Lead Pastor Josh Carstensen starts a series on Philippians.

There are passages in Scripture that don't just challenge us, they expose us. This is one of them. It confronts how we naturally think about ourselves: our instincts toward pride, and our need to measure, compare, and protect.

Paul doesn't offer a self-improvement plan here. Instead, he gives us a picture of Jesus. One who didn't cling to status, but chose the downward path by humbling Himself all the way to the cross.

And Paul says this is the way forward for unity, for joy, and for real change. Not by thinking better of ourselves. But by thinking less of ourselves as we fix our eyes on Christ.

So let's open this text honestly, knowing we're being invited into something costly, but also something that's really good.

Thank you for listening to this message from Northwest Hills Community Church in Corvallis, Oregon, on January 25, 2026, at 9:30am. You can find us online at nwhills.com.

Key Moments

(00:00) Welcome

(01:12) Message: Embracing Genuine Humility

(06:26) Paul's Message to the Philippians

(09:12) Understanding Humility in Context

(14:09) Cultural Perspectives on Humility

(17:17) The Path to True Humility

(20:15) The Humiliation and Exaltation of Christ

(24:01) Understanding Life, Death, and the Afterlife

(29:04) The Final Judgment and Our Response

(35:09) A Call to Humility and Unity