Faith Focus

Greetings friends,
I ask that as we begin our spiritual journey together we begin to take some time daily (if you are not already) to read the Scripture and pray. I thought it would be beneficial for us to focus on the same passage of Scripture for the week. This week, we will focus on Sunday’s texts, of which there are many! (See below) If you were not in present on Sunday and have not yet watched it, I encourage you to do so. We are focusing on the part of the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses.” The term “debts” is sometimes used instead of “trespasses,” and both terms point to sin.
The passage used on Sunday was from the book of Colossians, which is a letter Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, though he had not visited the town (2:1). Paul notes that a local believer named Epaphras had evangelized the area and planted the church (1:7; 4:12-13). Paul wrote the letter while in prison after receiving a report from Epaphras that they were struggling with Christological heresy (wrong doctrine/beliefs about Christ). There was great concern that false teachers were having influence and creating a lacking and error-filled view of God’s greatness and glory. In this letter Paul addresses this by teaching that the nature of Jesus Christ as Creator and Redeemer was an essential belief and nonnegotiable. *The book is short, only four chapters and only a couple of pages in the Bible. It is also dense, with much theological insight.
Format-this is a repeat from every week, and will be consistently present for anyone new and as a reminder for all. It is listed at the bottom for review and for anyone who is new to this exercise. Please remember that it is a suggestion. There is no pressure to do it in the format suggested, to do everything on the days that are listed, or to even to answer all the questions. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. If one question takes up the time because you are moved in your spirit, then stay with it. The idea of this it to spend some intentional time with the Scriptures, in the presence of God, and in prayer and reflection- in whatever way that works for you!
Scriptures:
Colossians 1:9-23
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Other Scriptures referenced:

Romans 3:23-24 – for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:12b-13 – continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

1 John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

DAILY QUIET TIME WITH GOD:
Monday: v.9 “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.” This is at the beginning of the letter and Paul had just praised the congregation, calling them “God’s holy people” and “faithful brothers and sisters in Christ” (v.2) and wrote comments about how the gospel was bearing fruit and growing among them. Usually when we think of praying for people we think about people who are hurting or in need, but Paul and his colleagues are praying continually for holy and faithful followers of Christ. Do you ever pray for people who are not struggling and hurting? If so, what would be some of the reasons, some of the things to pray for? Consider who else you could pray for, that could use those prayers, and take the time to pray for them now. Paul said he prayed continually for them- consider how often you can pray for someone, and perhaps begin a pattern of praying more often for people. V.9 “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.” This can also be translated, “all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Do the differences in translation change the meaning for you? Why or why not? To be filled implies that there are areas within that are not yet filled- what do you believe would be in place in the areas that are not filled with the knowledge of God’s will? Paul’s prayers include having spiritual wisdom and understanding- how do you believe that is different than ordinary wisdom and understanding? Note that it comes from the Spirit and is directed toward the knowledge of God’s will. Have you ever considered that knowing God’s will comes from spiritual wisdom and understanding revealed by the Spirit? How do you think that “works,” what does it look like for you? Have you ever experienced this while reading the Bible and/or through prayer? This is often how and why there is revelation. Take some time to reflect on how you are understanding God’s will. If you are unclear, pray for the Spirit to fill you with the knowledge of God’s will, for spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then listen, and pay attention to any images, impressions, thoughts, or feelings that come.
Tuesday: v.10-12a “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father” “Live a life worthy of the Lord”- what do you think that means and why? What would it look like? Take a moment to pray and ask God if there is anything in your life that God would want changed to reflect this more. “Please him in every way” goes on to describe what would be pleasing to God. Consider first, how much desire you have to please God. What if pleasing God meant doing something different? “Bearing fruit in every good work”- what do you believe was meant by “bearing fruit” in this context? How does that apply to your life? How would you describe “good work”? Where did you get that definition? Is it in alignment with how God would describe it? “Growing in the knowledge of God”- why is the knowledge of God so important, and how are you growing in it? “Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might”- how does this relate to pleasing God? What type of strength do you think this is talking about? What does it look like? Have you ever experienced God’s strength? Reflect on those times- what happened, how did you feel, how did you respond? “So that you may have great endurance and patience”- endurance and patience come from God’s strength- have you ever tried to do something without God’s strength and recognize that you needed it? Why do you think Paul wanted them to have endurance and patience? Why do you need it? If you don’t feel as if you have endurance and patience now, stop and ask God to give you his strength to have it. Trust that you have received it, and it ever feels as if it is wavering, pray for more. “Giving joyful thanks to the Father”- take some time today to not only give thanks with gratitude, but with joy!

