to stop pursuing their own interests and instead put others first. To make that idea concrete, Paul points them to Jesus Himself as the ultimate model of humility.

Sermon text: Philippians 1:27-2:4
Paul opens by urging the Philippians to let their conduct be worthy of the gospel, whether he is present with them or absent. The word behind “conduct” describes the behavior of a citizen within a larger community — language the Philippians, proud of their Roman citizenship as a colony of retired soldiers, would have understood deeply. Their true citizenship, though, now belongs to heaven rather than Rome. Paul’s expectation is that their behavior won’t depend on whether he’s watching, much like an employee who acts with integrity regardless of whether a supervisor is present.