Bible Study July 31, 2025

Genesis 1:1 – 2:25 (CSB)

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

“What a Creation”

We have been looking systematically at the book of Colossians by intention. But today I feel we need to step away today only. Here is why. Read the complete creation story to get the full impact.

Earlier today I put one of our dogs outside as I do every morning. We will almost all agree it has been very hot. Today is much different as I was sitting on the patio watching her sniff what seemed like every blade of grass in the backyard. She sniffs the smell of a toad on occasion who crosses our patio, bunnies are regular visitors to our yard as is the squirrel that torments her who lives in the tree in the backyard. She has a keen sense of smell missing nothing within the range of her nose.

As I sat there I saw the breeze blowing through the trees over tha hill that falls behind our home some had their leaves turned, my mother said that was a sign of rain (I have never followed up to see how accurate she was).

We have four huge planters with flowers that we plant every year on the patio and our tradional hanging ferns and a flower basket. What intrigued me was that three of the four planters are doing great one has not seen any change from the day we planted them. I thought about the life of a human being.

All these plants get watered at the same time, each has sun available to them in equal amounts, in fact Cindy treats each of them the same she has no favorites. As I was sitting there it was impressed upon that is the exact way many people live their lives. All have some opportunity even the same opportunity, Romans 2:11 says, “11 For there is no favoritism with God.” We all have opportunities in this life to grow.

I have no idea why the one planter is not flourishing. Humans do not flourish spiritually because we do not spend time reading the Word, listening to sound teaching, listening to Christian music, and growing deeper in our faith.

The question I have for myself today is a simple one with complex answers – what will I do today to flourish?
God Bless.

Bible Study July 30,2025

Colossian 2:8 – 10 (CSB)

“Robbery”

“Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ. 9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”

Paul uses the term “takes you captive’ here to mean robbery. False teachers who are successful in getting people to believe their lies rob them of salvation, truth, and blessing. You can and I did a search of false teachers. Recently I saw a video of several who promised money, healing, and abundant blessings if you sent them money. God does not put  a price on His blessings

Paul uses the word “philosophy” (love of wisdom) only appears here in the New Testament. It is used to describe the meaning of life. Those who followed the heresy that was being taught claimed to have attained but Paul equates them as full of “empty deceit.” Their teachings are full of Satanic and human elements.

Christ possesses the fullness of the God in His body. Greek philosophical thought believed it was unthinkable that God would even take on a human body but believer know He was fully human and fully divine.

Believers are secure in Him both through the imputed righteousness of Christ as well as complete sufficiency in heavenly resources to grow spiritually.

Jesus is both creator and ruler over the universe and its spiritual beings not emanating from God but God Himself.

God Bless.

Bible Study July 29, 2025

Colossians 2:6 – 7 (CSB)

“Follow His Path”

“So then, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 being rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with gratitude.”

There is an amazing amount of wisdom found in these two verses and several words that will help us follow the lead that Jesus has set out for us.

First of all we must receive Jesus. We cannot just be satisfied that Jesus exists but we must be a follower. One has said and rightly so it one thing to know of someone but yet another to really him. Everyone, I would believe has heard of Jesus but not everyone has a true saving knowledge and relationship with Him. But two other words that follow are the key “as Lord.” He must be the sole Lord of our life. I remember something Kenneth Copeland always adds “Jesus is Lord.”

How do we become “rooted built up in our faith?” I am thinking of a seed that is planted in the ground by the gardener, the farmer, the weekend gardener. That simple seed is placed into the dark ground and during it gestation period it will endure dry soil, wet soil while still in the ground covered by dirt. Our lives seem sometime like that when trouble comes and we seem like we’re in the dark of life. But as the seed develops it relies on the moisture, the elements, and the fertilizer to make it grow. We have the scriptures to help us grow; we have the church to provide comfort and fellowship when times seem difficult. We have others willing to stand with us.

As we grow and faith grows we need to step out into the deeper water and serve where we are comfortable. Serving is a willingness to get down into the dirt and help someone else move above ground so that can do the same for the next person. Be certain your faith is grounded in something solid as the scriptures, find a church that teaches the complete Word of God not interpreting for they want it to say to make people feel comfortable.

God Bless.

Bible Study 7/28/2025

Colossians 2:1 – 5 (CSB)

“Discerning the Truth”

“For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. 3 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable. 5 For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.”

Paul says he is struggling for the church in Colossae, why is that? He had been unable to see them since he was imprisoned by the royal guard. Paul spent much of his time in prison for what he believed and spoke for. Are we as passionate for Christ as Paul was?

