Message Notes for April 6, 2025

Series: Colossians – The Power of Christ in You

Title: Living Out the Gospel in our Relationships & Work 

Bottom Line: Our new life with Christ will mean making changes in relationships around us and that can be stressful.  Learn how to do it with grace, love and an exciting future! 

Colossians 3:18-4:6 ¹⁸ Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. ²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. ²² Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with    sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. ²⁵ For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no   partiality.¹Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.² Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. ³ At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— ⁴ that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.⁵ Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Family/Group Study Notes for the week of April 6, 2025

Series: Colossians—The Power of Christ in You

Title: Living Out the Gospel in our Relationships & Work 

• Share with others in your group how you see the gospel lived out in your relationships.  What does that look like in your marriage, or with your children, or with your parents?  How is the relationship between you and your boss?  You and your co-workers?
• Read Colossians 3:18 and Ephesians 5:22-33.  How do these passages on marriage align?  What does Paul mean by the word “submit”?  How does it look for husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church?
• Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Which part(s) of the way Paul defines love do you feel you need to work on most in your family relationships in order to best honor Jesus in them?  Your patience? Your kindness? Not being envious? Not being proud? Not being easily angered?  Not being self-seeking?
• Read Colossians 3:22-25 – 4:1. How does Paul instruct slaves/bond servants (or, in modern terms, employees) to work, and what motivation does he give them? What does it mean to “work with all your heart as if working for the Lord” (3:23)?  How does this change our perspective on work?  How should Christian employers or those in authority treat their workers (4:1)?
• In Chapter 4, verse 2 it says, “devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”. What does this mean? How does Paul’s request for prayers (4:3-4) reveal the importance of dependence on God in sharing the gospel?  How can we ensure that our conversations are “full of grace, seasoned with salt” (4:6)?
• Gather with your family/group and pray for God to be at the center of your relationships and in your workplace. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel and to live wisely before the world around us.