November 24, 2024 • Ben Potloff • Colossians 4:7–18
Colossians 4:7-18 | Ben Potloff | 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!
MAIN IDEA
Kingdom work is done together.
OUTLINE
I. Our call is faithful service (vv. 7-9, 12-13, 17)
II. Our comfort is fellow servants (vv. 7-11, 14-15)
III. Our connection is in Christ (vv. 7, 12, 16-18)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What does encouraging other believers’ hearts look like to you on a practical level?
2. Paul asks the readers to remember his chains. Why is it important for Christians to remember one another in their suffering?
3. What does “struggling in prayer” mean to you? Is there anything or anyone that you’ve been struggling on behalf of in prayer?
4. What would it look like for you to fulfill the ministry/work in which you have received in the Lord?
5. How can you use your present circumstances to spread the gospel and support your fellow believers, as Paul did from prison?
6. How does Paul’s message to the early church inform or challenge the way you view participation in your local church?
And Another Thing…
November 17, 2024 • Max Janusch • Colossians 4:2–6
Colossians 4:2-6 | Max Janusch | 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?
MAIN IDEA
Let your life speak of Christ.
OUTLINE
I. Persistent prayer should permeate God’s people. (vv. 2-4)
II. Would-be witnesses should walk wisely in the world. (vv. 5-6)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Think back on last week’s text (3:18-4:1). Now read this week’s short text together (4:2-6). How do Paul’s words in these five verses help us apply the instruction from last week’s passage?
2. Look at all five days of “Engage the Text.” You’ll notice that all of Paul’s instructions in these verses can be traced back to the teachings of Jesus. Take a few moments and look at all the overlap, making observations as you go.
3. Look at verses 2-4. What does Paul say about prayer? How should this shape how we pray? Does this come easy to you? Difficult? Why?
4. How often do you pray for each other, that God would help your group mates as you share the gospel with others? How can you encourage each other in this?
5. Read verses 5-6. Why is this especially important in our current day and age? Think about your own personal relationships. What are specific ways that this can be a struggle? How can we, as the people of God, grow in this area?
How Shall We Live?
November 10, 2024 • Luke Hendrix • Colossians 3:18–25, Colossians 4:1
Colossians 3:18-4:1 | Luke Hendrix | 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.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What role or roles in your life are you struggling the most to live out considering Paul’s call in verses 12-17?
2. In the roles of wife, husband, mother, father, boss or employee, what has helped you most in living as God’s chosen ones?
3. Paul says that fathers are not to provoke their children, for those that are parents in the group, how do you do this well and where do you see yourself needing to grow in this area?
4. The work that you do, who do you think people see you doing it for and why?
5. Verse 25 tells us that God shows no favoritism and that judgment will be impartial regardless of human “class”. How should this change the way we think about people and the way we treat them in life?
Dress Code
November 3, 2024 • Max Janusch • Colossians 3:12–17
Colossians 3:12-17 | Max Janusch | 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.
MAIN IDEA
New life calls for a new way of life.
OUTLINE
I. Christians act different because they are different. (vv. 12-14)
II. Christians overflow with thankfulness to God. (15-17)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What has stood out to you from this passage that is particularly encouraging, challenging, inspiring, comforting, etc.?
2. What reason does Paul give for you to “put on” all these things? What does he say qualifies you for this?
3. What or who do you need in order to do the things called for in this passage? Hint: look at those around you.
4. Thankfulness and thanksgiving play a big part in this passage. How do you practice these things? How can you grow in this discipline of the Christian life?
5. What do you need in order to grow in all these things? What happens if you become unbalanced and only grow in certain areas of the Christian life?
How To Be Your True Self
October 27, 2024 • Ben Potloff • Colossians 3:1–11
Colossians 3:1-11 | Ben Potloff | 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.
MAIN IDEA
Be who you are in Christ.
OUTLINE
I. You have died with Christ, so put to death the old self (vv. 3, 5-9)
II. You have been raised with Christ, so put on the new self (vv. 1-2, 4, 10-11)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When Paul calls us to seek the things that are above what do you think that practically looks like day to day?
2. What helps you daily practice setting your mind on things above? What hinders you from being able to do so?
3. Paul calls us to deal violently with our sin by putting it to death. What is your daily mindset when it comes to your sin?
4. This might be a good time to break up between men and women so you can discuss and confess sin that you continue to struggle with putting to death.
5. Status is a major part of the way the world relates but Paul makes it clear in verse 11 that there are no status distinctions in those who are in Christ. Is that something you think our church does well and where might we still need to grow in this area?
Shadows & Substance
October 20, 2024 • Ben Potloff • Colossians 2:16–23
Colossians 2:16-23 | Ben Potloff | 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!
MAIN IDEA
Religious experiences or rule-keeping can’t change you, but Christ can.
OUTLINE
I. Don’t be deceived by Christless mysticism and behavior modification (vv. 18-23)
II. Don’t follow shadows when you can follow the real thing (vv. 16-17)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Has there ever been a time that others have passed judgment on your walk with Christ like those in Colossians 2:16? How does Paul encourage them in 2:17?
2. What is meant by asceticism in Colossian 2:18, and is there a place for it in our faith walk with Christ? (Definition: a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures. An example would be Monks withdrawing from society, severe fasting, mistreating the body)
3. Continuing in Colossian 2:18 what are your thoughts on Paul’s mention of those worshiping angels and visions? Are you surprised by Paul’s response to that at the end of verse 18?
What is Paul’s response to 2:18 and why those who practice what he mentions are being misled?
