We all love to receive an encouraging note from a friend.

And on one page of the New Testament, we find a very personal letter from Paul to Philemon.

This brief note to a friend is full of doctrinal truth and practical help for us all.

Open your Bible and your heart today as we come to the book of Philemon.

Let's join Scott Pauli now as we study God's Word together. Over the last several days, we have been looking at the amazing story of Onesimus being forgiven and restored all because of the love of God.

The love of God for Him and the love of God shone through some believers named Paul and

Philemon.

If you'll permit me today, I want to back up and read to you together all of the verses we've

been looking at individually because we took it verse by verse.

There's something about reading this entire paragraph together.

And I want to make a few observations today about the love of God.

Fileiman, beginning in verse 9, down to verse 19.

Yet for love's sake, I rather beseech thee being such in one as Paul the aged,

and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds, which in time

past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me, whom I have sent again,

thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels, whom I would have retained with me,

then in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel,

but without thy mind would I do nothing, that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity,

but willingly, for perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldst receive him

forever. Not now as a servant,

but above a servant, a brother beloved, especially to me, but how much more unto thee,

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