The Race that Matters

A pastor friend here on the island often jokes that I’m missing the part of my brain that says, “This hurts, I should stop.” That’s because, despite being a relatively big guy, I’ve completed several major endurance events over the years. After multiple marathons, long-distance bike rides, and several half and full-distance Ironman races, I’m not a stranger to pushing through discomfort.

When I first started racing, I had one primary goal: I wanted to lose weight. Managing my waistline has always been a challenge, and registering for a race gave me the accountability I needed to stay active. However, the more of these events I’ve put in my rear-view mirror, the more I‘ve discovered something unexpected. While every race has a finish line, the greatest value comes from the months of preparation beforehand. the finish line gives me something to aim for, but it’s the daily training that changes me.

Similarly, Paul uses the analogy of athletics to encourage the Philippian church in chapter 3 by comparing the Christian life to a race. He reminds us that following Jesus isn’t about reaching a point where we’ve “arrived.” Instead, it’s about continually pressing forward, growing day by day as we pursue Christ.

Most importantly, Paul reminds us of one of the greatest truths of the gospel: We don’t “run” to earn Christ’s love or prove ourselves worthy of Him. We push on because Christ has already done the work to bring us home.

This Sunday we’ll explore what it means to live “A Life that Presses On” (Phil 3:12–16). Together we’ll see how the gospel frees us from both pride and discouragement and gives us the confidence to keep taking the next faithful step. I hope you’ll join us.