Imitate Christ: Spiritual Maturity in an Influencer Age

Jul 19, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Maturity Means Straining Toward Christ

The call to spiritual maturity isn’t about age or knowledge but a relentless pursuit of Christlikeness. Paul urges believers to hold fast to what they’ve attained, not as a finish line but as a lifelong race. Spiritual maturity isn’t measured by theological degrees or years in church but by discernment, stability in truth, and the fruit of the Spirit. Like an athlete straining toward a goal, mature Christians fix their eyes on Jesus, refusing to coast or settle. This journey requires humility, daily surrender, and a willingness to be shaped by the Spirit. [46:13]

Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. (Philippians 3:15–16, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you mistaken spiritual activity for true maturity? How might “straining” look different in your walk with Jesus this week?

Day 2: Imitating the Imperfect Saints Around You

Paul’s radical invitation—"imitate me"—hinges on flawed people pointing to a flawless Savior. Mature believers aren’t sinless but sin less, their lives marked by repentance and visible Christlikeness. The church is filled with ordinary people like Greg, Kathy, and Gordy, whose faithfulness in compassion, listening, or risk-taking becomes a living curriculum. Their examples aren’t for admiration but imitation, turning Sunday pews into Monday mentors. [54:31]

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. (Philippians 3:17, ESV)

Reflection: Whose Christlike habit (patience, generosity, prayer) could you “borrow” this week? What makes imitating a fellow sinner feel risky or freeing?

Day 3: Tears Over Trendy Gods

Paul weeps not for his sufferings but for those trading the cross for cultural cravings. Modern “gods of the belly” include curated Instagram lives, political tribalism, and self-help spirituality—all promising fulfillment but delivering emptiness. The influencer economy thrives because we’d rather worship creation than the Creator. Yet Paul’s tears reveal a heart that breaks over what breaks heaven, refusing to judge the lost but grieving their bondage. [06:14]

For many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. (Philippians 3:18–19, ESV)

Reflection: What cultural “god” have you subtly begun to crave? How might Paul’s tears reshape your anger toward those far from Jesus?

Day 4: Citizenship in a Backpack World

Heaven’s citizenship isn’t a distant hope but a present identity, like carrying a passport in a foreign land. Believers navigate influencer culture as dual citizens—fully present on earth but wholly anchored in eternity. This status grants courage to resist trends, knowing our true home’s values clash with viral fads. The church becomes an embassy where kingdom customs—forgiveness, sacrifice, joy—feel strangely native. [10:22]

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20–21, ESV)

Reflection: What earthly “custom” (gossip, materialism, hurry) most conflicts with your heavenly citizenship? How might you live as an ambassador today?

Day 5: The Mature Don’t Graduate

Spiritual maturity isn’t a diploma to frame but a discipleship to fuel. Paul pleads with seasoned believers to keep modeling Christlikeness, not retire into comfort. The church needs visible saints—not perfect but persistent—who shop, parent, and age with gospel intentionality. Maturity means becoming a living “how-to” guide for younger believers, your scars and stumbles testifying to grace. [15:54]

Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. (1 Corinthians 14:20, ESV)

Reflection: What “finished” area of your faith (prayer, scripture, serving) needs renewed pursuit? Who’s watching your life as their Philippians 3 example?

Sermon Summary

Paul takes Philippians 3 and puts the question right in front of the church: who should shape a life? Paul has just called believers to leave the past behind and strain toward the goal, which is righteousness in Christ and sharing in his resurrection. Spiritual maturity, then, is not a birthday, a degree, or a stack of life experiences. Spiritual maturity is Christlikeness and stability in the faith.

Paul says, “Let those of us who are mature think this way,” and maturity means being fully grown spiritually, not finished spiritually. The picture of milk and solid food shows the difference between a child who cannot discern and a mature believer whose powers of discernment have been trained by constant practice. Ephesians gives the same idea with children tossed by waves and wind, while the mature believer stands on truth instead of getting blown around by every new trend. Galatians adds that the fruit of the Spirit actually shows up in a mature life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Paul then pleads with mature believers to “hold true to what” has been attained. Sanctification means the Christian life does not stop after salvation. The spiritually mature person is fully grown, but not perfected. Paul calls that person to keep moving toward Jesus.

Paul flips convention on its head when he says, “Imitate me.” Charles Barkley’s Nike ad said, “I am not a role model,” but Paul says the opposite because Paul imitates Christ. The influencer industry proves that people want to be shaped. Phones, screens, ads, and trends are constantly saying what to buy, how to dress, where to go, and who to become. Paul knows that if culture is not resisted, culture will become the model.

Paul does not leave believers trying to imagine a man from two thousand years ago with no face, no voice, and no mannerisms. Christlike examples are meant to be visible in the church. Mature believers show compassion, listening to God, family leadership, risk for Jesus, and sacrificial commitment to the body of Christ. Paul’s plea is that those examples not disappear into the background.