Wednesday: v.12b-14 “who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” “Qualified you”- what do you believe is meant by this in this context? It implies that some people are disqualified or unqualified- what would make it so? What do you think about that? What are you going to do about it- will it impact how you relate to others in any way? “Share in the inheritance”- describe your understanding of the believer’s inheritance. Consider what inheritance we received when Jesus died and rose again and what we will receive when we die. What does our inheritance look like in this life and in the one to come? “Holy people in the kingdom of light” – holy means separate, unique, set apart- what does the imagery of holy people in the kingdom of light bring to mind. Where do you see the light when you consider this? Why are you envisioning it there? What does that mean to you, how does that make you feel? Consider later in this sentence, “the kingdom of the Son he loves.” What do you believe the kingdom of light means theologically? What do you think it means to you personally? “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness” – what imagery does this bring to mind, and how does it make you feel? Before you were a believer you were in the “dominion of darkness” and needed to be rescued. What do you believe the “dominion of darkness” means theologically? What does it mean personally? Do you remember how it felt to be in the dominion of darkness? Do you think you were aware of this in some way? Consider and describe what you were thinking and feeling at that time. How is it different? Was your “rescue” something huge, like a lightning bolt moment, or something that slowly grew over time, or both? “Kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”- Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father, who redeemed us through the cross. How do you understand redemption? How does that make you feel? “The forgiveness of sins”- why is this important? How are forgiveness and redemption connected? Take some time and reflect and pray about the sacrifice that Jesus made for you and for the gift of grace you have received. Ask God for further revelation. Ask God how he would like you to respond to that grace, and then do it.
Thursday: vv. 15-19 (read in passage above) speaks about the divinity of Christ and his participation in creation. Compare this to John 1:1-5. Jesus is Christ incarnate- fully human and fully divine (hypostatic union). When you think of Jesus Christ how do you tend to perceive him? Have these readings changed your image of him in any way? “The Son… the firstborn over all creation… the firstborn from among the dead”- “firstborn” nowadays means one who is physically born first, yet in the culture of the Bible it also meant one who has priority or rank over others. This continues to describe and emphasize the sovereignty of Jesus Christ. V.15 “The Son is the image of the invisible God”- that Jesus reflects the character of the Father, as Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” How would you describe the character of God? Why do you describe God that way- is it from reading the Bible or experience or both? Reflect on your experiences of God- how have you encountered his character? How did it make you feel? Consider sharing one of your stories of experiencing God with someone else. Ask God who you should share with and ask God to provide an opportunity. v. 18 “He is the head of the body, the church”- what does this image relate to you about who Jesus is, who the church is, and how they relate to one another? Do you believe our church is in alignment with this understanding? Why or why not?
Friday: v.20 “Through him [Jesus] to reconcile to himself all things”- to “reconcile” is to restore relationship. Consider that God desired to be in relationship with you so much the he “gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16) who willingly died on a cross. What thoughts or feelings are stirred when you regard what Jesus did? Consider too, the idea of ‘cosmic redemption’ in regards to reconciling all things. v.21 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior” “Alienated from God”- before you were a believer you were in the “dominion of darkness” and “alienated from God,” or estranged due to sin. What do you think of when you consider this? How does it make you feel and why? It also says “enemies in your minds because of (or, as shown by) your evil behavior.” In what ways does “evil behavior,” sinful behavior, reflect what is in your mind? How do the thoughts in your mind, which prompts sin, relate to an estrangement with God? How important is it to control your thought life now and why? Though we have been reconciled with God we still have sin in our life. We have been saved, justified, so there is no longer any estrangement, but consider how the sin in your life affects you and your relationship with God. Ask God to show you the sins that he would like you to work on and work out of your life, and what the negative impact is from it. Reflect upon the state of your heart- is your heart repentant, wanting to turn from the sin that God just revealed to you, or not? If you are repentant, confess and ask God for forgiveness. If you are unrepentant, ask God what is going on within you that is causing that. What is the root of the defiance and unrepentance? It could be feeling justified, angry, prideful, hurt, and so much more. Dig deep and ask God for clarity and healing. Confess and ask for forgiveness. Praise Jesus for the forgiveness of sins!

