“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted” (Matthew 28:16-17 NIV; emphasis added). Worship is an appropriate response to seeing your recently-killed Rabbi standing before you, alive. But some of those eleven men on the hilltop […]

The Transforming Power of Mercy  In C.S. Lewis’ novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, one of the characters, a boy named Edmund, betrays his siblings and is complicit with evil, having been manipulated by the book’s antagonist, a villainous character known as the White Witch. This treachery persists until a moment late in […]

I would contend that in our modern English, the word religion is not a helpful word and we should avoid using it. To take groups of people with such vastly different ways of thinking and living in the world and put them all into the one bucket of religion is not respectful to any of […]

We have come to our fifth and final movement in Paul’s letter to the Colossians (3:1-4:18). Up to this point, the letter has been dense and deeply theological. However, at the beginning of the third chapter, the apostle pivots and the remainder of the letter is very practical in nature. In these last two chapters, […]

Following Jesus When it’s Costly  Jesus revealed the radical dedication expected of his disciples when he declared, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23 NIV). Jesus calls his followers to abandon their ambitions and follow him wherever he calls them to go.  […]

Overview of Verses 16-23 Paul’s tone in this passage is urgent; the apostle wants to make it abundantly clear to the Colossian church that the false teachers among them have no connection to Christ or his body. The Colossians do not have to listen to those who would try to tell them they must observe […]

Answering the Call with Conviction To be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, we must hear His call and pick up our cross and follow Him wherever He calls us to go (Matthew 16:24-25). Let us hear His voice assuring us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might […]