Today’s Treasure is one of the reasons Philippians is beloved by so many. The encouragement of the Lord’s presence to calm our anxieties and turn to Him in prayer, trusting…
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What a joy it is to contemplate and sing about the day we will join our Lord in heaven. This rollicking hymn and others like it are a balm to my weary soul, especially when singing it with…
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Effort. Striving. Pressing on. It seems contrary to the grace that those who are saved by faith should still be expected to give effort—or does it…
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For a first-century Jew living in Palestine, Saul of Tarsus (who we know as Paul) had it all. He counted among his blessings that he’d been circumcised when he…
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Every January friends start sharing their word for the year. As I considered this practice, I prayerfully decided on “humility” as my word. I did so with fear, because…
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When reading through Philippians, it’s not difficult to find that one of the main themes is joy. As I’ve dug deeper, there are many other…
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As we have worked our way through Paul’s letter to his beloved friends in Philippi, we’ve observed not only his genuine affection for these believers, but also an…
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Today’s Treasure passage begins with “Therefore.” Say it with me: “What’s it there for?” I’m tempted to look back at the verses immediately prior and conclude, “Wow! After all that Jesus has…
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Yesterday we considered Philippians 2:5–8 in light of the implications of Christ’s humility for our own call to follow in His steps and…
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Yesterday we saw that humility is defined, in part, as “a readiness to forget oneself and to exalt others.” Frankly, I’m pretty forgetful, but one thing I rarely…
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We ended last week with the double gift of faith and persecution. Though we found that there truly is encouragement to be found in suffering for…
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The surgeon’s words stunned us. “Chuck, you need a quintuple by-pass as soon as possible.” My heart skipped several beats as I absorbed the risks…
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Yesterday we saw that Paul calls us to regard our heavenly citizenship in Christ as our first and highest allegiance. This isn’t to say that our…
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Up until this point in his letter to the Philippian believers, Paul has been giving them an update of his own activities and welfare. But he’s not simply…
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What do you eagerly aspire to? I don’t need to think very long or hard to bring to mind several of my own hopes, dreams, and goals. We moved…
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When the world came to a halt last year and the lockdowns and quarantines began, how did you expect to spend your time? Did you see an opportunity…
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We’ve all been there. The question coming unexpectedly: “How can I pray for you?” I don’t know about you, but I need to prepare to answer…
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Joyful remembrance. Longing for those we love. Separation from our family. After a year of enforced separation from loved ones…
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I can’t hear these words without remembering a long-ago Vacation Bible School for teens. Every evening for a week our youth group met. Our leader, an older…
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There are a number of days and seasons throughout the year when I intentionally open my figurative chest of memories, select…
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