Sermon Central
-
Jesus + Nothing = Everything (The Book Of Colossians)
Contributed by Dave Mcfadden on May 6, 2019 (message contributor)
-
1. "Working On Your Walk”
Contributed on May 6, 2019
Paul commends and counsels the Colossians on spiritual maturity.
Last time, we made saw how Paul wrote to the Colossians to counter an error promoted by false teachers who denied the deity of Jesus. Paul describes Jesus with some of the loftiest language used in the New Testament, emphasizing His preeminence in all things. Because He is Lord over all, the life ...read more
-
2. "The Gospel Of Reconciliation”
Contributed on May 20, 2019
Paul speaks of how the Gospel is all about how god has made it possibile for us to be reconciled to Him.
Charles Hodge lived between 1797 and 1878. He was a Presbyterian minister and head of Princeton Theological Seminary from 1851-1878. Concerning the Gospel, Hodge said this: “The Gospel is so simple that small children can understand it, and it is so profound that studies by the wisest theologians ...read more
-
3. "The Christian Difference”
Contributed on May 26, 2019
What sets the message of Chrsitianity apart from other messages in the world today?
A farmer would call his pigs to feed by tapping a stick against the fence of the pig sty. When they heard the “tapping” they ran to the trough to feed. One day they got loose and wandered into the woods nearby. A woodpecker landed on a tree and began pecking away. When the pigs heard the ...read more
-
4. "Making The Most Of Our Ministry”
Contributed on Jun 3, 2019
How Paul made the most of his call to minimstry is a good example for us to follow in fulfilling our God-given ministry calling.
“And say to Archippus, ‘See to it that you fulfill [carefully the duties of] the ministry which you have received in the Lord.’” - Colossians 4:17 (Amplified) Every Child of God is called to full time ministry. We saw that last week as we considered Ephesians 2:10: “For we are His workmanship ...read more
-
5. "Our Victory In Christ”
Contributed on Jun 24, 2019
The cross of Christ is the eternal basis for our victory over sin.
One of Paul’s favorite phrases to describe our relationship with Christ as believers is “in Christ.” When we’re born again through faith in Christ, Jesus comes to dwell in us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. So, where I am, Christ is, aware of everything I encounter, because He’ll never ...read more
-
6. "Relationship Vs. Religion”
Contributed on Jul 1, 2019
Paul warns about threee subtles deceptions about living the Christian life that can cause us to get detoured from focusing on a growing love relationship with God.
Having discussed how our victory over the power of sin and the temptations to sin provided by the flesh, the world and the devil in our daily lives has been provided for through Christ death, burial and resurrection; Paul now addresses three subtle detours that can get the child of God. These ...read more
-
7. "To Be Worldly Minded Is No Heavenly Good”
Contributed on Jul 7, 2019
We must always seek to keep our eyes on Christ.
Having warned the Colossian believers about wrong approaches to living the Christian life - legalism - seeking to prove one’s spiritual worth by keeping rules and regulations; mysticism - seeking to prove one’s spiritual worth by the number of spiritual experiences they’ve had; and asceticism - ...read more
-
8. "It’s Time For A Change”
Contributed on Jul 16, 2019
How can believers live out the changed life we have in Christ?
As Paul writes to the Colossians, he speaks to them about the fact that since Christ has given them new life, it’s time for a change! That is, since we as believers have new life in Christ, we should determine to learn how to live the changed life that is ours. Paul mentions in this passage two ...read more
-
9. "How To Live As God Wants Us To Live”
Contributed on Jul 21, 2019
Paul gives us brief tutorial on how the Christian is to live to please God.
There was a time when the most popular type of books were the “how to” books. Now, in this video age, we find that practically anything you want to know how to do can be found on Facebook or YouTube. You name it, from the most popular of topics to the most obscure of topics, there is somebody ...read more
-
10. "The Christian And Their Family”
Contributed on Jul 29, 2019
The Christian family was a revolution in Paul's day and should be so today.
The idea of the traditional family gets a “bad rap” in today’s society. I heard of a little girl who had just returned from seeing the movie, “Cinderella.” She was telling her elderly neighbor lady about the movie. At one point she said, “And do you know how the movie ends?” To which the older ...read more
-
11. "The Christian And Their Work”
Contributed on Aug 5, 2019
How should a Christian go about behaving in the workplace?
Before we dig into our passage, I want to first deal with a question that is often asked: “Why didn’t Paul call for abolishing slavery?” Observation #1: Though Paul didn’t condemn slavery, he didn’t condone it either. Observation #2: Paul doesn’t offer a theological rationale ...read more
-
12. "The Kind Of Praying That Pleases God”
Contributed on Aug 12, 2019
What should I focus on as I pray?
In our passage for today, Paul seeks to encourage the Colossians about their prayer life. In so doing, he shares with them the characteristics of the prayer life a Christian should devote himself to. This is the kind of praying that is sure to please God. 1. Perceptive praying - v. 2a “being ...read more
-
13. "How To Walk Wisely In The World”
Contributed on Aug 19, 2019
As we pass through this world on our way to heaven, witnessing should be a priority for the Christian.
As Paul speaks about the Christian’s walk in this world, he tells us we need to walk wisely. We do this, he says, by taking advantage of every opportunity to give a verbal witness for Jesus. Why should witnessing be a priority for believers as we are living in this world? Two reasons: Reason #1: ...read more
-
14. "Real Life Change”
Contributed on Aug 26, 2019
Paul mentions two men who had experienced real life change due to being touched by the Master's hand.
In 1921, Myra Brooks Welch told a story of an old violin that was put up for auction, in a poem called, “The Touch of the Masters Hand.” Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer thought it scarcely worth his while to waste much time on the old violin, but held it up with a smile; “What am I ...read more
-
15. "Genuine Christian Fellowship”
Contributed on Sep 3, 2019
Paul and his companions give us a great example of genuine Christian fellowship.
Here are mentioned six persons who sent greetings through Paul to the church in Colossae: Aristarchus, Mark, Justus, Epaphras, Luke, and Demas. In their examples, we learn the characteristics of genuine Christian fellowship. Genuine Christian fellowship . . . 1. Reaches across social ...read more
-
16. "Words Of Encouragement”
Contributed on Sep 17, 2019
Paul helps us identify four types of persons who we need to intentionally encourage.
In 2 Corinthians 7:6, Paul describes our God as One “who encourages those who are discouraged . . .” (NLT). Indeed, if we are going to live in a godly fashion, we will find that we are called to be encouragers of others. God comes alongside the discouraged to offer encouragement. We, therefore, ...read more