A Letter to You
by Tammy Iund Woodard
Monday - 3.8.21
After “traveling” through the book of Colossians the last two months, how would you answer this question? What does it mean to be rooted in Christ?
I believe this is such a beautiful letter that Paul has written. The sub titles in my bible are as follows:
Paul works for the church
Freedom from rules and new life in Christ
Living the new life
Instructions for Christian households
An encouragement for prayer
Paul’s final instructions and greetings
Paul gives us the purpose of his letter in the first dozen verses: “ …….We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. “ Colossians 1:9-11 These verses define being deeply rooted in Christ. Living a life pleasing to the Lord and growing in relationship with God.
I love Paul’s greeting to the Christ followers as he writes, “For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.” Colossians 1:4-5 Paul is describing a people who are filled with faith IN God and love FOR God’s creation and reminding them that they can be a conduit for that faith and love because of the confident hope in Christ. Then Paul continues to write, reminding them of the supremacy and sovereignty of Jesus as fully God. What a reminder for 2021 as well, wouldn’t you say?
I want to give you some quotes from each week of this series, from our blog writers:
https://cccog.com/beyond-sunday
We have some talented writers that are contributing each week to our blog. It’s an opportunity for you to dig a little deeper into what we hear on Sunday.
“When we are rooted in the love of God we can share the gospel of grace with others. People don’t need our opinion or our advice or our judgement or even our wisdom. What people need is the gospel of grace and the love of God. That’s the formula that transforms lives. I am at peace knowing Jesus is reigning SUPREME over all. It means I only have to be about my Father’s business. It takes faith to believe in a mystery so deep and yet complete. The holy mystery of the wholeness of Jesus. The spoken Word at creation, our lamb at the cross, our intercessor between earth and the King, the gift that whispers in the recesses of our heart. Always drawing us back to God. Then God enters in, the promised gift completes the wholeness of the mystery. Thank God for His forgiveness, His grace and His mercy. My heart desperately wants to share the good news of the gospel with my community. I desperately want to see people’s lives transformed by the unconditional love of God the Father and His grace and His mercy. I see evidence of growth and increase in my faith, not because of the work I have done but because of the grace and kindness of God through His Son, Jesus. How often our hearts settle on the shadow of good things instead of the good thing itself —on Christ. We substitute rules and regulations for a real relationship. We look to rituals and miss the One who rescued us. Will you put to death the former things, focus your mind on the things of Christ and love with a love that binds everything together in perfect harmony? Thankfulness reminds us of all that God has done instead of worrying about our circumstances. In our thankfulness is the peace of Jesus. When we live wisely and speak graciously, we bring glory to God, and that’s what our lives should be about.”
Wow! That reads like a letter from Paul, right? I hope you have wrestled with anything from the word that has stirred your soul and allowed it to find deep roots in you. How has this series hit home for you? How has it impacted your thinking? How has it affected your actions?
There is so much noise going on in our world today. This series was such a timely reminder of several things for me - and I hope for you as well.
God is sovereign and still in control.
God wants and is in relationship with me.
I have a job to do - and that is to share the good news of the gospel.
I am to be a conduit of the love, grace and mercy of Jesus to my community.
It is intended for me to do life in community - not as a solo act.
What has this series reinforced for you? I won’t write our typical call to action and questions this week. I want to encourage you to re-read the letter that is Colossians. I want to encourage you to pray into it. I want you to ask: God what are you saying to me? And then I want you to ask: What am I going to do about it?
If you have missed any messages in this series, you may find them here: https://cccog.com/message-archive
