Good Morning Girls Resources (Colossians 4)
This is it! Our Final week in the Book of Colossians!
Are you wondering what’s next?
After we finish Colossians, the Good Morning Girls will go on a break through the month of October.Β
Then on Monday, November 4th, Iβll begin leading my most popular series of the year β The Making Your Home a Haven Challenge!Β Β
***More details are coming soon but if you want an exclusive sneak peek π«£ You can check it out…here. π€«
If you are looking for a Bible Study to do on your own during break, you can find all of our past Bible Studies listed β> here.
Now, letβs get back to this weekβs study and finish strong!
This Weekβs Bible Reading Plan:
(Facebook Leaders: You can use this as your Facebook Header this week. Just right click and βsave asβ or screen shot it.)
This weekβs 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 3:22-24
Paul has addressed how we are to relate to one another inside the church and home, now he turns outward and addresses our relationships and interactions with those outside of our Christian structure. How we work is a reflection of either our new man or old man. If weβve truly put on the new man, as Paul talks about in this chapter, it will be reflected in our actions.
Paul tells employees to obey in everything. However, weβre not just to obey our employers simply to make them happy, but weβre to work with a sincere heart as an act of worship to God. While we have an earthly employer, there is one who is above them β and that is God. No matter how high an employerβs position is, whether they are the CEO or business owner, God holds the highest position, and we work for God, not for man.
When we work with this kind of attitude and motivation, it becomes our testimony. We have put on a new man, and that new man is expressed through our behavior. It opens the door for us to share the gospel because our motivation isnβt the same motivation as those in the world.
In what ways do you need to shift your motivation, so that you are working heartily for the Lord, and not for men? If you work outside the home, how does this change how you view your employer and other relationships at work? How do you think this will change the atmosphere in your workplace?
Colossians 3:25-4:1
In Ephesians 6, Paul instructs masters to give up wrong behavior toward their bondservants because there is no partiality with God. In Colossians, he instructs bondservants to obey their masters and serve faithfully as unto the Lord, because those who do not serve well will be repaid accordingly, and there is no partiality with God.
In the Greek, βwrongdoerβ means to act unjustly, to sin, to act in a hurtful way, or to do damage. As Christians, we are responsible to not only uphold our own personal reputation, but our witness and testimony as children of God. Our work should be done in integrity, knowing that in everything we do, not only is God watching but the world is watching as well. When we do not serve our employers in honesty and integrity, we bring harm and damage to the kingdom of God.
Has there ever been a time when you failed to work with integrity? How do you think it affected your testimony?
Colossians 4:2-4
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. Prayer helps us keep our focus on eternity. He goes on to say that we need to give careful attention to giving thanks.
Many times, we allow our actions and attitudes toward those around us to reflect our old man, and not our new man, simply because weβve 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.
When we do this, God is able to help us maintain an eternal perspective in every circumstance. Weβre able to see every situation from his vantage point. 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.
Paul goes on to ask them to pray for him, that God would open the door for them to share the gospel in a clear way. Take some time today to pray for your pastor, church leaders, and missionaries that God would give them open doors to share the gospel. Donβt forget to pray for yourself, as well, that God would give you opportunities to share Jesus with someone who needs him. Write your prayer below.
Colossians 4:5-6
A part of Christan maturity is understanding how to interact wisely with those in the world. Paul reminds us how important it is that we make the most of every opportunity weβre given to speak graciously, with divine wisdom. This is why an attitude of prayer is so important, because it helps us maintain an eternal focus and reminds us that every interaction we have with the world should be one that leaves them with a good impression of the gospel.
Salt gives our food a good flavor and makes us want to eat more of it. This should be what defines our speech. If we repel people more than we attract them, we need to ask the Lord to help us become more gracious and flavorful in our speech.
A part of living out of our new man is gaining a new perspective for why we are on earth. We are not here by accident, but by design; and God has given the church a specific mission to share the gospel. The way we accomplish this mission will look different for each person. Some will go on the mission field, while others may go into other areas of full-time ministry. Some will go into secular careers while others may stay at home raising children. Godβs purpose is that no matter where weβre serving, we live with the goal of reaching as many people for Christ as we can, making the best use of our time.
Consider your conversations lately with those who do not know the Lord. How did it go? Do you think they felt loved? In what ways can you make your speech more gracious and flavorful?
Colossians 4:7-18
Paul ends this letter to the Colossian church with final instructions. He introduces Tychius, who will bring them this letter, as well as a letter to the Ephesians and Laodiceans. Onesimus, Philemonβs runaway slave, will also be traveling with Tychius, but we see that Paulβs description of Onesimus isnβt that heβs a runaway slave but a βfaithful and beloved brotherβ. He will later plead with Philemon to free him and receive him in that way.
Paul goes on to mention several more brothers in Christ, including Epaphras who is laboring and struggling on their behalf in his prayers. Why? His prayer is that they will stand β be established and rooted in β maturity and be fully persuaded and convinced in all of the will of God for them.
Godβs desire and will for us is that we grow into full maturity as stable, strong believers. That is why God gave us his word β so that as we read it over and over, we are strengthened, established, and rooted in his will for our lives as stable and strong disciples of Jesus Christ.
Paul is writing this letter from prison. He was put in prison for sharing the gospel, and through all of the persecution he suffered for Christ, he was never shaken. He was βfully assured in all the will of Godβ.
Have the storms of life shaken you? In what areas of your Christian life do you think God is wanting you to become more mature and established? Write them down below and then keep on going and keep walking with the King!
To print the 20 Reflection and Discussion Questions for Colossians β> Click Here
This Weekβs Verses of the Day:
(Leaders: You can use these images in your groups by using right click and βsave asβ or screen shoting them.)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Hereβs 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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Join us EVERY weekday morning ANYTIME after 7:00amEST on Facebook
to discuss the dayβs reading assignment.
Have a wonderful week in Godβs Word β Iβll see you back here on the blog this Friday for the final wrap-up of the book of Colossians and the announcement of our next study!
Don’t forget to join me every weekday morning out onΒ Facebook!
Keep walking with the King,
COURTNEY
Did you miss last weekβs new video? Here it is again:
The Colossians Journal is available on Amazon!
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(so you have it right away) at half the price
click HERE.
