Colossians: Jesus + Nothing = Everything!
Welcome to our summer focus on the Apostle Paul’s letter to the
Christians at Colosse! The overarching theme for the summer is
Jesus + Nothing = Everything, because that’s how Paul set forth
Jesus’ importance to the Colossian Church. In the first two
chapters Paul sets forth the theological basis for Jesus being God,
and thus being everything! In the final two chapters he gives us
the practical application for our lives that Jesus is everything! We
hope you’ll join us every week of this important series. Remember
if you have to miss a weekend, you’ll be able to watch or
download the message at New Life’s website: www.newlifexn.org.
Background
Many biblical scholars believe the Apostle Paul wrote the letter to
the Colossians, a church he had not yet visited, but which was
started by one of Paul’s co-workers, Epaphras, in order to refute
the Colossian heresy, which was a primitive form of Gnosticism.
Gnostics held many false beliefs, but the primary focus was on
hidden knowledge about God held only by the Gnostics, and in the
case of the Colossian heresy, the false beliefs focused around
ceremonialism, ascetism, angel worship, deprecation of Jesus as
God, secret knowledge and reliance on human wisdom and
tradition.
Date and Location of the Writing of the Letter
It is never possible to say with certainty when and where Paul’s
letters were written, although conservative biblical scholars
generally agree that the letter to the Colossians was written about
60 A.D., while Paul was in prison in Rome.
Purpose of the Letter
As stated in the background, Paul’s chief purpose for writing
Colossians was to address the Colossian heresy, and to establish
the primacy of Jesus in all things. No other New Testament book
offers a higher view of Jesus as God, and as the all sufficient
sacrifice for our sins.
1
Colossians 1:1-4:18
Greetings From Paul
1
This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an
2
apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. We are writing to
God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and
sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.
3
We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father
4
of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus
5
and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident
hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this
6
expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This
same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is
bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives
from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s
7
wonderful grace. You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our
beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on
8
your behalf. He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit
has given you.
Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians
9
So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard
about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to
10
give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will
always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind
of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better
11
and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his
glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you
12
need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has
enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who
13
live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness
14
and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased
our freedom and forgave our sins.
Christ Is Supreme
15
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed
16
before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for
through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on
earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
17
Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before
anything else, and he holds all creation together.
18
Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is
the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in
19
everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
20
and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace
with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood
2
21
on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You
were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.
22
Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in
his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence,
and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single
23
fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.
Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the
Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and
I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
Paul’s Work for the Church
24
I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am
participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the
25
church. God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by
26
proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret
for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to
27
God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory
of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in
28
you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. So we tell others
about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the
wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in
29
their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard,
depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
1
I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for
the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never
2
met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by
strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they
3
understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie
4
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling you this
5
so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. For though I am
far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living
as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.
Freedom From Rules and New Life In Christ
6
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you
7
must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let
your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you
8
were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone
capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that
come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world,
rather than from Christ.
9
10
For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So
you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head
11
over every ruler and authority. When you came to Christ, you were
“circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a
12
spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you
were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you
3
were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God,
13
who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead because of your sins
and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made
14
you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record
of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
15
In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He
16
shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. So don’t
let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating
17
certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these
rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is
18
that reality. Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious selfdenial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about
19
these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are
not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole
body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God
nourishes it.
20
You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the
spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules
21
22
of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such
rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use
23
them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong
devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide
no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.
Living the New Life
1
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your
sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor
2
at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of
3
earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in
4
God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world,
5
you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things
lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity,
lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater,
6
worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of
7
God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part
8
of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious
9
behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you
10
have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on
your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and
11
become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a
Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or
free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must
clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility,
13
gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and
forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so
14
you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which
4
15
binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes
from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are
16
called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about
Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other
with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
17
to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a
representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the
Father.
Instructions for Households
18
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who
19
belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them
20
harshly. Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord.
21
Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become
discouraged.
22
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to
please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve
23
them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly
at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than
24
for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your
25
reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do
what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For
1
God has no favorites. Masters, be just and fair to your slaves.
Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven.
An Encouragement for Prayer
2
Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful
3
heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak
about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in
4
chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
5
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of
6
every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so
that you will have the right response for everyone.
Paul’s Final Instructions and Greetings
7
Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along.
He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the
8
Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you
9
know how we are doing and to encourage you. I am also sending
Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He
10
and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here. Aristarchus,
who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark,
Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome
11
if he comes your way. Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends
his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my coworkers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And
12
what a comfort they have been! Epaphras, a member of your own
5
fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He
always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and
13
perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. I
can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in
14
Laodicea and Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his
15
greetings, and so does Demas. Please give my greetings to our
brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that
meets in her house.