4. In Colossians 2:20-23 Paul talks about mixing man-made religion in with the truth of the gospel. How can this be a hindrance to our walk with Christ? How do we distinguish between the two?
Deep Roots
October 13, 2024 • Ben Potloff • Colossians 2:6–15
Colossians 2:6-15 | Ben Potloff | 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.
Job Description
October 6, 2024 • Ben Potloff • Colossians 1:24–29, Colossians 2:1–5
Colossians 1:24-2:5 | Ben Potloff | 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.
MAIN IDEA
God’s wisdom is revealed when Christ is proclaimed.
OUTLINE
I. The minister’s mission is a struggle and toil (vv. 24, 29-2:1)
II. The minister’s message is the mystery of Christ. (vv. 25-28, 2:2-5)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How do you understand what Paul is saying in verse 24?
2. Paul mentions multiple times mystery. What is he referring to and why is it the driving focus of this section of Colossians?
3. In 2:2 Paul talks about the believers’ hearts being “knit together in love”. What is the importance of this being a corporate thing and not an individual one?
4. What are “plausible” arguments that you have come up against that have made you question your faith or still bother you?
4. Paul mentions the firmness of the Colossian’s faith. Where do you see your church’s firmness and where might there still be opportunities for growth?
Past, Present, and Future
September 29, 2024 • Max Janusch • Colossians 1:21–23
Colossians 1:21-23 | Max Janusch | 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.
MAIN IDEA
Those reconciled to God remain rooted in the gospel.
OUTLINE
I. Christ has saved sinners for future presentation. (vv. 21-22)
II. Present faith is based on gospel hope. (v. 23)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. After the sermon and time engaging the text, what questions do you still have about the passage? Are there words or phrases that you need help understanding?
2. What seems to be Paul’s main point in this passage? What is the single most important idea that he is communicating?
3. Discuss how Paul describes what a Christian is. What does it mean to be “holy,” “blameless,” and “above reproach”?
4. Discuss how Paul describes what a Christian does. What does it mean to “continue in the faith,” be “stable and steadfast,” not “shift from the hope of the gospel”?
5. In addition to prayer, what is one way that your group can practically encourage or challenge you to respond to this passage this week?
The Best of the Best
September 22, 2024 • Ben Potloff • Colossians 1:15–20
Colossians 1:15-20 | Ben Potloff | 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.
MAIN IDEA
Jesus is first and foremost.
OUTLINE
I. Jesus is the God and Creator of all (vv. 15a-17a, 19)
II. Jesus is the Ruler & Reconciler of all (vv. 17b-18, 20)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When Jesus walked on Earth, how do you think his followers saw him? (Did they see God? Did they see a man? Any other insights?)
2. How is God revealed to us personally when we reflect on the character of Jesus?
3. Read verse 18. How does it impact us here and now, knowing that Jesus is the head of the body, the church?
4. What do you think it means that God’s fullness dwells in Jesus?
5. How does Jesus hold all things together? What is the significance of this verse?
The More You Know
September 15, 2024 • Ben Potloff • Colossians 1:9–14
Colossians 1:9-14 | Ben Potloff | 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.
MAIN IDEA
God equips those He qualified.
OUTLINE
I. God gives the knowledge we need to walk in his will (vv. 9-10)
II. God gives the strength we need to walk in his will (v. 11)
III. God gives the redemption we need to live in his light (vv. 12-14)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What was Paul “praying without ceasing” on behalf of the Colossian church for? Are those the same things we pray on behalf of our body? Should we tweak or switch how we pray?
2. Read verses 10-11. Have you tried to “perform all Paul’s requests without the power of the Holy Spirit? How did it turn out?
3. How is this opening statement in Paul’s letter (verses 9-14), a battle cry against false teaching that the Colossian church was in the middle of? Is that how you would have approached a friend or loved one in the throes of a spiritual battle?
4. Have you ever had to be “qualified” for some job or task? Some qualifications can be rigorous. How does it feel to be fully qualified by God as His inheritance?
5. If you are a Christian, you have been delivered from the Kingdom of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of His beloved Son. Give some before and after snapshots of what that looks like. Take some time to express your thankfulness for that transfer.
Fruitful
September 8, 2024 • Ben Potloff • Colossians 1:1–8
Colossians 1:1-8 | Ben Potloff | 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.
MAIN IDEA
The gospel bears fruit.
OUTLINE
I. Faith and love come from the hope of the gospel (vv. 1-5a)
II. Faith and love come from the hearing of the gospel (vv. 5b-8)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Paul starts this letter by stating his apostleship and appointment by the will of God. Why is it important for the reader to understand Paul’s role and authority? Does Paul continue to expound on his authority throughout the letter? What other aspects of his relationship with the church does he write about in these opening verses? What effect would this have on the Colossian believers?
2. This letter is written to believers, fellow Christians who have already placed their faith in Christ, though not directly through Paul’s ministry. Does this influence how Paul addresses them? How does Paul feel about these people? What can we learn from this and apply to our own interactions with others?
3. Paul prayed for the believers at Colossae with love, appreciation, and dedication, though he didn’t know them as individuals. What are effective ways we can pray beyond our circles of family and friends? How can we make praying for people we don’t know more personal and meaningful? Does praying for people we don’t know change how we think and feel about them?
4. In verses 4-8, Paul describes a few characteristics of the Colossians that show the sincerity of their faith in Jesus. What attributes in our lives demonstrate the authenticity of our relationship with Jesus? Does recognizing Christ in the lives of people around you encourage your own commitment?
5. Why is it important for the Gospel to always be bearing fruit in our lives? What does being fruitful mean? How can we evaluate this in ourselves? What are key requirements for being fruitful?
