Preaching on the humility of Jesus from Philippians 2:1–18, Pastor Dave Bruskas recently provided Mars Hill staff with a much-appreciated gut check. I wanted to share his main points here, since this could apply to any church staff, church member—or human being, for that matter.

Your work at Mars Hill is more than just a job—it’s all about Jesus.

Every task, every meeting, every relationship is an opportunity to worship Jesus. When your job becomes a means to a paycheck, everything breaks down and you miss out on the complete joy to be had in "participation in the Spirit" (Phil 2:1–2).

Your work at Mars Hill is not building a career—it’s building community.

If you’re building a career, you’ll start climbing the ladder, which leads to the "rivalry or conceit" Philippians 2:3 warns against. Don’t just knock out tasks and strive for efficiency. "Count others more significant than yourselves" and engage the souls which God has entrusted to your care. Not only do we get to worship and serve Jesus, we get to do it with other people (Phil 2:2).

Your work is more than fulfilling your calling—it’s finishing the work of Jesus.

Though our job may change, our calling—our mission—never will: go and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19). A calling is not a vocation, and it’s not the solitary quest of an individual. It’s played out in a collective, communal, global context "so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2:10–11). These are not ideals to strive for and acquire. "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus" (Phil 2:5; emphasis added). Thanks, Pastor Dave, for your godly wisdom and humble leadership. Find more teaching from Pastor Dave in the Mars Hill media library.