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Welcome to Day 2329 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to\xa0Wisdom Philippians-6 A Son and a Brother \u2013 Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message \u2013 01/21/2023 Joy in Serving \u2013 A \u201cSon\u201d and a \u201cBrother\u201d \u2013 Philippians 2:19-30 Last week, we explored \u201cWorking Out God\u2019s Inner Work,\u201d and we concluded that it is only through the inner work of God's Spirit in our lives that we can progressively become more like Christ. This week, we continue our study of the letter to the church at Philippi. Paul is thankful for two close friends, Timothy and Epaphroditus, in a message, \u201cA Son and a Brother.\u201d Today's scripture passage is Philippians 2:19-30 on page 1828, in your Pew Bibles. 19 \xa0I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy\xa0to you soon,\xa0that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.\xa020\xa0I have no one else like him,\xa0who will show genuine concern for your welfare.\xa021\xa0For everyone looks out for their own interests,\xa0not those of Jesus Christ.\xa022\xa0But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father\xa0he has served with me in the work of the gospel.\xa023\xa0I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.\xa024\xa0And I am confident\xa0in the Lord that I myself will come soon. 25\xa0But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker\xa0and fellow soldier,\xa0who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.\xa026\xa0For he longs for all of you\xa0and is distressed because you heard he was ill.\xa027\xa0Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.\xa028\xa0Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,\xa0so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.\xa029\xa0So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,\xa030\xa0because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. \xa0 It\u2019s impossible to put a price tag on friendship. Our relationships with some people are so significant that we often liken them to family. Close friends not only help us; they transform us. Just as \u201cDon\u2019t be fooled by those who say such things, for \u201cbad company corrupts good character.\u201d (1 Cor. 15:33), good company promotes good character: courage, leadership, humility, strength, faithfulness, and joyfulness. Proverbs 17:17 says: A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. Close friends prop us up when we\u2019re weak, lift our spirits when we\u2019re down, and push us when we wear out. Friends motivate us\u2014sometimes even without words\u2014to be more than we could be without them. As we observe their perseverance, we\u2019re prompted to endure hardship. As we hang around a servant leader, seeds of humility are planted into our lives. As a godly saint stares down adversity with a smile, we learn how to have deep-seated joy amid frustrations and challenges. \xa0 We shouldn\u2019t be surprised, then, that God\u2019s Word is filled with references, accounts, and commendations of men and women who were faithful friends\u2014 There are \u201cfriends\u201d who destroy each other, but a...