The message of the book of Haggai: the person and purposes of God must be at the center of the people of God. Haggai’s final two messages came on the same day: December 18, 520, three months after temple construction resumed. Ezra 6 tells us that King Darius instructed the Jews’ enemies to supply building materials and animals for sacrifices. This put the Jews in an awkward position. The animals and materials were considered unclean, but how could they refuse the king?

In 586 BC the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and took most of the Jews into exile. About 50 years later Cyrus, the Persian, took Babylon, and brought the Babylonian Empire to an end. The next year (538 BC) he allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. Those who returned started to rebuild in 536. They rebuilt the altar and then stopped. In 520 BC Haggai confronted them about the temple rebuilding project.

Jesus gave us the Great Commission in order to reach and disciple the lost. (Matthew 28:19-20) Though not all can leave for an overseas destination, all can still participate. Venerated missionary William Carey once said to his home church, “I will go down, if you will hold the ropes." He was willing to go, but only if he had a team at home supporting him in the endeavor. Missionary Paul had such a team. We meet them in Colossians 4:7-18. Find a rope holder with which you identify and do the same.

The first three chapters of Colossians establish the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus and our union with him. Paul uses the second half of the book to show how these truths affect our thinking, character, and relationships. This week we turn to our relationships with authority and with non-Christians.

According to the book of Colossians, Christ is in us, empowering us to live righteously - even at home (perhaps the hardest place to truly live out our faith). Colossians 3:18-21 highlights each family member and speaks to their most challenging responsibility.

All believers desire to be like Christ. But, how can we live like Christ 2000 years removed from His culture? We have actual shoes and rarely need to walk everywhere we travel. Should we grow beards and wear robes? In our passage today, Paul shows us how we can live like Christ even in the midst of our modern world.

One of the greatest challenges that we face - is the challenge of change. To continue to grow from who we once were - to who we have been created to be. Colossians 3:1-11 teaches us that life change has a great deal to do with the way we think.

Paul wrote Colossians to strengthen the church against false teachers. He has set the foundation of his response to the false teachers by highlighting the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus. Last week we saw that because of Christ’s supremacy and sufficiency, we are complete in Christ – nothing needs to be added. In today’s passage, Paul identifies three ways the false teachers tried to add to Christ, and the consequences.

What completes you? Your spouse, your job, your possessions, your children? The answer that God gives us in today’s passage is that you are completed by Jesus Christ. This passage also tells us what that means and how to live in light of that truth.