The DNA of God's Family

Colossians 3:12-4:6

Sermon Notes:

1. The Essence of God's Family

2. The Work of God's Family

3. The Purpose of God's Family

Reflection Questions:

1. Who we are in Jesus has changed us to our core. Our nature is fundamentally different than what it used to be, and different from those around us in the secular world. Why do we need to hold on to that identity and live out of that identity? What should our new identity change in the practice of how we live?

2. There are many things Paul could have said to the various family (and secular) rolls to exhort them in godliness. Why do you think that Paul summarized the calling of these rolls in the ways that he did? In your own roles in God's family, how does your new identity in Christ empower your calling?

3. Why do you think Paul concludes his exhortation to the family of God by urging them to be continually in prayer, and always exercising wisdom? How does the ongoing brokenness in our relationships necessitate our need for prayer and wisdom?

Worthy

Revelation 5

Sermon Notes:

1. Who is Worthy?

2. The Worthy Gives Worth

3. The Work Proceeding from Hope

Reflection Questions:

1. Why did Jesus give John a vision instead of just telling him what was to come? What does this narrative in Revelation 5 convey about God's glory and power, and how might that be an encouragement to God's people who are waiting for Jesus' return?

2. John was overwhelmed with grief when there was no one who was worthy to open the scroll, but hope is found in the Lion who is the Lamb of God. It can be hard for us to see our dependance on Christ so clearly, like John is able to here. What ideas distort our perspective so that we do not see our dependance? How might you practice patient reliance on Jesus more in your everyday life?

3. Out of the three main activities that the Elders display here in Revelation 5 (Speaking Comforting Truth, Offering Prayer, and Worship), which one do you struggle with most? What is a practical way you can exercise that weakness? Who will keep you accountable to growing in that way?

Clothed in Love

Colossians 3:1-17

Sermon Notes:

1. The God Context | vv 1-4

2. Garments of Death | vv 5-9

3. Wearing Love | vv 10-17

Reflection Questions:

1. What things do you think about most often? Are your thoughts shaped by what Jesus has accomplished and the hope of eternal life, or are they reflections of earthly pursuits? How might The God Context reframe those things that occupy your attention?

2. What ways does our world subtly excuse or even promote the sins and heart attitudes in verses 5-9? How can naming the root sins help you see and protect yourself from treating them as "respectable sins?"

3. Review the qualities in verses 12-13. If you remove love, what happens to these characteristics of the new self? How can we guard ourselves against this temptation?

You Can't Get to Heaven on Roller Skates

Colossians 2:6-23

Sermon Notes:

1. Dwelling in the Gospel | vv. 6-15

a. The Emptiness of Creaturely Artifices

b. The Fullness of Christ's Work

2. Deliverance from Mere Shadows | vv. 16-23

Reflection Questions:

1. Paul says that we have been rooted, built up, and established in the faith in Jesus (v. 7) These verbs describe what God has done for us, and how he works in us. The last verb in that verse is our response: abounding in thanksgiving. How can habitual thanksgiving help to dwell in the gospel, and live in accordance with the gospel, instead of drifting towards empty philosophies and burdensome traditions?

2. As Paul begins to tell the Colossians how they ought to live, he again reminds them of what Jesus has done for them (vv. 9-15). Look back at Colossians 1:1- 2:5. How many times has Paul reminded the Colossians of what Jesus has done? How many ways has he shown them the gospel? Why do you think Paul emphasized what Jesus has done in this way before telling the Colossians how they ought to live?

3. The burdens and shame that come from self-made religion and asceticism (v 23.) seem at first to be helpful tenants of religion, but they cannot change the heart. What is a struggle in your life that you have tried to conquer with rules and practices? How might resting in your union with Jesus in his death and resurrection lead to real heart change?

The Glory in the Grief

Colossians 1:24-2:5

Sermon Notes:

1) Grief is Not Wasted

2) The Hope of Glory

3) The Realities of Suffering

Reflection Questions:

1. If our suffering is not wasted, then surely we should be able to see how God has redeemed suffering in the past. But in order to see that we might have to lift our gaze to beyond how we normally perceive our pain.

• What are some examples from scripture of God using other's suffering to bring hope to those around them?

• What are some examples of others in your life who have shown God's goodness through their suffering?

