November 24, 2024 • Andrew Murch • Colossians 4:7–18
Colossians 4:7-18 | Andrew Murch | Sitting on the floor of a Roman prison and bound in chains, Paul concludes the dictation of his letter to the church in Colossae. In his usual format, Paul closes the letter by extending his greetings to the complex network of leaders connected with his churches across the Roman world. After all that Paul has written to the Colossian church, this is what he wants to leave them with. Also, this means that after all that the Holy Spirit has inspired Paul to write to His people, this is what He wants to leave His people, us, with. It’s easy to neglect these greetings and skim through them, but they matter just as much as every other word of Scripture - let’s see why!
Being the Church
November 17, 2024 • Andrew Murch • Colossians 4:2–6
Colossians 4:2-6 | Andrew Murch | This week, after pointed instruction about the household of the follower of Jesus, Paul begins to conclude his letter, giving some final instructions before wrapping up. He puts his finger on two crucial elements of the Christian life: prayer and our behavior toward those who do not believe. In light of who Jesus is and what he’s done, how should we pray? And how should we act around those who aren’t living as though all things truly are through him and for him?
Colossians 3:18-4:1 | Gavin Hesse | Moving on from his exhortations in the beginning of Colossians 3, Paul now takes those principles and then gives instructions on what it looks like to live life in Christ in the context of the relationships we find ourselves in. He first addresses the family, the foundational relationship of any society. He speaks to wives, husbands, children, and fathers before turning his attention to servants and masters. Our lives in Christ are to reflect him fully, no matter what role we find ourselves fulfilling, living out verses twelve through seventeen in every context.
The Sequel
November 3, 2024 • Andrew Murch • Colossians 3:12–17
Colossians 3:12-17 | Andrew Murch | The Christian life comes with a whole new wardrobe, new habits and practices and priorities. And the best part? This new life is not lived in order to get to God, it’s lived because you have God! These new things are not ways to righteousness, they are the way of righteousness for the individual Christian and the whole Christian community.
Heavenly Minded, Earthly Good
October 27, 2024 • Andrew Murch • Colossians 3:1–11
Colossians 3:1-11 | Andrew Murch | Now that our lives are in Christ, we are at war as we daily put to death that which used to reign in our mortal bodies. What was once dead is now alive and therefore has nothing to do with those things that bring death. We’ve been given a new self that is being transformed into the image of our creator as we walk according to his ways.
DIY Religion
October 20, 2024 • Andrew Murch • Colossians 2:16–23
Colossians 2:16-23 | Andrew Murch | Is Christ enough? Is what Jesus did for us on the cross when He bore our sins in His body enough? When He shed His blood, when He died and was buried, was it enough? And when He rose again from the dead, was it enough? Was all that Jesus accomplished enough for us to stand before a Holy God, forgiven, cleansed, and washed from our sins? Paul’s response is a resounding YES!
The Day That Everything Changed
October 13, 2024 • Mike Clarensau • Colossians 2:6–15
Colossians 2:6-15 | Mike Clarensau | Paul stresses to the Colossians they have found something authentic and very valuable in Christ but are being lured away from that treasure as their faith is being tested and challenged by tradition and persuasive intellectual arguments. He wants them to be established firmly in their faith, to know what is authentic compared to what is counterfeit. The Lord desired for them as well as us to be experts in our field, knowing what is true and genuinely from Him, contrasted to what is an imitation or a fake reproduction of Christianity. Paul then reminds the Colossians of the powerful work of Jesus on the cross, just how final and comprehensive it is. This is what Paul is calling them to put their hope in, the only gospel with the power to save and bring to life what was once dead.
Struggling With A Smile
October 6, 2024 • Andrew Murch • Colossians 1:24–29, Colossians 2:1–5
Colossians 1:24-2:5 | Andrew Murch | We are called to make disciples of all peoples because God loves them. He made them. He wants to return them to community with himself. How will we do this? Truth and love. Righteousness and compassion. Paul writes that “My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Not only is life in Christ but life to the fullest. These treasures and riches cannot be swallowed by the grave, destroyed by moths, or reduced to rubble. We become connected to Christ to spread his love. We are changed so that we cannot help but support our brothers and sisters, both those who are with us or will join us by God’s grace.
Remember Your Story
September 29, 2024 • Ryan MacDonald • Colossians 1:21–23
Colossians 1:21-23 | Ryan MacDonald | You have been saved by Christ so that you can be presented “holy,” “blameless,” and “above reproach.” This is incredible news for you who were once far off and sinning against God! The Christian life is not constant striving to clean yourself up before God. The Christian life is a day-in, day-out response to the work of Jesus Christ who has saved you in order to heal you, transform you, and bring you into deeper and deeper relationship with himself.
He Is
September 22, 2024 • Andrew Murch • Colossians 1:15–20
Colossians 1:15-20 | Andrew Murch | Through Paul’s letter to the believers in Colossae, God gives us poignant insight into the nature of Jesus. We learn that Jesus is sovereign and powerful, and our beautiful earth and heavens were created through him.
God’s Will
September 15, 2024 • Andrew Murch • Colossians 1:9–14
Colossians 1:9-14 | Andrew Murch | Paul did not establish and probably never visited the church at Colossae. He was imprisoned in Rome when he wrote this letter. Regardless of his circumstances and the absence of a historical or physical connection, Paul knew that he had a relationship with these believers – they had the same Father. He, along with Timothy, prayed for them. Paul was thankful for their dedication to Jesus and their love for other believers. He reminded them of the truth of Jesus Christ that they had put their faith in and affirmed the Gospel was bearing fruit in their lives and throughout the world.
Gospel Produce
September 8, 2024 • Andrew Murch • Colossians 1:1–8
Colossians 1:1-8 | Andrew Murch | A special relationship existed between Paul, Timothy, and the Christians in and around Colossae. Considering Colossian, you are faced with the beauty of a local church established in the gospel and growing in the grace of the Lord Jesus. In the opening of the letter, we see the power of the grace of God in the lives of his people.
