Colossians 1:1-8
As we come to the end of our first week of study in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, take a few minutes to journal the important ideas that really spoke to your heart.

Looking back over the first 8 verses of this letter, we see that Paul found much to celebrate about this Colossian church. As brothers and sisters in Christ with these Colossian believers, we have much to celebrate as well.

Like these Colossians…

• • We are “God’s holy people…faithful brothers and sisters in Christ…” (verse 2)
  • We are “in Christ” and are part of the body of God’s believers. (verse 2)
  • We have received “grace”, the unmerited favor of God. (verse 3)
  • We have received God’ “peace” which only comes from experiencing the presence of God and His saving grace. (verse 3)
  • We have faith in Christ and love for each other that comes from the eternal hope we have found in Christ. (verse 4 and 5)
  • We have received the gospel message which brought us salvation and we are called to continue spreading this gospel message to the “whole world”. (verses 5-8)

  What an incredible opening to this letter!!! We can imagine that the Colossian believers (and believers everywhere) were eager to hear more after this opening. We know that Paul wrote this letter to correct some “stinkin’ thinkin’” among these believers, but he takes time to encourage them before he dives into weightier matters. I think we should take note of Paul’s methods when we talk with others about their faith.

  Questions to consider…
  Which one of the descriptions of the Colossian believers listed above means the most to you? Why?
  What can we learn about Paul’s approach to speaking to this church facing the threat of false teachers?
  Ask God today to remind you of who you are in Christ and to give you the courage to share this with others with grace and humility when the opportunity comes.