I thank God for you!
Philippians 1:3-14
By Ysrael De la Cruz
Every week, we make it a priority to thank you for your generosity to this church. We want you to know that your service, your dedication and commitment to this community doesn’t go unnoticed. I know that having an attitude of gratitude doesn’t come easily for some people. We also know and understand that there are lots of ungrateful people in the world. “No matter how kind and generous you are, you will never satisfy an ungrateful person.” Coach Lee.

Do you have an attitude of gratitude toward God and people?
Around 62 AD, the apostle Paul wrote a letter from prison, to church in Philippi to thank them for being his ministry partner. Paul was grateful to God for the Christians in Philippi.
Philippians 1:3-14
Paul is grateful for this church.
-I thank God every time I remember you in my prayers. I have joy when I pray for you.
Why is the apostle thankful for this church? (v.5) Because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. The word for partnership here is (koinonia: fellowship, participation, partnership). Paul gives thanks to God for this church because they were partners with him in the preaching of the gospel.
This church stood by Paul throughout his ministry. They were ministry partners and supported the apostles in his missionary journeys.
In chapter 4:15-16 Paul 15And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.

Paul’s confidence regarding them. (v.6) HE who began a good work in your will finish it.
Paul is grateful that this church were partakers of God’s grace with him in his imprisonment and defense of the gospel. (v.7)

Paul’prayer for them. (v.9-11)
-That your love may abound (overflow) with knowledge and discernment. So that you may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. Filled wit the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul was grateful for his circumstances. (v.12-14)
Paul’s imprisonment and hardships. He is grateful for that.
Because these things helped advance the gospel. The gospel was reaching other people.
Paul saw God’s purpose even in his imprisonment. God used it to spread out the gospel.
God used Paul’s imprisonment to encourage and strengthen the believers. (v.14)
Paul is grateful that his imprisonment brought confidence and boldness and some of the believers who would now proclaim the gospel fearless.

How grateful are you for the circumstances? Regardless of the circumstances you experience, God can always use them for his purposes.

You can see how passionate Paul was about preaching the gospel. No matter what he went through he was an ambassador for Christ.

Like Paul, are you grateful to God for the church? For some people he brought into your life to bless you? Paul wanted to the Philippians to know how grateful he was for them.
I am grateful to God for this church and for the partnership in proclaiming the gospel here.
I am also grateful for the circumstances we have lived in this church for it also has helped to strengthen ourselves and the believers.

How grateful are you to God and what he has done and is doing in hour life?