Paul invites Philemon to a radically different hospitality, one marked with eagerness and genuine connection.

The call of mutual submission is the deep and consistent call of the New Testament. Paul calls Philemon, the slave owner, to see submission differently, which leads to forgiveness, reconciliation, and even more.

We all have blind spots where we miss what it means to live in the Kingdom. We best understand authentic life and the deep identity given to us in Christ through living with a Kingdom perspective.

In its original context, the book of Philemon displays the radical and timeless truths of God’s Kingdom-Community, helping all of us to see every one of us the way that God does.

Jesus perfectly loves his Bride, the Church.

The story that began with an angelic declaration consummates with a human declaration--the praise of the shepherds points us toward our own declaration. The joy of the Godhead comes to earth in Jesus, and we're invited!

The powerful statement of the apostle Paul is that in the midst of suffering and discouragement, we can be content and even joyful.

While the distinction between happiness and joy doesn't have deep biblical roots, our experience is often that they are two different things. Happiness is promised, and often not achieved, through a complex system of hopes and wants. Joy, on the other hand, is simple. It's in simplicity we find the Kingdom, and with it, everything else.

We all can be transformed from fear to great joy when our hearts receive the good news that Jesus the Rescuer has come.

The heart of prayer is that we seek God Himself. When we come to God in order to get what we want, we often miss His heart altogether. But when we pursue Him for His glory alone, we find that everything else comes along with Him.