Good Morning Girls Resources (Colossians 3)
Welcome back to Week 3 in the Book of Colossians!
We are now past the half way point and you are all doing a great job! ๐
Our daily discussions out on Facebook continue to be such a wonderful source of encouragement! Thank you to everyone who is showing up there daily and sharing. If you haven’t joined us yet โ I hope you will join us this week. It is such a blessing! ๐ฅฐ
Here are the links to the last 2 weekโs posts on the blog, in case you missed any of them:
Intro and Resources for Colossians Week 1
Reset Your Mind – Based on Colossians 1
Resources for Colossians Week 2
7 Things Every Believer Must Do to Remain Firm in the Faith – Based on Colossians 2
If you are new here โ jump in with our reading this week and catch up on the weekends. All are welcome to join anytime โ there are no enrollments or sign-ups!
This Weekโs Bible Reading Plan:
(Facebook Leaders: You can use this as your Facebook Header this week. Just right click and โsave asโ or screen shot it.)
This weekโs Reflection & Discussion Questions
(Leaders: Copy and paste these into your groups. If you do not have a group, use these for a personal time of reflection.)
Colossians 3:1-4
While this is a new chapter, this letter wasnโt written divided up into chapters. Chapter 3 is a continuation of what Paul was saying at the end of chapter 2. If we died with Christ, manโs legalistic laws cannot make us holy. Paul continues that thought in this chapter by saying we are then raised to new life in Christ, so we focus our minds on heavenly, eternal things, not on earthly and temporal things.
When we died and were raised to new life with Christ, our identity shifted from an earthly identity to a spiritual identity. It is important to understand that Paul isnโt giving us a license to sin. In Romans 6, he talks about the danger of abusing Godโs grace. However, he is saying that manโs laws will not make us righteous. This is why we need to focus our minds and affections on heavenly things, not on earthly things.
In what ways do you find that you still battle with allowing your mind and affections to get caught up in things of this world? How can shift your focus back to eternity?
Colossians 3:5-11
Paul continues urging the believers in Colossae to identify with their new life in Christ by putting to death behaviors that are ruled by the flesh. These behaviors and attitudes invite Godโs wrath, because they are rooted in disobedience to him. Notice, Paul did not just list deeds, but attitudes as well such as: anger, malice, slander, obscene talk and lying.
He goes on to urge them to put on the new self. Literally, he is saying, โChange your clothesโ. Take off the old man who is driven by earthly behaviors and attitudes and change into a new man who is focused on eternity. This new man is hungry for the knowledge of the word of God and identifies with the new image God has created for him.
When we renew our mind with Godโs Word, new, God-honoring habits are formed. God is able to reset our defaults so that instead of reverting back to old reactions, our responses are a reflection of his word in us. Look at the list of earthly ways we are to put to death in verses 5 and 8. Are you struggling with any of these old habits? In what way do you need to change your clothes so that you are clothed in the new self?
Colossians 3:12-15
Paul goes on to describe for them what their clothing should look like. He had instructed them to take off the old man, describing in detail what that old man looked like. He then said to put on the new man.
What is interesting to recognize is that the traits we are to put on all have to do with how we relate to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness. While there may be other good qualities we should seek to possess, the ones Paul listed specifically address how we interact as the body of Christ. Then, he goes on to say that above all of these we are to put on love, because it binds all of these together. Finally, he instructs us to let peace rule โ or govern โ our hearts and our body.
Many people are identified by their clothing like police officers, doctors, nurses, judges, fire fighters, military, and flight attendants. Paul is saying that our clothing should identify whose we are. How do your โspiritualโ clothes currently identify you? Do they identify you as an old man or a new man? Are you expressing your identity through love and allowing peace to govern your interactions? Share one area where you may need to grow more?
Colossians 3:16-17
Now that the believers know what to put on, Paul instructs them about what they should put in themselves. We are to be abundantly filled with the Word of God. It should be dwelling in us. There is a big difference between visiting and dwelling. Visiting indicates that a person is in a place for a short amount of time; whereas dwelling lets us know that this is a place where someone has put their roots down.
As the Word of God dwells in us, it should be expressed through us in teaching and admonishing in all wisdom, as well as various kinds of worship. When we choose to identify with the new man God has created us to be, clothing ourselves in values that bring blessing and harmony to the body of Christ, binding it together in love, letting peace be the governor of our actions as we fill ourselves with the Word of God and worship, doing all in the name of Jesus, everything we do has eternal value.
It is easy to go about our day and forget to let Jesus be our motivation for everything we do. What are some ways you can remind yourself to let Jesus be your motivation behind your words and actions? List one or two below.
Colossians 3:18-21
Over the past several verses, Paul has been illustrating for us how our relationships should look in the body of Christ. Paul now turns to families to instruct them how they should relate to one another inside the home. The strength of the church depends on strong families, and the strength of a family depends on strong marriages.
Paul first instructs the wife to submit herself to her husband as is fitting to the Lord. This is a hard teaching that is not welcomed in our day in age. But as you can see, it is Biblical. Submission is an act of faith and trust in God and it identifies us as different from the world. (Please note: There are times when a wife should not submit. Some examples would be when a husband is being violent, intoxicated, committing adultery or is mentally unstable.)
Godโs appointed order is that the husbands be gentle with their wives, children obey their parents, and fathers not provoke their children. Children who are provoked by demanding, controlling and angry parents become discouraged. Instead, we must be gentle and filled with grace as we wisely handle conflict in our homes.
How strong is your family? Are you each giving sacrificially to the health and function of the home? Can you see how submission is a matter of trust, and not subservience? How does this change how you view the submission of a wife to her husband?
To print the 20 Reflection and Discussion Questions for Colossians โ> Click Here
This Weekโs Verses of the Day:
(Leaders: You can use these images in your groups by using right click and โsave asโ or screen shoting them.)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Hereโs the Printable Bible Bookmark for Colossians.
Here is the SOAK method we use to study scripture.
And the Bible Coloring Bookmark:
Click HERE to Print the full page Coloring Chart
or Click HERE for the Bookmark Coloring Chart
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Have a wonderful week in Godโs Word โ Iโll see you back here on the blog this Friday as we go deeper into Godโs Word together! Donโt forget to join me every weekday morning out on Facebook!
Keep walking with the King,
COURTNEY
Did you miss last weekโs new video? Here it is again:
The Colossians Journal is available on Amazon!
If youโd like to purchase a printable-digital copy
(so you have it right away) at half the price
click HERE.
