TVCC Students,
It is always a joy to be worshipping with you all on Wednesday evenings. We are so encouraged to see you all building each other up and growing in your love for the Lord. We are still cruising through the book of Colossians and we are continually encouraged as we meditate on Paul's words to the Colossian church and what implications that has for us today. Here is a recap from last night...
Colossians 3:12-17
~3:12: God has chosen His believers. This is not something that usually sits well in our culture but this truth is spread all throughout the Word of God. We were dead and He chose to make us alive through Jesus. We were orphans and He chose to adopt us through Jesus. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, the Lord calls us "holy and beloved." What a great truth to meditate on. We are a new creation and in Christ we are no longer seen in light of our sin but in light of the righteousness of Christ; Paul calls the church to "put on a heart of..." This really meant for them to go into the "largest part" of their insides and let these heavenly things flow out.
Q: Have you spent time lately meditating lately on the fact that you are seen as Holy and Beloved by God through His Son Jesus? What does your life look like when you are really living in light of this truth?
~3:13: Paul calls the church to bear with one another. This is not an easy thing. So often in our culture these days we get rid of friends when they cause us to "bear" with them even in the slightest way. The body of Christ should go through hard times WITH one another and be able to lean on one another in times of weakness. Along with this, Paul also calls them to forgive as they have been forgiven. We have been forgiven completely and generously in Christ and we should forgive others in that same way.
Q: Are there any people in your life that you have not forgiven? We pray that you will meditate this week on how generously and completely the Lord has forgiven you and pray that His love for you would fuel your love for others.
~3:14: Paul doesn't just stop with forgiveness but then calls the church to put on love. When we look back in the gospels (Luke 7:40) we see such a great example of how forgiveness and love go hand in hand. A person who understands the depths of their forgiveness is much more inclined to have a heart of love and forgiveness towards others. We have all failed so much to love the Lord and yet Romans 8 gives us so much hope and peace. If God is for us (through Jesus)... who can be against us!!?? Let the truth of your forgiveness and God's great love lead you to love and forgive others?
Q: Are you someone who loves well? If not, maybe you have not spent a lot of time meditating on the magnitude of the forgiveness that you have been given in Christ...
~3:15: The truths in Romans 8 should not only lead us to love and forgive others well but should also lead us to peace! As we meditate on our forgiveness through Christ, an overwhelming peace should come to us. NOthing can separate us from the love of God that is ours through Christ! Rest in that truth!! Let this truth "rule you" or "control you." Remember that what you find your identity in will determine how you live. Let us obey the Lord because we love Him and are thankful for the richness of His love that was given to us through Jesus while we were yet sinners!
Q: What causes you anxiety? When you are feeling anxious this week we ask that you read through Romans 8 again slowly and ask the Lord to let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.
~3:16: Paul has told the church over and over that the Lord wants a relationship with us. Relationships involve speaking to each other and listening to one another. The Lord wants us to speak constantly to HIm and let Him speak to us through His Word. The more we let His Words dwell in us, the more we will come to know and adore Him.
Q: Are you in a habit of letting the Lord speak to you often through His Word?
~3:17: As we spend time with Him, growing in our love for Him, we should grow in thankfulness. As we behold His glorious character it will lead us to be in awe of how He could love us. As we do this, we are representing the name of Christ. Everyone is watching how we live and our words and deeds should demonstrate our thankful hearts that are secure in the Lord.
Q: When people see you live your life and hear you speak, would they say that you are living "in the name of the Lord Jesus?" Why or why not?
Dear Students,
We pray that this week you would really be able to meditate on God's great love for you through the death and resurrection of Christ on your behalf. We did not deserve His love and yet He loved us anyway. We pray that this will lead your hearts to peace and lead you to love others as you have been loved. We are praying for you!
With hope,
~Sonny and Casi
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