Paul in his letter to the Colossians focuses on the person of Christ, the work of Christ, and life in Christ. He begins by describing how the good news has to do with grace, transforms people, spreads naturally, and should be urgently considered. Jared Harrop shared his testimony about the way that the good news changed his life after he was led to Christ by the Fulford family.

In Paul's prayer for the Colossians, he thanks God for many things that they are doing well. According to the Bible, a healthy church will prioritize the values of faith, hope, and love

People come to know God through humbly receiving what He has revealed. After this, we can begin to walk in a way that is pleasing to Him. Walking with God manifests in four ways: 1) bearing fruit; 2) growing in knowledge of God; 3) being strengthened for endurance; and 4) joyful gratitude.

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul explains the person and work of Christ in a very concise way. Paul speaks of His deity, that He is the Lord of Creation, and that He is the head of the church. Chip Geiser spoke about his experience standing firm on these truths in spite of chronic pain.

If there's nothing that is worthy of our whole life, then our lives will be made up of trivialities. Advancing Christ's work will result in some suffering, and joy comes through the deep connection that forms through giving our lives for others. According to the Bible, God has revealed a great mystery set forth in the Old Testament through Christ. Knowing God is the greatest knowledge that brings us the greatest joy.

The Christian life involves activities that bring with them, at the same time, suffering and joy. One of these is the process of helping others along to spiritual maturity, which is an extremely fulfilling interpersonal process that comes with relational risk. Another is the commitment to unity in the church, which is incredibly rewarding but can grate against our selfish nature.

According to the Bible, the way forward in the Christian life is just the same as it begins. We are to be rooted in our new future, new relationship with God, new life, and our justification. We are to be built up through learning and believing the truth from God. And finally, these things are to overflow into a heart of gratitude.

Being "in Christ" means that we have received a new identity where we are victorious, totally acceptable to God, and have the hope of heaven. We need to set our mind on these things as we resist the old self and act as the people that God has made us to be. The song "Ain't No Grave" by Claude Ely was performed to illustrate victory over death.

There is a way to live in Christian community that transforms lives. The foundation for love is that we have received both motivation from being loved by God, and capacity from having a new identity. On this basis, we are able to reflect God's love in a way that is based on His Word as we let Him rule in our hearts.

It is clear that the ethical thinking of Christianity has been very progressive, as Christ turns traditional gender-based power structures on their head. The Bible presents husbands and wives as unified equals. The Bible calls wives to allow their husbands to lead as husbands are called to love their wives with the sacrificial love of Christ.

The ethics of the Bible are pertinent to the family. Children are called to obedience and honor towards their parents. Parents are to have the goal of cultivating lifelong followers and servants of Christ. Ultimately, Biblical parenting is immensely beneficial for both children and for parents.

When Paul writes about slaves and masters, he is addressing the topic of justice in a fallen world. The Bible offers a fundamentally unique basis for this kind of justice, by speaking of human dignity and of Christian community as a new social order. Believers are to follow the example of Christ's serving love, even in the face of injustice.

Speaking of Christ can be a touchy topic, but if the Bible is true then this is something worth talking about. In order to do effective evangelism, we must devote ourselves to effective prayer. Also, we must pursue wisdom to make the most of the opportunities that we are presented with.