Isaiah 9:6 

Luke 2:8-18

Luke 1 & 2.

As we close our 11-week journey through Philippians, Paul ends his letter like an encore: repeating, underlining, and elevating the major themes we’ve walked through all series long. From prison, he urges the church to pursue unity, to rejoice in the Lord, to cast their anxieties onto God, and to dwell on what is true, pure, and lovely. He reminds them that Christ is near. Nearer than any circumstance pressing in on them. And he celebrates their partnership in the gospel with deep affection.

This final chapter calls us to the same: to stand firm, to refuse the pull of anxiety, to fix our minds on Christ, and to walk in a peace that “surpasses all understanding.” In every season, in plenty or in need, we can say with Paul, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

As we near the end of our This Is Living series, Paul invites us into a deeper, grown-up faith. A faith that doesn’t drift, coast, or cling to old patterns, but presses forward with purpose. In Philippians 3:12–4:1, he admits he’s not yet perfect, yet he makes every effort to take hold of the Christ who already holds him.

We’re called to do the same:

Forget what’s behind, 

Reach for what’s ahead,

And press on toward the prize of knowing Jesus.

This is the life of a mature believer. Not sinless, but surrendered. Not perfect, but pressing on. Paul reminds us that we are citizens of heaven, running a race together, shaping one another, guarding one another, and refusing the slow fade of spiritual isolation.

So stand firm. Cling to Christ. Lean on the Spirit. Walk with your community.

This is living.

In chapter 3 Paul begins to call out the “Jesus and…” believers in Philippi and he cautions us against self-sufficiency as he calls us to lay down the things of this world.

As the gospel transforms our lives, we need to foster joy and commit to building unity in the church (local and global). 

In this sermon, we take a deep dive into Philippians 2:12-30. 

In Philippians 2:1–11, Paul paints a breathtaking picture of the mind of Christ; a mind marked by humility, unity, and obedience. Writing from prison, Paul calls the church to mirror Christ’s self-emptying love, the kind that counts others as more significant than oneself. Through the mystery of the incarnation, Jesus, fully God and fully man, lowered Himself to the point of death, and in doing so, revealed that true greatness is found in humility. This passage reminds us that the path of humility is the path to glory, and that our unity as God’s people is both our greatest witness and our deepest joy.

This Sunday in our series This Is Living, we’re in Philippians 1:27–30 (through the lens of 2:5–11). Paul calls us to live as citizens of heaven; lives whose conduct matches our calling. We’ll see how unity isn’t optional; it’s our strength and our witness. And we’ll discover a surprising grace: suffering for Christ is not a detour, but a gift that deepens our fellowship with Him and each other. Come ready to be encouraged, challenged, and to respond, to stand firm, strive together, and suffer well for the sake of the gospel.

Paul’s chains didn’t stall the mission. They amplified it. Because Christ is his life, even death is gain. Today we see how God turns adversity into a platform for witness, how courage spreads through a church, and why motives can’t mute the message when Christ is truly proclaimed. Our response: adopt Christ’s mindset, speak His Word fearlessly, and take one step this week to make Jesus known (Phil 1:12–26; 2:5–11)