Grace Community

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for yo...

Home group questions. 1. How would you explain to a new Christian what mature Christianity looks like (e.g. what should be the goal of our Christian journey)? How would you encourage/mentor a new Christian to pursue those things?      2. Someone once asked me, “Why is faith so important to God?” How would you answer that question (see Hebrews 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-9)? What are some ways God grows ou...

** Unfortunately due to technical difficulties the beginning of the sermon was missed** In summary Ewen spoke about some of the greatest difficulties Christians he has known have faced. He spoke of having to watch a mother turn off the life support for her child and a pastors wife being overcome by dementia in her 50s.  Home group questions: Questions were taken from  Christ-Centered Exposition Co...

Home group questions: How is thanks to God one of the goals and blessings of our restoration and reconciliation to God? (Romans 1:18-21; 1 Thess 5:16-18) Why must our thanksgiving be centred around Jesus? (John 14:6, 17:24-26; Ephesians 2:13-18; Hebrews 7:22-25)  How do you think thanks to God should be expressed in our individual life and in our corporate church life as well? Why do you think oth...

Home group questions. 1) How do you understand the term ‘in Christ’ (sometimes “in him” i.e. 2:6)? Why do you think it was important for Paul to remind the Colossians, which is also a reminder for us, that we are ‘in Christ’?  2) Do you agree that the greatest threat to the stability of the church (or a church) comes from people within the church rather than those from outside?  3) Bishop Stephen...

 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. Colossians 1:1-2 Throughout Colossians, Paul talks in various ways about ‘the message’ or ‘the word of truth’ they heard from Epaphras wanting to reassure the Colossians that the message they received is true. For Pa...

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in...

13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you no...

8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;     I will sing the praises of your name.” 10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And aga...

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked 1 Blessed is the man     who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,     nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,     and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree     planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season,     and its leaf does not wither. In a...

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They...

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Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.     For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,     and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him     from gener...

13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’” The Book of Remembrance 16 Then thos...

6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9...

Homegroup Questions How do you feel about the fact that it is possible for us to weary the Lord or as Ephesians 4:30 states, “grieve the Holy Spirit”?  What is it in Malachi 2:17 and Ephesians 4:25-32 that causes God to feel this way? Like the Israelites and Asaph (Psalm 73) do you sometimes question God and wonder why He seems to let the evil and the wicked prosper and yet His people suffer? How...

To the church in Philadelphia 7 ‘To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my na...

10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any des...

Malachi 2:1-9 2 “And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2 If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your...

6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord's table may be despised. 8 When you offer...

1 . a What do the Pharisees of Jesus day and all religions (excluding Christianity) today have in common? b What does Christianity teach that sets it apart from all other religions? 2. How has the term “Born again” been wrongly used in today's culture to define what it means to be a Christian? 3. In verse 5 we read: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he c...

1 The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. 2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of...

12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. 15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet...

 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4...

Titus 3:1-8  Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one...