Philippians 3:15-17: Keys to Keep Growing!
Devotions based on week 8 of Joy in the Journey: Growth (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 3:15-17 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.
Growth doesn’t happen by accident.
Paul has given the encouragement to forget what is behind and strain to what is ahead. Enthusiasm can get us started, but what are key things to sustain our growth? Just like a tree needs sunlight, water, and good soil, faith must be cultivated. Paul points us to three mindsets that will help us keep on the path of growth: maturity, consistency, and mentorship. These three are essential ingredients to keep growing in faith.
- Cultivate a Mature Mindset
Maturity doesn’t mean perfection. It means humbly recognizing we are works in progress and being open to correction and change. Growth in faith begins in the mind—a heart and mind that says, “I haven’t arrived, but I’m not staying where I am.”
Sometimes we resist growing because we think we already know enough. Paul warns against that kind of spiritual stagnation. A mature Christian welcomes ongoing input and direction from the Lord. Maturity consistently seeks God’s wisdom for areas that are unclear and decisions that are not obvious. Maturity is recognizing when we are off in our thinking or missing the mark in our lives and turning to the Lord to guide and to bring clarity to us. Growth takes time as we allow the Spirit of God to work in our hearts and minds.
2. Don’t Regress—Live Up to What You’ve Attained
Staying healthy and fit is a daily challenge. A week of doing nothing leaves your muscles atrophying. The same is true for our spiritual growth. Paul’s challenge here is simple: keep walking forward. Don’t let what you’ve gained be lost by apathy. If you’ve grown in prayer, don’t stop. If you’ve overcome a struggle, don’t go back. Don’t drift away from the habits or convictions that brought you closer to Jesus.
Spiritual growth often feels like walking uphill. If we stop moving forward, we start sliding backward. Paul’s charge is to continue walking in the light God has already given you. Even small steps make a difference.
3. Imitate Faithful Examples
Growth often requires examples. Paul knew this. That’s why he says, “Follow my example” and “keep your eyes on those who live as we do.” He wasn’t pointing to himself out of pride, but because he knew believers need tangible models of faith in action.
In our individualistic culture, we often try to grow alone. But God designed the Church so we can learn and grow together. Having a mentor, a small group, or godly friends can keep you on the path of growth. We grow faster and stronger when we grow together.
Apply: Who are your spiritual examples? Are you actively following anyone’s godly example—and are you setting one? Ask God to put faithful role models in your life and help you become one to others.
Ask God to shape your mindset to match His. Be teachable. What area of your life is God calling you to mature in right now—your attitude, priorities, generosity, forgiveness?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are not finished with me. I want to grow in faith, to press forward with purpose and maturity. Shape my thinking, increase my hunger for You, and keep me walking in the truth You’ve already shown me. Surround me with faithful believers who inspire and challenge me. And help me to be that kind of example to others. In Your name I pray, Amen.
Philippians 3:13-14: Focus forward!
Devotions based on week 8 of Joy in the Journey: Growth (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
No one wins a race by looking over their shoulder.
To win a race, one must stay focused on the goal.
Looking over your shoulder slows you down. If you have competed in a track event, you perhaps have experienced or witnessed the detriment of a runner looking over their shoulder to see who was coming, only to lose stride and lose the race. In that same context, you see the effort of the athlete to give their best effort to cross the finish line, sometimes at sheer exhaustion and collapse after they finish.
Paul uses this picture for our life as Christians.
The amazing difference is that it doesn’t matter when you finish as the goal and prize are already secure in Christ. It matters THAT you finish!
Paul offers one key with two parts:
Forget what is behind.
Stop looking over your shoulder and allow the distractions of the past to hamper your spiritual growth and momentum forward!
What are those things that we see when we look behind? All the things Satan wants us to see to distract us from the race of faith.
He wants us to see past sin and feel like God will never forgive us for them. He wants guilt and insecurity and feeling of doubt to keep us ineffective as a Christian.
He wants us to see our past and regret that we didn’t spend more time in the Word or live out our Christian life in a more intentional way.
He wants us to see the people we hurt with our sins and when we lived according to our sinful nature that only thought of ourselves. He wants us to feel like God’s grace would never be enough to cover all that.
He wants us to see a path so cluttered with sin that we try to go back and fix everything with our effort and performance rather than relying on the forgiveness Christ gives.
FORGET what is behind!
