Paul’s final call to the Colossians is to stay devoted to prayer. As modeled by Jesus, prayer isn’t a boring religious duty, but a natural outgrowth of love for God. In this talk, we’ll dig into what prayer is, how we need the Spirit to do it, and why it can transform a community.

Our friend and co-founder Alice returned to us from London (not for long, but we’ll take what we can get) to speak about what peace and submission look like in Jesus-centered community. In Paul’s day, power imbalances between husband and wives, slaves and masters and parents and child may have looked a little different to how they do today, but the driving force behind them remain the same; we give up power we follow Jesus. And when we do so we always win.

The rules of human wisdom lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence, says Paul at the end of Colossians 2. Only Jesus, and what he has done, can solve the problem of your flesh. This weeks talk examines how mystics and aesthetics have, throughout the ages, gone to great lengths to receive more of god, which raises the question, why is it that when we are weakest, we are strong? This one is for those of us who feel stuck and backed into corners right now. Be encouraged.

The letter of Colossians was written to a people pulled in many directions by tricksters and gnostics saying the same thing: “You only have half of what you need. You’re half full.” Truthfully, life and the world can often press this same message upon us. Is it true? Its the age-old message that can lead us to fill ourselves with things we need when in reality, Jesus is the antidote for any sense of emptiness we may have. Jesus makes empty people full. This is what he’s done from the very beginning. He invites us to live full in him but it means we need to make him the center. As we do, he grows us and we become more full of his life, love, and joy.

We’re all called to mature our faith. Paul’s letter is a roadmap to maturity. In his introduction he sets out the foundations for the journey. The starting point is the grace of Jesus (1:2), the supreme authority in life and the universe. The Colossians have truly understood grace (1:6) and so must we. Let us not water it down or compromise it. Because the degree to which become experts in the full knowledge and understating of grace is the degree to which we are able to let Jesus’ supremacy rule over our whole lives. In turn, the more we allow Jesus to reign supreme the more our lives will reflect his character and the more we will mature. Jesus is the beginning, middle and end of the journey.