| By Andy Moyle | 3 mins 4 secs | 0 Comments
Naming Euodia and Syntyche is not because they are the bad ones, who need singling out above others who are not getting on. Naming them (strangely to us), is evidence of their friendship with Paul, because as Gordon Fee writes, one of the marks of enmity in these kinds of ancient letters is that enemies […]
| By Andy Moyle | 3 mins 22 secs | 0 Comments
Some days there is so much in the text it is hard to know what to emphasise. In a sermon, one thing is best, but online, people like lists! Blog posts that do well have “7 steps to…”, “5 keys for…” as their title. I’ve picked out 5 ways we can grow in the Lord. […]
| By Andy Moyle | 1 min 40 secs | 0 Comments
Priceless Visits Because of Jesus and all he is and has done for us, Paul urges his readers to work out the grace within us – to live like we now are – as saints! And as we do that we find actually that it is God who is working in us. Just as Jane […]
| By Andy Moyle | 2 mins 6 secs | 0 Comments
What Paul wants to hear about the Philippians is that they are Standing firm in one spirit – Philippi was a Roman colony and fiercely loyal to the Caesar. It was beginning to be expected for citizens to say ‘Caesar is Lord’ – something no Christian will do, so this passage ends with the declaration […]
| By Andy Moyle | 2 mins 14 secs | 0 Comments
The letter to the Philippians is a popular one – there are no major doctrinal issues tackled and it is a thank you letter for a gift, that strangely doesn’t include thanks! Three things jump out at me as I read the introductory paragraphs of the book. Saints, Deacons and Elders The letter is addressed […]
| By Andy Moyle | 3 mins 19 secs | 0 Comments
It’s a big passage today! Paul starts off with two more calls to submission that demonstrate that we are filled with the Spirit. Children to parents Children are called to submit to parents in the Lord. “In the Lord” is the get out clause for not obeying them when it is sinful. Paul uses one […]
| By Andy Moyle | 2 mins 5 secs | 0 Comments
If you want to walk in the light not in the darkness, you need to go on being filled with the Spirit. Instead of getting drunk, which leads to debauched behaviour, keep getting filled with the Holy Spirit, who empowers walking in the light. That leads us to sing to each other – whether is […]
| By Andy Moyle | 2 mins 12 secs | 0 Comments
The first verse of today’s reading echoes the first verse of the chapter – live like your calling. We have been given, and re-born into, God’s wonderful grace; so now live in the light of grace. Live a life worthy of your calling. Don’t be like the Gentiles – as in those who don’t believe. […]
| By Andy Moyle | 2 mins 44 secs | 0 Comments
For the last three chapters Paul has been teaching us about grace and the glorious church, establishing who we are and what we are a part of. “Therefore” – shows us Paul is giving us the outworking of this grace and glorious church. Firstly he wants us to walk in a manner worthy of the […]