Jeff Vanderstelt of Soma Communities in Tacoma, Washington teaches Infusion Churches about being a church made up of neighborhood-focused missional communities. He stresses the importance of living out our calling and to God by loving and serving those around us.

Paul can ask Philemon to receive Onesimus because he knows this is the way Christ receives him. In Romans 5:6-11, he talks about reconciliation found with God through Jesus as being possible because "at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly" and showed an immeasurable amount of grace for us that we didn't deserve. This kind of grace amazes followers of Jesus, because it is not only undeserved, it is completely unexpected and abnormal. It is much more than just a pleasant surprise. It is mind-blowing.

The Gospel is powerful to change somebody, even those who seem most "useless" to us. The name "Onesimus" was frequently given to slaves, because it literally means "useful." Paul uses his name as a play on words to say that while Onesimus was formerly useless for stealing from Philemon, then running away, he became useful because of his new faith in Christ. God had changed Onesimus, and now he can live up to his name.

The primary theme of Paul's letter to Philemon is that the Gospel has the power to change lives and refresh relationships. Renewal and continual rededication to one another and the task of sharing life with one another in the way described in these verses is the purpose of Christians. We have been renewed by Jesus, bringing refreshing to our souls, the result is that we take that same refreshing and bring them into our relationships, neighborhoods, church, and culture to see it refreshed.

In 5:8-20, Solomon goes into discussing the abuses and dissatisfaction coming from wealth. He talks about how discontentment arises in the lives of those who are not living in God's will.

In chapter 5, Solomon takes a break from his lament to discuss worship and how we ought to approach God.

Solomon begins to portray what happens in life. He does this by listing opposite circumstances in life, both good and bad, that come from the hand of God. He gives this list to show that there is a season for everything and that all of them are not random happenings, but rather they are predetermined by God in His sovereignty. People may wonder why things happen, but Solomon shows that there is a time for everything as God wills it

After Solomon recognizes the immanence of death, this section of chapter 2 records the intensity of Solomon’s depression as he writes about the fact that even what we work for cannot be enjoyed apart from God because of the worries and stresses it brings.

Solomon observes that it seems evil is overcoming good in our world. It seems that good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people. It seems the world is only becoming more corrupt, more dark, and that all efforts for good only fall short and are soon drowned out by wickedness. Even our institutions of justice become corrupt, and mercy is outweighed by oppression. Justice, according to Solomon, does not appear to prevail. The only consolation he has in looking at the "hopeless" situation of evil overwhelming good is the knowledge that God will be the ultimate judge. Pastor John talks about how God brings a new day, defeats wickedness, and changes our hearts to bring us salvation and move us to good works.

Solomon now applies his attention on work to relationships and illustrates that we toil so much, often to the demise of what really matters, our relationships with others.