Pressing On

“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.” - John Newton

In Philippians 3:12-16 we will see that while we cannot follow Christ perfectly, we are to follow him passionately. Spiritual maturity is not about reaching perfection in this life, it is about the grace of God working its way through every part of our lives, slowly and surely making us more like Jesus. Spiritual maturity is growing in our identity, deepening in humility, and steadfast perseverance in the truth.

In our text we hear a summons to keep growing and maturing in Christ through three key encouragements for the race that is before us: 1. We Belong to Christ, 2. We Press On to Know Christ, and 3. We Hold Fast to the Truth.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Are you maturing in Christ?
2. What ways are you prone to “look behind”? Do you look back at your failures, or successes?
3. How can we keep our eyes fixed on the prize of Christ?
4. How can we measure if we are maturing spiritually?
5. Who is one person you need to share the gospel with?

PRAYER

Pray that the people in your group and our church family as a whole would press on in the goal of knowing Christ.

Pray for the one person mentioned, that they might come to saving faith in Christ.