Notice these two beautiful expressions of Paul’s love for the Philippians. “I hold you in my heart” and “I yearn for you all with the affection of Jesus.”
Listen here.
Notice these two beautiful expressions of Paul’s love for the Philippians. “I hold you in my heart” and “I yearn for you all with the affection of Jesus.”
Listen here.
Perhaps you’re starting out on the Christian life and have the same fears as I had. “How can I be sure I’ll keep going?” Or, you’ve been on the Christian path for many years, even decades, but the trials of life are mounting and crushing, and you wonder, maybe for the first time, “How can I be sure I’ll keep going?” Well, let me share with you how God delivered me from this terror, not just once but forever.
Listen here.
How can I thank God when I’ve got nothing to thank God for? Sometimes we feel like that don’t we. God takes away our loved ones, God takes away our health, God takes away our joy. What’s left to thank God for?
The Apostle Paul helps us answer this question in the letter to the Philippians. He’s in prison for his faith. God’s taken away his friends and family, his ministry, his comfort, his freedom. If anyone had reason to be grouchy it was Paul, yet he opens his letter with gratitude.
As we learned yesterday, he thanks God every time he remembers the Philippian believers (1:3). Even though he’s separated from them he thanks God for them. Why does he thank when he thinks of them? How does he thank God for something when he’s got nothing to thank God for? He finds three reasons to thank God for the Philippians every time he remembers them.
Listen here.
“How do I tell her I love her without telling her I love her?” That question dominated my life about 2-3 months after I started dating Shona (who’s now my wife of 30 years). Although our friendship had developed slowly and cautiously, there was now no doubt in my mind that I loved her and wanted to marry her.
But there was a problem. She didn’t know that. I’d been so scared about scaring her off, I hadn’t even held her hand yet. And now she was about to return to her parents’ house for the university break. I wouldn’t see her for a couple of months. What if she goes home and some fast-moving highlander sweeps in, sweeps her off her feet, and sweeps her away? I couldn’t blame her. At my current pace, we might be married when we were 80.
So, “How do I tell her I love her without telling her I love her?” How do I persuade her to fend off all these highland predators without scaring her off?
Listen here.
Spiritual friendship is not just tender, it’s also tough.
How do we challenge one another to change?
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Paul reveals the encouraging heart of Christ that lies behind his encouraging words in Colossians 4:7-18. Ultimately it’s Christ that is sending greetings and hugs to his people.
How can we be more encouraging to our spiritual friends?
Listen here.