Continuing Colossians

Good morning and welcome to a late writing of yesterday’s message.

I was trying to write it last night, was distracted, and decided better late than not done right.

We decided to stay with First Baptist Orange where the message wasn’t about Palm Sunday exactly like I expected. He picked up pretty much where he left off last week. So we reviewed verse 9, the finished with 14.

But first, we were given the treat of children singing! They were so adorable I don’t remember what they sang, Dave and I were too busy watching and laughing at how some seemed to be paralyzed with fear and others were clearly the stars of the “show”.

(This church does things a little different. They play slides in the beginning to welcome new people and that is part of what you’re seeing in the background.)

Remember that the theme of the message is Jesus over Everything, right? Here we talk about Him being over our growth.

Last week we said:

1. What fills your mind is what shapes your life. Vs 9

We talked about that and what we should fill our mind with.

This week we move on starting with a review of that verse and put the rest of the story together, but they run together like a long run-on sentence, so I will share verses 9-14 first.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,

10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,

12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul tell the church that they have not stopped praying for them

so that they may grow in the knowledge of God. This is what we are supposed to do, mature or grow in our knowledge of God.

2. A filled mind leads to a worthy walk. (10)

If we want to “walk with Jesus”, we need to fill our minds with all the good things. Love, forgiveness, mercy, honor, positivity. We need to have faith always.

In what ways can we grow to be more like Jesus now?

We can gain strength and endurance-for what? To fight the good fight! So that by the end of our race, when we get our reward in heaven we hear him say, “Well done faithful servant.”

Isn’t that what we as believers all strive for? We need strength to overcome our weaknesses and endurance to se the plan through to the end.

3. A growing life is strengthened for pressure.

Pressure is all the obstacles and distractions that threaten to move us off the path. Outside forces, maybe even the devil himself. We need strength and endurance to fight through and overcome the pressures of life.

How do we do that? Prayer, study, filling out mind with only the good things!

We also need to give thanks to God daily because He has qualified us to share in the inheritance of His holy people. What a joy! We are included! Before Jesus came and died to take away the sins of the world, we were lost sinners who would not have had this chance to enter the kingdom of heaven!

4. A growing life is rooted in what Christ has already done.

God rescued us. Hallelujah! Praise His name!

In Him we have our redemption and our sins are forgiven.

I pray for that daily. That my sins are truly forgiven. That God will help those I’m praying for as well.

A final note. It’s personal and I probably shouldn’t but I’m just so happy that Dave is attending services with me again. When we left the Methodist church, he never felt comfortable going with me to my brother’s church for his own personal reasons. I think he likes where we are going, that is a good first step. ☺️

Thank you for being here, I apologize for it being late.