What to Wear?
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 whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Colossians […]
Barbarians in the Church
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Colossians 3:11, NIV) Before we dig into this, let’s define some terms: Greek – the most educated, erudite, sophisticated people in the world. Jew – God’s chosen people. Circumcised – strict followers […]
Things Below
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: […]
Things Above
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then […]
Spitting Out the Bones
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed […]
Headless?
Therefore don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a sabbath day. These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is the Messiah. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on ascetic practices and the worship of angels, […]
Jesus’ Triumph
In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Messiah. Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And when you […]
A Prayer for Good Friday 2015
A Prayer for Good Friday 2015 Lord Jesus, Lamb of God, slain for the sin of the whole world, with penitent hearts we come to your cross, pleading for mercy and forgiveness. Our sins—and they are many—have added to the burden of your suffering and have nailed you to the accursed tree. For us you […]
Location, Location, Location
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority (Colossians 2:9-10, NIV). As we roll out of verse 8 into verse 9, you might recall that Paul was discouraging the church from following the […]
Brother Yun at New Life Church
I’m so excited about the ministry of Brother Yun tomorrow at New Life. We’ve been adding chairs to the Living Room to get ready. I wanted to tell you a story from some family friends. Their college-aged son is struggling with his faith. He’s not sure he believes anymore. Years ago, he read The Heavenly […]
Deceptive Philosophy
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:8, NIV) The Bible warns us that the type of philosophy Paul describes here is what “itching ears” want to hear. We’re told it […]
Overflowing with Thankfulness
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness (Colossians 2:6-7, NIV). For Christmas, a friend gave us an amaryllis plant…well, actually, it was a pot and an amaryllis bulb. For […]
