Over and over, the Bible invites us to praise God. We do that through worshipping him, singing, surrendering, serving, and above all, finding our gladness in him. Psalm 100 lays out a template to teach us to praise God. 

How did Moses pray? Preserved in the Psalms, we have a prayer from Moses for the people of Israel. In this Psalm, we see the power of raising our esteem of God, so that we can gain a heart of wisdom.

The opening psalm is a gateway to the book. It describes the blessed life, someone who delights in God's Word and instruction. Then it gives a picture of the blessed life, like a tree, rooted and grounded, yielding fruit, and steadfast forever.

Saul started as a great king, but disobedience was his downfall. We can learn a lot about the root of disobedience, self-reliance, and how to trust God in difficult times through his story. 

Preacher: Chris O'Neal

To wrap everything up, Paul gives the church one short piece of advice: continue in prayer. In the final chapter, Paul commands them to pray, provides a prayer request, and offers an example of how to pray. It's a fitting end to this powerful letter.

The engine of growth in the Christian life is the Word. Paul says to let the Word make a home in you, dwelling on it, and meditating on it. It's easy to say, but how do we do this in everyday life? As we continue to grow in the Lord, we experience the gratitude that only God can give. 

When we come to Christ, our life completely changes. Paul talks about it like putting on a new set of clothes, and on top of everything else, we put on love. How could this not change the way we live as families? In this passage, Paul talks about the Christian family and the opportunities we have to be a witness to the world by how we love each other at home. 

How do we change? God promises that through Jesus Christ we will be transformed, but how does he do it? In the third chapter of Colossians, Paul shows us how we change. Because of our new home in heaven, our new life in Christ, and the new love in our hearts, God slowly transforms us to look like Jesus. 

After a short time, false teachers came into Colossae, adding to what Jesus had already done. In Paul's rebuke of the false teachers, we see some timeless principles for living out the freedom we have in Christ.

One of the oldest errors in the church is to add to the work of Jesus. In this section of the letter, Paul turns his attention to addressing the false teaching affecting the Colossians. Paul's reminder for them is true for us, Jesus paid it all. Nothing we add will ever improve the work of Christ.