BULLETIN OUTLINE Chain Reaction: The Best Is Yet To Come Philippians 3:12-16 02.23.

14 Rob Sweet, Teaching Pastor An ever-present gap (v. 12a) A never-ending pursuit (v. 12b) A single-minded focus (v. 13) An ever-nearing finish (v. 14) LOOKING BACK Chain Reaction: The Best Is Yet To Come

Philippians 3:12-16

When you approach the end of your life and look back, what will be most important to you? What things will not matter as much in retrospect? Paul was intently focused on his "prize" -- knowing and experiencing Christ to the fullest extent possible. It may seem like a lofty ideal, but Paul's words encourage us to "press on toward the goal." The pursuit is as rewarding today as it was 2,000 years ago. Thinking it Through

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
~C. S. Lewis

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
~Henry Ford

It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal.
~Helen Keller

While it is good that we seek to know the Holy One, it is probably not so good to presume that we ever complete the task. ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Working it Out 1. How do you typically respond when you come face to face with the gap between who you long to be and who you are right now? 2. How does the truth of the Gospel help you to appropriately respond to this gap? 3. What is one thing in your life right now that has your focus? 20 years from now will you be glad it did? 4. What things do you need to put behind you in order to move forward toward Jesus? 5. What steps do you need to take to start "pressing on toward the goal" of ever-increasing closeness with Jesus?

LOOKING AHEAD Chain Reaction: The Road Less Best Traveled

Philippians 3:17-21

We live at a constant crossroad. The question is not whether you will be formed spiritually, but by whom? Which road will we take? This seems to be the concern of the apostle as he considers where the Philippians were. They were at a crossroad. Choices lay before them. They had options. What were they? Who would influence them the most? Lets find out! Looking It Up 1. While the contrastive word but, is not found in this section, it is all over the place. List as many contrastive ideas as you can find in 3:17-21.

2. What do you learn about the power of personal examples upon our own way of living from these verses? (See also 1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 2:5, 20-21, 29-30)

3. What kinds of attributes does Paul not want us to emulate? Where do you see these in the lives of people around you?

4. What kind of thinking/knowledge does Paul say explains the lifestyle he wants for the Christians in Philippi? (vs. 20-21)

5. Practically speaking, how would such realities affect the choices we make?