Talk Together
Family conversations with God’s Word.
Have you ever received a letter or package in the mail? Receiving a message from someone is fun, no matter how it arrives! A thoughtful email, text or card can encourage someone, thank them or remind them of something important.
When Paul became a follower of Jesus, he wanted to tell everyone about his Savior. As a missionary, Paul made several trips to different countries to tell others about Jesus. Paul shared the Gospel with the people he met, helped them start a church and then went to the next place God called him to.
Even though Paul couldn’t stay with his new friends for a long time, he still wanted to teach and encourage them. He didn’t have the internet, a phone or email, so he wrote them letters.
On one of Paul’s missionary journeys, he stopped in a city called Philippi. Can you help me find the book of Philippians? It’s in the New Testament in a section called “the Epistles.” When we read this book, we are reading the letter Paul wrote to his Philippian friends. He wrote this letter just a few years after he shared the Gospel with them. Let’s read Philippians 1:1-11.
ESV
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:1-11)
Similar to how we send encouraging texts to our friends, Paul sent the Philippians a letter to remind them he was praying for them with joy. He encouraged them to continue sharing the Gospel and reminded them to serve and love other believers well.
Did you know Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter to the Philippian believers? You see, not everybody wanted to hear what Paul said about Jesus. They didn’t believe Jesus was God’s Son and they wanted Paul to stop sharing God’s Word. But Paul didn’t stop. Even when he was in danger, he continued to share the Gospel with everyone around him. He was arrested, made fun of and even shipwrecked! Despite this, Paul loved God and knew that sharing God’s Word was worth any punishment or persecution he would face.
Paul knew God had called him to share the love of Jesus with everyone he met. He followed God’s plan instead of his own. Paul rejoiced because he knew God would carry him through any situation and use his life to glorify God.