"Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God."

Colossians 2:18-19

Our true hope and our true joy is found at the cross of Christ, where our record of debt was forgiven! We are now made alive in Him, and with thankfulness, we live for His kingdom and His glory.

What if we didn't view suffering as an inward, negative thing, but a chance to outwardly glorify God, proclaim His name, and encourage and build up the church? Sean speaks into this as we continue our look at Colossians.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent."

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Colossians 1:9-10

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:15-17

It's a new year, but the implications of the Gospel don't change. Sean reminds us what Jesus has done for us and what that means as we walk into this year!

In light of Christmas, we know that our God is with us. So how do we enjoy that wonderful, life-changing truth? Josh leads us through some scripture that helps us do just that as we prepare to enter into a new year.

For our annual Christmas Eve Eve service, Sean teaches us about our reality now that Christ is with us. When we were far off, He came near. When we were lost, He found us. It is all because of Christ!