Colossians 3:5-17

INTRO: We betray our willingness to give up control, be victims
“It’s my one vice” – “I’m a chronic worrier”

Paul will show us a way to get off the hamster wheel Continue reading →

Colossians 2:18-23

Have you ever seen a ball game where the umpire or referee that snatched victory from your team? I’ve seen such bad calls, I thought the ref was playing for other side.

A bad call or unfair ruling that results in having a win taken from you is what Paul had in mind when he said, “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize” in verse 18, only the stakes in this game are much higher. The word translated “defrauding” is derived from a root for the judge at athletic contests and for the prize that went to the winner. In the form that Paul uses, it means to “decide or judge against.” Continue reading →

Colossians 3:1-4  

INTRO: When we began Colossians, we first looked at Paul’s life in Jesus
It began when he encountered the Lord on his way to Damascus, but that was by no means his last encounter with Christ  

Paul prayed “with the mind” (1 Co. 14:15)–i.e., he could form prayers that were rational and organized
But he also prayed “with the spirit” and “in the Spirit” (1 Co. 14:15; Ep. 6:18)
His praying in the Spirit may help explain how it was that Paul encountered Jesus in prayer (Acts 22:17-18) Continue reading →