4 Lessons from The Book of Colossians
Today the Good Morning Girls complete their study in the book of Colossians!!!
That means tomorrow we go on break through the month of October.
Then on Monday, November 4th we will begin the
15th annual Making Your Home a Haven Bible Study!
I’m SO excited!
The NEW Life Rhythms That Bring Rest:
A 4 Week Guide to
Making Your Home a Haven Journal
is available now exclusively on Amazon!
If you’d like to purchase a printable-digital copy
(so you have it right away) at half the price
Click Here
This is a 4-Week Guide to Making Your Home a Haven as we focus on 4 Rhythms:
Week 1 – The Rhythms of Nature
Week 2 – The Rhythms of Work
Week 3 – The Rhythms of Reflection
Week 4 – The Rhythms of Remembrance
More details and resources for this study will be posted on the blog Monday!
Now let’s complete our study in Colossians with this review…
Here’s 4 Lessons From the book of Colossians
1.) We Need to Reset Our Minds
In Colossians chapter 1, Paul’s gives thanks to the church in Colossae and says that they were known for their faith and love.
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 BECAUSE of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
Colossians 1:3-5
Colossians 1:5 tells us why they loved so much…because of their hope of heaven.
When I am selfish and I think of myself and my material things, my dreams, my family, and my goals – me me me – my love goes away BUT when we think of our hope of heaven and wanting to see others saved and wanting to glorify God with our lives – that is when we love well.
People who think about heaven a lot – will love a lot.
Colossians 3:2 says:
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
The word “set” means “to put”. Put your mind purposely on things above. That is where our endurance comes from – our hope being set on heaven.
(In the video below, I explain How to Reset Your Mind according to Colossians 1)
2.) 7 Ways to Remain Firm in Your Faith
In Colossians chapter 2, Paul warns the church at Colossae that worldly philosophies would come at them, that could pull them away from truth.
I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
Colossians 2:4
With all the social media and online “influencers” these days, I believe our next generation is in danger of the same. We need to know God’s word well so that when ideas that seem “plausible” come at us, we are able to have discernment.
We must not be deceived by the world,
but rather stand strong on the word.
In Colossians 2:2-7, Paul gave them 7 things every believer must do to remain firm in their faith.
1. Be encouraged.
2. Be knit together in love.
3. Have a full assurance of the knowledge of Christ.
4. Be rooted.
5. Be established.
6. Be Built up.
7. Abounding in thanksgiving.
Paul tells them in Colossians 2:8 why they must do these 7 things.
(So) that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirit of the world, and not according to Christ.
Do you do these 7 things? In the video below, we take a deeper look at how we can remain firm in our faith.
3.) When Christ is Your Life – Your Life Will Look Different
In Colossians chapter 3. Paul is telling believers “what not to wear” and “what to wear” only he is not referring to our clothes but rather behaviors that identify us as believers. These behaviors change the way we look!
When Christ is your life, your life will look different.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Colossians 3:12-14
When we ALL do this collectively the church community will look SO different from the world. We will truly be a beacon of light shining in the darkness. But so many of us are wearing the old stuff – our comfy clothes and we don’t want to let it go.
Friends, we can’t control how everyone in the church community lives but we do have control over one person – ourselves.
May we choose to be the difference.
Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Colossians 3:10
In our study of Colossians, we renewed our knowledge. Now it’s time – to put on all of these beautiful virtues! You look stunning in them!
4.) We Are to Continue Steadfastly in Prayer
As Paul begins to wrap up his letter to the Colossian believers, he reminds them that part of walking consistently, in how we relate to the body of Christ, our family, and the world around us, is giving ourselves to continual prayer and thanksgiving.
Prayer helps us keep our focus on eternity.
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2
Many times, we allow our actions and attitudes toward those around us to reflect our old man, and not our new man, simply because we’ve failed to be consistent in prayer and thanksgiving.
We become too focused on the physical world and not enough on eternity. We grow discontented and frustrated in our relationships, and that robs us of our testimony.
Yet, Paul gives us the remedy. Give yourself to continual prayer and be careful that you are living your life with a thankful heart. This does not mean that we need to be actively praying twenty-four hours a day, but that we cultivate a prayerful heart; that our first response in every situation is to pray.
When we do this, God is able to help us maintain an eternal perspective in every circumstance.
Final Conclusion:
Paul wrote this letter from prison. He was put into prison for sharing the gospel, and through all of the persecution he suffered for Christ, he was never shaken. He was “fully assured in all the will of God”.
God’s desire and will for us is that we too would not let the storms of life shake us. God wants us to grow into full maturity – as stable, strong believers. That is why God gave us his word – so that as we read it over and over, we are strengthened, established, and rooted in his will for our lives.
May we continue to grow in him – until next time…
Keep walking with the King,
What’s next?
We are on break! We will start back on Monday, November 4th with the Making Your Home a Haven Bible Study.
If you’d like to purchase a printable-digital copy
(so you have it right away) at half the price
Click Here
More details and resources for this study will be posted on the blog Monday.
If you are looking to do a Bible Study
during our break, here’s a few I recommend:
Ecclesiastes – Wisdom for Living Well
A 6-Week In-depth Bible Study with a Free Video Series
With over 1000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon – this is my most popular Bible Study! It is a verse-by-verse in-depth study of the book of Ecclesiastes. You can find all of the free resources for this study along with the video series —-> HERE.
Ruth – God’s Amazing Love for You
A 5-Week In-depth Bible Study with a Free Video Series
With over 1,200 5-Star Review, this is my second most popular study. It is a verse-by verse, in-depth study of the book of Ruth.
You can find all of the free resources for this study along with the video series —> HERE.
Rest and Release
A 4-Week Bible Study with a Free Video Series
You can find all of its resources and the free video seres —–> HERE.
Other books of the Bible
You can find all of the books of the Bible we have already studied together and the free resources to go along with those studies on this page —–> HERE.
I encourage you to pick a book of the Bible and study it on your own and I’ll be back in April to study with you again!
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