📖 Philippians 3:12–14
🕊️ Town East Baptist Church – January 11, 2026
👤 Pastor Bill Allred
A new year always brings promises. People promise themselves they will break bad habits, take better care of their health, or do better than last year. Promises are also made to others—to be more present, more supportive, more dependable.
And then there are promises made to God.
There is nothing wrong with making promises to the Lord. In fact, it is right to do so. We openly say He is the reason for every blessing we enjoy. We testify that without Him we would be lost. We trust Him for protection, provision, and eternal life. If that is true, then it makes sense to begin a new year by committing ourselves afresh to Him.
The question is not whether we should make promises to God, but whether we will make promises worth keeping.
The Apostle Paul gives us a clear example of what faithful commitment looks like. Whether or not Paul ever formally stated these promises, he lived as though he had made them. From his life and words, we learn how to move into a new year with purpose.
Promise One: Never Become Satisfied in Serving God
Paul writes, “Not as though I had already attained… but I follow after” (Phil. 3:12–13). Despite all he had done for the Lord, Paul did not believe he had arrived.
Paul had learned much, yet wanted to know more. He had sacrificed greatly, yet wanted to give more. He had served tirelessly, yet believed there was still more work to do. He had led many to Christ, yet longed to reach even more.
This holy dissatisfaction kept Paul moving forward. Satisfaction can quietly sideline believers, convincing them the work is finished when it is not finished until Christ returns.
Paul refused spiritual retirement. He was not resting on past obedience; he was pressing into future faithfulness.
A believer who desires more preaching, more worship, more learning, and more loving others reflects Paul’s attitude. This is what it looks like to give God our best.
Promise Two: Never Turn Sour Over Past Events
Paul continues, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” (Phil. 3:13).
Few things damage a Christian’s walk more than unresolved experiences. Words spoken. Actions taken. Offenses real or perceived. Many abandon the work of God not because of doctrine, but because of disappointment.
Scripture never promised an easy path. Our service to God is not based on the behavior of others; it is grounded in our devotion to Christ. If faithfulness depended on people, everyone would eventually quit.
Paul had every reason to become bitter. He suffered betrayal, persecution, physical abuse, and rejection. Yet he refused to let the past define his future. He placed both success and suffering behind him so he could move forward.
Paul’s method was simple and effective: he gave the past to God and pressed ahead. Bitterness grows when events are allowed to replay endlessly in the mind. Freedom comes when they are released.
Promise Three: Never Forget the Sacredness of God’s Calling
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).
Paul understood the greatest prize of his life was not comfort, status, or recognition—it was being called by God to serve Him.
Nothing compares to that calling. No political office, professional honor, or public recognition can match the privilege of being chosen by God for His work.
We cannot turn away from God’s calling and still claim to be giving Him our best. Service without joy reveals a loss of perspective. When believers recover the sacredness of God’s calling, excitement follows—and excitement spreads.
A church grows strongest when God’s people remember what an honor it is to serve Him.
A Call to Action
A new year brings new opportunities to honor God—not with empty resolutions, but with faithful obedience.
Will you promise God your best as He gives you the strength?
Commit to serving without settling. Refuse to let past hurts rob future usefulness. Guard the sacred calling God has placed on your life.
If you have never trusted Christ, the most important promise you can make is to turn to Him in repentance and faith. If you are a believer, now is the time to recommit yourself fully to the work God has given you.
We invite you to worship with us, grow with us, and serve alongside us as we press forward together.
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