How To Waste Your Life - Life Together | Week 8 | Tim Birdwell

Jun 08, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Aiming for the Wrong Target’s Bullseye

Success without eternal purpose is tragedy disguised as victory. Like an Olympian hitting the wrong target, we risk excelling at goals disconnected from Christ’s mission. Life’s achievements—careers, family, reputation—become hollow when detached from knowing Jesus and making Him known. These good things become wasted when elevated above God’s ultimate call. The finish line isn’t cultural approval or personal comfort, but radical alignment with heaven’s priorities. Every effort must flow from intimacy with Christ, not religious checkboxing. [01:23]

“Not that I have already obtained all this or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12–14, NIV)

Reflection: What “good thing” in your life risks becoming a “God thing” substitute? How does your daily energy investment reveal your true finish line?

Day 2: The Humility of “Not Yet”

Maturity isn’t arrival but hungry pursuit. Paul—church planter, apostle, theologian—insisted he hadn’t “obtained” Christ’s fullness yet. Spiritual growth thrives not in smug certainty but holy discontent. Like a hiker eyeing false summits, believers must reject complacency in routines, doctrines, or past victories. True maturity embraces the tension: confident in Christ’s work yet restless for deeper surrender. It’s fixing eyes ahead while confessing, “I’m still learning to love like Him.” [17:06]

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13–14, NIV)

Reflection: Where has spiritual complacency disguised itself as maturity in your life? What “next step” with Jesus feels both thrilling and unnerving to consider?

Day 3: Redeeming the Rearview Mirror

Past failures and victories alike can chain us. Paul’s command to “forget what is behind” isn’t amnesia but redemption. Shame over old sins or pride in past achievements both distort our race. Like cringing at old yearbook photos, gospel freedom lets us acknowledge the past without being defined by it. Healing comes when we view our history through Christ’s finished work, not our performance. [23:31]

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13–14, NIV)

Reflection: What chapter of your story still triggers shame or pride? How might Christ’s cross reframe that memory as fuel for your current race?

Day 4: Running With the Right Pack

Faith isn’t a solo sprint but a relay. Paul shifts from “I” to “we,” urging imitation of those fixated on Christ. Proximity to mature believers recalibrates our pace; isolation breeds drift. Like marathoners drafting together, Christians need others to block life’s headwinds. The wrong crowd—even well-meaning ones—will veer us toward earthly finish lines. Heaven’s citizenship is best practiced in community. [28:56]

“Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.” (Philippians 3:17, NIV)

Reflection: Who in your life models “forgetting and pressing”? What intentional step will you take this week to lock arms with them?

Day 5: Quitting’s Not an Option When Victory’s Secure

Fatigue lies. Paul anchors endurance in Christ’s guaranteed triumph: “He will transform our lowly bodies.” Earthly struggles—sickness, conflict, doubt—are temporary terrain in an eternal race. Like the couple reconciling after 19 years, faithfulness outlasts despair. When ministry, relationships, or personal growth feel futile, Christ’s “He will” overpowers our “I can’t.” The finish line’s fixed; our job is to keep moving. [33:26]

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20–21, NIV)

Reflection: What weariness makes you want to “tap out” today? How does Christ’s assured victory refuel your resolve to press on?

Sermon Summary

Paul takes Philippians 3:12–4:1 and locks the church’s eyes on a single finish line. The goal and the prize sit in one place: knowing Jesus and making him known. The race language is urgent. The text says “press on” and “strain forward,” not casual coasting. The contrast is stark. Enemies of the cross aim at earthly things, but citizens of heaven run a different track with a different horizon. The real win is not a tidy life but a deeper, resilient intimacy with Christ that shares his sufferings and tastes the power of his resurrection, righteousness, and renewal.

The finish line that counts refuses to live on a stacked priority list where Jesus sits at the top as one more item. Paul lets the image do its work. Jesus is the paper. His mission informs kids, career, money, and marriage, rather than competing with them. False summits abound in cultural Christianity. Clean kids, a solid portfolio, generous moments, even busy church calendars can look like a peak and still miss the mountain. Hebrews 12 helps name the cure. The race requires throwing off what hinders and fixing eyes on Jesus, not drifting into side trails that photograph well and finish poorly.

