S4:298 Philemon

Join The Journey

Watermark Community Church, Dallas, TX

Christianity, Religion & Spirituality, Christian, Bible, Devotional

5 • 827 Ratings

🗓️ 13 December 2025

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"Philemon is a letter about a runaway slave, Onesimus, returning to his master. How should we understand Paul’s approach to slavery here, and what do we learn about how the gospel challenges cultural systems without immediately overthrowing them? Paul appeals to Philemon not on the basis of authority but on love, asking him to receive Onesimus as a brother (v. 16). What does this teach us about Christian reconciliation and the way relationships are transformed in Christ? What does this letter show us about how theology plays out in real relationships and everyday decisions? In today's episode, Watermark Women's Community Director, Katie Shemanske and member Gabe Serrano talk about the book of Philemon and how we can practice the kind of reconciliation Paul teaches in this letter in our own lives today. You can also check out the Join The Journey Jr. Podcast: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-the-journey-junior/id1660089898 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6SG7aaE1ZjjFkgB34G8zp3?si=c960a63736904665 Check out the Join The Journey Website for today's devotional and more resources! https://www.jointhejourney.com/ Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Watermark-Community-Church/author/B0BRYP5MQK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1755623322&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=8aeeec3b-6c1c-416d-87ae-5dfbbb6981df"

Transcript

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0:00.0	All right now, if we're honest, reading the Bible consistently can be a challenge, but it's never
0:05.4	too late to start and we're in this together.
0:08.6	This is the Join the Journey podcast.
0:12.0	Well, hello, and thanks for joining.
0:14.3	My name is Katie Schmanski, and I am the women's director of community here at Watermark.
0:19.8	I'm subbing in for Emma today as we cover the whole book, the longest book. The whole book. It's not that long, is it? It's 25 verses.
0:27.7	A Philemon. And you've already heard his voice, but I'm in the studio today with the one and only faithful Watermark member Gabe Serrano.
0:37.4	Hey, Katie. Hey, Katie.
0:38.0	Hey, Gabe.
0:38.7	We're so glad you're here. I'm so stoked to be here. This is your first time, right? First time on the podcast. I guess I'll start off. I'm going to give a special shout out to my mom. That's okay. Okay. Martha Serrano, because she listens to join the journey every single day, and I have specifically not told her that I'll be on the podcast. So this
0:55.5	will be her first time hearing me and she is, I think she might lose her mind. I'm not sure. I know the family group chat is going to explode here probably in about five minutes after this is released. 1,000%. And so, hey mom. Hey mom. We're so glad you're here. So glad you're listening to join the journey. into everyone else as well I guess.
1:10.7	Yes, yes, of course, everyone else as well.
1:12.7	Well, Gabe, we're so glad you're here.
1:14.1	I guess. Yes, yes, of course, everyone else as well.
1:12.7	Well, Gabe, we're so glad you're here.
1:14.1	And I think your mom is going to even be more glad that you're here.
1:17.3	Yeah.
1:18.0	But while we're talking about your mom, can you tell us a little bit about your story?
1:23.5	Yeah.
1:23.7	Maybe how you came to know Jesus and how you came to Watermark. Yeah, of course.
1:27.9	So I'm on staff here at Watermark. I have the blessing of working on the porch team here. I'm our men's discipleship coordinator. Big part of that job is I just, you know, get to spend a lot of time with our male leaders, help invest in them, disciple them, and then see them, disciple others. So I grew up in the DFW area. I grew up in a city called Keller.
1:43.4	It's about an hour away from Watermark.
	...

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