Colossians on Encouragement

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O Lord, We marvel that you would take

Author

Scripture

Colossians 3:12-14, Romans 12:2, 1 John 1:9, Ephesians 2:14-16, Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 2:24

O Lord, We marvel that you would take on flesh and blood in order to be crucified, killed, and buried for us. You humbled yourself and submitted to the hatred of sinful men, accepting the thorns, the ...

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Heavenly Father, by your love and kindness, you saved us.

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Titus 3:3-5, Ephesians 2:7-8, Colossians 3:12, Titus 3:4-5, Romans 5:8

Leader: Heavenly Father, by your love and kindness, you saved us. Not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of your great mercy. People: Teach us to more fully understand your ...

liturgy

Hear the good news: For the joy set

Author

Jacob Traeger

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 53:5, Romans 5:8, John 14:27, 1 John 1:9, Colossians 1:13-14

Hear the good news: For the joy set before him, Jesus Christ endured the shame of the cross, taking all our weakness and failure. Jesus went to the cross for the joy of having you as part of God’s Kin...

lectionary

Third Sunday of Easter

Author

Jeff Volkmer

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 24:36b-48, Luke 24:36-48, Luke 24:1-12, Luke 24:13-15, Luke 24:36-48, Luke 24:47-48, John 20:19-29, John 14:27, Luke 24:37, Luke 24:39-43, Romans 5:12, Romans 5:17, Colossians 1:null, Luke 24:44-49, Luke 24:46-47, Luke 24:48-49, John 16:7

Preaching Commentary Context Post-Resurrection Appearances The four Gospel writers vary in which and how many of Jesus’ thirteen post-resurrection appearances they choose to record. Luke reserves ...

liturgy

Almighty and loving God, all of us here

Author

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13, Romans 5:8, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 34:18

Almighty and loving God, all of us here today are hurting. Some of us are hurting as the result of circumstances beyond our control. Some of us are hurting because of our own choices. Some of us are f...

liturgy

Jesus, you are our peace You proclaim

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

2 Thessalonians 3:16, Matthew 11:28-30, Philippians 4:6-7, Isaiah 9:6, Romans 5:1, John 14:27, Colossians 1:19-20

Jesus, you are our peace You proclaim it You create it You bring us near Without you there is No safety No belonging No nurturing No identity rooted beyond this dust Without you we are Anchorless St...

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Lord and God, Father of our Lord Jesus

Author

C. Hassell Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 22:37-39, Ephesians 1:17-18, Colossians 1:19-20, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, Romans 5:8, Hebrews 4:15

Lord and God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have only begun to comprehend the wonder of the Incarnation, that you in Christ would become one of us, that you in Christ would live among us and be ...

liturgy

Holy Father, You are perfect and just,

Author

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 1:13-14, Psalm 103:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 5:8, Titus 3:5, 1 John 1:9

Holy Father, You are perfect and just, but we are sinful and unworthy. We intend the best in how we live our lives, Yet sin remains in us. Through Your Son, we are able to have redemption and a reconn...

liturgy

Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of

Author

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Keywords

Scripture

John 14:6, Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1, Isaiah 40:28, John 14:6, Psalm 100:3, Colossians 1:16, Romans 5:8

Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of Your creation. You are the master of design. You know the change of seasons, You know the orbit of planets, and You know exactly what human beings were made for: a ...

liturgy

Lord of Hosts, We come before you today

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 7:18-19, Colossians 3:13, Matthew 5:44, Philippians 2:3, Romans 5:8

Lord of Hosts, We come before you today in a tone of solemnity. We recognize that while it was Judas who betrayed you for 30 pieces of silver, that we often betray you as well. We know what is right,...

illustration

The Path Isn't Easy

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 5:3-5, 1 Peter 4:12-13, Galatians 6:9, Colossians 1:24, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 20:22-24, 1 Timothy 6:12, Hebrews 10:36, Luke 14:27, Matthew 16:24-26

Once, when the famous missionary, Dr. David Livingstone, was in Africa, he wrote home to England requesting more workers. In reply, he received this message: We would like to send more workers to y...

illustration

C. S. Lewis' Second Conversion at 53

Author

C. S. Lewis

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 1:17-18, Romans 10:9-10, Psalm 34:8, 1 John 4:16, Romans 5:5, 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Colossians 2:2

There are few Christian authors more respected than C. S. Lewis. After his conversion to Christ at age 33, he would spend the rest of his life writing iconic Christian works. However, his relationship...

Quote

Author

William S. Stoddard

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24, Hebrews 12:2, Romans 5:8, Colossians 3:13, Luke 23:34

Forgiving the unforgivable is hard. So was the cross: hard words, hard wood, hard nails.

liturgy

The Lord our God is rich in mercy, slow

Author

Jacob Traeger

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 5:10, Psalm 103:8, Luke 6:35-36, Colossians 3:13, John 15:12-13, Titus 3:4-5

The Lord our God is rich in mercy, slow to anger, and abounds in steadfast love. He does not pay us back what we deserve, but even while we were his enemies he sent his son to die for us. Christ died ...

