These questions are a guideline for your personal or small group study based on Sunday's sermon passage. Feel free to study and meditate on the passage more deeply. ​​

1. Paul described his impressive religious résumé as “loss” and even “rubbish.” What kinds of accomplishments, identities, or past successes do people today tend to rely on for worth or righteousness—and how might those things actually keep us from finding joy in Christ?

2. The sermon highlighted how legalism can rob believers of joy. What does legalism look like in modern Christian life, and how can a church family guard one another from falling into a “confidence in the flesh” mindset?

3. Paul says his greatest desire is “to know Him.” What does it look like to move from merely knowing about Jesus to truly knowing Him in a relational, experiential way? How have you seen that kind of knowing change someone’s life?

4. Paul admits he has not yet “arrived,” but presses on. Why do Christians sometimes assume they’re already spiritually mature? What are some practical ways to cultivate a posture of ongoing growth, humility, and holy dissatisfaction?

5. The sermon compared the Christian life to a race—forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what is ahead. What are some things from the past (good or bad) that can keep believers stuck? What does it look like to “lean forward” in faith today?

6. Paul contrasts earthly-minded living with heavenly citizenship. How does remembering our true citizenship shape the way we face suffering, temptation, or the pursuit of joy? What changes when we live as though Christ could return at any moment?