Philippians 1:12-26 There’s a hiking trail in the Ozarks where people oftenstop—not because the view is spectacular, but because ofa single, unusual tree. It’s not tall. It’s not especiallybeautiful. In fact, most hikers walk right past it unlesssomeone points it out. The tree is growing out of a boulder. Not beside it.Not between cracks in…

Philippians 1:1-11 Today we are going to return to our series on Paul’s letterto the Philippians.Two weeks ago we talked about the book as a whole andthe theme of each chapter. We were reminded that joy isa constant theme throughout the letter. This morning I would like to start by giving somebackground information.We know that…

A few years ago, a small church in the Midwest held acommunity dinner every Thursday night. Nothingfancy—folding tables, crockpots, paper plates. But everyweek, people came: single moms, retirees, teenagers,folks who didn’t have much, and folks who had plenty. One particular Thursday, a man named Carl walked in. Hehad been absent for months. His wife had…

Philippians overview In 1940, during World War II, a Christian pastor namedDietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested by the Nazis andeventually placed in prison.You would expect the letters of a man sitting in a prisoncell, cut off from family and uncertain of his future, to befilled with bitterness, fear, and complaints. Most of uswould understand if they…