Quote

Author

N. T. Wright

Keywords

Scripture

1 Peter 1:18-19, Romans 8:30, Colossians 1:13-14, Romans 5:1, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 1:7

Dealing with sin, saving humans from it, giving them grace, forgiveness, justification, glorification-all this was the purpose of the single covenant from the beginning, now fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

illustration

Mary & Eve

Author

Scott Erickson

Keywords

Christmas

Scripture

Genesis 3:15, Luke 1:38, Romans 5:19, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 2:34-35, Genesis 4:8, Colossians 1:19-20

I first encountered Mary and Eve by Sister Grace Remington at my friend’s house in Atlanta. It was hanging as a decoration in their bathroom, and I was stunned by its message. My friends may have been...

illustration

Hardships Force our Roots to Go Deep

Author

Our Daily Bread

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 2:6-7, 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, Ephesians 3:17-18, Isaiah 58:11, Romans 5:3-5

A. Parnell Bailey visited an orange grove where an irrigation pump had broken down. The season was unusually dry and some of the trees were beginning to die for lack of water. The man giving the tour ...

illustration

Never Giving Up

Author

Jen Pollock Michel

Keywords

Scripture

James 1:2-4, Romans 5:3-5, Psalm 73:26, 1 Peter 2:4-5, Hebrews 13:15, Isaiah 40:31, Colossians 3:23-24

In Circle of Quiet , Madeleine L’Engle describes how her young adult novel A Wrinkle in Time was dismissed by eight publishers before it eventually landed with the publishing house of Farrar, Str...

Quote

Author

Lauren F. Winner

Keywords

Scripture

Titus 3:4-7, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Peter 3:18, Romans 5:8, Colossians 1:19-20, Philippians 2:6-8

To tell someone what you believe may be to answer the wrong question—better to say, instead, what the church believes, better to use the language the church has bequeathed to us to shape our experienc...

Quote

Author

Austin Fischer

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 3:23, Romans 5:5, Colossians 3:14, 1 John 4:18, Galatians 5:6, 1 Corinthians 13:13

Faith is not the absence of doubt. Faith is the presence of love.

Quote

Author

John D. Zizioulas

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 5:2-5, 1 Peter 1:3-4, Colossians 1:27, Romans 8:24-25, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Philippians 3:13-14

[The Christian Faith] has its roots in the future and its branches in the present.

illustration

Rescue from the Deep Dark

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 15:, Ezekiel 34:11-12, Colossians 1:13, Galatians -2:3-5, John 3:16-17, John 1:12-13, Romans 5:1-8

On October 13, 2010, Luis Urzua emerged into the open air after 69 days trapped over 2,000 ft underground (300 ft deeper than the height of the tallest building in the US). Luis, the shift supervisor,...

Quote

Author

David Platt

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 64:6, Jeremiah 17:9, Titus 3:3-7, Romans 5:8, John 6:44, Colossians 2:13-14, Ephesians 2:1-5

The modern-day gospel says, 'God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Therefore, follow these steps, and you can be saved.' Meanwhile, the biblical gospel says, 'You are an en...

illustration

Without The Incarnation

Author

Michael Spencer

Keywords

The Incarnation

Scripture

Romans 5:8, Matthew 1:23, Isaiah 7:14, Hebrews 2:14, Colossians 1:19-20, 1 John 4:9-10

Without the incarnation, Christianity isn’t even a very good story, and most sadly, it means nothing. “Be nice to one another” is not a message that can give my life meaning, assure me of love beyond ...

illustration

Salvation From and For

Author

John Ortberg

Keywords

Scripture

John 10:10, 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, Romans 5:9-10, Ephesians 2:8-10, Colossians 1:13-14

Being saved always involves being both saved from something and saved for something. We are saved for shalom—a flourishing life with God. What are we saved from? Salvation as described in the Bible is...

illustration

“Dear Paco,”

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 3:13, Matthew 6:14-15, Ephesians 4:31-32, Romans 5:10, Colossians 1:20, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Ernest Hemingway grasped some of the difficulty that characterizes relationships between fathers and sons in his short story, The Capital of the World . The story revolves around a father and his t...

illustration

Forgiveness Means Going Soft on Justice

Author

N. T. Wright

Keywords

Forgiveness

Scripture

Romans 5:10, Matthew 5:44, Luke 23:34, Mark 11:25, Colossians 3:13

In the Middle East both the main protagonists embrace religions where forgiveness has never been seen as a duty, let alone as a virtue, but rather as a kind of moral weakness—and by “moral weakness” I...

Quote

Author

Source Unknown

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 2:13, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:9-10, 1 John 1:9, Titus 3:5, Romans 5:8

Good people don’t go to heaven, forgiven people do.

Quote

Author

W. H. Auden

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 3:13, Luke 10:25-37, Luke 19:1-10, Luke 15:11-32, Ephesians 4:2, 1 John 4:19, Romans 5:8, Matthew 22:37-39

You shall love your crooked neighbor with all your crooked heart.

Quote

Author

Wendell Berry

Keywords

Scripture

John 3:16, Genesis 1:31, Romans 5:8 , Ephesians 3:17-19, Romans 8:38-39, Colossians 1:16-17

I take literally the statement in the Gospel of John that God loves the world. I believe that the world was created and approved by love, that it subsists, coheres, and endures by love, and that, inso...

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