Colossians

By Him. For Him. In Him.

We all find ourselves within different stories, at different times in our lives: we are in pain, in debt, in love, in conflict, and in and out of jobs. These stories have tremendous power to shape our character and determine how we act and react to every situation in our lives; they even have the power to overtake us.
When Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians in the first century, they had their own stories in which they were living. The story that had the greatest power to overtake the recipients of this letter was the Roman Empire; it was the shadow under which every other story fell. The Emperor Caesar was referred to as Lord and Savior, and was considered the divine son of God, who had the power to forgive sins. What they called the gospel was an announcement that the Roman army had won yet another military victory, spreading worldwide peace through domination and utter control. The story of Rome was overtaking the world.

But Paul was living in a bigger story. Paul was in prison…in Christ. In conflict, in Christ. In pain, in Christ. Though he had never met them in person, Paul wanted the Colossians to be overtaken, not by the smaller stories in which they lived, or by the Roman Empire, but by the living Christ. This reality was so vivid for him that he could honestly say that he could do “all things in Christ.”

So what smaller stories are you living in? This series of sermons considers what it’s like to live within the bigger story of being in Christ – in your marriage, in your job, and in your pain. The mystery of Christ in you is written all throughout the letter to the Colossians. Join us as we explore what it means to bring every other story in our lives within the bigger story of being in Christ.

David Johnson and Steve Wiens

The sermons from the last five weekends are available on the homepage in audio and video streaming formats.