In our text this week the Apostle Paul is writing to the church in Colosse. Although at this time he was under house arrest, Paul was anything but idle, choosing instead to make use of his 2 year incarceration by writing several letters to churches in the Roman Empire. It appears that Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon were all penned at this time.

Paul writes Colossians to correct a theological problem in the church. It seems that the folks there had been confused over some teaching that we sometimes call proto-gnosticism. It was a heresy of the early church that put an emphasis on ceremonialism, asceticism, angel worship, and secret knowledge while at the same time depreciating the supremacy of Christ. In the letter we find some of the strongest affirmations of the deity and all sufficiency of Christ.

Paul has several friends in Colosse. Some of whom we are familiar with from other letters and some of them are new to us. Tychicus and Onesimus carry the letter back to Colosse to be distributed to the other towns in the area. Onesimus has a history in Colosse since he had escaped slavery from Philemon's household. The letter of Philemon fills in the details. It is intriguing that Paul is sending him back home; a reformed renegade.

Epaphras is with Paul. He founded the Colossian church and probably is the one who has told Paul of the theological trouble in Colosse. He is working hard on their behalf and praying for their spiritual maturity. Paul has a rather cryptic instruction for Archippus to complete the work he received in the Lord. This could mean a number of things but it is likely that Paul is prompting him to carry on with something Paul has instructed him to do but is unwilling to mention publicly. Perhaps there is some unfinished reconciliation work between Philemon and Onesimus that needs to take place.

Some of the lessons on friendship from Colossians:

- Christians Have a Wide Circle of Friends

- We Need to Cultivate Friendships

- The Deepest Friendships Are Forged in Difficult Times

In our text this week the Apostle Paul finds himself in prison in Rome. He is nearing the end of his ministry and life (2 Tim. 4:6-8). These are the last recorded words of the great evangelist and they are filled with pathos and intrigue. Paul is used to prison - this is not his first trip to the rodeo - but this is a serious prison. He is chained like a common criminal and held in a dank dungeon. Only Luke is with him. Everyone else has either been sent away on missions trips or they have deserted him.

This is a personal letter to his protégé Timothy but it was also to be shared with friends. It shows the intimate and vulnerable side of Paul and it highlights the challenges of ministry. He mentions both the good and the bad aspects of working with others in partnerships for the Gospel: some associates are loyal, while others let you down.

Our text includes a story of reconciliation as it reveals the nature of his renewed relationship to John Mark. It also acknowledges Paul's dependence upon Timothy, his "true son in the faith" (1 Tim. 1:2). It teaches several important lessons about friendship:

• Even Tough Old Guys Need Friends

• Nobody Should Stand Alone

• Everybody Needs a Timothy

• Everybody Needs a Luke

• Everybody Knows a John Mark

In our text this week the Apostle Paul finds himself in prison in Rome. He is nearing the end of his ministry and life (2 Tim. 4:6-8). These are the last recorded words of the great evangelist and they are filled with pathos and intrigue. Paul is used to prison - this is not his first trip to the rodeo - but this is a serious prison. He is chained like a common criminal and held in a dank dungeon. Only Luke is with him. Everyone else has either been sent away on missions trips or they have deserted him.

This is a personal letter to his protégé Timothy but it was also to be shared with friends. It shows the intimate and vulnerable side of Paul and it highlights the challenges of ministry. He mentions both the good and the bad aspects of working with others in partnerships for the Gospel: some associates are loyal, while others let you down.

Our text includes a story of reconciliation as it reveals the nature of his renewed relationship to John Mark. It also acknowledges Paul's dependence upon Timothy, his "true son in the faith" (1 Tim. 1:2). It teaches several important lessons about friendship:

• Even Tough Old Guys Need Friends

• Nobody Should Stand Alone

• Everybody Needs a Timothy

• Everybody Needs a Luke

• Everybody Knows a John Mark

The Apostle Paul had friends in Corinth, and there happened to be some unfriendly folks in Corinth. In order to understand his salutation at the end of 1 Corinthians one must first understand a little about the history of his relationship with this church. Along with Timothy and Silas, Paul had planted the church as recorded in Acts chapter 18. After Paul, Apollos had taken on the job of teaching the Corinthians the ways of the Kingdom. But Paul, while ministering in Ephesus, received some startling and disturbing news - the church of Corinth was in great difficulty, not from without but from within. They were factious, dividing along party lines drawn between Paul and Apollos, they were condoning sexual immorality, neglecting the poor, and suing one another over contentious issues. In others words, the church was a mess.