Paul also warns that many walk as enemies of the cross, with their god as their belly and their minds set on earthly things. Paul’s tears matter because he does not cry over his own beatings, prison, or pain. Paul grieves over people walking away from Jesus. Philippians 3 then gives the great “but”: citizenship is in heaven. Christ grants belonging, protection, and hope to sinners who need a Savior, and that heavenly citizenship reorders what influence is allowed to shape a life.

Key Takeaways

1. Spiritual maturity keeps straining forward. A mature believer is not a finished believer. Paul’s plea to “hold true” means spiritual growth cannot become a trophy on a shelf. Christlikeness is attained only as the Holy Spirit keeps conforming a saved person to Jesus, one obedient step at a time. [52:28]
2. Screens train the heart to imitate. The influencer industry works because the human heart wants to be shaped by something visible, attractive, and near. Paul’s call to imitation cuts through that desire, not by denying it, but by redirecting it toward Christlike examples. The question is not whether a person is being influenced, but whether the influence comes from the created or the Creator. [56:49]
3. Godly examples must become visible. Paul’s “imitate me” becomes practical when mature believers live close enough for others to watch. Christlike compassion, courage, listening, sacrifice, and family faithfulness are not abstract ideas when embodied by real brothers and sisters. A hidden mature Christian may be safe, but a visible mature Christian becomes a gift to the body of Christ. [61:23]
4. Tears reveal kingdom-shaped love. Paul’s grief is striking because his tears are not mainly for his own suffering. Paul weeps over people walking as enemies of the cross, people ruled by appetite and earthly desire. Such sorrow exposes whether love has been trained by heaven or dulled by comfort. [65:50]
5. Heaven’s citizenship reorders desire. Citizenship in heaven means belonging to the God of heaven while living as an ambassador on earth. That identity is not earned by crossing a border, passing a test, or being born in the right place. Jesus gives it to sinners who know their need for a Savior and let him take the reins.

## [69:57]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[38:10] - Missionary Support and Church Identity
[39:28] - Philippians and the Way Up Is Down
[39:54] - Nike, Michael Jordan, and Market Influence
[41:45] - Charles Barkley and the Role Model Question
[45:23] - Who Should Shape a Life?
[46:13] - Paul Addresses the Spiritually Mature
[47:43] - Defining Biblical Spiritual Maturity
[52:28] - Holding True and Sanctification
[54:16] - Imitating Paul as He Imitates Christ
[56:21] - The Culture of Influencers
[61:23] - Mature Believers as Visible Examples
[64:56] - Enemies of the Cross and Paul’s Tears
[69:57] - Citizenship in Heaven
[74:38] - Final Challenges to Discern Influence

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Philippians 3:15-21
“Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” [45:40]

Observation questions

In this passage, what different groups of people does Paul describe, and how does he speak about each one? [01:04:56]
What words or phrases in Philippians 3:15-21 show that spiritual maturity is not the same thing as spiritual perfection? [52:28]
What kinds of visible examples of Christlike living were highlighted as worth noticing and learning from in the church? [01:01:23]
What contrast does Paul make between people whose “minds [are] set on earthly things” and people whose “citizenship is in heaven”? [01:09:57]

Interpretation questions

Paul says, “Let those of us who are mature think this way.” What does that suggest about how a mature Christian thinks about growth, repentance, and the need to keep moving toward Christ? [46:13]
Paul tells believers to imitate him and to watch others who walk by the same example. Why is visible Christian example so important, especially in a world where people are constantly being shaped by whatever they see most often? [56:49]
Paul speaks “even with tears” about those who walk as enemies of the cross. What do those tears reveal about Paul’s heart, and what do they show about the seriousness of drifting away from Jesus? [01:08:16]
Paul says that the believer’s citizenship is in heaven. How should that identity reshape the way a Christian thinks about belonging, desire, and the influences that are allowed to shape daily life? [01:11:25]

Application questions

Every life is being shaped by something. What has been shaping daily choices most strongly lately—Christ, comfort, habit, friends, news, entertainment, or social media? Where is that influence showing up most clearly right now? [01:14:38]
Spiritual maturity is measured by Christlikeness and stability, not by age or how long someone has been around church. In what area of life is growth still needed right now: discernment, steadiness, humility, self-control, love, or something else? [47:43]
Paul says to “hold true to what” has been attained and to keep pressing on. Where is there a temptation to coast, to assume enough growth has already happened, or to stop pursuing Jesus with intention? [53:00]
People often imitate what they see most. Whose voice or example gets the most attention during the week? What would it look like to turn down one lesser influence and move closer to one godly example instead? [01:04:17]
Christlike examples are meant to be visible in the church. Is there a mature believer worth learning from more intentionally right now? What specific step could help make that real—asking a question, sharing a meal, serving together, or simply spending more time together? [01:16:13]
Paul grieved over people walking away from Jesus. Is there anyone known personally who seems far from Christ or increasingly shaped by the world? Has prayer for that person become casual, or is there still a tender and burdened heart for them? [01:08:30]
Citizenship in heaven means belonging to Jesus and living on earth as his ambassador. What would change this week if that identity sat more heavily on the heart than approval, success, convenience, or fear? [01:12:01]

Sermon Clips

52s

#ExamineYourWhy

“And it's with that as we wrap this message up today, folks. There's ups and downs in this message, but I wanna present two challenges to us. One to all of us as in general, and then one as a specific call to mature believers. The general plea, the general challenge out there today for us folks is as you're going through your day today, your week, this week, your next month, ask yourself why are you making the decisions you're just you're deciding? Why are you choosing to do the things you do? Why are you choosing to wear the things you wear, to buy the things you buy, to say the things you say, to go the places you're going? Why are you making those decisions? Is it because you're being influenced by this world and the created or because you're being influenced by your savior, the creator?”

