Phil 1:3-10

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,(NIV)

Ø  I thank God for you.

o   Ulli and I are the Happiest that we have ever been.

Ø  Because of your partnership from the first day until now

Ø  he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion

o   Because of your faithfulness you have opened the door for him to continue to work in your lives.

Ø  this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight

o   Let love continue and increase

Ø  so that you may be able to discern what is best

o   Love helps us divide what is just good and what is the best. Love gives us balance in our lives.

Ø  pure and blameless

Eph 5:25-27

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. (NIV)

Christ loved her, to make her Holy!

Ø  Washing: washing by his words of Love  (feet washing) John 13:5-15

1 Pet 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.

·         you have purified yourselves

·         by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart

Ø  Stain removing (by his blood)

Heb 9:14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (NIV)

Ø  Ironing: you know what this word wrinkles means? Wrinkles. He will make you look good.

Ø  Protection from further stains: any other blemish

Ø  Patching:  Prov 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. (KJV)