Jesus Changes People

Paul loves the Colossians, and even 1,000 miles between them wasn’t going to keep him from ministering to them. With a true shepherd’s heart, he wants to make sure they know who they are, so that they won’t be deceived by smooth talkers who wish to lead them away from Jesus. With praise for their disciplined and firm faith in Jesus, Paul layouts one of the shortest and clearest descriptions of what it means to become a Christian and to live as one. Join Mike and Ken as they discuss the start of Colossians 2, Infomercials, Star Trek, and Valentine’s Day.

Passage: Colossians 2:1-7

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Paul shares that he rejoices in the suffering he has endured for the sake of sharing the word of God in its fullness with the church. The message he shares was a mystery, hidden for ages, but now he’s freely sharing it with God’s people, and this includes not just the Jews but also the Gentiles. How does he do all of this? In his words, strenuously, but not by his might but by the energy of Jesus working inside him. Mike and Ken discuss how what Paul talks about in these verses shows how Jesus changes people and that we’re never alone if we’ve given ourselves to Jesus. 

Passage: Colossians 1:24-29

Booklet: My Heart-Christ’s Home https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Christs-Home-Robert-Boyd-Munger/dp/087784075X

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Following his explanation that Jesus has supremacy over all creation, Paul next lets the Colossians know Jesus is superior to all others when it comes to re-creation, the redemption of humankind. In this, Jesus is rightfully the head of the church, the firstborn from among the dead, has reconciled all things to himself, having the fullness of God dwelling in Him, so that in everything He might be superior. If the Colossians have given themselves to Jesus, they have nothing to fear. Join Ken and Mike as they break down these verses, with the hope of helping us find the same confidence in Jesus as the Colossians.

Passage: Colossians 1:18-23

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In just 3 verses, Paul lets us know Jesus is the image of God, the firstborn of creation, that in, through, and for Him all things were created, that He is before all things, and that He holds all things together. In saying this, Paul’s thrown down the gauntlet, stating without reservation that Jesus is superior to all others! This is something the Colossians needed to hear, and it’s something we need to hear as well. Ken and Mike discuss the preeminence of Jesus, particularly in relation to creation, and how knowing this has influence in how we live our lives today. 

Passage: Colossians 1:15-17

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In verse 3, Paul moves to his opening prayer and thanksgiving for the Colossians. In this prayer, he’s thankful for their progress and shares his hopes for them. His prayer lays the groundwork for what’s coming in his letter, the themes, and it sets the tone. Faith, hope, love, the full gospel message, and the fruit of the Spirit are just a few things Paul touches on. Most importantly, he describes that God is the initiator of change and how that change forms us in to who He desires us to be. Join Ken and Mike as they talk about all these topics and how they fit into our lives today.

Passage: Colossians 1:3-14

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Many letters start with pleasantries and hellos, but not much substance. That’s not the case with Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In the opening sentence, which is in verses 1 and 2, Paul talks about Christian identity, his apostleship, and Timothy, his companion in ministry. But wait there’s more, which sounds like a late night commercial. He makes sure these non-Jewish believers understand they are included in God’s family. He also encourages them in their faithfulness and reminds them that grace and peace come from God the Father. Although these words were written to the Colossians, they could also be written to all of us. What Paul shares is truth that is available to everyone because God made it freely available through Jesus. Join Ken and Mike as they discuss how we can find ourselves in this jam-packed sentence.

Passage: Colossians 1:1-2

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New year, new season. Season 3 will focus on the letter written to the Colossians by the Apostle Paul. Ken and Mike give an introduction to this letter by sharing some history about Paul the author, discussing the Colossian church and the culture of their day. The guys also lay out some of the themes from Colossians that they’ll touch on in the coming season. You’ll be surprised at the parallels between then and now and quickly see why there is so much to be gained from spending the next few months immersed in this short but powerful letter.

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Ken and Mike wrap up their second season and the first year of Jesus Changes People. They reflect on the previous year and look forward to what might lie ahead in the next. During the main sections, they discuss why it’s important to reflect on past events, the trouble with New Year’s resolutions, and offer some practices to help get the year started off on the right foot. Also included is the long anticipated announcement of the vote results for Seasons 3’s book of the Bible. So grab Christmas leftovers and pop on this not to miss episode.

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Luke begins his biography of Jesus, explaining why he’s undertaken the writing of his account. He desires to put down an orderly record so that people won’t be fuzzy about something so important as the life of Jesus. If we’d heard the story of Jesus’ read from scripture, it’s most likely been read from the book of Luke, so it is quite familiar to us. However, the stories of Mary and John the Baptist’s parents aren’t talked about as much as many other elements of the Christmas story. From them, we learn the difference between believing in God and not believing God. It’s a subtle difference, but we struggle with these two matters of belief on a daily basis in our own lives. Luke’s account helps us learn how we’re able to grow in our belief in God and believing what God says.

Passage: Luke 1

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Mark, much like John, begins his biography with Jesus as an adult. His account moves rapidly through a prophecy from Isaiah, John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness, Jesus’ baptism by John, God the Father speaking from heaven to Jesus, and Jesus heading into the wilderness for forty days, which included being tempted by Satan. Mark covers all of this in just 15 verses. Although it’s not the traditional Christmas story we’re used to, it’s still clear that Jesus’ entrance into the world is seen as an invasion by the forces that are ruling it. We also see that through Jesus, God is answering the prayer for mercy and help from Isaiah 64, where the author asks God to rend the heavens and come down. Mark’s account helps us see the powerful changes that can happen in our lives because of Jesus’ coming.

Passage: Mark 1:1-15

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