THIS MONTH'S BIBLICAL THEME: God is Victorious
Throughout the epistles, we encounter stories of the early church facing persecution, trials and uncertainty. In each letter, God’s provision and hope shines bright. Yes, we face trials and have an enemy, but God is our living hope. He equips us with His armor, and He will return one day. God is ultimately victorious, regardless of our circumstances!
Get ready to go into the wild as this theme reflects the adventure of following God!
Philemon (Philemon 1)
Onesimus was a slave who escaped from his slave owner, Philemon. After Onesimus escaped, he made his way to Rome, where he met Paul. Paul was a prisoner in Rome. He was arrested after preaching about Jesus. Paul shared with Onesimus about Jesus, and Onesimus trusted in Jesus as his Savior. Paul wrote Philemon a letter, asking for kindness for Onesimus.
Paul’s offer to pay Onesimus’ debt is a beautiful picture of what Jesus did for us. We were all slaves to sin and we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. Romans 6:23 says: the wages of sin is death. Though He never sinned and didn’t deserve punishment, Jesus died on the cross, paying the debt for our sin.