Maturity, in Paul’s mouth, is not swagger. The mature saint wears a holy “not yet.” “Not that I have already obtained this” lands as humility with hope. The “yet” gives room for repentance and resilience. Today’s lack does not erase tomorrow’s promise. Forgetting what lies behind is not spiritual amnesia. The text calls for redemptive remembering. Past shame gets re-seen under the cross. Past achievements get released so they do not become museum pieces that stall present obedience. Without a fresh vision of the finish line, people both perish and cherish the past.

The race is not solo. The passage turns from I to we. Apprenticeship, imitation, and proximity become grace. Models matter because destinations spread through friendships. Fellow citizens pull each other toward home while tears fall for those whose god is their stomach and whose minds are set on earth. Perseverance finally leans on a Person. Jesus will bring everything under his control. He will transform lowly bodies. The certainty of his finish fuels patient endurance now. If the believer does not quit, the believer will win, not because effort saves, but because Christ has already secured the line the church is straining toward.

Key Takeaways

1. Choose the right finish line [10:23] The text names a prize tied to heaven, not to earth. “Jesus is the paper” means Christ’s mission saturates every priority rather than competing with them. A life can be full of good goals and still miss God’s goal if those goods are not folded into knowing Christ and making him known. [10:23]
2. Maturity owns the not yet [19:27] Paul’s humility is the mark of his growth. “Not that I have already obtained this” is not defeatism, it is clarity. The “yet” holds lack and hope together, giving courage to repent, learn, and keep moving because Christ finishes what he starts. [19:27]
3. Remember the past redemptively [20:54] “Forgetting what lies behind” is not denial, it is re-seeing the past through the cross and the empty tomb. Trauma and guilt need gospel excavation, not suppression. Even prior wins must be released so yesterday’s fruit does not harden into today’s ceiling. [20:54]
4. Run with imitators, not spectators [28:27] The passage shifts from I to we because the race is communal. Apprenticeship and proximity beat distant consumption. Fellow citizens help calibrate pace and direction, while companions aimed at earth tug hearts off course no matter how likable they are. [28:27]
5. Perseverance leans on Christ’s certainty [33:26] “He will” steadies tired souls. The promised transformation of bodies and the submission of all things under Christ anchor endurance. Effort has a place, but assurance has a name, and that name guarantees the finish for those who refuse to quit. [33:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:21] - Hitting the wrong target
[01:23] - The tragedy of false success
[02:36] - Five ways to waste your life
[03:21] - Pressing on in Philippians 3
[06:32] - Citizens of heaven, real goal
[07:48] - Straining forward like a hunt
[10:23] - Jesus is the paper, not item one
[11:16] - False summits of cultural Christianity
[12:28] - Fix your eyes on Jesus
[16:38] - Maturity as holy discontent
[20:54] - Forgetting what lies behind
[28:07] - Run with God’s people
[33:26] - Christ will finish what he started
[36:38] - Do not quit too soon

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Philippians 3:12–4:1 (ESV)
Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

Observation Questions

In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul uses phrases like “press on” and “strain forward.” What imagery does this language evoke about the Christian life?
How does Paul contrast the mindset of “citizens of heaven” with those whose “minds are set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-20)?
The sermon mentions “false summits” like clean kids or a busy church calendar that can distract from the true finish line. What examples of “false summits” were given in the sermon? [11:16]
Hebrews 12:1-2 urges believers to “fix our eyes on Jesus.” How does this connect to Paul’s call to focus on the “prize” in Philippians 3:14?

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize community (shifting from “I” to “we” in Philippians 3:15-17) as essential for running the race? How does isolation hinder spiritual growth?
The sermon states, “Jesus is the paper, not item one” on a priority list. What does it mean for Christ’s mission to “saturate every priority” rather than compete with them? [10:23]
Paul says, “Forgetting what lies behind” (Philippians 3:13) is not denial but “re-seeing the past through the cross.” How might past failures or successes become obstacles to pressing forward?
Hebrews 12:1 warns against “weights” that hinder us. What modern “weights” might believers need to throw off to fix their eyes on Jesus?