16
After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at
Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote
17
to them. And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the
18
Lord gave you.” HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN
HANDWRITING—PAUL. Remember my chains. May God’s grace be
with you.
During the Week
Why not read through the letter to the Colossians each day this
week? Each time you read it look for one affirmation that
Jesus + Nothing = Everything
Write your discoveries below:
6
Message Notes
Colossians 1:1-4:18 “Jesus + Nothing = Everything!”
Take Home Point: The Apostle Paul makes it clear that Jesus is
everything in our lives!
Today’s Commitment: I will live with Jesus first and last in my life this
week!
7
Colossians 1:1-8
Greetings From Paul
1
This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an
2
apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. We are writing to
God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and
sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.
3
We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father
4
of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus
5
and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident
hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this
6
expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This
same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is
bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives
from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s
7
wonderful grace. You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our
beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on
8
your behalf. He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit
has given you.
During the Week
The Apostle Paul tells the Colossian readers that the Good News of
Jesus is “bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives.” When we know
Jesus as our Savior and Lord, changes start to take place, by the work
of the Holy Spirit within us. The changes are not automatic. We must
be intentional about giving the Holy Spirit control so we’ll experience
the changes. As you read and reflect on this passage through the
week, take some time each day to ask God to fill you with the Holy
Spirit AND to note the changes taking place in your life. List some of
the changes below:
8
Message Notes
Colossians 1:1-8 “Immediate Change, Lasting Change!”
Take Home Point: When Jesus is added lives change!
Today’s Commitment: I will welcome the change Jesus brings in my
life this week!
9
Colossians 1:9-14
Paul’s Prayer for the Colossians
9
So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard
about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to
10
give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will
always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind
of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better
11
and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his
glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you
12
need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has
enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who
13
live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness
14
and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased
our freedom and forgave our sins.
During the Week
The Apostle Paul makes it clear that as we gain knowledge, spiritual
wisdom and understanding, the end result is GROWTH! Growth as
Jesus’ followers is seen in the change we talked about last week. Paul
tells us we have been rescued from the “kingdom of darkness,” and
transferred into the Kingdom of Jesus. The growth that takes place in
our lives OVER TIME is the difference between night and day! As you
reflect on this passage this week, see the ways Paul offers for others to
help us in this growth, the ways that God is responsible for the growth,
and the ways we are responsible for the growth. Write your findings
below:
10
Message Notes
Colossians 1:9-14 “Why Spiritual Growth Matters!”
Take Home Point: Following God’s plan brings fruit in the land.
Today’s Commitment: I will learn and do what Jesus wants me to this
week!
11
Colossians 1:15-23
Christ Is Supreme
15
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed
16
before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for
through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on
earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
17
Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before
anything else, and he holds all creation together.
18
Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is
the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in
19
everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
20
and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace
with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the
21
cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were
22
his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet
now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his
physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence,
and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single
23
fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.
Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the
Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and
I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.
During the Week
Colossians 1:15-23 is one of the clearest presentations in the New
Testament that Jesus is God. As you read and reflect on it this week,
write the attributes of Jesus as God below AND write the difference
this makes in your life (Some of the differences are listed in the
passage and some of the differences will come from your own life
experience.):
12
Message Notes
Colossians 1:15-23 “Jesus=Everything!”
Take Home Point: Jesus is God!
Today’s Commitment: I will live in peace, because of my trust in Jesus!
13
Colossians 1:24-2:5
Paul’s Work for the Church
24
I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am
participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the
25
church. God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by
26
proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret
for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to
27
God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory
of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in
28
you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. So we tell others
about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the
wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in
29
their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard,
depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.
1
I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for
the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never
2
met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by
strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they
3
understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie
4
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling you this
5
so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. For though I am
far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living
as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.
During the Week
One of the most amazing realities of God is that in Jesus He has
revealed who He is to us! That is amazing because of who He is: the
God of the universe. We have no right to assume that God would
reveal Himself to us, and as Paul tells us this “secret” has been
revealed through God living IN us. While the reality is so complex we
will never totally understand it, the truth is God used Jesus to show us
who He is, and then determines to live in us through the Holy Spirit!
As you reflect on that truth this week, list some ways you live your life
differently because God lives in you:
14
Message Notes
Colossians 1:24-2:5 “God’s Secret Plan!”
