Reach for the prize. Paul had no regrets about leaving the past behind to pursue Christ wholeheartedly. His one desire was to know Jesus more.

BIBLE VERSE References: PHILIPPIANS 3:8-14 | ACTS 9:1-20 | MATTHEW 7:21-23 | 1 PETER 4:3 | 1 CORINTHIANS 7:7 | LUKE 18:29-30 | LUKE 23:34 | ROMANS 4:24-25 | ROMANS 6:12-14 | MATTHEW 16:24 | JOHN 15:18 \ ACTS 9:16 | MATTHEW 26:69-75 | 2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 | JEREMIAH 29:11 | ROMANS 3:8 | 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 | JOHN 8:1-12 | HEBREWS 11:13-16 | MATTHEW 25:21 | GENESIS 19:26 |

Nothing is more valuable than knowing Christ. Paul reflects on all that he possessed of value in the world's eyes, and how willing he was to abandon it all for the sake of Jesus.

BIBLE VERSE References: PHILIPPIANS 3:1-7 | MATTHEW 13:44 | JOSHUA 1:8 | ACTS 16:25 | NEHEMIAH 8:10 | GALATIANS 5:22-23 | MATTHEW 23:27 | GALATIANS 5:9 | 2 PETER 2:1 | 1 THESSALONIANS 5:21 | 1 CORINTHIANS 7:19 | ROMANS 9:6 | JOHN 3:3 | LUKE 12:48 | 1 JOHN 2:15-16 | EPHESIANS 2:8-9 | ACTS 7:58-8:1 | ACTS 9:5 | ROMANS 4:4 | ISAIAH 64:6 |

Life is full of risks. But those involved in following and serving Christ are worth it. Paul talks about Timothy and Epaphroditus, and the examples they are as dedicated service to the Lord and His people.

BIBLE VERSE References: PHILIPPIANS 2:19-30 | ACTS 28:30-31 | JAMES 4:13-15 | 1 CHRONICLES 11:16-19 | ESTHER 4:13-5:2 | COLOSSIANS 3:23-24 | LUKE 16:10 | 1 TIMOTHY 3:6,10 | ACTS 16:1-4 | ACTS 14:19-20 | EPHESIANS 6:10-20 | MARK 16:15-18 | ACTS 28:1-6 | ISAIAH 54:17 | 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13 | JOHN 11:35 | GALATIANS 2:20 | LUKE 14:26 | REVELATION 12:11

Working out our salvation. It takes some effort on our part to fully realize the full extent of all that Christ has made available to those who are saved. God commits to do an inward work that might make us look more like His Son, bringing Him pleasure as we are conformed to the image of Christ.

BIBLE VERSE References: PHILIPPIANS 2:12-19 | EPHESIANS 4:15 | MARK 10:21 | EPHESIANS 2:8,9 | 2 CORINTHIANS 3:18 | ROMANS 8:29 | ROMANS 14:11,12 | GENESIS 22:1-19 | MATTHEW 23:28 | PROVERBS 4:23 | EZEKIEL 36:26 | GENESIS 17:1 | DEUTERONOMY 18:13 | COLOSSIANS 1:21-22 | 1 THESSALONIANS 5:23 | 1 TIMOTHY 3:2 | DEUTERONOMY 6:8 | NUMBERS 15 |

Following Jesus will cause the believer to begin to think differently about life and eternity. Jesus found purpose in leaving the throne of heaven to come to this earth to die for mankind. While the world my not understand this, we are called to share the humble, sacrificing mind of Christ.  

BIBLE VERSE References: PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11 | ROMANS 12:2 | 1 CORINTHIANS 4:10 | MARK 5:15 | 1 PETER 4:2-4 | JOHN 3:16 | ISAIAH 52:13 - 53:12 | HEBREWS 12:2 | HEBREWS 4:14-16 | HEBREWS 7:25 | ACTS 1:9-11 | MATTHEW 23:11-12 | JOHN 17:4-5 | MARK 9:41 | JAMES 2:19 | HEBREWS 9:27 | ROMANS 10:9 | MATTHEW 27:46 |

Who's most important? Paul challenges us to esteem others to be better than ourselves. He points us to the resources Christ has given us to make achieving unity a possibility.

BIBLE VERSE References: PHILIPPIANS 2:1-11 | LUKE 11:17 | 1 CORINTHIANS 1:11-13 | 1 CORINTHIANS 3:3-4 | LUKE 2:25 | MATTHEW 18:21,22 | 1 PETER 4:8 | MARK 1:35 | LUKE 22:50-51 | MATTHEW 5:39 | 2 CORINTHIANS 6:14 | ROMANS 1:12 | EPHESIANS 4:18 | ROMANS 12:2 | ROMANS 5:8

What do you live for? What purposes or plans or perspectives motivate you? For Paul, he found purpose in magnifying Christ -- whether by life or by death.

BIBLE VERSE References: PHILIPPIANS 1:19-30 | GENESIS 2:17 | 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13 | EPHESIANS 3:1 | HEBREWS 13:3 | PSALM 139:16 | JOB 14:1,5 | MATTHEW 6:27 | REVELATION 9:6 | PSALM 90:12 | JOB 13:15 | 2 CORINTHIANS 11:23 | ACTS 14:19,20 | JOHN 12:25 | 1 JOHN 2:15 | GALATIANS 2:20 | PSALM 116:3 | DANIEL 12:2 | MATTHEW 22:13 | MATTHEW 25:46 | 2 THESSALONIANS 1:9 | REVELATION 20:10 | ROMANS 3:10-12 | NUMBER 6:24-26

Every cloud has a silver lining -- or so they say. But finding that silver lining often depends on the perspective from which you view it. Paul talks about the eternal perspective of his trials and hardships, and the opportunities God has granted him through all he has endured.

BIBLE VERSE References: PHILIPPIANS 1:12-18 | ACTS 9:15-16 | GENESIS 50:20 | ROMANS 8:28-30 | 2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 | ACTS 28:30-31 | ROMANS 1:16 | LUKE 8:5 | LUKE 10:16 | MARK 13:11 | 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-8 | 1 PETER 1:6-7 | PSALM 12:6

Grace is available to us all. That is something Paul was confident of as he reflects on all he has endured. This understanding leads him to intercede for the believers to abound in a love that pleases God, but not necessarily the world, and in a fruitful Christian witness that is authentic to those who are watching.

BIBLE VERSE References: PHILIPPIANS 1:7-11 | JOHN 1:17 | EXODUS 34:6 | 2 CHRONICLES 30:9 | NEHEMIAH 9:7 | PSALM 86:15 | JOEL 2:13 | MATTHEW 14:24-33 | 1 PETER 3:7 | HEBREWS 12:13-14 | HEBREWS 4:13 | HEBREWS 4:16 | MARK 15:38 | GALATIANS 5:22-23 | JEREMIAH 17:7-8

Some memories fade...others do not. For Paul, he was clinging to the joyous memories he had of fellowshipping with the believers in Philippi -- those precious people who had come to know God as he did. He saw the consistent thread of prayer as the foundation of their fellowship, and was confident that God would be faithful to them, even in his own absence.

BIBLE VERSE References: PHILIPPIANS 1:3-6 | ACTS 9:1-22 | ROMANS 3:23 | MATTHEW 7:21-23 | PSALM 63:1 | 1 PETER 2:25 | ACTS 16:12-40 | ACTS 18:2 | 1 THESSALONIANS 5:17 | MATTHEW 10:28 | 1 CORINTHIANS 3:6 | ISAIAH 49:14-16 | HEBREWS 8:12 | HEBREWS 10:17