In our current series at Gateway South and Gateway Central, we are focusing on what really matters to live a life with purpose and intentionality.
To apply the message to your life, work through the Next Steps for this message with your roommates, family, running partners, or life group.
Kenny Green shared at Gateway Central, and I shared at Gateway South.
Here is the message I shared at Gateway South:
Here are the notes from the message:
Often we think of the Bible as a giant “Don’t Do List.” In reality, the Scriptures show us the ways of the world that hurt us and others vs. the ways of God that bring life and light.
Let me give you an example from Colossians 3.
What kind of life would you prefer to experience?
Option 1:
A life characterized by the following: evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, deception, sexual immorality, impurity, and lust.
This is the default. This is who we are naturally without God’s help.
Option 2:
A life characterized by compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with others, forgiveness, love, peace, gratitude.
This is who we can become with God’s help which starts with Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross and our willingness to receive His gift of forgiveness.
So how do we pull this off?
Set your hearts on things above. – Col. 3:1
What are your expectations of God? What are your expectations of yourself?
Some of us are so critical of others to the point where we limit who we will befriend or who we will date or who we will enjoy to such a narrow degree.
If we are honest, those of us who are overly critical of others are probably overly critical of ourselves.
We judge others based on their vices rather than seeing them as Jesus sees them.
We judge ourselves based on our vices rather than seeing ourselves as who we are in Christ.
We focus on the mud rather than the masterpiece.
What is the new thing God wants to do in you? What are you holding onto that will keep Him from doing the new thing? What part of the darkness? What good thing from the past?
Innovator’s dilemma – our past successes can lead to our demise.
Set your mind on things above. – Col. 3:2
Throughout the Scriptures, the emphasis is on the following:
- Renew your mind.
- Battle in the mind.
- Take thoughts captive.
- Replace anxiety with peace with thanksgiving think only about those things which are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy.
Instead, our “minds end up in the gutter.”
Our minds are thinking about what could go wrong rather than what could go right.
Put to death your earthly nature. – Col. 3:5
- Take off old and put on new.
- Get rid of your labels!! What others have labeled you or what you have labeled yourself!
Clothe yourselves – Col. 3:12
When we follow Jesus, He gives us new clothes to replace our filthy rags, so we need to put them on!
- Bear with others
- Forgive others
- Put on love
- Let the peace of Christ rule
“And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” – Col. 3:15-b-16
- Be thankful
- Let the message of Christ dwell richly (Sunday inspire services, songs on Sunday, worship nights, time in the scriptures, worship, podcasts on your own).
The result:
Healthy relationships with your spouse, your children, and the authorities in your life.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – Colossians 3:17 NIV
