Who is difficult for you? Think about it. Who are the people you really struggle with? Does it seem like it would be awful to welcome them into your life? How should you treat them? If Paul’s message to Philemon is our guide, then what we do will be self-sacrificial, it will be radical, itContinue reading “How to welcome those who are difficult for you – Philemon 8-25, Part 5”
Monthly Archives: August 2019
The world-changing power of forgiveness – Philemon 8-25, Part 4.
Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to forgive someone who hurt you? Did you find it difficult to do so? It can be scary to forgive, especially when the pain runs deep. Will that person respect your forgiveness? What if they hurt you again? Are they really sorry? How do youContinue reading “The world-changing power of forgiveness – Philemon 8-25, Part 4.”
How Jesus redefines “family” – Philemon 8-25, Part 3
How do you define “family”? Biologically? Qualitatively? Some other way? As we continue studying Philemon verses 8-25, today we’re going to see Paul explain how Jesus defines family, and get ready, it is shocking. So what did Paul say? Let’s continue his flow of thought from what we already learned in Part 1 and 2Continue reading “How Jesus redefines “family” – Philemon 8-25, Part 3″
How to transform your life from useless to useful – Philemon 8-25, Part 2
Have you ever felt useless in life? Maybe you watch others around you, friends and family, and it seems they are successful, advancing, making a difference in the world, enjoying life. Then you think about your life, and maybe you see a past littered with failure, broken relationships, and poor choices. Even if that describesContinue reading “How to transform your life from useless to useful – Philemon 8-25, Part 2”
How to help people see things from a different perspective – Philemon 8-25, Part 1
There have been some illusions in recent years that have become internet sensations. Like the dress that was either white/gold or blue/black, or the computer voice that says “laurel” or “yanny.” Now there is the bird or the bunny. Which do you see? It’s wild how the mind works! It is actually a bird, butContinue reading “How to help people see things from a different perspective – Philemon 8-25, Part 1”
Be a Refresher of Hearts! Philemon 1-7, Part 5
How do people come away from interacting with you? Think about some of the recent times that you have interacted with people. Maybe it was your family members. Perhaps it was co-workers. Or even social media posts. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the people who were with you, or who were readingContinue reading “Be a Refresher of Hearts! Philemon 1-7, Part 5”
Defining true Christian fellowship – Philemon 1-7, Part 4
What is fellowship? How does it look in your life, in your church? How do you know if you are doing it right? As we have seen in our study through Philemon verses 1-7, Paul has been giving his friend Philemon feedback on what Philemon has done with his life. Paul has many nice complimentsContinue reading “Defining true Christian fellowship – Philemon 1-7, Part 4”
How faith works – Philemon 1-7, Part 3
Have you wondered how faith works? What is faith? I long ago heard that faith is like sitting in a chair. You sit down, believing and trusting that the chair will hold you up. Of course, the chair might be poorly built, and when you sit on it, the chair breaks apart and you fallContinue reading “How faith works – Philemon 1-7, Part 3”
Seeing beyond our circumstances to share grace and peace – Philemon 1-7, Part 2
How are you viewing your life? Are things going well? Are they difficult? If they are going well, my guess is that you probably view your life in a positive light. But if things are difficult, your view could be negative. In the middle of the difficult times, it can be hard for us toContinue reading “Seeing beyond our circumstances to share grace and peace – Philemon 1-7, Part 2”
Learning to see yourself for who you really are, and learning to see past your circumstances – Philemon 1-7, Part 1
How do you come across to people? Even if you think you know how you come across, what if your impression of yourself is wrong, or maybe even slightly off? It is a sign of growing maturity to be able to have self-awareness. Some humans are very self-aware, and others not so much. ItContinue reading “Learning to see yourself for who you really are, and learning to see past your circumstances – Philemon 1-7, Part 1”
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