Have you ever stumbled upon something of surpassing beauty, which took your breath away and humbled you at the same time? It affects you so that you can’t turn away unchanged. The hymn about Christ in Colossians 1 is a lot like that. As Paul and Timothy develop their letter they focus attention on Christ, the center not just of the Christian community but of all God's work in the universe!
If you are trying to have a quiet time, getting started in a relationship with God or seeking guidance at this point in your life, you're in the right place.
In fifteen minutes or less you will listen to God's word for you, reflect on it and learn to pray to God as well as carry that word with you through the rest of your day. It's a perfect way to get started!
In season four we're praying through some of the letters in the Bible. We continue with Colossians and Paul appeals to an early Christian hymn to Christ as he builds his case that all the mysteries of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. He writes this letter so that the Colossians are firmly anchored in their faith and not led astray by those who don't uphold the supremacy of Christ.
Two big truths in this portion of the letter include:
Jesus Christ is supreme, first in all categories, and all mysteries, all wisdom and knowledge are contained “in Christ”. These high truths should stretch us, they should help us to grow further than we have so far. Make the application in a tangible way today. Make Christ the focus and go further than you have before.
As we read the letters we grow closer to God and realize we can't exhaust the riches in each part of scripture that we cover. However, you can go deeper into them on your own using our four step process. You can download the helpsheet that details and demonstrates the four step process we use on First Fifteen using Psalm 1.
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We have a course on Philemon and Colossians for in-depth Bible study called "Christ Supreme". If you are interested in going deeper, check out the links on our website or the Facebook page.
A classic book that does an imaginative retelling of the Onesimus-Philemon story that will appeal to young and old is Twice Freed by Patrician St. John. You can find it on Amazon.
Additional resources at the Word of Prayer website https://word-of-prayer.com
