By Pastor Tracey Leslie
Scripture:  Philippians 1:3-11

​Philippians 1:3 I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to have this mindset toward all of you, because I hold you in my heart, for all of you are shareholders in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10 to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, 11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
 
This week, we look, once again, at Philippians, the apostle Paul’s letter to a Christian community with whom he had a special, intimate relationship.  Last week, we looked at the conclusion of the letter.  This week, we’ll look at the beginning.  This is a letter custom made for the month of November because it is chock full of expressions of thanksgiving and gratitude; although that is not what we’d expect because Paul is writing it from prison.  His circumstances are deplorable; and yet he is filled with joy and gratitude.  So how can someone find themselves in such deplorable conditions and still be filled with thanksgiving?  

By Pastor Tracey Leslie
Scripture: Philippians 4:4-9

​Before I begin my scripture and message this morning, I want to let folks know that Trinity will be creating its own Advent resource this year and we are looking for members and constituents to contribute to it.  If you have a favorite Christmas memory to share or would like to share a hope or prayer for this season, reach out to me or the church office.

Hear now this scripture from Paul’s letter to the Philippians:
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and earnest request with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.