Shine brightly with the attitude of Christ

September 13, 2026

We are going to continue with our series of messages from Philippians. This week we are up to chapter two and the title is, “Shine brightly with the attitude of Christ”.

Last week in our message Living wholeheartedly for Christ from chapter one we saw four main ideas…

  1. Paul was thankful for the Philippians and he prayed that they would grow in their faith.
  2. Paul was thankful that Christ was being preached. Even though he was in prison.
  3. Paul lived his life for Christ. To Paul to live is Christ, to die is gain.
  4. Paul asked them to live as citizens of heaven. He wanted them to represent Christ well.

This week we will have four points again.

Bible Reading

Philippians 2:1-30

Main Points

Today I want to share four main points that spoke to me as I was studying this passage this week.

1. Having the attitude of Christ

Philippians 2:1-11. It is titled, “Having the attitude of Christ”. It contains a number of ideas.

a. Be unified

Paul urges the believers to be unified in Christ. He asks them to make him happy by “agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working    together with one mind and purpose” (v2).

Being unified is about loving and caring for each other, putting differences aside and working together in our joint Kingdom purpose. Jesus prayed for His followers in John 17. He prayed that we might be one as He and the Father are one. So being unified is very important to both Jesus and Paul. Therefore, it needs to be important to us.

Being unified does not always mean we will agree on every issue. But it means we chose to put Christ and unity of faith above our issues or personal beliefs.

A.W. Tozer, in his book the The Pursuit of God said this about unity. “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So, one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.

b. Be interested in others

Verses 3 says, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too”.

Life is not just about you and me as individuals. It is about all of us. When I fall into selfish patterns I don’t look out for others. I can be concerned about my interests only. Jesus lived in a constant mission of the Father. He was interested in others to the point of sacrificing all. As we have seen in the last year. He travelled miles for the just the one person.

c. Be humble

Verses 7-8 says, “Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross”.

Christ left the glories of heaven to live in this world. He took a lowly place of a servant and even died a “criminal’s death” for our sin. His humility paved the way for our salvation. If Christ showed that humility, what do I have to be proud of?

Years ago Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China, was scheduled to speak at a Large Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced the missionary in eloquent and glowing terms. He told the large congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China, and then presented him as “our illustrious guest.” Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, “Dear friends, I am the little servant of an illustrious Master.” (W. Wiersbe, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers, p. 243.)

So today, let us be unified in Christ’s mission, be interested in others above ourselves and be humble in all we do. Let us understand we are little servants connected to an awesome God.

2. Shine brightly for Christ

Verses 12-18 is the next section. It is titled, “Shine brightly for Christ”.

In verse 12 he says, “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear”.

In this passage Paul encourages the Philippians to continue on living right. He says they did well when he was with them, but it is important to keep it up while he is away.

As I read this passage it took me back to my primary school days. When the teacher was in the classroom with us, everyone behaved well. When the teacher left us alone, some of the kids (including me!) misbehaved. We would all sit down nicely before the teacher returned!

So, the Philippians stayed on track while he was away (unlike my school friends and I!) Paul urged them to…

  • Work hard to show the results of their salvation (v12)
  • Obey God with deep reverence and fear (v12)
  • Do everything without complaining and arguing (v14)
  • Live clean, innocent lives as children of God (v15)
  • Hold firmly to the word of life (v16)

If they continued to do these things Paul knew they would be on track. He wanted them to be a witness to the world in the way they lived. He wanted them to shine brightly in the midst of the crooked world around them.

So today, let us remember to shine brightly and be a good example in the way we live. As we do remember “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (v13). In chapter 1 we saw that God will continue the work He started in us too (1:6)

3. Paul commends Timothy

In the next section in our Bibles “Paul commends Timothy”.

In this passage the Apostle Paul speaks highly of Timothy to the Philippians. In verse 12 we see he Paul wants to send Timothy to them to see how they are going.

Bible scholars tell us that Timothy had already been to Philppi. Timothy accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey when the church was planted. So, some would have known him, but not all.

In his recommendation Paul says three encouraging things about Timothy…

a. That he really cares for the Philippians.

In verse 20 he says, “I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare”.

b. That he cares for Christ’s work.

Verse 21 says, “All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ”.

c. That he served Paul well.

Verse 22 says, “But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News”.

This is a great recommendation! One that most of us would be proud of. In it we see that Timothy really cares for the Philippians, he cares for Christ’s work and he serves Paul and the Gospel like a son serving his father.

