Sermon

In Singapore, a 2016/2017 Duke-NUS Centre for Ageing Research and Education (CARE) study found that 34% of Singaporean respondents 60 years and older perceived themselves to be lonely. A 2019 study reported that about a third of those staying in rental flats and 15% staying in their own homes felt lonely. Marriage rates for both men and women have declined over the past decade, even as general divorce rates have also gone down. Meanwhile, the average time adults spend socializing with friends has plunged—from over an hour a day to just 20 minutes.

These statistics reveal a deep spiritual and emotional disconnect. Many relationships today are marked by surface-level interactions, emotional distance, and the absence of meaningful connection. In this climate, the call to pursue Christ-centered relationships shaped by love, grace, and reconciliation has never been more urgent.

In this study series, we will explore the book of Philemon. Though brief, this epistle offers profound insight into God’s heart for relational healing, restoration, and forgiveness. Philemon, a church leader in Colossae, had been wronged by his slave Onesimus, who had likely stolen from him and fled to Rome. By divine appointment, Onesimus encountered the Apostle Paul in prison, where his life was radically transformed by the Gospel. Now, Paul writes to Philemon, urging him to receive Onesimus not as a slave, but as a beloved brother in Christ.