In chapter three of Philippians Paul is opening the vault revealing his innermost moviations. What Paul shares divides the chapter into five small sections. Each section contains just a few verses, but each of them are industrial grade in strength.

Chapter two instructed us to look beyond ourselves, love others, and sacrifically serve others; that prepares us precisely for chapter three. Chapter three points us to Christ. — knowing Him now and looking for His return.

Outline: Believers should be:

• Rejoicing: verse 1

• Counting accurately: verses 2-11
• • Don’t count on yourself – 2-6
• • Do count on Christ – 7-11

• Pressing on: verses 12-16

• Watching: verses 17-19

• Waiting: verses 20-21

As this chapter holds many high caliber verses, please take special note of verses 8-10 and 13-14. Each of those verses set us free from clinging to trivial things, relying upon ourselves, and aiming for the wrong things. They move us from fancying trinkets and replaying the past to loving Christ enough to forsake anything for Him and finding our freedom in Him.

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith – that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” Philippians 3:8-10

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

Using the outline provided, take several, slow, measured reads through this chapter. It is a volcano of truth, ready to erupt.