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 not only received God's grace and God's blessing, but he was willing to relay it.

We're supposed to be channels for the grace of God, not just depositories.

We're to be tributaries, flowing into the lives of others.

I want to show you that from this book of Philemon today.

Let's read again beginning in verse 1.

Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ,

and Timothy, our brother, unto Philemon, our dearly beloved, and fellow laborer. And do our beloved

Athea and Archipus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in thy house, grace to you, and peace

from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God making mention of thee always in my prayers, hearing of thy love and faith

which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus and toward all saints,

that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the

acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Do you see all the good things

that are present in the life of Philemon? There seems to be a sincerity to this man's faith. He's

had his own experience of the grace of God. Praise the

Lord for that. But notice carefully that what's in him is supposed to come out of him. There are

two important directional words given here. In verse three, there's the little word to, grace to you,

peace to you. And then in verse five five there's the little word toward toward the

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