Things have been busy..

Ok…I promise to post more this week. I was sick last week and got behind ‘stuff’…I also had finials due this last week…which are done. So all the excuses out of the way…

This morning we had about 60 in attendance and the message was about being thankful. I have been preaching out of Colossians…Col. 3:12-17…the last verse being

“and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”.

What I love about chapter 3, it builds to this point…you see in verse 1-3 our eyes are to be one Christ…our hearts and minds are to be set on things above. We have been raised with Christ (v.1), you have a new life, and you are a ‘new creation’…you get a new start with Christ…so set your eyes above.

“Put to death” v.5…notice it doesn’t say wound it and let live in your life, cowering in the corner…have no mercy on ‘sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed”…but you can only kill these if your heart and minds…your eyes are on Christ. He is the one who enables you to destroy these sins….

After these…’rid yourself’ of anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language…do lie to each other….Paul is working down a list…it starts with Christ…look up…then look in to get rid of those things that keep you from looking up…

Now he is working on the relationships within the church…God representation on earth….’Christ is all, and is in all’ v.11

We are God’s chosen people…holy (set apart, for the glory of God) and dearly loved by the Lord v.12…we are to make every effort (clothe yourself) with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience…with in the church (which should naturally carry outside the church)…but we have to work on these very things so we can “bear with one another…and forgive one another v.13. Have you every had to serve with some tough people in church…people in church can and will hurt you…but we have to forgive…because Christ forgave us. We cannot serve God and have hatred in our hearts…the two cannot co-exist with one another…you have to choose which one you want to keep…

But most of all you have put on ‘love’….without love the above will not work…love binds us and unites us…we love because Christ first loved us…and we are to love others…especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.

“let the peace of Christ rule in your heart" v.15…we all seek peace and only Christ can give us peace that surpasses all understanding…only Christ can take away our fears….but we have to submit…or allow him to rule in our lives…it’s like submitting to a umpire at a baseball game…the players submit to the umpires authority…he says who is safe and who is out…but the players have to agree to his authority…look what happens when we do submit…

We have peace and we can be ‘thankful’…then we can accept the word and the teaching of Christ and they will fill your life…your relationship with other believers starts to grow where you can spur one another on…you can teach and admonish one another…singing hymns and psalms will take on a new life…your hearts will be glad…filled with ‘gratitude’ v.16…

Finally you reach “and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”.

So if you read through this and now I have to ask you question…what are you thankful for, is Christ in your life and are you truly thankful….are you thankful for your church family…right now pray a prayer of thanks giving…

Be thankful…

-ps