Dear Friends Pursing Christ,

The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi:

And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right and pure, and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8)

These were words written by a man who was in prison in because of his belief in Jesus Christ. In fact, this whole letter is known as a letter of Joy. What could be so joyful about being in prison? Paul knew how to make lemonade out of lemons. Actually, God gave Paul a perspective for life which would help him manage in any circumstance. Here is another life lesson God taught Paul:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether being in plenty or want. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:12-13)

While in prison Paul wrote letters to the churches to encourage them in their faith, he led a centurion and his family into a relationship with Jesus (Acts 16:34) and he gained insights about living for Christ. Paul states another fact about his situation:

“Now I want you to know, brothers that what has happened to me has served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear to the whole palace guard and to everyone that I am in chains for Christ.  Because of my chains, most of my brothers in the Lord have encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” (Philippians 1:12-14)

There is so much to learn about life in Christ from this short letter. During September I would like us to do a joint study. Each week I would like us to meditate on a chapter in Philippians. I would like each of us to pick a verse that speaks to us and write it down and if possible, memorize it. More than memorizing it let us spend some time thinking how we can apply it to our daily life. For example, I will select Philippians 1:4, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…”) My actions step is to pray daily for each member of the congregation. Each Sunday, as we gather, I will ask if anyone wants to share their chosen verse and how they applied it. For those who are home bound we can talk about your weekly discoveries. Each day I plan to read the assigned chapter and see what other life lessons I can learn.

• Week of September 1 (Philippians 1) verse I picked:
  • Applied lesson:
• Week of September 5 (Philippians 2) verse I picked:
  • Applied lesson:
• Week of September 12 (Philippians 3) verse I picked:
  • Applied lesson:
• Week of September 19 (Philippians 4) verse I picked:
  • Applied lesson:

I believe we will be blessed by these readings and encouraged by our sharing time.

I said that I would update you on our finances. In the month of July, we received $3,000 in offering. Our expenses were $4,600. We received an extra $2,000 in special gifts for God’s House, memorials, for our piano accompanist, and from our small investment fund. Please remember that your gifts are needed to help meet are regular expenses. Thank you for your financial gifts to FPC and your service as you use your gifts of time and talents to share the Good News of Jesus with other people.

Have a blessed September. Looking forward to worshiping and visiting you.

Love and prayers in Jesus,

Ilona