Sermons on Philemon 1:21:

The Hardest Thing Series

Contributed by Tim Smith on Feb 7, 2016

What do you as a follower of Jesus Christ when someone close to you has hurt you?

The Hardest Thing You’ll Ever Do Philemon What do you do when the person closest to you has betrayed and hurt you? I had a friend in college with whom I reconnected after I moved back from seminary. Let’s call her Jane. She had a whirlwind romance and after just six months, got married. ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25

Denomination: Methodist

Being An Advocate For Others Series

Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Feb 28, 2016

A sermon examining the importance of ministering to others.

BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR OTHERS Philemon 1:8-21 (Antioch Baptist Church: Sunday Morning, July 6th, 2025) Listen online at - https://youtu.be/hA3T00nqTGM?feature=shared It’s the kind of story that makes the news; a man who had set out on a mission to destroy a church unexpectedly came to ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:8-21

Denomination: Baptist

Plan Of Salvation - A Letter To Philemon Series

Contributed by Heman Sapogu on Oct 31, 2022

The Letter To Philemon: The Book of Philemon has only one chapter with 25 Verses. It’s a simple letter written by Apostle Paul when he was in prison to a man called Philemon who lived in COLOSSE, today we are going to meditate/learn what was the need of this letter to Philemon.

The Letter To Philemon: The Book of Philemon has only one chapter with 25 Verses. It’s a simple letter written by Apostle Paul when he was in prison to a man called Philemon who lived in COLOSSE, today we are going to meditate/learn what was the need of this letter to Philemon. Paul is not writing ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25

Forgiving Those Who Hurt You Series

Contributed by Fred Sigle on Jan 12, 2023

The apostle Paul wrote a personal letter to a man named Philemon who had been wronged by his servant named Onesimus whom had, it is widely believed, stolen money from him and then ran away to Rome.

A. We live in a WORLD where it’s so easy to become CALLUSED and INDIFFERENT. 1. We are bombarded daily with news of TRAGEDIES, VIOLENT ACTS, and SUFFERING PEOPLE. COMMENT: Living SANELY in such a WORLD often necessitates developing a certain amount of THICK SKIN. Unfortunately, THICK SKIN ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Attributes Of A Forgiving Person Series

Contributed by Fred Sigle on Jan 12, 2023

The apostle Paul wrote a personal letter to a man named Philemon who had been wronged by his servant named Onesimus whom had, it is widely believed, stolen money from him and then ran away to Rome.

A. Philemon 4-7 (READ) 1. We live in a SOCIETY that KNOWS little about FORGIVENESS. We live in a SOCIETY that CARES little about FORGIVENESS. a. In fact, I would think that one of the major CONTRIBUTORS—if not the major contributor—to the DESTRUCTION of RELATIONSHIPS in our ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

Characteristics Of A Forgiven Person Series

Contributed by Fred Sigle on Jan 12, 2023

The apostle Paul wrote a personal letter to a man named Philemon who had been wronged by his servant named Onesimus whom had, it is widely believed, stolen money from him and then ran away to Rome.

A. Psalm 32:1-2 (READ and COMMENT) ILLUSTRATION: Some years ago, two TEENAGERS with a long history of CRIME and DELINQUENCY robbed a DRUG STORE on the lowest East Side of New York City and then ran into a YMCA to HIDE OUT while all the POLICE activity was going on. On the way out, they saw ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

"a Love Letter From Jesus."

Contributed by Dr. Jerry Hulse on Feb 13, 2023

The book of Philemon portrays the love of God through the relationship between Paul and a runaway slave named Onesimus. Similarly, Christ's love for his church is evident in his prayer in the garden where he asked God to receive his church the way he would receive him.

