Aug 16, 2026 · 55 min · 12 segments
We're all still growing up—with a lot of maturing ahead of us. Paul reflects on his own spiritual journey, describing what real growth in Christ looks like. In this message, Pastor Philip Miller…
Philip MillerHost
Tim StaffordPanelist
Who do you want to be when you grow up? It's a question we sometimes ask children, and they respond with the obligatory, I want to be a firefighter, I want to be a veterinarian, I want to be a teacher, or whatever, right? But it's not just a question for children.
Who do you want to be when you grow up? Because, friends, if God has given us new birth by grace through faith in Christ, in his substituted life on our behalf on the cross, if God has filled us with his Holy Spirit so that he is teaching us to walk in his ways, if every moment of every day is an opportunity to be with Jesus and learn from him how to do life, so that we are increasingly transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus.
And if one day we will be like him, for we will see him as he is, then we are all in fact still growing up.
No matter how old we are, we have a long way to go in terms of maturation if we are to be gloriously like Jesus in the end.
So the question is, who do you want to be when you grow up? Today we come to Philippians chapter 3, verses 12 down to chapter 4, verse 1.
And in this text before us this morning, the Apostle Paul is going to focus in on what spiritual maturity looks like with three vital insights for us this morning.
We're going to see together the pursuit of maturity, the pattern of maturity, and the prospect of maturity.
And if we are ever to grow up into who we were meant to be in Jesus Christ, we need to pay attention to this text this morning.
So would you bow your heads? Let's pray and ask the Lord to be our teacher as we open His Word.
Father, we're about to open up Your inerrant, all-truthful Word that is sufficient for life and godliness.
We want more than anything to live as we were meant to live, to be and become more like your glorious son, Jesus Christ, who has enfolded us into his eternal life.
who has given us the Spirit to lead and guide us, and who will one day take us home and make us like himself.
Who do you want to be when you grow up? It's a question we sometimes ask children, and they respond with the obligatory, I want to be a firefighter, I want to be a veterinarian, I want to be a teacher, or whatever, right? But it's not just a question for children.
Who do you want to be when you grow up? Because, friends, if God has given us new birth by grace through faith in Christ, in his substituted life on our behalf on the cross, if God has filled us with his Holy Spirit so that he is teaching us to walk in his ways, if every moment of every day is an opportunity to be with Jesus and learn from him how to do life, so that we are increasingly transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus.
And if one day we will be like him, for we will see him as he is, then we are all in fact still growing up.
No matter how old we are, we have a long way to go in terms of maturation if we are to be gloriously like Jesus in the end.
So the question is, who do you want to be when you grow up? Today we come to Philippians chapter 3, verses 12 down to chapter 4, verse 1.
And in this text before us this morning, the Apostle Paul is going to focus in on what spiritual maturity looks like with three vital insights for us this morning.
We're going to see together the pursuit of maturity, the pattern of maturity, and the prospect of maturity.
And if we are ever to grow up into who we were meant to be in Jesus Christ, we need to pay attention to this text this morning.
So would you bow your heads? Let's pray and ask the Lord to be our teacher as we open His Word.
Father, we're about to open up Your inerrant, all-truthful Word that is sufficient for life and godliness.
We want more than anything to live as we were meant to live, to be and become more like your glorious son, Jesus Christ, who has enfolded us into his eternal life.
who has given us the Spirit to lead and guide us, and who will one day take us home and make us like himself.
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