Fellowship Bible Church, Tacoma - Weekly Sermon

Colossians 2:16-23 - Free In Jesus

In Jesus, we are totally secure. In Jesus, we are radically free. Those two ideas form the pillars of Paul's argument in Colossians 2:16-23. So then when someone tries to tell us otherwise ("no, you have to eat these certain foods..." or "you have to say these certain kinds of prayers"), we will know to ignore them and shrug it off. The ultimate result? A community of people who are the most secure, in themselves, and the most non-judgmental of others, in matters of freedom, than you'll find anywhere else on this planet - because of Jesus.

Colossians 2:6-15 - Do I Know How Much I Have In Jesus?

In this text, Paul gives two commands: walk in Jesus, and watch out for false teaching. As motivation for both of these, Paul invites his readers to ask a question: do we know how much we have already been given in Jesus? Defeating evil powers, giving us new life, inviting us in to a whole new family, wiping away, forever (!), every sin we've ever done...this text is like a rich gospel buffet from which we'll leave filling stuffed: overflowing with gratitude and awe for all that God has done for us in Jesus. So let's sit down and feast.

Colossians 2:1-5 - Back to Basics

Colossians 1:24-29 - Don’t Quit Church

Church is a place of suffering, service, and toil. Paul doesn't downplay this reality. In Colossians 1:24-29, he leans into it, describing clearly the cost of his commitment to the church of Jesus. But he also shows us the glory. If you're a person who's getting burned out on church, or even considering giving up church altogether due to discouragement, or hurt, or whatever - this is the passage for you. Because in this passage we see the motivation to stay committed to church even when it's hard. Not because the church is so great, but because Jesus is, and he's the one who suffers, and serves, and toils for us.

Colossians 1:21-23 - Reconciliation and Perpetuation

Colossians 1:15-20 - The Supremacy of Jesus

There's one clear theme for today's section in the Colossians: the unrivaled supremacy of Jesus. In Colossians 1:15-20, Paul shows how Jesus is Lord of Creation and New Creation and everything in between. But this isn't just abstract theology. It's exultation. It's poetry. And Paul's hope is that by seeing the glory of Jesus, we'll be spurred on to deeper devotion and abiding joy as we look forward to the day when Jesus himself will make all things new.

Colossians 1:9-14 - Knowing God and Flourishing

What does the flourishing Christian life look like? And where does it come from? In Colossians 1:9-14, we get to hear Paul's prayer for the Christian community in Colossae. Along the way, we'll get some healthy reorientation regarding what "our best life" looks like and discover how the basis of our ongoing wellbeing is found in knowing God.

Colossians 1:3-8 - Paul’s Thanksgiving for the Colossians

Colossians 1:1-2 - Who Does God Say We Are?

In this kickoff to our Colossians series, we take a close look at Paul's opening word of the letter. In them, we find not just valuable info regarding the context (setting, history, purpose, geography, etc.) - we also find valuable info about ourselves. Who does God say we are as followers of Jesus? What does it mean to be a community of "saints"? And "brothers"? As we explore this, we begin to get a glimpse of the profound new identity given to those who belong to Jesus.

John 20:1-18 - That You May Believe