69s

#HeavenCitizenshipForAll

“I wanna encourage you today that that citizenship in heaven, that citizenship in the kingdom of heaven is available to you. It's available to all of us, and it's available to us because of what Jesus did on the cross. And the good thing about this citizenship is you don't have to cross a physical border to have it. You don't have to cross a border to have it. You don't have to take a test to have it. You don't have to be born in a specific place to have citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. You don't have to do any of those things to be protected by the power of the Holy Spirit. You don't have to do any of those things to have eternal salvation with Jesus Christ, to be part of those that were given to him that he will not let go of. The only thing you have to do to be part of that citizenship is know that you're a sinner who needs a savior. Know that, yeah, I've done some things that I shouldn't do in my life, and I can't do it all on my own, and I'm willing to let Jesus take the reins. That's all it is to have citizenship in the kingdom of heaven.”

49s

#GrieveForTheLost

“And so if that verse of the Holy Spirit speaking to you, let me ask you church, Do you have that same kind of emotional distress for people in this congregation, in our culture, at your work, in your family that are walking differently than the way of Jesus? Are you emotionally distressed for the people that would rather be influenced by culture than by Christ? Do you shed tears for people that have not accepted Jesus? Even amidst your pain and your struggles that you have going on right now, do you have that kind of emotional distress for the lost? Paul did. He had tears for those walking away from Christ.”

50s

#ChristlikenessNotAge

“what it's not when this verse is talking about mature, it's not talking about a select group of us who have reached a certain birthday. You don't get a spiritual maturity card when you hit a certain age. Right? You can't take a test, and that gives you a degree in spiritual maturity. That's not how it works. Just because you've had certain life experiences doesn't mean you're instantly spiritually mature. All of those things attribute to it. Sure. Your life experiences, the time you spent with Christ, the way you use your knowledge for wisdom, they all come in as be part to be part of this idea of spiritual maturity. But that's not the scale. The scale is how we live a Christ like life, and that's available to all of us of all ages.”

49s

#CultureOfImitators

“I was as I was reading through it, it just struck me like in the whole of human history, I think we're in a time right now where this passage is more applicable than it's ever been. I think it's more applicable to us right now than it's ever been in all of human history, and here's why. Paul's talking about influencing using mature Christians to influence believers, and for those believers and nonbelievers to imitate what example they see in him. And right now, we have a culture of imitators. We've got generations of people out there today, you and I included, who are imitators. We have an entire industry in this world built around around imitation. It's called the influencer industry.”

33s

#BelongToHeaven

“that's what it is. That's what Paul's talking about here. No matter how you've been influenced in the past or maybe how you're being influenced right now, no matter how you've how far you may have strayed from righteousness or from the call of Jesus, no matter what sin is going on in your life, if you have salvation in Jesus Christ, if you know Jesus Christ as the savior, Lord, and leader of your life, you've got a citizenship in heaven. And being a citizenship of heaven means you belong to the God of heaven.”

47s

#PursueSpiritualMaturity

“``It's a plea to the spiritually mature folks to hold true to what they've attained, to pursue onto that goal that we're leaving the past behind for, to not fall back on what was behind. What does this look like? It looks like even though you may be spiritually mature, you don't stop. Even though we are spiritually mature, we're fully grown, we're not finished. None of us have reached perfection. Paul says that in several places that he's not perfect, and neither are we. No matter where we are, even if we've reached spiritual maturity, we have to hold true and be on a firm foundation of our faith and continue to move towards the goal of righteousness, to be part of that resurrection with Jesus.”

48s

#TearsForTheLost

“Paul's got a reason to shed tears. Because Paul, if you look at his life, once he found Jesus, Paul was ostracized. Paul was constantly persecuted. Paul was beaten. Paul was stoned. Paul Paul was whipped with rods. Paul was jailed all for the sake of sharing the gospel of Christ. And so if anybody had a reason to shed tears and be emotionally distressed, it was Paul. But Paul doesn't shed tears for the woe is me. He doesn't shed tears for his pain, for his persecution, for his punishments, for being jailed. None of that's what Paul's doing is sharing, shedding tears for himself. He's shedding tears for the people that haven't found Jesus.”

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Imitate Christ: Spiritual Maturity in an Influencer Age

Devotional

Day 1: When Maturity Means Straining Toward Christ

Day 2: Imitating the Imperfect Saints Around You

Day 3: Tears Over Trendy Gods

Day 4: Citizenship in a Backpack World

Day 5: The Mature Don’t Graduate

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Imitate Christ: Spiritual Maturity in an Influencer Age

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