The Bible never takes a soft view on things that hurt us or draw us away from God.
Take a look at Colossians 3:5, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.” That’s blunt.
But we men often need things to be said in blunt ways. We need to hear it said in ways that arrest our thinking and excuses and weaknesses.
The paragraph that starts with verse 3 is stark.
Read is slowly. Read it humbly. Read it several times. Read it several times a day.
We’ll be better people if we do.
Gentlemen, we’ll be reading Colossians 3 this month.
The chapter is short with only four paragraphs and 439 words.
The chapter is rich with direction and wisdom and warnings of how to live and think.
Read is closely. Jesus is mentioned nearly a dozen times. And each time it matters and shapes the chapter.
The first three verses are this months memory verses.
The last eight words of verse eleven might be the most important words in the chapter. If those eight words are grasped and heeded the rest of the chapter falls into place. The greater Christ is in our hearts, the more we see loving God as a pleasure.
Verse ten is a mighty promise.
The first nine words in verse sixteen are the root of understanding and treasuring God.
Verse seventeen might be seen as a cliche. Instead see it as the heart and soul of someone who is really trying to be a disciple of Jesus.
Enjoy!
Give some thought to praying the paragraph below back to God.
It’s okay to paraphrase it, or to re-word it, or to make it personal.
He’s some of the virtue in praying it; notice the key words, like filled, walk, pleasing, etc.. And notice the ending words, like endurance, patience, joy, etc..
And/or, considering praying it for someone you care about.
From the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking 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; being 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. Colossians 1:9-12
In the first seven seven verses of Colossians 1 the word truth shows up twice. It’s good for us to notice it.
And it is good for us to be reminded that God’s word is truth. Fully true. Fully reliable. Fully from God. And fully needed in our lives.
There are far too many half-truths and flat-out lies in our world. Truth is refreshing.
Tonight is Christmas Caroling, 7:00pm
Monday is Men’s Fellowship, 6:30pm
Who is God and what is He like?
How can finite beings understand an all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, totally in control, utterly holy, outside of time, fully loving, and fully just being?
Colossians 1 give us a some help. Verse 15 says, Jesus “is the image of the invisible God.”
To begin to understand God, and to see God in action, read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.
Initially, Colossians 1 is best understood by seeing how often Jesus is mentioned in the chapter. You’ll be surprised.
Once that is seen the chapter falls into three subjects. The believers in the church. Jesus. And Paul.
Paul writes how he prays for the believers regarding Jesus. And he writes about himself regarding how he servers Jesus. And in the middle of the chapter, Paul pens one of the greatest statements about Jesus.
But, this is one of those chapters where seeing the forest (Jesus) is more important than seeing the trees. The trees are all the practical things contained in the chapter.
Keep your eyes on Jesus.
This month we’re reading Colossians 1.
It is a remarkable chapter. Here are four reasons.
First, the prayer that starts in verse 9 and ends at verse 14.
Second, the “The Preeminence of Christ” verses starting in verse 15.
Third, the last two verses.
Fourth, read the chapter and keep track of how many times Jesus is referred to.
It’s a really good, really powerful, really deep, really helpful chapter.
Enjoy!
Philippians 2 points us to Jesus. We see it Paul (vs. 5-11), and in Timothy (vs. 21-22), and in Epaphroditus (vs. 29-30).
Let’s go where these men are pointing.
Paul gets personal about it chapter 3:8-11. He’s passionate about it!
Then… Paul says something very, very helpful in 3:12-14. He’s like us. He isn’t where he wants to be. But he’s striving, and working towards, and pursuing, and seeking, and desiring, and pressing forward, and straining to be a man who is passionate about Jesus.
Let’s be like Paul.
This is a good time of year. Lots of cheer, lots of thanksgiving, lots of giving, and lots of smiles.
(True, it can be a rough time of year. Granted, this time of year can bring back difficult memories. No one is exempt from bad memories on good holidays. Nevertheless, God is good. His mercies are new every morning. Lamentations 3:22–33)
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And there is always much to be thankful for. In Philippians 4:4 there is this well known sentence, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
The root of all thanksgiving for all Christians is Jesus Christ, for all that He has done, is doing, and will do.
“Jesus is everything—our all-sufficient Shepherd, King, and Friend; our Lord and Savior, our Strength; our Hope and Foundation; our Shield; our Example and Forerunner; our Wisdom and Righteousness; our Sanctification and Redemption; our Life and Way. In Christ alone is our everything!” Tony Reinke
In Philippians 2:7-8 there is a list of four things Jesus did.
He “emptied himself.” He took “the form of a servant.” He “humbled himself.” He became “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
It’s a mighty list. It’s a mighty good list.
May we be like Jesus.
The Men's Bible Reading Idea 