Colossians 2:6-15 . . . . "Living Right Starts with Believing Right" . . . . Are you living for Christ or for someone else? We stay saved in Jesus Christ alone. Are you taking over your life or are you letting Jesus be the boss? Jesus is the mediator between God and man. Jesus took responsibility for your sin on the cross. Sin and Satan and death are your enemies. Forgiveness means you were dead and now your are alive. March in the victory parade saying Jesus Christ is Lord.

Colossians 1:21-23 - "Moving Forward in Your Faith"

Often we feel that we have become alienated from God. But Paul reminds us that we have been reconciled through Jesus Christ. He tells us that we must continue in the faith, grounded and settled, not moving away from the hope of the Gospel, and proclaiming the Gospel to others.

"Jesus, Our Great Lord and Savior" - Colossians 1:15-20

Who is Jesus? Jesus Christ is the image of God and the head of the church above all. He is God from the beginning. If you want to know who God is just look at Jesus. All things were created in Heaven and on Earth by Him and for Him. All things good come from Jesus Christ.

If You Aren't Learning, You Aren't Growing - Colossians 1:1-14

In this book, Paul is writing to the people of Colosse who had begun worshiping Angels instead of the Lord Jesus. What he says they need to do is learn Thankfulness and Prayerfulness. So, here's what We can learn from these verses.

Thankfulness: Count your blessing daily; be thankful for Jesus and the hope He gives us; and recognize your faith as well as the faith of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Prayerfulness: Pray right now and often; always be asking, knocking, and seeking; pray for strength, joy, wisdom, and redemption. Also, pray for spiritual understanding, patience, deliverance from the dark, and so much more.

Happy Mother's Day! Today we look at some of the women in the Old Testament who were faithful leaders in various ways. In Exodus Chapter 2, we find Miriam who protected her brother, the baby Moses, from death during a tragic time. She watched as the Egyptian princess, Pharoah's daughter, took Moses in to care for him. Miriam was his protector. In Joshua Chapter 2, we find Rahab, a woman who took chances and protected the Israelite spies when they came to Jericho. She is in the genealogy of Jesus. Then, in Judges Chapter 4, we read about Deborah, a Godly woman of courage and faith. And, in the book of Ruth, we find a Gentile woman who chose to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi and ultimately became the great-grandmother of Jesus. These were some of the great women who trusted God and "hung on" to their faith when it was not easy. That's what Kingdom followers do!

In the tenth Commandment found in Exodus 20:17 God commands us to not covet anything that anyone else has. To "covet" means to desire something or someone. Don't be jealous of your neighbor's house, wife, servants, "stuff", or anything else that your neighbor has. Who is your neighbor? Everyone! Learn to be content with what you have. To covet is selfish and it can destroy relationships. Be content with what God has given you and count your blessings every day. Yes, even the small ones!

Our words lay the groundwork for our witness. The 9th of the ten commandments in Exodus 20:16 tells us not to bear false witness against our neighbor. Who is our neighbor? Everyone. Exaggerating, gossiping, negative comments, lying, and doing verbal harm are all ways of bearing false witness. Not to mention the negativty that can permeate out of AI and other digital postings. When you speak, what is your intent? It is helpful, harmful, encouraging, kind, or filling a need? Do not use God's name in vain. Sometimes we TALK TOO MUCH! Let your words impart grace, not hate.

The Bible tells us not to steal. See these verses: Exodus 20:15, Ephesians 4:28, and Malachi 3:8-10. Simply put, "If it ain't yours, don't take it!" We all know it is wrong to steal. But, stealing takes many forms that we rarely consider. Taking things from an employer, kick-backs, cheaating on taxes, not honoring debts, borrowing and not returning, and even stealing from God. In this lesson, we will discuss the many ways we steal without even thinking about it. That even includes tithing and other ways we should use our talents to increase the kingdom of God. "Spending your time" telling others about Jesus is "time well spent!"

The 7th of the 10 Commandments deals with sexual ungodliness.  It is written in several passages in the Bible, as in:  Exodus 20:14, Matthew 5:27-30, and I Corinthians 6:9-11.  Marriage is a covenant with God.  We all encounter temptations in our life. Adultery, pornography, is a sin, but you can be forgiven.  Here is an ANTHEM acronym to help you remember your conviction to Christ: A – Avoid sinful situations; N – No, say “No” quickly; T – Turn away from temptation; H – Hold on to Christ when tempted; E – Enjoy the promises of God; M – Move on to more positive things.  Purity begins in the heart.  Pledge your Life, your Convictions, and your Conscienceto Christ. We are all washed and sanctified by Jesus Christ.

Today we return to the last chapter in the book of Matthew. Chapter 28 retells the events of the day that our Lord Jesus Christ was raised from death. He did indeed die on the cross and when on Sunday the women went to the tomb, He was not there. An earthquake, an Angel, the tomb guards, and the women experienced a supernatural event. Jesus arose from death. The earth shook and the stone was rolled back. The tomb was empty. Jesus resurrection fulfills prophecy from the Old Testament. He even met the women on the road when He told them to tell the disciples where to meet Him later. Guards were paid to lie about the empty tomb. What should we do? Tell others about what Jesus has done for all who come to Him. He died on the cross for the sins of everyone so that we can live in eternity with Him in Heaven. That's a pretty awesome arrangement for us all! Praise God!!