1 Corinthians is the letter that Paul wrote to try to correct the problems. It is a rather terse and forceful letter, where Paul in his typical style, lays down some guidelines in strict but loving ways, reminding them of their need to act lovingly above all else. His salutation hints at the strained relationship between him and the congregation in Corinth. He sends Timothy but wants to make sure he is treated fairly and that he comes back to him in peace (perhaps read that "in one piece"). He tells them he has asked Apollos to go to visit them, but Apollos has declined. Reading between the lines; who would want to insert themselves into that kind of heated partisan atmosphere?

Paul sends greetings from the churches in Asia, from his friends Aquilla and Prisca and the church meeting in their house, and all the brothers with Paul. He then inserts a strange comment that curses those in the church who do not love the Lord and calls for the Lord's soon return: Anathema and Maranatha. Several scholars believe that he is quoting a very early liturgy that was used during the communion services. In 1 Cor. 11:27-32 Paul warns about the danger of participating in the Lord's Supper hypocritically. This may have been an expression the early church used to warn of hypocrisy. Maranatha is a fitting sentiment for the communion service because it simply means "Come, O Lord."

From this text we learn a number of things about friendship:

1. Friends Can Become Estranged

2. Friends Protect Friends

3. Friends Can Talk Straight to Friends

4. Estranged Friends Can Be Reconciled

5. Grace is Required

The Apostle Paul had friends in Corinth, and there happened to be some unfriendly folks in Corinth. In order to understand his salutation at the end of 1 Corinthians one must first understand a little about the history of his relationship with this church. Along with Timothy and Silas, Paul had planted the church as recorded in Acts chapter 18. After Paul, Apollos had taken on the job of teaching the Corinthians the ways of the Kingdom. But Paul, while ministering in Ephesus, received some startling and disturbing news - the church of Corinth was in great difficulty, not from without but from within. They were factious, dividing along party lines drawn between Paul and Apollos, they were condoning sexual immorality, neglecting the poor, and suing one another over contentious issues. In others words, the church was a mess.

1 Corinthians is the letter that Paul wrote to try to correct the problems. It is a rather terse and forceful letter, where Paul in his typical style, lays down some guidelines in strict but loving ways, reminding them of their need to act lovingly above all else. His salutation hints at the strained relationship between him and the congregation in Corinth. He sends Timothy but wants to make sure he is treated fairly and that he comes back to him in peace (perhaps read that "in one piece"). He tells them he has asked Apollos to go to visit them, but Apollos has declined. Reading between the lines; who would want to insert themselves into that kind of heated partisan atmosphere?

Paul sends greetings from the churches in Asia, from his friends Aquilla and Prisca and the church meeting in their house, and all the brothers with Paul. He then inserts a strange comment that curses those in the church who do not love the Lord and calls for the Lord's soon return: Anathema and Maranatha. Several scholars believe that he is quoting a very early liturgy that was used during the communion services. In 1 Cor. 11:27-32 Paul warns about the danger of participating in the Lord's Supper hypocritically. This may have been an expression the early church used to warn of hypocrisy. Maranatha is a fitting sentiment for the communion service because it simply means "Come, O Lord."

From this text we learn a number of things about friendship:

1. Friends Can Become Estranged

2. Friends Protect Friends

3. Friends Can Talk Straight to Friends

4. Estranged Friends Can Be Reconciled

5. Grace is Required

Friendship, in the way that we have known it, may be turning into a lost art. Today, friendship may not have the same meaning as in past generations. Certainly Facebook Friends are not what we would have imagined friends to be ten years ago. They are perhaps aquaintances or maybe even voyeurs. As we move more and more into a technological world with virtual encounters I worry that we might lose something of what it means to be a real friend. But this is not a new concern. C.S. Lewis in "The Four Loves" was concerned about this very thing a generation ago.

To the Ancients, Friendship seemed the happiest and most fully human of all loves; the crown of life and the school of virtue. The modern world, in comparison, ignores it. We admit of course that besides a wife and family a man needs a few 'friends'. But the very tone of the admission, and the sort of acquaintanceships which those who make it would describe as 'friendships', show clearly that what they are talking about has very little to do with that Philía which Aristotle classified among the virtues or that Amicitia on which Cicero wrote a book. (Lewis, 1974, p69)

So we are starting a series on friendship by looking at Paul's friends. While these passages are often overlooked when we read his epistles, they contain some interesting insights into life in the First Century and the importance and practice of friendship.

