PLFC Philippians 2

I suppose you could look at Paul's letters as character building.

Philippians 2:1-4

If I read this letter to kids (probably older kids) : If you've found encouragement, tenderness, caring knowing Jesus as your best friend, if you know the comfort of His love and what it is to hang out with His Holy Spirit, fill my heart with joy. Find things to agree on and love. Share a common purpose, a common spirit. Don't just look out for your own desires and your own needs. Don't just look out for yourself. Look out for the other guy. In my house we used to say, "Let the other guy go first."

Let your kids practice being someone's servant. Then make sure they switch roles. The kids will have a better understanding of that word.

Every time someone says, "Jesus" have everyone in the room hit the floor on their knees.

What if everyone said to one another, "Jesus Christ is Lord!" Take it outside the classroom.

We already talked about shining stars.

Timothy was a young man but Paul says of him, ". . . I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. ²¹For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel." (vs 21-22 NIV) What an honor! How do you grow that - a genuine interest in other people? That's the quality Timothy had that so impressed Paul. "I have no one else like him."

There is so much relational stuff in vs 25-30. The Philippians sent someone to Paul to help take care of his needs - a brother, a worker, a messenger. Send your kids with messages as often as you can. And they will learn what that word means. Paul says this brother/worker/messenger was upset because he didn't want the people who sent him to know how sick he was but the messenger almost died. God had mercy not only on the messenger who almost died to make him better, but God had mercy on Paul who loved him so Paul didn't have the sadness of losing him. And Paul says, "I so much want to send him to you so when you see him you can be glad and so I don't have to be anxious. Welcome him. Honor people like him 'because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.' " Whoa! I tend to skip over those places in Paul's letters. Do you? There's alot of emotional connection in that very short passage. Who would have known?