Posts with the tag “service”

This verse is a contrast. Paul invited the Philippians to mimic him and continue to look at the example of “those who walk according to the example you have in us.” He wanted them to faithfully pursue the way of Jesus, which is a way of service, humility, and even suffering for the truth of the gospel.  Read More

When I was a high school freshman I went to a church camp and they had a belly flop contest. I was one of the finalist and went for my last dive. At that moment, I had to weigh the risks between pain and glory. So I jumped as high as I could on the diving board, grabbed both my ankles and splatted on the water with a sickening SLAP! I screamed under the water at the pain and my chest was a bright red for the rest of the day, but I won the contest! I thought the risk was worth the glory, the applause of others.  Read More

There have been seasons of my life as a Christian in which I was deeply connected and supported by brothers and sisters in the work of the gospel. I think back to my youth group in middle school and our missions trips to San Francisco for a week of service, worship, and sharing our faith. Similar times shaped my life in high school, college, seminary, and in my life since seminary.  Read More

Hidden ministry. These are the things that get done in God’s church without celebration or fanfare. There are a variety of hidden ministries that exhibit Christ’s love. Maybe some of you have participated in or been recipients of these simple acts.  Read More

How are things progressing for you in your life with Jesus? Paul’s desire to continue serving faithfully on earth was for the Philippians “progress and joy in the faith.” His expectation and goal was for their growth and progress in faith. He is speaking about character transformation through the truth of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to enable them to stand up to external persecution and community discord. This strength of faith is exactly what Paul is hoping for them and it is his hope and love for them that drives him to persevere on their behalf.  Read More

Whatever time we are able to take to slowly look at scripture is worth it, because it yields insights that were not evident before. Take today’s passage for instance. I had always thought of it as a bit of a conundrum related to some interplay between our work and God’s work in salvation, but the context changes how we look at the issue.  Read More

Will you pray with me? Will you ask God to show the splendor of his majesty? In many ways, that is what this whole passage has done. It demonstrated the power of Jesus to humbly submit to the will of his Father and be humiliated for our sake, but the grandeur of the story is in the recognition that his name is above all others. What’s the big deal about the name?  Read More

What sets apart those of us who have been born a second time from the rest of the world? It is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our regenerated souls which makes it possible to think, live, do, and be like our savior Jesus.   Read More

Motives are hard to pin down some times. Certainly, for other people it can be nearly impossible. They can’t tell what is driving our actions toward them. If we are honest with ourselves, it can even be hard to know our own motivations. This is partly because we can have multiple reasons that weigh on our decisions and sometimes we have gut level reactions to events or people that are not thought through at all.  Read More

Soldiers long for home. They long to be with their loved ones, to be at peace and rest. The Apostle Paul is facing trial and possible execution which might seem to be the worst of outcomes, but the truth is that death for Christians is a homecoming. The love we have for Christ and in Christ is made complete when we are with him forever.  Read More