Colossians: People Are Talking
Colossians 1:1-8
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
In a world constantly telling us we need more—more success, more knowledge, more spirituality, more control—the book of Colossians points us back to one unshakable truth: Jesus is enough. Paul writes to followers of Jesus who were being tempted to add other things to Jesus, but he reminds them that everything they truly need is already found in him. From our identity and transformation to our relationships, purpose, and mission, Jesus is not merely part of life—he is the center of it all. This series will explore how a bigger vision of Jesus changes everything. This week we looked at the overall theme of the letter that Jesus needs to be the center if the Christian life is to make sense…
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflection:
Personal Experience & Discussion:
At some point, somebody told us about the Gospel, the good news about Jesus, in a way that we could understand and respond. Ask if someone would be willing to briefly share their testimony about how they came to hear about and respond to the Gospel message.
Reflective Discussion (Remember to look at the context of the verses as you are reading! Look for key terms and help the group unpack and define them):
Read Col 1:1-8 together
Where the Gospel takes root, it creates change. We think differently, act differently, relate differently. Desires shift, relationships recalibrate and in all of it there is a joy and peace that comes from the living presence of the Holy Spirit! DISCUSS: What is God doing in your life right now that would show up as evidence to a watching world of a supernatural work in your life? (Matt 5:14-16, John 15:5, James 2:17-18, 1 Pet 2:12, 2 Cor 2:2-3, Phil 2:14-16)
Paul starts out with thanksgiving (1:3). DISCUSS: How would beginning with gratitude affect the way that you think about, pray about, relate in the situations you are facing right now? (Phil 4:6-7, 1 Thes 5:16-18, Luke 10:17-21, Eph 1:15-16, Rom 1:8)
God can do amazing things through even the small, weak, seemingly insignificant people we know and relate to every day. We often miss it because we underestimate what God can do through people. DISCUSS: Who are the people you relate to on a day to day or week to week basis whom you tend to filter out (but God may be working on)? Read the follow Scriptures to support your reflections (Judges 6:14-16, 1 Sam 16:7-12, Micah 5:2, 1 Cor 1:26-29, 2 Tim 2:20-21)
Our current hardships are so often a powerful distraction to our hope in Jesus, and when we feel our focus drift, its-’s very easy to get worried, depressed… even though we know we have a future hope that is firm and eternal! DISCUSS: Why is it so hard to endure hardship while retaining hope? Read the follow Scriptures to support your reflections (1 Pet 1:3-5, Rom 8:18, 2 Cor 4:16-18, Titus 2:11-13, Heb 6:19)
Application:
What are some ways that the light of the Gospel can shine out of our lives in word and deed. Commit to moving forward with the compelling love, spiritual wisdom and Gospel courage that we are called to as Christ’s ambassadors!
Prayer:
Spend some time closing in prayer together for the Gospel to bear fruit in our lives so that the world would see and believe that Jesus is Who He said: Savior and Lord!
____________________________________
Get more resources to go deeper through Commentaries and Bible Study helps HERE