We need explanations to gain understanding, and sometimes we need experience to really know the truth. Colossians 1:9-10 teaches this connection between explanation and experience. There we read that we are filled with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding so that we can walk according to Christ. By doing...
We come to a place in Colossians 3 that may seem like a contradiction, but it reveals a perfectly consistent way to live by faith in the grace of God. As this chapter opens, we hear of the great grace of God by which he brings...
The gospel reality of union with Christ means newness characterizes our lives. We have been learning about the reality of our union with Christ from Colossians 3. Now we see the results of that union in our on-the-ground, everyday life. This chapter opens with the declaration that we...
The language of salvation we most often use includes words like forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life. Praise God for these realities of the gospel. A much less used phrase, but equally true and necessary, is “union”. By grace through faith, we are united to Christ. As...
The power of a phrase is undeniable. Marketers know this. Think of how many products you purchase and places you go that have a memorable slogan attached to them. Colossians 2 comes with a phrase that clarifies what we are to believe and how we are...
This morning’s reading was the 100th Psalm. I read through the psalm quickly with the thought of moving on to some other reading I had planned. But as I slowed down, the force of it landed appropriately on my soul and I stopped to pray. What...
We have a life-long concern for our bodies. Have we come to see them as consecrated to God and the place where we serve Christ and his church? Toddlers learn to touch their eyes, ears, nose, and toes as they sing songs with their parents. Children...
Here’s a deep-thought exercise for your final weekend of the summer. First, using as many commas as you need, summarize your life in a sentence. Some of you will find this exercise to be an energizing challenge. Others will have no interest in this kind of...
This week will be our third consideration of Paul’s opening prayer in Colossians 1:3-14. One thing I have noticed is how he begins and ends his prayer with thanksgiving to God. If we follow Paul’s pattern, our prayers and our lives will be changed. In the prayer,...
All who set themselves to obey the command of Christ to persist in prayer experience times when they simply don’t know what to ask. Not knowing how to pray can happen when the situation is complex, when we are overwhelmed with emotion, or when we’ve prayed...