This week we are looking at Paul's friends in Rome. While he had many friends in the Roman house churches, he had never visited the church in Rome. This is a good indication of not only the mobility of the early Christians but also of Paul's rather extensive network of friends. The part they played in his life and in the spread of the Gospel is quite extraordinary.

Friendship, in the way that we have known it, may be turning into a lost art. Today, friendship may not have the same meaning as in past generations. Certainly Facebook Friends are not what we would have imagined friends to be ten years ago. They are perhaps aquaintances or maybe even voyeurs. As we move more and more into a technological world with virtual encounters I worry that we might lose something of what it means to be a real friend. But this is not a new concern. C.S. Lewis in "The Four Loves" was concerned about this very thing a generation ago.

To the Ancients, Friendship seemed the happiest and most fully human of all loves; the crown of life and the school of virtue. The modern world, in comparison, ignores it. We admit of course that besides a wife and family a man needs a few 'friends'. But the very tone of the admission, and the sort of acquaintanceships which those who make it would describe as 'friendships', show clearly that what they are talking about has very little to do with that Philía which Aristotle classified among the virtues or that Amicitia on which Cicero wrote a book. (Lewis, 1974, p69)

So we are starting a series on friendship by looking at Paul's friends. While these passages are often overlooked when we read his epistles, they contain some interesting insights into life in the First Century and the importance and practice of friendship.

This week we are looking at Paul's friends in Rome. While he had many friends in the Roman house churches, he had never visited the church in Rome. This is a good indication of not only the mobility of the early Christians but also of Paul's rather extensive network of friends. The part they played in his life and in the spread of the Gospel is quite extraordinary.

Our text is 2 Cor. 9:6-15. There seem to be 4 themes in the text:

1. You reap in direct proportion to how much you sow (v. 6);

2. Giving should come from the heart with right motives (v. 7);

3. God enables us to give by providing more grace (v. 8-11);

4. Generous giving results in praise to God and prayers for us (v. 12-15)

This sermon will be a conversation with Bryce Edelman (our Senior High Youth Pastor) and myself.

My questions to explore are in regard to the next generation and their attitude toward money and life in general. Are we headed for a more generous generation or will the youth of today follow the pattern of previous generations? My questions specifically:

1. Youth generally are taking a longer than their parents to make life decisions. Does this make them more or less likely to be generous?

2. Youth generally are more relational and into community. How does that affect their attitude toward giving money?

3. Youth are very concerned about the “Does it work?” question rather than the “Is it true?” question. How does this affect their attitude toward money.

4. Youth are more into the quality of their working relationships and their sense of mission fulfillment rather than status or large incomes. How does this influence what they give to and why?

Our text is 2 Cor. 9:6-15. There seem to be 4 themes in the text:

1. You reap in direct proportion to how much you sow (v. 6);

2. Giving should come from the heart with right motives (v. 7);

3. God enables us to give by providing more grace (v. 8-11);

4. Generous giving results in praise to God and prayers for us (v. 12-15)

This sermon will be a conversation with Bryce Edelman (our Senior High Youth Pastor) and myself.

My questions to explore are in regard to the next generation and their attitude toward money and life in general. Are we headed for a more generous generation or will the youth of today follow the pattern of previous generations? My questions specifically:

1. Youth generally are taking a longer than their parents to make life decisions. Does this make them more or less likely to be generous?

2. Youth generally are more relational and into community. How does that affect their attitude toward giving money?

3. Youth are very concerned about the “Does it work?” question rather than the “Is it true?” question. How does this affect their attitude toward money.

4. Youth are more into the quality of their working relationships and their sense of mission fulfillment rather than status or large incomes. How does this influence what they give to and why?

Joining us this week is Ron Davis from our PAOC District Office. He continues to focus on our series for the month of May: Living Generously, but from a cultural perspective. North American culture promotes consumerism and at the same time, many studies have sought to prove that money cannot buy you happiness. Ron takes a closer look at the link between money and happiness and draws the conclusion that money can buy happiness - you just have to know where to shop!