Colossians 4:1-9 (NIV)

As Paul wraps up this short letter to the Colossians and begins to write his final greetings he says some remarkable things that we can easily miss. I don’t know about you, but if I was in prison and was asking a church for prayer, I’d ask them to pray for the prison doors to be opened and let me out! But Paul doesn’t do that. Instead he asks them to pray that doors would be open for their message, so they could proclaim the mystery of King Jesus.

And then once more, in a moment when he could have been talking about his own desires for freedom, he tells them to expect Onesimus; who he calls a faithful and dear brother. You see Onesimus was a runaway slave who belonged to Philemon, who along with the Colossians receives a letter directly from Paul regarding Onesimus, who he just said is one of them. Paul's concern for Christ to be known through his own testimony and the testimony of the church at Colossae far exceeds his concerns for his own comfort.

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1. What word or phrase stood out to you in this passage?

2. How does this passage encourage you or your community? Take a moment to rest in the LORD’s encouragement.

3. How does this passage make you aware of your need for Jesus? Ask the LORD to renew you and your community in his image.

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