Sermons on Spiritual Growth
Partnership in the Gospel (Philippians 1:3-5)
Paul opens with a brief greeting and benediction. He refers to himself and Timothy as servants. He had no need to defend his apostolic authority with the saints in Philippi (Acts 16). In this next section he includes his usual thanksgiving. Pray and Read Philippians 1:3-5. It has never been easy to develop the kind of community that lasts. Just as companies open and close, so groups form and dissolve frequently. It is rare to be a part of something that…
The Wind, the Waves, and the Weight of Christ (Ephesians 4:13-14)
I. The Breadth of Maturity (13a) Paul helped establish the church in Ephesus with about a dozen disciples of John (Acts 19:1-7). He preached the gospel in the Jewish synagogue for three months before “reasoning daily” in the hall of Tyrannus for two years (Acts 19:8-10). He healed, cast out demons—and many turned away from magic to the Lord (Acts 19:11-20). The silversmith incited a riot because Paul’s ministry had cut into his idol making business (Acts 19:21-41). Paul was not an…