The Mid-Week Update

Lesson Recap

Advancing In Christian Living

Be Focused

Colossians 3: 1-17

There are no shortage of television makeover shows.  Some of the more popular topics include weight loss, finance, clothing, and home renovation.  Think of your personal favorite! 

In this weeks study we explored habits we should bury and others we should begin to display as a result of the radical sang Jesus makes in our hearts and lives.

Where Should I Look? 1-4

Here Paul instructs us to look upward, to things above, in heaven.  The mental image given here is to let others see Jesus in you, that your life is indeed "hidden in Christ".  Knowing that we should also look for God in what we do day to day. The overall instruction is to hide ourselves with Christ. 

If your teen came to you and asked you what these verses mean, you could explain simply by saying that they should keep their minds on things above and not on earthly things.

What day to day things can you think of that get in the way of setting our minds above?

We live in accordance with new life in Christ when we consider Him and base our actions on what He has done and will do for us.

What Should I Bury? 5-11

Which sins are the most difficult?  Which are more challenging?  Why?  Look at the partial list that Paul has given us in these verses.  They encompass both actions and attitudes:

ACTIONS:

• sexual immorality
• impurity
• idolatry
• rage
• slander
• foul language
• lying

ATTITUDES:

• Lust
• evil desire
• greed malice

...and then there is anger, which could probably fit into both categories.   What is the difference between avoiding sin and in putting sin to death (v5)?  It is sort of like working on a computer.  If you want to avoid something you put it in the trash.  If you want to get rid of something you even get rid of it from the trash...gone forever!
By the time Paul wrote this letter, people of many different races and religious backgrounds were being saved.  He is instructing the reader to avoid defining or categorizing others by race, gender, status, heritage, etc.  This is important so we can see to live like as Christ did...by loving unconditionally!
We live in accordance with new life in Christ when we forsake all behavior that characterizes unbelievers.


Picture the image of a person.  Let each virtue in vv12-14 serve as an article of clothing:
What Should I Display? 12-17
The person is now fully clothed with these virtues.   Paul tells us to put love on above all the others because love binds them all together in perfect unity.  The virtue of forgiving gets mentioned a lot here.  What message does that have for us?
Look at v12.  How does it make you feel that you are chosen-not a natural born child but chosen as in adoption?  What difference can that make in your everyday life?  What does this verse communicate to you?
We live in accordance with new life in Christ when our behavior reflects our relationship with God. 
 Conclusion:  This week I will contemplate how my attitudes and actions reflect my new life in Christ.

Blog Note

This week we hit our 8000th page view!  It is great to see this working as well as it soes.  Keep reading!

Quote of the Week

 “We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him.”- C.S. Lewis

Ben..Like a Youth Pastor

Our kids are now home from Breakaway.  Ben posted this video that he made.  Too funny!

Snacks

•  7/1 Phillips
• 7/8 Stubbs

• 7/15 Stanfield

Prayer Requests 

   

• Terresa Howard is having back problems.  She has been in lots of pain, and it cost her some time at work.  She is working with a chiropractor.
• J.T. Howard and his job situation
• Terresa's neighbor daughter, Taylor, just left for the Navy.
• Kevin's mom, and her recovery from a heart procedure.