Finishing Strong: The Christian Life as a Forward-Focused Race

**LISTENER OUTLINE

**Philippians 3:12–17**

1. The Goal of the Christian Life (vv. 9–11) --RE-CAP from last week.

• Paul’s deepest desire: to know Christ—His resurrection and His sufferings.
• The prize is not heaven itself, but Christ Himself.
• Being “found in Him” is better than any righteousness we could produce.

Key truth:

Knowing Christ fuels everything else in the Christian life.

2. Pressing On: The Perseverance of the Saints (v. 12)

• We have not yet reached perfection, but we keep moving toward it.
• Like a marathon runner, the Christian keeps pressing forward.
• What matters is not the speed of the start, but the faithfulness of the finish.

Quote – Steve Farrar, Finishing Strong:

Strong men stay in Scripture, stay close to accountability, stay away from temptation, and stay alert to the enemy.

Key truth:

Saved people persevere because Christ is holding them.

3. Forward Focus: Forgetting What Lies Behind (vv. 13–14)

Paul warns against two traps:

A. Romanticizing the past

“We used to be so strong… things were better back then…”

Nostalgia can freeze people where God wants them to move forward.

B. Being crushed by the past

Failures, wounds, and sins can become stumbling blocks we never get past.

Either way, the result is the same:

We stop moving forward.

Key truth:

The Christian life is forward-focused—the goal is to know and obey Christ more deeply than yesterday.

4. Numbering Our Days (Psalm 90:12)

• Every day is a new opportunity to know Christ better.
• Wasting time looking backward weakens our effectiveness today.
• “Teach us to number our days” means:
• Live intentionally. Don’t drift. Make Christ our pursuit.

Illustration idea:

Hours until your next birthday—what will you do with them?

5. The One Thing That Matters (Psalm 27:4)

David’s one request:

• Seek the Lord
• Dwell with the Lord
• Gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

Key truth:

When we know Christ deeply, everything else—priorities, loyalties, desires—is transformed.

6. Marks of a Mature Christian (v. 15–16)

• Maturity means seeking Christ above all else.
• When we drift, God lovingly exposes it so we can repent.
• Our call: hold fast to what we’ve already attained.

Key truth:

Mature Christians keep moving forward—even if slowly.

7. The Company You Keep Shapes Your Maturity (vv. 17)

• Surround yourself with people who love Christ deeply.
• Those who chase earthly things will pull your heart that direction.
• Paul models a singular focus:
• “I resolved to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

Key truth:

You will drift in the direction of the people you follow.

Closing Big Idea

Everything else—good or bad—must be left behind as we press forward to know Christ more deeply.

The race isn’t over.

The finish line is ahead.

And Christ is worth the pursuit.