When you hear of a friend in trouble, and they’re hundreds of kilometres away, you can feel pretty helpless. But there’s one thing you can do, and that’s pray! Paul was in prison in Rome but he prayed for the people in the Colossian church. They were becoming confused because of the influence of false teachers. So Paul prayed for God to strengthen their faith in three ways: by transforming their minds, their way of life, and their hearts. He wanted them to know God’s will better (mind), to live more distinctively as Christians (life), and to be more joyful and thankful because of what Jesus has done (heart). This is a powerful combination in a Christian’s life, and a great testimony to the unique, saving and keeping power of Jesus Christ.
The Colossian church faced false teachers who were introducing new ideas into the church. These false teachers were not only challenging the truth of the gospel as it had been taught but they were also questioning the authenticity of the faith of some in the church. Paul begins his letter with an expression of thanksgiving which reassures the Colossians that they have, in fact, heard the true gospel and that they are true Christians.
These days there are hidden costs on just about everything. Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what we are signing up for. Thankfully following Jesus doesn’t come with hidden costs. Jesus was always up front about the cost. Listen as Pastor Dave examines what it means for us to follow Jesus and why it is worth the cost.
After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, it is finally time for Israel to take possession of the land promised to their ancestors. But before they go into the land, Moses speaks to them, reminding them that they have a choice. They must choose between life and death. Join us as we listen to what Moses has to say, and hear him urge his people to choose life. Let us be reminded that we also face a choice in our lives, a choice with life or death consequences. Which will you choose?
We often think of ourselves as good people. Yet, we often fail. We feel bad. Most religions tell us to do better next time. We hope that our own efforts will give us credit before God. The Bible teaches us the exact opposite. In this passage, Paul uses his own life to show the foolishness of relying on our own merits to gain God’s favour. Jesus, the Son of God is the only perfect person ever lived. And He wants to OFFER YOU PERFECTION and a NEW LIFE if you follow Him. No more trying on your own. No more shame. No more guilt. What’s your response today?
Philemon is one of those books of the bible that you’d be forgiven for wondering “how on earth can I apply this to my life?” or even “what is this book doing in the bible in the first place?” But when you piece the story together about a runaway slave turn Christian returning to his old Christian master with a letter from the Apostle Paul – you might be surprised by what can be learnt about Christian relationships and the grace that empowers them.
New Year’s resolutions fail. Permanent and lasting change only comes through Jesus, because he is supreme in everything and gives the power to change. Indeed, the whole universe, time etc. including our lives is not about us, but about Him, and about God’s plan to bring us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Our response to this is to live accordingly based on the hope we have in the gospel and surrender every aspect of our lives to Him.
When we have a bit of time to step back and take a look at the big picture of our lives, we realise that life is full of ups and downs. For Christians, all these ups and downs fit into a bigger story. That’s because Christians have been adopted into God’s family and have graciously become his own children. That means that God is the true father of Christians, that Christians are now expected to live like they are in that new family, and because they’re in a new family they can expect new privileges. The main privilege Christians can expect is sharing in Christ’s glory, but that is a hope for the future while now Christians can expect suffering. But Christians can expect that the suffering they go through now is preparing them for the glory that is coming.