~ LISTENING CENTER ~

Date: August 16, 2026 Title: Introduction to Philippians Passage: Philippians 1:1-2; Acts 16 Speaker: Bob Corbin Sermon Note Sheet (PDF) Download Audio Watch it on

* Soon after Marcia and I were saved by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, we began to memorize God's Word. Through the discipleship of Woody and Della Proffitt, we were encouraged to memorize books at a time. The Lord led Marcia and I to memorize Paul's epistle to the Philippians. It quickly became clear why - as it has truly dominated my thinking for the past 42 years. Marcia and I had chosen James 1:22-25 as our life verses as a couple when we were given a new heart in Christ. But, as I memorized and meditated upon Paul's testimony and words to this church, his pursuit became my pursuit - to know Christ! For too many years, I knew about Jesus. Now, having experienced His grace and mercy, and the peace which passes understanding, I wanted to KNOW Him! * Interestingly, this is the first time that I will be teaching through this book during a morning worship service. I spent a long time teaching through it during Sunday School in 1997 and 2010. Otherwise, it has been that precious letter which God has used predominantly to help me change the way I think. * Paul's letter to the Philippians was written approximately only 12 years after his initial visit there and the planting of the church. On that visit, Paul and his companions had led Lydia and her household to Jesus, they had cast out the demon from the fortune teller slave, and they had led the Philippian jailer's family to the Lord. We are not told how long Paul and his entourage were in Philippi ... but it appears that they were there for only a couple of months at most. Acts 16:12 states "we were staying in that city for some days." And then, verse 18 states that the slave girl who was possessed with a spirit of divination pestered Paul for "many days." Paul then visited Philippi briefly a couple of years later after the riot in Ephesus (cf. Acts 20:1-6). * In this short letter, we have an exhortation for the church to remain unified in their focus on Christ and seeking to make His known to those in their sphere of influence. * Today, the goal is to consider the background and overview of the book. * This message was presented by Bob Corbin on August 16, 2026 at Family Bible Church in Martinez, Georgia.