Colossians 1:1-14

Colossians 1:1-14
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

² To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Written by Paul to God's holy people at Colossae.  I notice Paul called them faithful.  If my mentor was to write me a letter, would I be called faithful?  And once again we see the grace and peace from God bestowed upon these people.  I hope that none of us now that we understand God's grace will ever just read past these greetings and not ponder the grace God has given.

³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— ⁵ the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel ⁶ that has come to you.

The faith and hope we have in Christ should make a difference in our lives.  Enough that people will notice and be talking about us.  

In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. ⁷ You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ⁸ and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

"In the same way...".  What way?  Verses 3-6a tells us.  Word of mouth.  These Christian's were different and had a love for one another that others noticed and they wanted in.  These people then shared the gospel with others just as Epaphras shared it with them.

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.

I need to continue to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ. 

 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.

This is my prayer for my children and my brothers and sisters in Christ.  If there is someone who you want to pray for and don't know what to pray, this is a great prayer.  I want to start praying this for my children.

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.

We have been rescued, redeemed and forgiven.  Think on these wonderful gifts from our God.

Galatians 6:18
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.