Pastor Tim Delkeskamp of Ascension Lutheran Church in Thousand Oaks, California begins this four week sermon series on Paul's letter to the Philippians today.  

Background:  From The NIV Application Commentary: Philippians, by Frank Thielman:  “Twenty centuries ago an itinerant tent maker was tossed into prison for creating a public disturbance. There he spent considerable time dictating a letter that might have taken up a dozen sheets of stiff, scratchy paper. Today few people would recognize the name of the Roman Emperor at the time and, although Nero was a prolific author, nothing of his literary output remains. Paul's name, on the other hand, is instantly recognized by millions, and existing copies of his letter to the Philippians, in many languages, run easily into the millions. Indeed the time has come, as T.R. Glover observed, when people call their dogs Nero and their sons Paul.”

Why is this particular book so near and dear to the hearts of so many people?  Why are so many people’s favorite 

Bible verses from this short little letter that this itinerant tentmaker wrote to a church he started on the banks of a river in Philippi?  Because the letter is about joy and hope and how to persevere in the midst of struggle.  It’s about the power of community and what it means to be a church.  

Join us for the next four weeks as we talk about those themes.  We will focus on one of the 4 chapters each week as we seek to, as Paul says in the 2nd chapter of