Remember Your Roots, Firm up Your Foundations

Many of the Christians in Colossae would have been Gentiles. Lacking the traditions and historical understandings of their fellow Christians with Jewish roots, they are particularly susceptible to the “ideas of the day.” Paul is writing to remind them to grow their lives with deep roots in Christ and to build their futures on a foundation that is firm and wide …

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Jesus is the Real Deal. Why Settle for Less?

Jesus said “I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest” (John 10:10). Jesus intends for us to enjoy a full and rich life. The life he desires for us is not without boundaries, but they are set by God not people, to fulfill us. The Colossians are in danger of being dragged down again by human rules and regulations …

Onward and Upward – Let the Main Thing Be the Main Thing

Paul is showing the Colossians how much richer they are than they realize. In Christ they have found everything that the human heart truly desires – freedom from the burden of sin and of course “life in its fullest” (John 10:10). The call then is to focus our lives heavenwards and not on the things of this world that drag us back to our miserable origins.

We Need an Attitude of Gratitude

Paul summarizes his thoughts so far in his letter to the Colossians. We are to have an attitude of gratitude to God at all times for the great gift of Jesus in our lives. As in daily life, our inner attitude finds its way out in verbal and practical expression.

We are God’s covenant people, and when we gladly accept this role, it has practical implications.

Me after You

“Honor Christ and put others first” (Ephesians 5:21). This is the principle underlying this passage. In our desire to please God we are to live out our personal relationships by placing the other person ahead of ourselves. This is how it works in the kingdom of God.

Persistent Prayer, Powerful Witness

Paul shows us here how to deal with two areas that many Christians struggle with, namely prayer and sharing the gospel. His advice is pithy and plain – pray diligently and speak the truth of the gospel at every opportunity. These are matters in which Satan manages to deflect and defeat us more often than we’d like to admit.

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Fellowship of the Saints – Nothing Sweeter

Have you ever been on a trip or camping experience which involved shared adversity? Our church small group once went camping for a long weekend. Some were not hardened campers and were there under sufferance. We all had young kids. It rained and rained. We had no group shelter.

Struggling? Back to the Basics

In this letter to Philemon Paul was dealing with an issue raising its head at that time. As the gospel spread throughout the Roman Empire, it knew no social boundaries. People from every level of society were receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour. This created challenging situations for the accepted order.

Grace – Infinitely Costly, Freely Given

Paul, here is challenging Philemon to move from being a recipient of grace freely given to him to being a generous dispenser of grace to Onesimus who, like him, does not deserve it. Onesimus has run away from Philemon, risking the death penalty if captured. In the meantime, Onesimus has met Paul who has introduced him to Jesus.