Series Recap: Transformed (Philemon)

Paul’s letter to Philemon gives us a powerful picture of gospel transformation. God changes us by the gospel, into the gospel, and for the gospel. As we wrap-up our “Transformed” series, I wanted to share some resources and possible next steps…

(1) Miss a week?  Catch-up here.
Week 1 – Philemon 1-3
Week 2 – Philemon 3-7
Week 3 – Philemon 8-16
Week 4 – Philemon 17-25

(2) Study Aids!
>The crew at “The Bible Project” does a great job with book overviews. Here’s a snapshot of Philemon’s structure and themes!

>Want to learn to study the Bible?  I’ll be teaching a 12-session class called “Biblical Interpretation for Ministry.” It will be intense, but “fun” (*definitions of fun may vary). Check out the syllabus here. We’ll meet Thursdays from 6-7am beginning on 2/15. If you’re interested, email me (bsanner@lifepointqcy.org) for more info!

(3) Books:
You Can Change: God’s Transforming Power for our Sinful Behavior and Negative Emotions, by Tim Chester (Christian Living) *Ready for change? Chester offers a practical approach to experiencing real change through the power of the gospel.

Dream with Me: Race, Love, and the Struggle We Must Win, by John Perkins (Christian Living) *The racial divisions of our society have no place in the church. Perkins reminds us that the gospel call to reconciliation means facing these issues head-on!

Going to Church in the First Century, by Robert Banks (Historical Fiction) *Want to know what a first century house church was like? PhD level historical research shapes this fictionalized account.

The Letter to Philemon, by Scot McKnight (Commentary) *McKnight’s verse-by-verse exploration of Philemon is filled with textual and contextual insight; a technical but accessible volume.

(4) Action Steps:
>We can never be all that God wants us to be on our own. If you’re not in a LifeGroup, contact Kourtney (kprice@lifepointqcy.org) to get plugged-in.

>We aren’t just saved from something; we’ve saved for something. The church has a mission. A great starting place for you might be to serve with our missions partners at Horizons. Join a team of LifePoint volunteers on the first Thursday of each month. Contact Danny for more details (dmcmanus@lifepointqcy.org).

>Because of Jesus, we go first with a love and forgiveness that defies category! Holding on to a grudge? Is God calling you to forgive someone? Call/text/email that someone today and set a date to connect. You can’t stay bitter and get better.

LifePoint, I love being part of such a Gospel-centered, Scripture-saturated, mission-living community!  Onward, ever at the heels of Jesus!
– Brett