Band of Brothers and Sisters
Read: Colossians 4:7-18 We began our study of the book of Colossians on July 17th and this Sunday (11 weeks later), we will conclude Paul's letter. If the antiquity of the setting or the loftiness of the theology have made the letter feel a bit impersonal, these final 11 verses bring this divinely inspired book back down to reality. The list of names and description of relationships within these verses remind us that these books of the Bible we read and study every day were written, transcribed, transported, hand-delivered, and read aloud by real people. Sure, they had crazy names like Aristarchus and
Singing Is Not An Option
Fifteen years ago, I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in instrumental music education and went out to pursue a career as a music teacher. Part of the curriculum for my major involved us taking several methods classes that gave a basic introduction to the different types of musical instruments - brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings, voice, guitar - so we could then turn around and teach those instruments in an elementary, middle, or high school classroom (i.e., choir, band, orchestra, etc.). We didn’t have to be proficient at each instrument, just knowledgeable enough to teach it,
Buying Up Time
Colossians 4:2-6 (ESV) Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time [literally: buying up the time]. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Paul encourages
Christ in Our Homes
Read: Colossians 3:18-4:1 These past few weeks have been so full! Can anyone relate? Work has been crazy; Jerry has been traveling; school is back in session, and on and on it goes. Just when I think I can’t do one more thing, ten more end up on my plate. That is how I was feeling about the Meditation for Preparation this week. I told Jerry I am dried up; I have nothing to write. To which he responded, “Didn’t you write an entire study?” Oh yeah, I did! So I started out by thinking I would tweak a
Colossians and Forgiveness
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms,
Camp, A New You, And A New Way
Read Colossians 3:1-11 When I was a child, it seemed like every kid that went to summer camp came back different. It was a rite of passage. It wasn’t until college that I got away for an extended amount of time with other kids my age, but I always envied the other kids who went. Summer camp seemed to do something to kids, to enliven them with a special glow that only the shared camp experience could imbue. For just one week or one month or whatever short amount of time in the summer or fall, camp is this
Saying No Is Never Enough
Fighting Sin With a Better Pleasure Article by Matt Bradner in Desiring God. The northeast portion of the United States went eerily dark on the evening of August 14, 2003. When lights should have been on, there were none to be seen. Instead, all was dark, and movement was at a standstill. There was no power. What became known as the “Northeast blackout of 2003” resulted in nearly a sixth of the United States without power. In the days that followed, a satellite image began circulating due to its shocking appearance. Whether the photo is real or manufactured has little relevance
Colossians Resources
As we make our way through the book of Colossians on Sunday mornings, here are some resources that I am finding helpful. Best All Around If you want to get just one resource on Colossians, I would grab this book by pastor Sam Storms. It combines good study with pastoral concern: The Hope of Glory Sam Storms — this is the same basic content for free on his website! Background To get a review of how things fit together, here are some resources to help: The Bible Project — a great short video summary of the book Colossians in 5
The Necessity of Deep Roots
Do you remember getting a driver’s license and how nervous you were during the driving test? If you were like me, the learning had just begun. The rules of the road and the car’s behavior were all theoretical items on a written test until I had experience driving. Some of those safety fundamentals didn’t sink in until I hydroplaned on an Interstate highway in a rainstorm. Everything I had learned about choosing a reliable car, keeping the interior cool, and what colors had the best resale value were useless information compared to the safety of my daughter and
A Good Argument
Read: Colossians 1:24-2:5 I love a good argument. Not so much a confrontational argument, but a well laid out and developed argument of reason that shows why a person believes, thinks, or acts in a particular way even if that way is contrary to my own beliefs. Pauline letters were always hard for me until I began to understand that Paul is building arguments. They are arguments with the longest sentences I have ever seen but arguments nonetheless! For example, if we picked up with just these few verses from our passage this week where Paul talks about what