Saturday: v.22-23a “But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” “He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death”- as one who is reconciled with God, how would you describe your relationship with him now? Do you believe your relationship with God is as strong and deep and loving as God would want? God desires this, offering the fullness of himself to us. If your relationship with him is not, why do you think that is? What is holding you back or preventing you from growing in relationship? Ask God if there is something he would like you to do- add, eliminate, change- to make the shift. For those who do have a strong, deep, and loving relationship with God, why do you think that is? How would you describe your mind and heart in regards to God? “To present you holy in his sight”- justifying grace makes it “just as though you’ve never sinned.” The traditional response after a prayer of confession is “Hear the good news! Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. This proves God’s love for you and me. In the name of Jesus Christ your sins are forgiven. Glory to God! Amen!” Through forgiveness we are reconciled, saved by justifying grace and holy in his sight- without blemish and free from accusation. Note the word “accusation” and consider how the enemy is the “accuser” that seeks to accuse believers of their sin and suggest their unworthiness. Through Christ, we are set free from accusation! “IF you continue in your faith, established and firm”- how do you believe continuing in faith impacts what Paul is describing? Have you ever not continued in your faith? What happened? What made you return and continue in your faith? How would you describe God’s involvement, moving in your life, through this time? “And do not move from the hope held out in the gospel”- sometimes we can be participating with our faith, but still feel as if we do not have the hope. Have you ever felt the discouragement of not understanding, or feeling, or knowing, the hope of Christ? How did your hope return? How do you think continuing in your faith, established and firm, affects how you perceive hope? “The hope held out in the gospel”- that we were called to God through prevenient grace, are reconciled through justifying grace, continue to work out our salvation to grow in God’s likeness with sanctifying grace, and will someday experience God’s glorifying grace. God saved us, is saving us, and will save us, by grace. Grace, the unmerited love of God for you and me, and the world. Praise God today for his amazing grace!

Other items:

Responsive Reading:

Leader: Be merciful to us, O God
People: Because of Your steadfast love
L: Wipe away our sins
P: Because of Your great mercy
L: Forgive us, Lord
P: We trust in Your grace, for You are the One who saves
All: Create in us a pure heart and renew a faithful spirit within us.

Unison Prayer:

You know our sins before we utter a word,
But You require us to have a humble and sincere spirit.
Help us to recognize our sins,
Give us the strength to confess,
Guide us to do better, to be better, to not give in to temptation
So that we may have the peace that only comes from You
The joy that comes from Your salvation.
Protect us from the evil one, from thoughts of doubt,
For we are truly forgiven through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen
Song Lyrics:
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
1. O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

2. My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.

3. Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
’tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’tis life, and health, and peace.

4. He breaks the power of canceled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.
Lead Me to the Cross (Hillsong United)
Savior I come, quiet my soul
Remember redemption’s hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as loss
Lead me to the cross where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees, Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself, I belong to You
Oh, lead me
Lead me to the cross
You were as I, tempted and tried
You are, the word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now You’re risen
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as loss
Lead me to the cross where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees, Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself, I belong to You
Oh, lead me
Lead me to the cross
To Your heart
To Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to Your heart
Lead me to the cross where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees, Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself, I belong to You
Oh, lead me
Lead me to the cross where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees, Lord, I lay me down
Rid me of myself, I belong to You
Oh, lead me
Lead me to the cross
Grace Greater Than Our Sin
1. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Refrain:
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin!

2. Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
threaten the soul with infinite loss;
grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
(Refrain)

3. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
brighter than snow you may be today.
(Refrain)

4. Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see his face,
will you this moment his grace receive?
(Refrain)

Format (this is a repeat from last week, and will be consistently present for anyone new and as a reminder for all):
Find a quiet place and time to focus on the Word, and to hear from God through it. It doesn’t have to be long, for some it will be longer than others. I encourage you, if possible, to do this practice in the morning. You will then find that God brings it to your mind throughout your day.
For greater impact I encourage you to get some paper and a pen and journal daily what thoughts and impressions God brings to mind. Write out also your own thoughts and your own prayers, making sure to leave space within your time for God’s response. Listen intently, and notice what rises up within you- what you are thinking, feeling, memories that arise and ideas that spring up. It may be something God would want you to address within yourself and/or with others. It may be something God is inspiring you to begin or end. God’s possibilities are infinite! After time, it is often beneficial to go back and read what you have written, and notice how God has been moving in your life (and praise God for it!).
Begin with prayer, quieting yourself within and opening up to hearing what God would like to reveal to you. Praise God for who he is, for loving you, being with you, and more. Then ask God to speak to you; to open your heart and mind to hear his message. (if you are journaling, you could write out the prayer)
Read the Scripture passage over twice; once as a read through, and the second time slowly, meditatively. Notice what God illuminates for you. Notice what words or ideas are “jumping off the page at you,” impacting you from the Scripture. Ask God why that is being highlighted for you. What is God saying to you? What is God asking you to say, do, change, pray about, etc.? What is the application for my life today? **Most importantly- what am I going to do about it? (If you are journaling you could write it all out, which reinforces it in a greater way)
I have put together some daily questions based upon the Scripture. You may use those, but also feel free to deviate away from it if God is leading you there. They are simply offered to prompt contemplation with God. There is much more in this passage, feel free to delve in more!
At the end of your time pray again. I recommend praying throughout, but the ending prayer would include praise, thanking God for revelation, and asking for the Holy Spirit to continue to reveal, bringing to mind God’s will. Ask God for the courage, empowerment, and opportunity to do what you have determined God is asking you to do.