When I read this passage, I can see why Paul love his “spiritual” son in the faith so much. He was a great young man with lots of potential and he really cared about what mattered to God.

4. Paul commends Epaphroditus

In previous verses Paul commended Timothy. In verses 25-30 he commends Epaphroditus.

a. Commends him for his work

Verse 25 says, “Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need”.

The church at Philippi took up an of offering for Paul while he was in prison in Rome. This was to help him through his time of need. The church sent Epaphroditus to deliver the offering and stay with Paul for a while.

Paul really appreciated the offering from the church he planted on his second missionary journey. In Philippians 4:18 he calls it a “sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God”.

Paul also appreciated Epaphroditus coming and being with him. As we see above he described him as a true brother, a co-worker, a fellow soldier, and a messenger in his need. Often when we have been away from home serving God for a while, there is great joy catching up with someone from home.

b. Paul commends him back to the church

In the final section of verses 29-30 Paul commends him back to the church and Philippi and asks them to recognise his great work…

“Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honour that people like him deserve. For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away”.

Honoring people who served well was a big part of the early church. We see this in the commending of both Timothy and Epaphroditus. I believe it is something we should continue to practice today.

Closing summary

Today we looked at Philippians chapter two and saw four main points.

  1. Have the attitude of Christ – be unified, be interested in others, be humble
  2. Shine brightly for Christ – continue to shine whether Paul is with them or not
  3. Paul commended Timothy – he cared for the Philippians, he cared for Christ’s work, he helped Paul greatly
  4. Paul commended Epaphroditus – a true brother, a co-worker, a fellow soldier, and a messenger in his need

Amen

Great answers to hard questions

September 11, 2026

As Christians we all get asked questions about our faith and belief in God. Sometimes people are genuinely inquiring. At other times people are confrontational.

In the above video the person answers the objections “I am a good person God will let me in to heaven” and “I believe all religions lead to God”. They are really good and simple answers to remember.

Living wholeheartedly for Christ

September 6, 2026

This week I want to start a new series of messages based on the Book of Philippians. Over the coming weeks I want to look at one chapter a week and work our way through.

The title of my message today is, “Living wholeheartedly for Christ”. It is inspired by the Apostle Paul’s attitude in chapter one.

Introduction to Philippians

Paul’s Letter to the Philippians was written to the first church that Paul established on European soil. Paul established the church on his second missionary journey in 49AD.
It was in the Roman province of Macedonia. It was written while the Apostle Paul was in prison. On Paul’s first visit to Philippi he was thrown in jail (Acts 16). On his second visit he was thrown in jail again.

The main reason for writing the letter was to thank the Philippian Christians for the gift which they had sent to help him in his time of need. He also uses this letter to reassure them, so that they may have courage and confidence in spite of all his troubles and their own as well.

Paul pleads with the church to have the humble attitude of Jesus, rather than to be controlled by selfish ambition and pride. He reminds them that their life in union with Christ is a gift of God’s grace which they have received through faith, not through obedience to the ceremonies of the Jewish Law.

Some of the other themes of this letter are joy, confidence, unity, and perseverance in the Christian faith and life. It also reveals the deep affection Paul had for the church at Philippi.

Bible Reading

Philippians 1:1-30 

Message Points

Today I want to share four main points as a part of my message. They pretty much follow the structure of chapter one.

1. Paul’s thanksgiving and prayer

The first point comes from verses 3-11. This section is titled, “Paul’s thanksgiving and prayer”. In this section, two main things jumped out at me.

a. Paul’s joy with the Philippians

Verses 3 says, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God”.

The Philippians give Paul special joy because they have been his partners in the Gospel. They have shared with him from the day they first heard about Christ until the day of writing.

Paul has a real love for the Philippians because they believed in the message of salvation and continued steadfastly in it. They took it so seriously that they partnered in his work – in prayer, encouragement and financially.

b. Paul’s prayer for the Philippians

In verse 9 Paul says, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding”.

Paul wanted them to continue to grow in their faith and be blessed by God. He prayed they would have full understanding of the things of God, be pure and blameless in their walk with the Lord and be filled with the fruit of salvation.

Paul really loved the Philippians. He was like a spiritual father to them as he planted the church at Philippi on his second missionary journey in 49AD. This is why he experienced so much joy, prayed for them and wanted the best for them.

Not only did he want them to keep growing, but he assured the Philippians that God would continue to work on them. In verse 6 he said, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Not only did Paul pray for their continued growth, he knew God wanted them to keep growing and would continue to work on them to see it happened.

