The world is a dark place. The darkness of evil and sin surrounds us. As believers, we are called to shine as lights in that darkness. While we think of "big things" that change the world, Paul turns our focus to "little things." God works in us to please Him, so we live out our obedience to Him in the details - like not complaining. This helps us follow Jesus and find joy in serving God.

Selfishness runs deep. Even doing outward things that look unselfish, we realize that even our motive for doing those things can be selfish. After telling the Philippians to do nothing out of selfish ambition, Paul points their attention to Jesus. He tells them to have the same mindset as Jesus had, and then He explains how Jesus demonstrated selflessness through humble obedience to the Father.

The Great Commission is exciting - "Go and make disciples of all nations!" But for most of us, it feels out of reach. It's mostly for missionaries, right? How are the rest of us, here at home, supposed to participate? God intends for each of us to participate! In 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Paul describes three qualities that embody the Great Commission that each of us can implement into daily life.

Have you had a strong relationship fall apart? A close friend realizes you don't see eye-to-eye on everything. We've all experienced unity in relationships beginning to crumble. What is true unity? How do we develop it and protect it? Even a healthy church, like the church in Philippi, was experiencing some disunity, so Paul gives them clear instructions on how to develop unity in the church.

Whether we realize it or not, we’re concerned about our reputation. We wonder what people think of us. Home is different than in public. We worry about how others see us. But Paul calls the Philippians to live for a greater purpose. Rather than worrying about their reputation, he calls them to live worthy of the gospel. Living this way frees us from fear and brings unity to the church.