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES (Philemon 1:10-16) (10) "I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:" (11) "Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:" (12) ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:10-21, John 17:5-11, John 17:1-5, John 17:12-23, John 17:24-26  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Pentecostal

Philemon Series

Contributed by Roshelle Brenneise on Jan 16, 2022

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

January 15, 2022 Paul was a prisoner in Rome Philemon was a leader in the church at Colossae and a wealthy slave owner. Onesimus was Philemon’s useless runaway slave who made his way to Rome. A note on slavery in ancient Rome: • 85% of Rome’s population were slaves. • Slavery was not ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 3:8, Psalm 14:1-3, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:10, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:10, Galatians 4:7, Philemon 1:1-25  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist

Philemon - Forgiveness In Action

Contributed by Chuck Gohn on Mar 26, 2021

At any time in life we can be Onesimus, Philemon, or Paul i.e., someone who has hurt another person, someone who has been hurt, or someone who is attempted to reconcile two people. Like Onesimus we are all part of the “fellowship of the forgiven”, and therefore must practice forgiveness.

SERMON OUTLINE: Philemon : Forgiveness in Action 1. Book Background Only one chapter – 25 verses Thin book, but rich in content Originally written as a simple letter 2. Historical Setting Philemon – friend of Paul Christian converted by Paul in Ephesus? Philemon now living in Colossae A ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25

Denomination: Christian Church

The Motivation Of One Who Forgives Series

Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Aug 19, 2016

In this lesson we examine the motivation of one who forgives.

Scripture Three weeks ago I started a short sermon series called “Forgiveness and Reconciliation” on the letter of Paul to Philemon. I plan to conclude this series today. Philemon was a wealthy, godly Christian who lived in the city of Colossae. He had a slave named Onesimus. Some ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:19-25

Denomination: Presbyterian/Reformed

Restoring Relationships

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Sep 4, 2016

Paul's letter to Philemon gives us solid timeless principles in restoring broken relationships. As Paul paid for Onesimus' sin, so Christ pays for ours, thus restoring us to God. Because we have been forgiven much, we need to forgive others.

Philemon Restoring Relationships I’d like to take a little survey this morning: Who here has never had a relationship challenge? Ah ha, I thought so. Today’s subject “Restoring Relationships,” is for all of us. As we seek to live a Christian life, does our faith have any ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-21

Denomination: Baptist

How To Influence Someone To Do The Right Thing

Contributed by Derrick Tuper on Jan 26, 2015

Paul was good at knowing how to talk to people. He was wise in how he chose his words. The letter he wrote to his friend Philemon is a great example of that. Let’s take a look at how Paul sought to influence his friend to do the right thing.

HOW TO INFLUENCE SOMEONE TO DO THE RIGHT THING INTRODUCTION: Book-“How to gain friends and influence people”. Paul was good at knowing how to talk to people. He was wise in how he chose his words. The book of Philemon is a great example of that. Paul writes a letter to his friend ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-25

Denomination: Christian/Church Of Christ

The Ledger, Charge That To My Account - Philemon

Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Dec 9, 2015

Beloved, Martin Luther saw the power of this short epistle to Philemon in his statement: "We are all his Onesimi if we really believe it." Updated September 2022

Beloved ... It seems right to me ... that we lay the foundation ... the background to this letter to Philemon ... before we look into it ... to behold its treasures. We know the following ... from the Scriptures ... from both this letter ... and the letter ... to the Colossians: That Philemon ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 27:46-48, 1 Peter 1:18, Romans 5:12, Romans 6:23, Galatians 3:13, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philemon 1:1-25, Romans 10:9  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Anglican

An Open Letter

Contributed by Christopher Holdsworth on Jul 20, 2019

No longer a slave.

AN OPEN LETTER. PHILEMON 1:1-21. Onesimus was a slave who had escaped from his Christian master, Philemon. Yet in a beautiful irony, having not ‘made it’ alone in the big city, he found himself at last brought under the direct personal influence of “Paul the prisoner” (Philemon 1:1). Many a ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:1-21

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

I've Been Changed Series

Contributed by Kevin Broyhill on Oct 4, 2024

Every person has a story, often marked by success, failure, or struggle—but for the Christian, that story can be summed up in one powerful word: Grace. This is the testimony of every believer—before grace and after grace—a story of transformation and redemption.

I’ve Been Changed! Philemon 8-25 Introduction: Every person has a life story. That story can be summed up on one word: achievement, success, power, wealth, family… tragedy, failure, brokenness. Christian = Grace! Every Christian’s life is a story of grace. Another Word = Changed! Before ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:8-25

Denomination: Baptist