General Sessions

Our personal narratives capture a large and important swath of who we are and why we do what we do. In the book of Philippians, Paul tells his narrative, and by doing so he tells ours too. This session will consider how he takes our personal narratives to places we would never include, such as personal failures, and then moves them one step further to their inevitable conclusion—where his story, and our own, is “Christ.”

What is “encouragement”? It can mean many things: exhortation to action, reassurance, observing what is good in someone’s character or circumstances, or comfort that there is good reason to hope. Paul’s life and letters brim with all of these, grounding them immediately and inextricably in who Jesus is and what that means for us. This session will explore the many graces of Christ-rooted encouragement which in turn lead us to be deeply Christian encouragers ourselves.

Prayer, teaching on prayer, and prayer requests make up about 15 percent of Paul’s epistles. Because of our western secularism, there is much we’ve completely missed about Paul’s different ways of praying. Paul’s letters are a window into how the early church was a living, breathing, praying community. This session will look at the structure of some of Paul’s prayers, how his theology informs his prayers, and how our hearts can be stirred with a new passion for engaging the living God in prayer.

Anger can be destructive, sinful, and self-centered, but it can also be redemptive, righteous, and full of mercy. Paul knew both sides of this reality. Before Christ, his anger was a foothold for the devil, even fueling murderous persecution. After Christ, his rampaging zeal was transformed into a passion for truth, love, and the protection of God’s people. This session will examine Paul’s journey and consider how to steward anger, shaping it to reflect Christ’s just and merciful heart for his beloved people.

Life in a fallen world is full of burdens. Caring for others—which is every Christian’s calling—adds to the weight. Paul was not superhuman. Like us, he often faltered beneath the load. Yet his enduring joy in Christ bleeds through his letters. Even in hardship—especially in hardship—his joy seems resilient. This session will explore the roots of Paul’s mysterious joy behind the torn veil of the new covenant.

Unity is a mountain to be climbed and an instrument to be learned. It doesn’t happen quickly or on its own but is always the result of hard work, practice, and cost. Paul urged the early church to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:3). This exhortation requires every Christian to cultivate relationships and corporate virtues that foster unity. This session will examine Paul’s labor to cultivate unity in the church.

No one likes to admit weakness or to feel powerless. We prefer at least a healthy dose of strength and ease in life. But Paul reveals how God’s power is paradoxically perfected in his weakness, to the extent that Paul boasts all the more gladly of his weaknesses! How can this be? This session will explore how we can increasingly grow in contentment amid weakness and suffering as we rest in the sufficient grace of Christ, who himself became weak on our behalf.