• If you can recognize those things, how might God be working in circumstances in your life now to reveal his redemption to you and to those around you? How can you then be intentional like Paul to proclaim Christ through your suffering?

2. Those that Paul says have "plausible arguments" will try to persuade you that your suffering is meaningless. But in order to do that, they have to ignore what God produces in us through suffering. Does the result of our suffering justify the process? If God uses your temporary suffering, however painful and dreadful it may be, to bear witness to an eternal hope, is it not worth the cost? Consider and meditate upon Matt 13:44-46 and Phil 3:7-11.

The Preeminence of Christ

Colossians 1:15-23

Sermon Notes:

1) Jesus is the beginning

2) You are reconciled in Christ

3) Continue in the Faith

Reflection Questions:

1. Jesus is the perfect incarnation of our God. He is fully man, and fully God without any blurring or confusion of natures. How does all of the revelation of God's nature in the Old Testament give us hope to be able to trust in what Christ has done for us?

2. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus sustains all things by his powerful word. Here in Colossians 1:17 we see that Jesus holds all things together. How should our faith be strengthened by this knowledge? How might we trust in God's plan, knowing that the one who died on the cross for us also is actively working in every aspect of our lives?

3. What are some tangible benefits of our reconciliation with God? How do you see those benefits working out in your life?

Increasing Faith, Increasing Fruit, Increasing Gospel

Colossians 1:1-14

Sermon Notes:

1. Increasing Faith | vv. 3-8

2. Increasing Fruit | vv. 9-12

3. Increasing Gospel | vv. 5-6, 13-14

Reflection Questions:

1. When was the last time you were overwhelmed with the joy and glory of salvation? If it's been a while, why has it become insignificant or mundane? Why is Paul compelled to pour out thanksgiving every time he prays for the Colossians?

2. What are some specific ways that your spiritual fruit shows your devotion to God? What ways have you seen your spiritual fruit grow since becoming a Christian?

3. God has delivered us from slavery to sin and death. Like God reminded Israel over and over again, he reminds us where we've come from and who we are now. What is your identity in Christ and how can you live out of the gospel more today than you did yesterday?

The Blessing of a Magnificent God

Luke 1:39-56

Sermon Notes:

1) Elizabeth's Exclamation of Faith

2) Mary's Exclamation of Fear

Reflection Questions:

1. Elizabeth and Mary would have had very little authority and status in their culture and world. Yet, the Holy Spirit spoke scripture through them both. How does the Spirit speaking through Elizabeth and Mary show God's love for the last, the least, the lost, and the little?

2. While we don’t know much about Mary, vv. 46-56 show us a great deal of her faith and understanding of God's promises. What passages in scripture can you think of that Mary might have been recalling? How do you think Mary's familiarity with scripture impacted her faith?

3. God isn't simply taking from those who have too much and giving to the needy, like some Robinhood of the sky. Instead, God is removing the idols of pride, self-sufficiency, and riches, from those who have rejected him. But God fills those who are humble before him with blessing and mercy. How is your pride, might, or wealth getting in the way of you fearing God more fully, and humbling yourself before him?

For A Little While

Hebrews 2

Sermon Notes:

1) From Subjection to Supremacy vv. 1-9

2) Sanctification Through Suffering vv. 9-13

3) Salvation Through Suffering vv. 1-4, 14-18

Reflection Questions:

1) How can we be sure that God will make all things new even though we do not yet see all things in subjection to Jesus?

2) Sin tears us away from God, but sanctification brings us closer to God. How has suffering you have experienced in the past drawn you closer to God through your sanctification?

3) How does God's justice give us hope in our suffering? How does Christ, our faithful high priest, give us lasting hope?

By His Son

Hebrews 1

Sermon Notes:

1) The Ultimate Word

2) The Ultimate Character

3) The Ultimate Victory

Reflection Questions:

1. If Jesus is the fullness of God's revelation to us, why do our hearts so often seek direction and value apart from him? What are some ways that you can recenter your focus on the Word of God today and this week?

2. Jesus is the center of God's story because he is the only one who had all the qualifications to fulfill the great gospel story. How do you try to bend your story so that it's focused on you? How does seeing who Jesus is help us to see him as the center of the story?

3. What gets in the way of our sharing in the victory that Jesus has won?