As we kick off our series on Philippians, we find a powerful origin story of the church at Philippi in Acts 16: where two women of wildly different social statuses find deliverance through Jesus. Paul and friends are then thrown into prison, bound, and they worship the Living God deep into the midnight hours. In the midst of their worship we have a dramatic prison-break—an earthquake shakes them out of their chains. About a decade later, Paul writes to this small church in Philippi, reminding them of his love for them in Christ. Picking up in Philippians chapter 1, we will explore the power of the Spirit’s kind voice, resilient joy in suffering, and the insistence that Jesus will finish the work he began in us.
By Nelly D’Alessandro