Pastor’s Page | November 13th, 2025
Sermon Prep (Read Philippians 2:1-5)
Our goal is to be like Jesus Christ. That is why our mission statement is that we would be Christlike in leading generations to be like Christ. Jesus has saved us, He has delivered us, He has given us new life and a hope that is beyond this world. Most importantly, He has given us Himself. Because of this, our life is in Him and that means that our existence is wrapped up in the Gospel. Because of what He has done for us and what He continues to do in us and what He has promised to finish in us; our entire life is now impacted by our faith in Him.
In Philippians 2:1-5, Paul begins by saying “If you have…”. This is not a question, but rather a statement. Think of it as stating a fact that has a logical response. Paul lists all the things that Jesus has given to us. As you go through these verses, think of all the benefits that your faith in Jesus has brought to you. What do you have in Jesus Christ? (Since this is November, this would be a great time for you to name each one and then offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to God).
Then Paul goes on and says the because of all of this, there is now an impact on how you relate to others and to yourself. As you look at verse 2 and 3, think about how the attitudes in verse 3 would influence the unity in verse 2. What happens when a group of people all have a “me-first” mentality and who all lack humility? When Paul says do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, what do you think he means? Think about why you do what you do. What is your ultimate goal behind it? Let’s be honest, we all love affirmation. We all want to feel like we are important and that we have significance. What happens when someone feels like they are not being acknowledged or made to feel significant? What happens when others are made to feel like they are beneath others? I will tell you what happens: anger, jealousy, envy, depression. We then either sink into despair, or we overcompensate with extreme pride and cockiness. Think about how this impacts our relationships.
Paul gives us in these verses the remedy for this that will lead to the unity he speaks about in verse 2. The remedy is to focus on Jesus. Have the same attitude of Jesus Christ. Here is your challenge as we get ready for Sunday. I want you to have a mental image in your mind of Jesus and how He would treat the people around you, how He would respond to the circumstances you are in (And no, don’t focus on trying to turn water into wine!). Think about how Jesus thought of us and what He did for us and is doing for us. As you do, think about how His life is reflected in yours. He is not only our Savior and Lord, but He also sets the example for us to follow. Let’s be like Him in all that we do. If you want to jump ahead, go ahead and read the hymn (yes, it’s an actual hymn from the early church) found in verses 6-11. It sets the attitude (or mind) we are called to have.
Here are some other verses for you to read to help prepare you for Sunday. Ph 1:15, 16. Pr 13:10. Ro 13:13. 1 Co 3:3. 2 Co 12:20. Ga 5:15, 20, 21, 26. Col 3:8. 1 Ti 6:4. Ja 3:14-16. 4:5, 6. 1 P 2:1, 2. Ga 5:26. but. Lk 14:7- 11. 18:14. Ro 12:10. 1 Co 15:9. Ep 4:2. 5:21. 1 P 5:5. Pr 25:6, 7. Mt 11:29, 20:26, 27. Jn 3:30. Ro 12:3, 10. 1 Co 13:4. Ga 5:26. 6:1. Ep 4:1, 2. 2 Co 10:12. Mt 11:29. 20:26-28. Lk 14:11. 18:14. 22:27. Jn 13:14, 15. 1 Co *10:33. *11:1. Ep 5:1-2.
Sermon Series “Living For Jesus: A Study of Philippians”
11/16 - Living Like Christ - Philippians 2:1-5
11/23 - The Mind of Christ - Philippians 2:6-12
11/30 - Shining For Jesus - Philippians 2:12-18
Updates, Thoughts and More
This Sunday is our annual church meeting. We really need everyone to show up and vote. We need to have a quorum of members present in order for the meeting to take place. During this meeting, we will celebrate what God has done in the life of our church this previous year and some of our hopes and dreams for the next. We will be voting on leadership and committees for 2026 and a few minor changes to our practices and procedures. The meeting will take place after our second service.
There are many people who are not able to be with their family this Thanksgiving. We do not want you to be alone. We are hosting a Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving Day at 1 pm in our CLC. There is no cost to you to come and eat. If you would like to bring a dish to share, that would be great. This is a chance for you to come and spend Thanksgiving with your church family. To sign up, please call the church office.
Christmas is almost here. This past week, we sent out an email for the Christmas love offering for our staff. We have a wonderful staff, and this is something that we do for them each year. I ask that you prayerfully consider donating to this as a way to thank them for all they do. We will include the letter in this weekly update.
Before we talk football, I need to address the loss that happened to my beloved Kentucky Wildcats basketball team. We got whooped by our archrival, the Louisville Cardinals (yuck!). Those dirty birds (I mean that in a very Christian way) played dirty…looked dirty…and even smelled dirty but they did win (it was their first time since 2020!). So…if you noticed that I was shedding some tears this week and sucking my thumb and wailing in the darkness, this was why.
On to football! This will be a good Saturday for college football. First, Texas A&M better be careful. South Carolina may not have the record to show it, but they have a tough team. Sellers is a running QB who can cause havoc with his legs. Alabama and Oklahoma will be a good game, but I think Alabama will pull away in the 4 th quarter. The other games are primarily “give-me” games and if Kentucky wins, we will only be one game shy from being bowl eligible. That was not even in our imagination just a few weeks ago. The big game will be Texas and Georgia. This will be a barn burner. I think this game will go very much like last year’s game. It will come down to the last few plays in the fourth quarter. I think Georgia holds on for the win.
What’s Going On This Week
Sunday (11/16)
Sunday Service - 9am & 10:30am
Annual Meeting - After 2nd Service
Monday (11/17)
Stitching Angels - 1:30pm
Tuesday (11/18)
Men’s Prayer Breakfast - 7:30am
Wednesday (11/19)
Prayer Warriors - 9:00am
Sip and Share - 10:00am
Table Talk - 5pm
Youth and Kids - 5:00pm
Bell Choir - 6:00pm
Choir - 7:00pm
Thursday (11/20)
Psalms Bible Study - 9:00am
Joke of the Week
A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?” A little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping.”
Memory Verse of the Week
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”
~Philippians 2:5 (NIV84)
Quote of the Week
“Spiritual emotions result in Christian practice because their object is the loveliness of spiritual things, not our self-interest. People have a defective Christianity because they are seeking their own interests in it, not God’s. So they accept Christianity only to the extent that they think it serves their interests. By contrast, a person who accepts it for its own excellent and lovely nature, accepts everything which has that nature.”
~Jonathan Edwards