Why? Because our present is not defined by our past sins and failures, but by the every present and real grace of God. Reread the first part of Philippians 3. Grace is real. Grace enables us to do the second part of the key to finishing:
STRAIN to what is ahead!
This phrase indicates very intentional and very intense effort to put into practice every gift of grace and live out every purpose of grace. The Christian life is one of joy and blessing, even in challenges and discouragement. We don’t give up. We keep moving even when tired. We know that the Lord Jesus and faithful Christians are cheering us on (Hebrews 12). We know the goal and we stay focused on it.
Over the years, I have run a few Tough Mudder events. These events are not timed, but simply a challenge to finish. The race is filled with obstacles that test your mental capacity, your strength and your courage. But even when tired, you strain forward. Why? Because a headband is waiting at the end for you, given only to those that finish.
A Tough Mudder finish is nowhere close to the motivation of experiencing heaven. But life is filled with obstacles that test our faith, our minds, our courage and strength. Finish exhausted, but finish. The welcome in heaven is well worth the intentional and intense effort.
Apply: What of your past must you let go and leave behind you? What does it look like for you to strain to what is ahead? Find one way today to put the focus of heaven in your heart and mind so you don’t give up the race of faith!
Prayer: Lord, give us strength and courage to run the race of grace well with intentionality and intensity. We keep focused on heaven and look forward to the day we fall exhausted into your arms in heaven! AMEN.
Philippians 3:12 Press on toward Growth!
Devotions based on week 8 of Joy in the Journey: Growth (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
We need people around us that see our potential.
An athletic coach inspires a player to excel and become a key contributor to the team’s success. A business owner sees the potential in a young intern and hires them for their first job.
A parent sees special gifts in their child and surrounds them with opportunity to maximize it.
The same is true of our journey of faith. God calls us into the purpose and potential for which he gave us grace.
Experiencing grace for the first time, whether that is in the waters of baptism or the moment the truth of God’s forgiving love takes over our heart, sends us on a journey to fully realize the blessings of God’s goodness.
The first great realization is that we are fully forgiven through Christ and stand as perfect before our holy Father in heaven.
But not only does grace secure our spot in heaven, it leads us to desire a life that is spent understanding every aspect of Christ and his impact on our life.
The Apostle Paul was in pursuit of all that Christ had gifted to him.
It was not a passive pursuit, but intentional.
It was not a half-hearted effort, but intensive.
Paul could have easily boasted about his credentials, his dedication, or his hardships endured for Christ. Yet he confesses his own unfinished state. In this, we are reminded that spiritual maturity is neither sudden nor static. Growth in Christ is a lifelong pursuit, not a status we attain once for all.
Paul pictures the Christian life as an ongoing pursuit, fueled by the desire to grasp the very purpose for which Jesus has saved us.
Like he did for Paul, Jesus has taken hold of us, not because of our goodness, but because of His love and mercy. But God’s purpose for us doesn’t end at salvation. Our journey continues as we learn to live out that purpose with perseverance.
So what does it mean to “press on”?
It is an active, daily pursuit. It’s the picture of a runner who, after many miles, strains forward toward the finish. Pressing on requires endurance through disappointments and setbacks, persistently seeking Christ above all else. Pressing on means not allowing guilt over past failures or complacency from past victories to define us.
Why press on?
Because Christ has set before us a calling: to know Him, to become like Him, and to fulfill the mission He has given to us. Our motivation is not self-improvement, but the deep desire to both express and experience the fullness of grace in our lives with gratitude and love toward the One who first loved us.
So, how do we press on? First, humbly recognize your need for continued growth. Rather than being discouraged by our imperfections, we see them as invitations to rely more deeply on God’s grace. Second, we commit to intentional pursuit. Spend time each day in the Scripture and in prayer. Commit to fellowship with Christians and service of others. Put what you are learning into practice. Third, keep our eyes fixed on Jesus Himself. The “goal” is not just correct living or theological knowledge, but to experience all the blessings Christ loves to give those he has taken hold of by faith.
Apply: How can you renew your “pressing on” today—not by striving in your own strength, but by trusting Christ who has taken hold of you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for taking hold of my life. Help me confess my need for Your ongoing work in me. Give me strength and humility to press on daily, not to earn Your love, but because of it. Help me aim for the calling You have placed before me, encouraging others along the way, until I see You face to face. Amen.
Philippians 3:10-11: Grace Leads to Glory!
