You're Always Being Molded by Someone
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" We all got asked that question as kids. But somewhere along the way, the question shifts from "what do I want to be?" to "who am I becoming?" That shift — from a finished product to a person still in process — is the heart of discipleship.
In this opening message of the Becoming series, Pastor Brolin walks through Philippians 3:17–4:1 and establishes a truth that reframes everything: you are always being formed by someone or something. The only question is whether you're being intentional about it.
Paul gives us three realities about spiritual formation:
- Be formed by Christ-followers — Discipleship is not an individual sport. Paul commands believers to be "co-imitators," gathering around people whose lives point to Jesus. Not hero worship — but getting close enough to watch how someone follows Christ when it's hard, boring, and no one's watching.
- Don't be formed by earthly desires — Paul weeps over those whose minds are set on earthly things. Whether it's the scroll at 11pm, the news cycle shaping how you see people, or religion that's become more about you than about Jesus — the world will gladly shape you. It just won't shape you into anything that looks like Christ.
- Stand firm while being formed — Your citizenship is in heaven. You are a colony of heaven planted right here, shaped by heaven's values, sending that culture outward. And the God who started forming you isn't finished yet.
Like playdough, you only become something when someone picks you up and shapes you. The question is: whose hands are you in? The master craftsman already has you — and he's not making a better version of you. He's making you look like Jesus.