SMBC Principal's Hour

What will the power of God at work in someone’s life look like? The Apostle Paul prays for something we might not expect, and may not appreciate. But Colossians 1:11 holds a vital part of the Christian life.

In Christ, we have died to our old life, and been raised to new life. But what happens when the problems of the old life resurface? What happens when we find ourselves in conflict with other Christians? In Colossians 3:12-17, Paul explains how our new life in Christ works itself out in the context of relationships and conflict.

As Christians, few things should be more important to us than spiritual growth – both our own, as well as that of our brothers and sisters in Christ. In Colossians 3:1-11, Paul gets to the heart of what it is to grow in Christian maturity, in the knowledge and love of our Lord.

Christian legalism is an insidious problem. And it is highly motivated Christians who are at risk. How do we recognise and avoid it? In Colossians 2:16-23, Paul tackles this problem head on, and offers a much better way.

How do we grow as Christians? What if we find ourselves struggling with ongoing sin and guilt? What if we feel intimidated or inadequate when we compare ourselves to others? In Colossians 2:6-15, Paul has some good news for us.

Paul has just penned a magnificent portrait of Jesus and now shares how Christ shares his fullness with his people. This marvellous truth offers Paul — and us — a direction for life.

How well does your understanding of Jesus match the reality of who and what he is? Colossians 1:15-23 is perfectly designed to bring about the alignment we need, increasing our knowledge of both the supremacy of Jesus’s person and the security that is ours because of his saving work.

How do we reflect the extraordinary goal of pleasing the Lord in every way? This is the goal that Paul has for believers in the ordinary everyday details of our lives. This prayer of Paul’s anticipates the main themes of the letter to the Colossians and shows how this takes place and what this would look like in our lives.

Our values have a huge impact on our lives, shaping our feelings and directing our behaviour. As followers of Jesus, we want to learn to value what Jesus values. How can we do that? In the opening section of his letter to the Colossians, Paul equips us for this task.

Note: For Kirk’s spot during the Full version of Principal’s Hour, you can watch the full ‘Like a Version’ video at: youtu.be/BiVrMnBPaTM

Saying goodbye can be hard. Our natural tendency is to avoid any situation where we need to, if we can. But the gospel gives us a whole new perspective. How does the gospel change the way we say goodbye?