Colossians 3:18-4:1 - As Paul brings his letter to a close, he takes the time to talk about how the truth of Jesus as Master and King plays out in our everyday relationships. Wives and husbands, kids and parents, employees and employers. The consistent point he makes throughout is how Jesus makes all the difference in the world as we care for each other and show kindness to the people closest to us.

Colossians 3:12-17-Sometimes Christianity gets known for the things we don't do. That's part of the story, but not the biggest (or best) part of the story. Paul lays out the Christian code of conduct in this passage. How do we be us? How do we deal with each other? What are the markers of a genuine Christian community? Not surprisingly, all of who we are called to be finds its root in who God is and how much God loves us.

Colossians 3:5-11 - The Colossian believers were figuring out what needed to stay and what needed to go in their lives. Paul, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, picked out two areas that needed special attention: sex and speech. These things reveal who we are at the deepest level. Thankfully, it isn't a matter of nitpicking and navel-gazing; the right way to find health and freedom in these areas is to stay close to Jesus, study him, grow in knowledge of him, to stay close to him. Christianity isn't harsh rules; it's a vibrant friendship.

Colossians 2:20-3:4 - The believers in Colosse were struggling. We can't avoid it; we bring religious baggage with us when we come to trust Jesus. In our day it's more likely that people go to church and think God should be chill and adjust to their thinking and preferences. 2000 years ago it was the opposite; people brought rules and restrictions, believing that God (or the gods) needed to be placated with displays of earnestness. They basically guessed what God wanted. Paul wanted those believers to guess no more! Get back and stay with the core of Christianity, which is, I hope, obvious: Jesus!

Colossians 2:13-19 - Humans have a problem that we can't save ourselves from—not through secular programs or religious systems. The good news of Jesus is that on the cross, Jesus dealt with it all. In him we are alive, forgiven, and free!

Colossians 2:8-12 - The Colossian Christians were in danger of losing their freedom in Jesus because of teaching that told them they needed to supplement faith in Jesus with religion or spiritual experiences. Paul warns them not to get tricked by this, because Jesus is more than enough.

Colossians 2:1-7 - The way forward for the first Christians had its bumps and tumbles. Not everyone who claimed to be a teacher had their story straight, and some were downright deceptive and wrong. One of the reasons Paul wrote this letter was to speak directly to the false teaching that was being introduced. They say that the best way to learn what a counterfeit bill is to handle a genuine bill over and over. Turns out, Jesus is the genuine article!

Colossians 1:24-29 - Suffering is the hardest thing for human beings. Why do we have to go through so much pain? One might think that getting on God's 'team' would mean you wouldn't suffer anymore or at least you'd suffer less. That's not the case. Jesus suffered, and he was very clear that his followers would suffer too. What is more important is the second truth, which is that Christians' suffering is never lost on God and is never in vain.

Colossians 1:21-23 - Last week, Paul went into great detail about Jesus, how sovereign and supreme he is and all that he did in pursuit of us. This week, we, Christians, enter the story. Paul only uses 2 words to describe our side of the story: alienated and reconciled. Again, Jesus did all the heavy lifting on the reconciliation side! And that, Paul explains, is the Good News, the Gospel.

Colossians 1:15-20 - In his letter to the Colossians, Paul quickly gets down to 'majoring on the majors'. Not surprisingly, the Major of all majors is Jesus. Instead of talking about Jesus' powerful miracles or profound teachings, Paul backs the story all the way to the beginning, Creation. Jesus is the One through whom and for whom creation came into being. He holds it together, and he pulls out all the stops to redeem it when it goes off the rails. This is what love looks like.