Affection and Encouragement

More affection from Paul - You hold me in your heart

Philippians 7-8
7It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.


How do you encourage and gently challenge those you love so much? 
I often face this in preaching. I love our congregation so much! People are living loving, faith-filled lives. Yet our challenge, and the challenge of scripture and discipleship, is to keep growing, keep serving and keep loving. Look at how Paul does it:

Philippians 9-11
9And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

How do you gently challenge those you deeply love and respect?

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