Application Questions

What “good things” in your life (career, family, hobbies) risk becoming “false summits” if they aren’t folded into knowing Christ and making Him known? How could you reorient them today? [11:16]
The sermon describes maturity as a “holy ‘not yet’” — humility about growth still needed. Where do you feel this tension between “lack” and “hope” in your walk with God? What step could you take to embrace this posture?
“Forgetting what lies behind” includes both past shame and achievements. Is there a specific memory (failure or success) you need to “re-see” through the gospel? How might this free you to press forward?
Who are the “imitators, not spectators” in your life helping you run toward Christ? If you lack these relationships, what practical step could you take this week to pursue them? [28:27]
The sermon warns against quitting too soon: “If you do not quit, you will win.” What area of your life (faith, relationships, service) feels most exhausting? How does Christ’s certainty in Philippians 3:21 strengthen your resolve?
Paul urges believers to “stand firm” (Philippians 4:1). What daily habit or rhythm could help you stay anchored in Christ’s mission when distractions or discouragement arise?

Sermon Clips

40s

#DontWasteYourLife

“You'll hit the wrong bull's eye and you'll nail it. But it is not the mission of Christ. It's not the kingdom of heaven, and that will be a tragedy. And I don't want that for you. I I don't want you and I to come here every Sunday to open up God's word, to go home and take our time and our talent and our treasure and and maybe even do some good things that are not worthy of God things. But but keep trekking along because culturally, we're we go to church and we call ourselves Christians and then get to the end of life and realize we have wasted our lives.”

30s

#PersevereInChrist

“Listen. Because of Jesus and in Jesus, if you do not quit, you will win. Christ, remember last week, you're found not in you, you're clothed not in you, praise God. You're found in Christ, you're clothed in Christ. If you are in him and you stay faithful with him, you will win in the end. Because he won in the end. So don't quit too soon.”

33s

#AimForEternalImpact

“And you guys, you're bright people. You look great today. You got an education. You're you're smart. You're you're driven. You live in the fifth largest city in the country for a reason. You're you're a driven person, an ambitious person. Some of y'all live in the center. You wanna be amidst the action of the fifth largest city in the country. And and my fear for you and what keeps me up at night is not that you will fail, it's that you will succeed at things that will not matter in the end.”

35s

#NoFalseMaturity

“If you're watching somebody on YouTube who's a great preacher, who's crushing it, and thousands of people are coming, but they act like they're Jesus and they've arrived, run and turn off YouTube. Amen? Amen. If there's people at our church who you think, well, they're the most mature because they walk with a strut and they act like they've already arrived and they already know everything and they're like, hey, where is Philippians? And they look at you with a condescending, like what do you need, your table of contents? Like what are you, new here? You just need to know at Phoenix Bible Church, we do not define those people as mature but immature.”

29s

#NoRegretsAtTheEnd

“And the saddest thing, the most tragic thing that I get to see as a pastor is not even when somebody dies, it's right before they die. And they realize as they're laying in that bed that they've spent their time, talent, treasure, energy, relationship on the wrong finish line. And how could I how could I get those days back? How could I get those years back? How could I get that money back? I know now it needs to go here.”

29s

#ScrollLessWorshipMore

“There's a lot of people to look to the side of you to compare yourself to on social media. And this person's doing that, and this person's doing that, and why does this person have that, and why don't they have that? And you're meant to see that imagery and say, I could look to the side, I could look back, but I'm meant to look forward at Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of my faith, and throw off everything else that hinders. And we will waste, you will literally waste your life on social media scrolling, looking back, looking to your side.”

27s

#MaturityIsHumility

“Pick the right finish line. The second way to waste our life is to think we've already arrived. Paul uses the word maturity in this text. A lot of what he's talking about is pressing on towards a mature life in Jesus Christ. And yet it's interesting, we often think about maturity as confidence, as certainty, as arrival, but Paul talks about it differently. Paul talks about it like an awareness of lack.”

34s

#RedeemDontRelive

“Some of you, that's your biggest temptation is to hang on to the past success, to hang on to the past success in your career, hang on to the past success of your church and how many churches we planted back in the day and how many baptisms back in 1960. And we used to do things this way, and we used to sing these types of song, and you were stuck not in failure but in achievement. And Paul says, hey, you need to forget that as well and redeem that to see it renew in the in the future and not just cling to the old.”

32s

#RunWithGodsPeople

“Some of y'all are running the race with the wrong people, and you're never gonna get to the finish line with that group text. Anybody with me? You're never gonna get to the finish line with those people who are your closest friends, and they're going to Glendale, not Tippie. And you're like, why is this so hard? You're running with the wrong people. And so Paul is clear, you run with the people of God, fellow citizens of the same destination, the same home, heaven.”