Paul was an encourager as much as he was an apostle he even while in prison he was wanting to encourage and be joined with others in love.  Additionally he wanted them to really grasp the “mystery” of Christ. Paul’s reference to the “mystery of Christ” in Colossians 2 refers to the profound and hidden nature of Christ, which is now revealed to believers. This mystery encompasses all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and it is Christ Himself who holds the fullness of deity in bodily form. The revelation of Christ as the mystery is a central theme in Paul’s letters, emphasizing the importance of understanding and knowing Christ in order to guard against deceitful teachings and find true unity in love and understanding.

He also knew heresy was coming to the church. Heresy is believable sounding false doctrine that infiltrated the church of the day. We see it today. Churches ordaining gay and lesbian pastors performing same sex marriages both completely contrary to scripture. That is false teaching but it is subtle under the guise of the word “love.” Love has nothing to do with accepting sin it has all to do with accepting your fellow man or woman and helping them see the way of the cross.

God Bless.

Bible Study 7/25/2025

Colossians 1:26 – 29  (ESV)

“New Members Into the Household of Faith”

“The mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, striving with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

Paul is telling us this “new mystery” is the new activity of God in Christ in creating new people into full membership into the family of God. Jesus has opened to gates to allow more than just Jews into the fellowship. You remember it was the Jews that rejected Jesus earlier.

Paul’s overriding concern was for the Colossians – namely their maturity as Chrsit Followers. That maturity involves discerning for wisdom (found only in Christ) and then living truth consistently until the end. The idea of becoming “mature” in this passage has to do with  completeness and realized potential. Many believer find Jesus and that is all they desire “let’s just get to heaven.” While that is important we me must consider what our true potential as believers is while we live here.

Two words Paul uses that an athlete would understand. One is found in verse twenty-nine “struggling”. People are at various stages in their spiritual experience.

God Bless.

Bible Study 7/24/2025

Colossians 1:21 – 25 (ESV)

“Stand In Faith and Hope”

“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known.”

Paul is telling the Colossians they were once alienated from God we too were once alienated from God before He found us, called us to reconcile and we accepted the call.

The only way reconciliation happens is through Jesus’ shed blood on the cross and when we accept His offer then we are found blameless but we must continue in the faith not “shifting” or changing every time a new idea or new concept appears. The scriptures written by inspired Word of God have not changed, will not change no matter what man comes up with next.

We see a lot of people accepting beliefs contrary to the Word but if it is contrary it is heresy. Paul in his writing here is not claiming a universal salvation but rather he is saying in the scope of Christ’s redemptive work all people can be reconciled.

Paul in verse twenty-five declared he was a servant of Jesus. He uses the term minister to describe his service.

God Bless.

Bible Study July 23, 2025

Colossians 1:19 – 20 (ESV)

“Must Jesus Die?

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

Did Jesus have to die? The answer as much as we like and dislike it is “Yes.” We dislike the fact that He died but the fact that He died and rose again gives us the promise of a life from sin and death. That may difficult to understand but forgiveness of sin required a blood sacrifice as we learn for the Old Testament. God commanded a sacrifice and laid out exactly how they were to take place.

His death reconciled all things to God. Sin had separated man from a perfect God and God could not look upon sin. The cross made peace between man and his God it reconciled all things. During the fall of man resulting in the sin of Adama and Eve all creation fell. The death of Jesus has brought man back his relationship with Jesus providing man accepts His offer of forgiveness it is not automatic. It requires our asking because God is not going to push Jesus off on anyone without their choice.

This reconciliation is available to anyone all by faith. The reconciliation is not limited to human sin but to all creation.

Paul is not advocating a universal salvation but what he is saying is this Christ’s redemptive work is available to all people, and indeed all creation,  can be reconciled through faith. (1:23; and 2 Cor. 5:10.

God Bless.

Bible Study July 22, 2025

Colossians 1:15 – 18 (ESV)

“Above All There is No Other”

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And 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, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”

Jesus is above all there was a heretical teaching in the church at Colossae that taught the denial of the deity of Jesus.

This portion of scripture establishes the supremacy of Jesus by declaring Him to be the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, and the one who sustains life. He is also the Creator, the head of the Church, and the one who holds all things together.

There are several things that come forward from this passage including Jesus is the image of the invisible God. He represented God the Father on earth revealing who God the Father is in doing so He revealed the nature of God almighty.

The firstborn of all creation tells us He had authority over all that was created. He is further the Creator of all things although He was not created he was the mastermind behind all created things and beings.

He is also Head of the church serving as the ultimate authority of His body. He is referred to as the groom for His church the bride of Christ.

He is the ultimate authority and leader of the Church, His body.

Being the firstborn of the dead signifies His resurrection and victory over death, securing our salvation. The phrase “firstborn of all creation” does not mean Jesus was created, but rather emphasizes His unique position and authority as the firstborn son.

Colossians 1:15-18 gives us a powerful affirmation of Jesus Christ’s divinity, His place in creation, and authority over all creation including His Church.

God Bless.