Colossians wrap

Last night we finished off our Colossians series, focussing on the key verse Colossians 2:6-7:

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Many of us in response to the sermon prayed those words of Colossians for ourselves, asking that we would continue in the faith we have received, showing evidence that we belong to Jesus as we become more and more like him.

Now to open this blog up to some more comments:

- What things challenged you in the series?
- How can you encourage others to keep on walking in Christ?
- What will walking in Christ look like for you where ever you are: in your workplace, at university, at home?
- How can you demonstrate that you are abounding in thanksgiving?

Comment away!

Fact:Colossians

Colossians contains no Old Testament quotes!

The only allusions (and they are blurry/vague allusions) are here:

Colossians 2:22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.
Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Psalm 110:1 Of David. A psalm. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."

Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Memorise

Colossians 2:6-7 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

NOTHING BUT: Living worthily in Christ

Last night we began our series in Colossians, with our Pastor Mike Turner preaching his first sermon.

We saw that Colossians 2:6 summed up Paul's purpose in writing to them:

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

People were struck by:
* The gospel hallmarks of faith, hope and love
* Faith, hope and love – now and forever. The mark of the Christian.
* The opportunities we have to seek to serve one another!
* The need to ensure we are worthy Christians, living and walking in the gospel.
* Faith, hope and love are a gift from God – not works
* A great insight into the gospel deluxe and its sufficiency

May Paul's prayer for the Colossians indeed be our prayer for one another:

... that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.