2/3/2010 Philippians series North Hills family,   I hope you have been both challenged and encouraged by our journey through Paul's letter to the Philippian church.  I was personally challenged through our time of prayer last Sunday evening as we prayed about three key themes from this wonderful book:  1.  Joyfully advancing the Gospel regardless of circumstances; 2. Unity; and 3. Personal growth (sanctification).  Let's all continue praying that as we exalt Christ lives will be transformed more and more.   This month we will wrap up our Philippians series (chapter four) with more practical teaching before Missions Month in March. I want to draw your attention to this week's passage, chapter four, verses two and three as it relates to church unity and our gospel witness.  In this case, Paul zeroes in on a specific situation needing to be addressed in order for the church to be healthy and for the gospel to be spread.  It is the case of two influential co-laborers with Paul in the church needing to work through a disagreement.  As we see throughout Scripture, and as we'll address this Sunday, love demands that for a church body to be unified it must work through conflict biblically with love and humility.  So in order to prepare for Sunday worship,  please pray  and see if there are any offenses or broken relationships that need to be mended, and then take steps to make them right.  We will participate in the Lord's Supper at the end of the service as a testimony of our unity as forgiven sinners, bought by the blood of Christ in order to display His glory and express His love.  I'm so thankful for God's mercy toward a sinner like me, and for being part of a loving church like this.............   Glory to God!   Jim