Take Home Point: Jesus is God’s secret plan!
Today’s Commitment: I will live freely, because I have God’s secret
plan in me!
15
Colossians 2:6-15
Freedom From Rules and New Life In Christ
6
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you
7
must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let
your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you
8
were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. Don’t let anyone
capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that
come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world,
9
rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a
10
human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ,
11
who is the head over every ruler and authority. When you came to
Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ
performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful
12
nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And
with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty
13
power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. You were dead
because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut
away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.
14
He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by
15
nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and
authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the
cross.
During the Week
Colossians 2:6-16 paints a clear picture that it is, indeed,
Jesus+Nothing=Everything. We were dead in sin, and nothing could
save us: not the law, not human philosophies or the spiritual powers of
the world. Only Jesus, through His death on the cross has “cut away
our sinful nature.” As you reflect on this passage during the week, you
may want to write what it means to you that Jesus IS everything in
your life:
16
Message Notes
Colossians 2:6-15 “How To Live A Victorious Life!”
Take Home Point: Growing deep leads to lives that will keep!
Today’s Commitment: I will live a victorious life by daily trusting Jesus
more and more this week!
17
Colossians 2:16-23
Freedom From Rules and New Life In Christ (Continued)
16
So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or
for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or
17
Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come.
18
And Christ himself is that reality. Don’t let anyone condemn you by
insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have
had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them
19
proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For
he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it
grows as God nourishes it.
20
You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the
spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules
21
22
of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such
rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use
23
them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong
devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide
no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.
During the Week
Even though it is Jesus+Nothing we often seek to add something else.
The something else may be rules, traditions, good works, or anything
that will give us a little “control” in the matter. Knowing that nothing we
add to Jesus’ all sufficient sacrifice on our behalf means He gets ALL
the credit. He has ALL the authority. Even though we know that’s
true, sometimes it’s hard for us to not have anything to do with our
salvation. As you reflect on Jesus+Nothing this week, write some of
the “+ somethings” you have added or been tempted to add to the
reality of Jesus+Nothing:
18
Message Notes
Colossians 2:16:23 “Jesus+Nothing!”
Take Home Point: It’s not what we do, but what Jesus did that matters!
Today’s Commitment: I will live in the joy of Jesus’ victory in my life!
19
Colossians 3:1-11
Living the New Life
1
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your
sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor
2
at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of
3
earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in
4
God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world,
5
you will share in all his glory. So put to death the sinful, earthly things
lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity,
lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater,
6
worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of
7
God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part
8
of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious
9
behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you
10
have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on
your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and
11
become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a
Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or
free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
During the Week
Paul makes it clear that the focus of our lives after Jesus becomes
Savior and Lord is to be the realities of heaven. He points out that we
still have “sinful, earthly things lurking within…” and calls us to put
them to death. He tells us to “put on” on new nature, using an analogy
of taking off the “old clothes” of sin, and putting on the “new clothes” of
our new natures in Jesus Christ. Take some time each day to reflect
on what the realities of heaven are. Then consciously “take off” the sin
that remains in your life, and “put on” Jesus! As you do this each day,
note any thoughts or changes that you experience:
20
Message Notes
Colossians 3:1-11 “Living the Good Life!”
Take Home Point: Jesus came to deliver the “Good News” and to give
us the “Good Life”!
Today’s Commitment: I will take off my old sinful nature, and live a life
that pleases God this week!
21
Colossians 3:12-17
Living the New Life (Continued)
12
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe
yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness,
13
and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive
anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must
14
forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all
15
together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ
rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in
16
peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its
richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the
wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God
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with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a
representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the
Father.
During the Week
Paul continues using the imagery of “putting on” new “clothes” in
Colossians 3:12-17. He offers specific characteristics we are to put
on, and they are similar to the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians
5:22-23. Take some time each day to consciously “put on” these
realities, by asking the Holy Spirit to fill and empower you. Also,
remember that verse 17 calls us in WHATEVER we do or say, we do
or say it as representatives of Jesus! Note any thoughts/reflections
from this activity below:
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Message Notes
Colossians 3:12-17 “God’s Choice: You!”
Take Home Point: God chose us, clothes us, and fills us!”
Today’s Commitment: I will “wear” Jesus in my life this week!”
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Colossians 3:18-21
Instructions for Households
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Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who
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belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them
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harshly. Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord.
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Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become
discouraged.
During the Week
Paul’s instructions regarding, wives, husbands, children and fathers
are brief, less than 50 words in all in the New Living Translation.
