At the Center of It All - 2022
Final Greetings From and For The Family
November 20, 2022 • Steve Hinton • Colossians 4:7–18
1. Those Carrying the letter of Encouragement 7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. 9 He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here. 2. Those Jews of Encouragement 10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. Acts 15:36-40 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 2 Timothy 4:11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 3. Those Greeks of Encouragement 12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 13 I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. 2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. 4. Sharing Encouragement 15 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. 5. Challenge to Continue in Encouragement 17 Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Philippians 1:12-14 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. What will God do in the future if Christ does not return in 10 – 100 years? Will you be in the picture?
Sharing His Preeminence
November 13, 2022 • Steve Hinton • Colossians 4:5–6, Matthew 5:13, 1 Peter 3:15, Luke 19:10, 2 Corinthians 5:19–20
Colossians 4:5-6 . . . Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person God’s Heart is for those Outside and He’s Called us to Reach Out to Them! 1. The Reality of People Being Outsider. 2. Calls for us to Engage in Outreach. Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. (Ref 5:17) 3. Which will Create Opportunities. 1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect 4. That Demands our Ownership. Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. 2 Cor 5:19-20a God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s Ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. “We are committed to Fully loving God by Actively Following Jesus and Compassionately Seeking Others.” Parable of the Loving Father – Luke 15 .
Preeminent Prayer
November 6, 2022 • Steve Hinton • James 4:3, 1 Peter 5:8, Colossians 4:2–4, Acts 2:42, Ephesians 6:18
The Higher Paradigm of Work
October 30, 2022 • Steve Hinton • Colossians 3:22—4:1, 2 Thessalonians 3:10, 1 Corinthians 7:21, Galatians 4:7, Ephesians 2:8–10
Restoring the Family
October 23, 2022 • Eddie Bowman • Colossians 3:20–21, Leviticus 19:1–3, Romans 1:24–32, Ephesians 6:1–4
The Bond Made in Heaven
October 16, 2022 • Steve Hinton • Genesis 1:27–28, Genesis 2:20–25, Genesis 3:16, Colossians 3:18–19, Mark 10:6–8
The Answer for Marriage is found in the Author of Marriage. Mark 10:6-8 - But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. Genesis 1:26 - Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:27-28 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 2:20-25 - The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Genesis 3:16b - “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” (NIV) Genesis 4:7 - If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (NIV) Ephesians 5:21 - submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:22-33 - Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. Titus 2:4 - "Train the young women to love their husbands and children." Isaiah 62:5 - For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. 1 Peter 3:7 - Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 John 4:19-20 - We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. Hebrews 13:4 - Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
The New Agenda
October 9, 2022 • Steve Hinton • Colossians 3:1–17
The New Life in Christ Calls for a New Agenda in Life! Look Up! If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Tear Down! 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices Put On! 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Build In! 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
From Fullness to Facade to Freedom
October 2, 2022 • Steve Hinton • Colossians 2:6–8, Galatians 2:4–5
1. The Religious Façade of Legalism (Col 2:16-17; Rom 14:1-2; Heb 8:5-6; Heb 10:11-12; Heb 13:4) 2. The Religious Façade of Mysticism (Col 2:18-19; Rev 19:10; Jer 23:25-26; Acts 16:9-10) 3. The Religious Façade of Asceticism (Col 2:20-23; Jam 1:17a; 1 Tim 4:1-4; Mar 7:15)
From His Preeminence to Our Power
September 25, 2022 • Steve Hinton • Colossians 1:27, Colossians 2:9–10
The Empowered Christian Life Flows Out of the Preeminent Christ with In! 1. Christ. Who is this Christ - why better? 2. Chris in You How does this Transformation occur? 3. The Hope of Glory Completeness in Christ! Verses to read: Colossians 1:27 & 2:9-10 Romans 5:1; 6:6 & 8:1-2 1 Corinthians 2:16; 6:19-20 & 15:49 2 Corinthians 3:18; 5:17 & 5:21 Galatians 2:20 & 4:19 Ephesians 2:10 & 3:17
The Preeminent Hope
September 18, 2022 • Steve Hinton • Colossians 1:15–23
Jesus is Preeminent . . . 1. Because He is Devine! (John 8:58-59; Exodus 3:14; Psalm 89:27) 2. Because He is Creator (John 19:10-11) 3. Because He is Reconciler (Romans 8:22; Revelation 21:1-4; Romans 5:8) Because He is Preeminent, HE is Superior to all things, He is Sufficient for our Salvation and Thus should be the first Subject in all of our lives. (Romans 12:1-2)
Setting the Stage
September 11, 2022 • Steve Hinton • Colossians 2:6–7, Colossians 1:1–14
In the face of religious deficiency, Jesus Christ brings sufficiency. While the points below are Paul's message to the Colossians, we can easily substitute "I am" or "me" for "They are" or "Them" because Paul's message is still applicable to each one of us today. 1. Reminder of Who They Are in Jesus. (Colossians 1:1-2) 2. Reminder of What God Has Done for Them in Jesus. (Colossians 1:12-14; John 1:11-12; Luke 22:53; Ephesians 6:10-12; Mark 1:15; Galatians 3:13; Galatians 4:4-6) 3. Reminder of How They are to Live in Jesus. (Colossians 1:9-10; John 6:29; John 15:17; Matthew 18:14; Colossians 3:17; Colossians 3:23-24)