If in Christ, you’ve become rich by the impoverishment of JESUS. This isn’t something we can even fully understand because the process of self-renunciation doesn’t come natural to us. But as Pastor Terry makes clear, JESUS stooped lower than any of us can understand to come to the rescue of man. For us to become rich, He became poor. Through this single act of self renunciation, JESUS made a way for us to be reconciled to God and lifted up to Heaven. The uniqueness of JESUS is never more evident than through the humility He displayed by taking up the cross.

Selfish ambition will ruin a ministry. And if our work as Christians is motivated by personal prestige, we’ll lose our reward and make it difficult for others. Pastor Terry helps us remember through today’s teaching how important it is for us to examine the motivations of our hearts. Unless we become others centered, especially in the church, we’ll walk all over people to get what we want. There are so many benefits to living a selfless life, but unless we’re willing to die to self, we’ll never know them. God blesses His children who learn to live life by giving their lives away.

Do you realize that Christians are called to defend their faith? Sometimes a believer needs to stand up and contend for what’s right! The world doesn’t like that. In fact, many Christians don’t like that either. But as Pastor Terry explains, fighting for the gospel, TOGETHER, is a necessary part of a community of faith. The Church ought to be a team of athletes trained and working together. Everyone has a special place on Christ’s team. By knowing our place as Heavenly citizens and by living in a community of faith, we please God and further the message of the gospel.

There are both benefits as well as responsibilities to being a citizen of Heaven. As Pastor Terry shares Paul’s heart regarding these realities, we have an opportunity to examine the way we’re living for Christ. Living as a Heavenly citizen will stand out! The joy that we experience as citizens of Heaven should light up our faces and shine into earthly places. The role of the Holy Spirit is to do this very thing. Really, our job is to simply to let Him do it! If our life is full of Christ, our lives will be full of light. We were never meant to live for Christ without the Heavenly glow of the Holy Spirit.

For the believer, death is not a loss… but gain! The things we do here are only temporary. Death is both a blessing and a promotion. As we hear Paul’s heart regarding his life and the nearness of death, our perspective can be transformed by these powerful truths. In our time with Pastor Terry, we’ll listen to the meditations of a man in bondage for the gospel. Whether free or imprisoned for our faith, we can live with great confidence and comfort knowing that we cannot lose. Death for the believer is only a temporary condition, freeing us from the spiritual challenges of this world.

The Apostle Paul has a totally different philosophy than the world does on life and death. Like Paul, we can share the same view. As Pastor Terry shares Paul’s position regarding these considerations, we can be inspired and greatly encouraged regarding our journey in Christ. For him, to live was Christ and to die was gain. Whether Paul lived or died, he considered it a winning proposition! Are our lives as clearly defined by these terms? Or do we have some things to lay aside in order to live for Christ in this way? Knowing, serving, and making Christ known is LIFE to the believer

Living selflessly for Christ is a command. But keeping our motivations pure is a challenge, especially in a world that gets ahead by selfish ambition. It’s forbidden for us to live by these same principles as Christians. As Pastor Terry draws out for us what it looks like to operate out of personal prestige, we must keep this way of living out of our hearts. Christians are called to look after the interests of others, not ourselves.

Becoming selfless is a difficult process. But as we obey God in this way, He will transform us into the likeness of Christ in this area of our lives.

How should we respond to competition or insincerity in the Church? If we’ve been a part of the Church long enough, we’re bound to encounter this type of situation. Maybe the best question to ask is what is it that WE can do to avoid becoming a part of the problem! As Pastor Terry continues in the book of Philippians, we’ll hear Paul’s response to this kind of sinful situation. This side of Heaven, we’ll always have to deal with our flesh, but with the aid of the Holy Spirit, we can avoid becoming part of the problem and can continue sharing the gospel by our example.

Fear can change us into secret agent Christians. When believers are silent about their faith, they lose their witness in the community. When the Apostle Paul was imprisoned for sharing the gospel, his world-changing faith emboldened other Christians to speak more openly about their belief in the gospel message. As Pastor Terry explains, our influence over others is inevitable. Either we’ll help others become bold in their faith or encourage them to stay silent. Paul made quite an impression on the Philippians for their good and the ongoing advancement of the gospel.

In the Christian life, there’s plenty of room to make choices. As we grow in our relationship with God, we’ll learn to exchange what is good for those things that are best. It’s God’s will that we learn to discern and choose the most excellent things in life. As Pastor Terry leads us through the Scriptures, we’re reminded that every choice we make reflects on our spiritual progress. The more excellent our choices, the more excellent a life we’ll live. If we choose the best things God has to offer, our quality of life will improve as we become more like Christ in our daily walk with Him.