The Christian life is change. It’s growth. It’s transformation. It’s putting off the old self and putting on the new (Ephesians 4:22–24). The gospel never leaves a person where it found them. When Christ saves you, He begins a work in you—reshaping your heart, renewing your mind, and reorienting your desires toward His glory and the good of others.

That means Christians, of all people, should be the most humble and the most willing to grow. We should be quick to acknowledge sin, eager to learn, and ready to change when confronted with God’s Word. After all, the goal of the Christian life isn’t self-preservation—it’s Christ-conformation. You and I are supposed to become more and more like Jesus.

And that’s exactly what Paul shows us in Philippians 2:19–30. He doesn’t give us a lecture on humility this time—he gives us examples of it. After spending the first part of the chapter explaining what Christlike humility looks like in theory, Paul now introduces two men—Timothy and Epaphroditus—who embody that humility in practice.

Jesus said His followers are the light of the world, a city set on a hill that cannot be hidden. Faith that remains private is faith that fails to shine. God didn’t save us simply to keep us safe until heaven; He saved us to display His grace and truth through our lives right now. When we live out our faith publicly—with integrity, compassion, and joy—we show the world what God is like. Christianity isn’t a private belief system; it’s a visible testimony to the transforming power of the gospel.

The point that the Apostle Paul is pressing upon the church in Philippi is the importance of their humility. And so, in order to further drive his point home, he points to the ultimate example of humility: Jesus Christ.

If someone asked you today to give them ten ways to unite a church, what would you say? Maybe you’d start with obvious answers: strong leadership, a clear vision or mission statement, engaging programs. A church without leadership or a clear direction can aimlessly wander about, but none of those things are what Paul points to. According to Paul, humility is the key to church unity.

From his own imprisonment, Paul writes to encourage the Philippians to stay faithful and stand courageous in the face of opposition and suffering — a reality he himself knew intimately.

When life shows its frailty, when we see how quickly everything can change, we’re forced to ask: what do we count as gain? What holds weight in our estimation of a life well-lived? So many of the things we chase—comfort, influence, recognition—can vanish overnight. They can slip through our fingers like sand.

Which is why today’s famous passage from the Apostle Paul is so timely! “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). These are radical words: in the face of real danger, real uncertainty, real mortality, Paul tells us what it means to truly live: to truly live is to live for Jesus Christ! 

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Burress McCombe, Associate pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, preach from Psalm 19.

That is the shocking, countercultural reality of the gospel: where the world expects defeat, the gospel often advances in greater power. Where the world sees rivalry as a threat, Paul sees Christ being lifted up. The very circumstances that should have crushed his spirit instead became reasons for his joy, because his ultimate concern was not his reputation, not his comfort, not even his freedom—it was the exaltation of Jesus’ name.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians overflows with joy, encouragement, unity, and generosity – those are the sorts of themes you wouldn’t expect from someone behind bars. Which is exactly why Philippians is so powerful! It shows us that true joy isn’t rooted in circumstances, but in Christ Himself.

The family is not a hindrance but a blessing. God’s design for marriage and children is not merely good for society—though it certainly is—it is first and foremost good for you. Psalm 128 paints a picture of the flourishing life under God’s blessing, and at the heart of that picture is the family.

So while our culture increasingly devalues or distorts the family, Psalm 128 calls us to celebrate it. God’s design is not a chain holding us back, but a gift that leads to joy, fruitfulness, and peace.

It doesn’t matter if you ignore, dismiss, or resist God’s Word, because His Word will stand no matter what. As Rick Phillips said, “Sadly, Saul’s life was a bitter record of God’s way forsaken and God’s pardon forfeited by his refusal to repent.” If you’re taking notes this morning, we’ll be looking at our passage in three parts: first we see that God’s Word is unshakable, second, rejecting God’s Word brings shame, and yet, as we’ll see, God’s plan will prevail.

The reality is, to varying degrees, we’ve all seen and experienced bad situations only to get worse.

Which is exactly what happened to David in 1 Samuel 30. Since learning about Saul’s jealousy of David in 1 Samuel 18, David has had a streak of tough situations, and here, we read of a situation that has gone from bad to worse.

Are we faithfully and uncompromisingly marching with the Lord or have we drifted towards making an alliance with the very people who oppose Him?

Often when people are desperate, hard-pressed, and searching for answers, they will turn to the mystical, the dark, or anything that offers even a glimmer of control or comfort—no matter how dangerous or deceptive it may be. In their hunger for direction or relief, people will grasp at horoscopes, psychics, tarot cards, spiritualism, or ideologies that promise peace but ultimately lead them further from truth.

Doesn’t that describe Saul? He's a man desperate for answers, who turned to a medium, or as the woman has been popularly referred to, a witch, for answers, making it one of the most unusual stories in the entire Bible.

David's story reminds us that peace that costs you your Christian integrity is no peace at all. In fact, moral compromise in order to maintain the peace always comes at a cost. David compromised in three key ways: first he neglected worship (vv. 1-4), second he trusted in practical solutions (vv. 5-7), and ultimately, he suffered the costly consequences of both (vv. 8-28:2).

What on earth could God be teaching David by forcing him, on three separate occasions, to flee Saul? What exactly is the point? I think the lesson is actually a very simple one: God was preparing David to be king in Israel, but he wasn’t preparing him the way you and I would expect. God had promised David that he would one day be King, and yet, Saul still sits on the throne.

The Lord was preparing David for the throne in the wilderness, where his life was in constant tension between promise and fulfillment. But it’s in that tension, in that season of wilderness waiting that David’s faith and dependence upon the Lord was ultimately tested.

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. John Carroll preach from Psalm 1.

The church—God’s family, His people—can sometimes become a hotbed of conflict. And I hate to say it, but sometimes we Presbyterians can be the worst offenders. Don’t believe me? Come to a presbytery meeting sometime.

So much of the ministry of the church is about pursuing peace and reconciliation in the midst of conflict. 

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Aaron Roberts from Covenant Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, VA preach from Matthew 5:13-16.

In a culture that celebrates retaliation, that says, “Don’t get mad—get even,” 1 Samuel 24 gives us a radically different picture. It shows us that mercy is not weakness, and that true strength is found in relying on God’s justice and timing more than our own instincts.