2. Paul’s joy that Christ is preached

The second main section is Philippians 1:12-19. The title of this section in the NLT is “Paul’s joy that Christ is preached”.

Verses 12-14 read, “And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear”.
Two things really jumped out at me from these verses.

a. Paul is pleased being in prison

The first is that Paul is glad to be in prison. He tells us that the whole palace guard knows he is there for the Gospel. Paul came in contact with people he would not normally be able to share Christ with. As we see from Acts 16 Paul got to share his faith with the jailer and his family. This is where the jailer asked, “What must we do to be saved?” Paul’s response was, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, both you and your family”. Paul was saying that if a father in a household believed it would flow through to all the other family members.

b. Paul’s continued boldness encourages others

The second thing is from verse 14. Paul says that, “Most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear”.

Paul’s boldness despite being in prison gave others courage to continue to talk about Jesus. Acts 16 said they prayed and sang hymns while in chains! Most people in prison would be afraid, worried and downcast. Not Paul, he sang hymns and praised the Lord.

Paul’s boldness to preach the message of Christ landed him in prison. However, this did not stop him and everyone knew why he was there. We see the jailer family of the jailer came to Christ. And the other believers were greatly encouraged in their efforts.

Paul’s commitment to preaching the Gospel inspires me nearly 2000 years later.

3. Paul’s life for Christ

The next point comes from Philippians 1:20-26. It is titled, “Paul’s life for Christ”.

Verses 21-24 explains Paul’s heart. They give us a glimpse of his priorities.

“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So, I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live”.

For Paul, living was all about Christ. Since his conversion on the road to Damascus, he was all consumed with Christ. He desired earnestly to go and be with Christ, but knew staying here would mean he could continue His work in the world.

Paul knew he could help others come to know Christ, he could plant churches, and he could strengthen the churches he had planted. In short, his mission was to know Christ and make Him known.
Over the years I have known people like this. They have been completely sold out for God’s Kingdom. Their life was hidden in Christ and His will was all they wanted. Some are alive still serving, while some have gone to be with their Lord.

I am so inspired by these three verses and the sold-out Kingdom people I have met over the years. It is something that I aspire to myself. I hope and pray that I can wholeheartedly say, “To live is Christ, to die is gain”. How about you?

4. Live at citizens of heaven

The last section is Philippians 1:27-30. It is titled, “Live as citizens of heaven”.

Verse 27 says, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News”.

As I have shared before, I like this idea of being a citizen of heaven. As Christians we live in this world, but citizenship is of another place – the Kingdom of Heaven. The moment we asked Jesus Christ into our lives our citizenship status changed.

Paul reminds us in today’s passage to conduct ourselves worthy of being a citizen of heaven. We need to live in a way that shows we no longer belong to this world. We are like an Ambassador who serves in a foreign country as a diplomat. They deal with their host country, build relational bridges and represent the interests of their country in that place. But in reality, their devotion and loyalty is to another place.

Not only does the Ambassador have to serve his country in that place, but they need to represent the country well. All they do reflects on their homeland. We are like this as Christians.
So today let us remember our spiritual passports are stamped as citizens of heaven. Let us remember the words of Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father”.

Closing summary

Today we have looked at the first chapter on Philippians 1. We saw four main things.

1. Paul was thankful for the Philippians and he prayed that they would grow in their faith.
2. Paul was thankful that Christ was being preached. Even though he was in prison.
3. Paul lived his life for Christ. To Paul to live is Christ, to die is gain.
4. Paul asked them to live as citizens of heaven. He wanted them to represent Christ well.

Amen

We do not pray like this any more

August 31, 2026

I was reading an older devotional recently called Our Daily Walk by FB Meyer. I am not sure how old it is but it had a prayer at the end. I loved the old style words and the flow of it. I had to read it out aloud a few times. Here it is…

O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou Captain of Salvation, who discernest the malevolence and working of evil spirits against my soul, deliver me, I entreat Thee, amid the manifold temptations and trials by which I am beset, make a way for me to escape, succour me by Thy mighty power, and cause me to become more than a conqueror. AMEN.

The Resurrection

August 25, 2026

If you could go back and witness any historical event, which one would you pick?

If I could go back and witness one event it would be the Resurrection of Jesus.

I cannot imagine being there as an eye witness. The power. The majesty. The splendour.

Seeing the Christ who died for our sins raised to life again would be incredible.

I would also love to see the early followers of Jesus and their faces when they saw Him again.

I imagine their grief and sense of hopelessness in the days after His death, then their joy seeing Him alive.

He is risen. He is risen indeed!