Devotions based on week 7 of Joy in the Journey: Grace (WATCH HERE)
“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10–11
Grace changes everything. The apostle Paul’s desire in Philippians 3:10–11 isn’t for more comfort, prestige, or success—but simply, more of Christ. He longs to know Jesus deeply, not only in resurrection power but even in suffering and death. He is confident that grace has already secured the final outcome: resurrection.
This is what grace does. Grace changes us. It meets us in our brokenness, forgives our sin, reshapes our desires, walks with us in trials, empowers us for godly living, and carries us all the way to glory.
- Grace Gives Us a New Passion
Paul had once found pride in his religious resume, but now he considers all of that “loss” compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8). That shift in passion is the first gift of grace. Grace rewires our hearts to love what God loves and to long for what truly matters.
- Grace Gives Us Resurrection Power
When Paul speaks of knowing “the power of His resurrection,” he’s referring not only to future hope, but to present power. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us. Grace gives us strength to overcome sin, to have courage in suffering, and to persevere in every trial. Romans 6:4 says: “Just as Christ was raised from the dead… we too may live a new life.”
- Grace Redeems Our Suffering
“Participation in His sufferings” may sound intimidating, but it’s actually one of grace’s unexpected blessings. In suffering, we come to know Christ in intimate ways we never could in ease. Grace doesn’t always remove hardship—but it redeems it. Paul knew this personally as he asked for the thorn in the flesh to be taken away and the Lord responded to him in 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
- Grace Guarantees Our Future
Paul writes, “and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” He’s not expressing doubt—but humility. Paul knows that the resurrection is sure, but he also knows it’s a gift, not a reward. It’s not earned through works, but guaranteed through grace. He wrote to Titus 3:7:
“So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” You don’t have to fear death or eternity if your life is in Christ. Grace has already secured your future.
Grace is a gift. It gives confidence greater than our pedigree and righteousness greater than our performance. It gives us peace because we shift our reliance from our imperfect selves to our perfect Savior.
Grace leads us to glory.
Apply: What are you chasing in life right now? Is it knowing Christ—or simply knowing success, approval, or comfort? Let grace stir in you a deeper desire for Jesus Himself.
Prayer: Gracious Father, thank You for the gift of grace. Thank You that I don’t have to earn Your love or fear losing Your promise. Help me to know Christ more—to walk in resurrection power, to trust You in suffering, and to live with hope in the resurrection to come. Let Your grace shape my heart, my desires, and my future. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Philippians 3:7-9: Give up to grace up!
Devotions based on week 7 of Joy in the Journey: Grace (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 3:7-9 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
This summer our family spent time with my wife’s family in Minnesota helping her parents move from their home to a senior living apartment. While the transition went very well, one realized the difficulty of letting go of things that have memories and meaning. They would have liked to take more things, but they knew the time had come to let things go.
It’s hard for us to give up our self-reliance on our pedigree or performance before God and embrace the grace of God that covers us with certainty of a right standing with God.
But often when we give up something, it leads to something better.
When I clean up and get rid of things, I gain greater focus and peace.
When I leave one situation, I experience more people and memories.
But sometimes we just want to hold on to what we think is familiar or best.
We hold on to what we think gains standing before God…our efforts…our behavior…etc.
But when we do, we lose out on the blessing of grace, peace and joy God desires to give.
God must bring us to a point, like he did for Paul, that “I consider everything a loss…”
But it’s not a loss without a tremendous gain.
“Compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
God shifts our focus from our effort to gain fully what we were striving for: righteousness.
However it’s “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
Our pedigree and our performance will always be imperfect.
Yet, what we gain when we give up our own efforts is a right standing with God.
Why?
God didn’t lower his standard. He still demands perfection.
God just did for us what we could not obtain on our own. He GIVES us perfection through Christ.
This is grace.
It’s not earned. It’s not deserved. It’s freely given.
Trust it. It’s yours. No strings attached.
Embrace grace. It is the only way to experience the blessing God intends!
Apply: What are you holding on to that is getting in the way of a full embracing of grace? Are you holding on to your performance? Pedigree? Do you know someone seeking peace with God? Use these verses to communicate that what we think is important and what I must do is rubbish compared to the gift of grace, joy and forgiveness that is given to us in Christ.
Prayer: Lord lead me to see all my efforts as rubbish in comparison to the righteousness that is ours by faith. Strengthen that faith and lead us to find peace that only your grace can give. AMEN.