Rockharbor Youth

Sometimes we read things in the Bible that sound weird, that make us uncomfy. Paul does in this passage where despite titles, submission, serving-- we need to look to Jesus first and then everything else flows out. There are things we have now put to death so that everything we do in following Jesus is for Him. It's ok to view things differently than our friends, but let's sit in the tension of figuring out what truly following Jesus looks like rather than quickly not talking about it.

In Colossians 3:1-17 Paul encourages us that now following Jesus should change how we live our lives.  So we must put off the things that were killing us and put on new life.  We can see similarities from how the church of the Colossae and us today are influenced by culture more than Jesus.  What are things you can put off to take the next step in putting on Jesus?

Colossians 2 pt. 2 Paul constantly reminds us here to not hold onto things of the past but to look at Jesus; He changes everything.  What we listen to, the people, our friends; Jesus’ voice should be louder.  But are we living in the freedom only found in Him?  Is He enough for us?

Colossians 2 pt.1 The enemy doesn't come at us with a bat, a knife, or a gun... he comes at us with an idea. What we believe, shapes who we become, and informs how we behave. What do we believe? Do we let truth flow through our lives to change the way we see and walk in the world around us?

We just kicked off our new series called Mysterion, going through the letter to the Colossians. In Colossians 1 we are told this mystery is Christ In YOU, the hope of Glory. How is this a mystery, what is it about mystery that draws us, and what is the journey to becoming someone where Christ in us is the most important reality about us? This is maturity, lets take the journey together!

As we close up the Hope for Home series we wanted to end with a pastoral word to "ponder" these things. In our life a human shared experience is shame. We feel shame when our miss-applied hopes and idols are exposed. OR we redefine, we form God and His ways to look more like us and our thoughts. Rather we need to let God be God, form our life around Him and His ways, and trust him enough to receive his love and forgiveness. Let's let the truth of Jesus life, death, and resurrection change everything about us!

Not being in a romantic relationship doesn't define your worth. Because of Jesus you are worthy of love & life. This comes through our friendships and way we interact with others. We all need friends and having friends is also hard. Jesus is always our nearest friend, he will never let you down. If we have Jesus as our first friend, every other friendship and relationship can flow from that intimacy.

You may or may not be dating right now or even soon. We're not here to tell you when you should or should not date but rather how you should date. God shows us and tells us throughout the whole Bible how to treat others well and how to enter relationships. Finding someone who is equally yoked and then how you handle the relationship totally matters.

As we move into talking about healthy relationships we can’t start with our own, we have to start with the greatest story of all! If we are not informed biblically then we will be informed culturally and that always leaves carnage. The greatest story ever told is that a perfect God pursues US!

What if the desert was where God does his best work? What if Jesus modeled for us the way through the desert? Jesus did what he did and was who he was, in part, because of the deserts he walked through. With God, the desert CAN be the place of our greatest growth into people of love and purpose.