26s

#HealWithGospelCounseling

“That's what Paul's talking about. So here's the reality. Some of y'all have some past trauma, some past sins that you've committed and that have been committed against you. You need to go to counseling because you're like, well, just forget about it, move past it. That'll work, right? You need some healthy gospel biblical counselor, pastor, friends, community, to maybe excavate that, some of that stuff, and yes, remember it, but remember it now redemptively.”

39s

#PracticeHeavenlyCommunity

“Do you know in heaven there's gonna be people there? Some of the imagery and paintings that I always see, it's like just the person in Jesus sitting on the lap hearing about the dinosaurs. All the questions you wanna ask, did you know there's gonna be like other people there too? Other believers in Jesus, some of them who you love and some of them who annoy you. And the finish line for the Christian is not in isolation, it's in community. And so wouldn't we wanna practice for eternity in that community right now?”

25s

#CoffeeAndDiscipleship

“Wouldn't we wanna get so close to somebody you can imitate their lives? Some of you, your homework today is go ask somebody who's a little ahead of you for coffee. That's with this whole move to one. We got these bracelets. We got this discipleship resource center, seven marks of a disciple booklet, all that kind of stuff going. But just it could start with a cup of coffee. Here's what that will do, two things. It will honor that person. You go ask somebody, hey, could I just get a cup of coffee? I wanna hear your story.”

29s

#RememberRedemptively

“What is he talking about? Forgetting this so you can press on towards this. He's talking about remembering your past, yes, but doing that in light of your present and future reality in Christ. How many of you have that old picture of you on Instagram or for maybe some of you in a photo album? Anybody with me? And you pull it out at a family reunion or when you're trying to impress your friends or when your friends are trying to make fun of you. I'm not sure which one it is.”

29s

#OneFinishLineInChrist

“See, Paul is gonna talk about Philippians chapter three. There's one thing. There's a focus. There's a pressing onward. There's a fixed momentum for the Christian, and it's on a specific finish line. And there are other competing finish lines, and there's false finish lines, and there's other tracks we can go down, and we can get distracted, and we can even dominate those, and we can waste our lives because we're not fixated on the finish line of Christ and his mission.”

32s

#GodRedeemsAndSustains

“He said, no, God's got this. God's got the finish line. God's gonna keep us going. God is redeeming all these things that are messy, and he one day will make all things right. Let's be a part of that, and let's lock arms. He didn't physically pick me up, but he did spiritually, and we ran the race together. And just to be clear, we didn't actually run a physical race. I walked home. But, man, who do you have that's like that?”

27s

#BeTheOneWhoShowsUp

“And pastor AC walks in, and he forgave me for showing everybody that yearbook photo of him. And he just said, hey, are you doing okay? I'm on the couch, you can picture it. Hey. Are you doing okay? And I was like, man, I just like, I don't know. I don't know. You ever been there? he just he came along. He was one of those people that was running the race with the right person at the right time. Thank God.”

24s

#LeavePastBehindPressOn

“And that's the kind of perspective that we're meant to have so that we don't waste our lives. We don't act like we've already arrived. We don't stay stuck in the past. So one of the ways we can waste our lives is to stay stuck in the past. Look at verse 13 again with me. Paul says, one thing I do. This is pretty important. This is the one thing he wants you to focus on, forgetting what lies behind.”

23s

#JesusIsTheBlueprint

“And I I what I would tell you is what Paul is painting is a bigger picture than that. He's saying, hey. It's not that you just put him first on your list of priorities on a sheet of paper. Jesus Christ and his mission is the sheet of paper, And it informs and affects everything else on that list. He's the prize. He's the goal. This is the finish line.”

17s

#MarathonForChrist

“Paul's saying, hey, course correct. There's still time. It's a marathon, not a sprint. There's still time to go after the finish line of Jesus Christ, the surpassing greatness of knowing him and making him known. Go after that finish line. Make him the paper on which you put all of your priorities.”

19s

#RedeemedFromShame

“Because some of y'all are stuck in your past because of shame and guilt that just constantly hovers over you, and you need to see that redeemed in Jesus Christ. He died for you to redeem your past, and you need to view it differently, forget what lies behind, and move forward toward Christ. And you need to do that.”

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