Sermon Series from Philippians

Since my first pastorate in New Jersey, I have normally chosen topics for Sunday sermons by simply moving paragraph-by-paragraph through different books of the Bible, usually alternating between Old and New Testament books.  This gives continuity, helps the congregation to prepare, and keeps me from avoiding difficult topics that I might otherwise skip.

For my first ten years at Willow Vale, preaching only once a month, I tried to choose topics that met a particular need of the time or emphasis of the season. Now, with the opportunity to teach more regularly, and with encouragement from some of the Willow Vale family, I decided to begin another book study.

Paul’s letter to the Church in Philippi is one of the shorter books of the Bible, but one of the most quotable. If you underline verses in your study Bible, you surely have lots of ink on these few pages. Philippi is a city in what is now Greece and the story of Paul’s first visit there, and the founding of the church, is in the book of Acts, chapter 16.

Paul wrote the letter while chained to a soldier, after being arrested for “disturbing the peace.”  (A riot had broken out in a town where some people opposed his teaching about Jesus.) In spite of the bleak circumstances, one of the most prominent themes of the letter is JOY!   Anyone here facing bleak circumstances? Anyone need more joy? Maybe you will find something that fits. From mid-January through May, I will be preaching through this book (with a few breaks for Easter and guest speakers)   You can prepare yourself for Sunday by reading through the Letter to the Philippians once a week or more—it’s only four or five pages!

The sermon for Sunday, February 7th, is from Philippians 1: 27-30, “Are You Ready for a Fight?”  Communion will be served, but peacefully—no fighting!

 February 14th (Valentine’s Day), the sermon, “Attitude Check” is from
Philippians 2: 1-11.