Entire books have been written on each relationship, but Paul’s focus
is on submission, love, obedience and non-aggravation. Think of
each of the roles you hold in your life: child, parent, husband, wife.
Reflect on each one in light of the brief comment Paul offers. What
changes do you need to make to fulfill the brief instruction in your life?
Write your responses below:
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Message Notes
Colossians 3:18-21 “Family Matters!”
Take Home Point: God wills our families to reflect Jesus!
Today’s Commitment: I will reflect Jesus in my family role(s) this week!
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Colossians 3:22-4:1
Instructions for Households (Continued)
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Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to
please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve
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them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly
at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than
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for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your
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reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do
what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For
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God has no favorites. Masters, be just and fair to your slaves.
Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven.
During the Week
For most of us, as soon as we read the word “Slaves” we
automatically default to: this can’t be for me. I’m no slave. We may
start to think, “Why did Paul sanction slavery?” For us, the point is we
are all “workers” of some kind. Whether we’re actual employees, or
students, or stay at home parents, we all have work to do. We can
heed Paul’s instructions for “slaves,” by applying them in our daily
“work.” Consider the promise Paul tells us we’ll receive when we
remember that our true master is Christ, and we serve Him well!
Consider what you need to do to be a better worker for Jesus this
week and write your reflections below:
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Message Notes
Colossians 3:22-4:1 “Who’s Your Boss?”
Take Home Point: Whatever we do, God is our boss!
Today’s Commitment: I will remember I work for God in all I am and do
this week!
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Colossians 4:2-6
An Encouragement for Prayer
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Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful
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heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak
about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in
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chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
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Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of
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every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so
that you will have the right response for everyone.
During the Week
While Paul’s primary focus in this brief passage is prayer, he also
offers us valuable instructions for sharing the new life of Jesus with
others. As you read and reflect on the passage this week, consider
what he says about prayer that will help you communicate more
effectively with God, AND what he tells you that will make you a better
communicator of God’s Good News in Jesus with others. Write your
thoughts and commitments to ACTION below:
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Message Notes
Colossians 4:2-6 “Heads Up!”
Take Home Point: Prayer involves alert minds and thankful hearts!
Today’s Commitment: I will pray expectantly and live wisely this week!
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Colossians 4:7-15
Paul’s Final Instructions and Greetings
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Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along.
He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the
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Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you
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know how we are doing and to encourage you. I am also sending
Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He
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and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here. Aristarchus,
who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark,
Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome
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if he comes your way. Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his
greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers;
they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a
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comfort they have been! Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship
and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays
earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully
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confident that you are following the whole will of God. I can assure you
that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and
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Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does
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Demas. Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at
Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.
During the Week
While today’s passage is mainly a list of instructions and greetings, as
you read it note that Paul is genuinely concerned that relationships are
built and maintained among Jesus’ followers. This is an important
truth for us today, particularly as we live in a technologically
“connected” world that is often less and less connected when it comes
with being connected to other people in meaningful ways. During the
week, reflect on your own personal relationships wither family, church
family, friends, or co-workers what you need to do to deepen and
strengthen or even start new relationships that will ultimately build up
you and the body of Jesus. Write your ideas below:
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Message Notes
Colossians 4:7-15 “God’s Plan To Expand!”
Take Home Point: God invites us—together—to partner with Him in His
redemptive Mission on the earth!
Today’s Commitment: I will take the opportunities God gives me to
expand His kingdom this week!
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Colossians 4:16-18
Paul’s Final Instructions and Greetings (Continued)
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After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at
Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote
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to them. And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the
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Lord gave you.” HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN
HANDWRITING—PAUL. Remember my chains. May God’s grace be
with you.
During the Week
In these brief, final words Paul offers two vital instructions: “Be sure to
carry out the ministry the Lord gave you,” and “Remember my chains.”
While the focus of Colossians is Jesus+Nothing=Everything, Paul
reminded the Colossian believers throughout his letter that as a result
of the transformation Jesus brings to our lives, as the result of His
EVERYTHING, our lives are to be lived to His glory. That means we
will often be serving others, whether in practical ways or through
prayer, or both. Consider what ministry God has given you, and
whether you are carrying it out on a daily basis. If you are, praise
God; if you aren’t list some ways below that will ensure that you glorify
God for supplying everything to you through Jesus by living in
obedience to Him:
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Message Notes
Colossians 4:16-18 “Why The Bible Ultimately Matters!”
Take Home Point: God has revealed Himself and His plan in His Word.
Today’s Commitment: I will spend time reading the Scriptures daily
this week!
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Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House
Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers,
Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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