Podcast
Grow In Faith
Hosted by Christ Church IL · EN
Life giving devotionals in under 5 minutes.
Pastor Mike Woodruff, Christ Church pastors, and others will guide you through the Bible and help provide insights into scripture and practical takeaways for your daily walk with God.
80episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What Would Surprise Paul About the Church Today?
1w ago00:04:31Tap to summarizeWhat would surprise the Apostle Paul most if he came back today? A prominent British theologian's answer might surprise you. In Day 26 of our Colossians devotional series, we step into Colossians 2:2 and discover the surprising order Paul puts in front of us — and why our individualistic, atomized culture has it almost completely backwards.In this devotional, we explore:→ Paul's striking order in this verse: encouraged, united, THEN understanding — and what that order reveals → Why our culture pushes us toward an isolated faith life — our own playlists, our own podcasts, our own personalized devotionals → Why this devotional channel (and others like it) are wonderful tools — but not a substitute for real Christian community → A fascinating exchange at a recent conference: "If Paul came back today, what would surprise him?" → The theologian's piercing answer: Paul wouldn't be surprised by all the divisions in the church — but by how little we're doing to protect and fight for unity → What unity actually means (and doesn't mean) — it's not agreeing on everything, it's being knit together despite the friction → Why being in real "one another" relationships is rare, costly, time-consuming — and absolutely essential → How real understanding grows in the soil of authentic communityKey takeaway: "We don't have to have everything figured out on our own — but we do have to be together with other people. God made us that way on purpose. You've got to be somewhere where people know your name. That's a metaphor for people knowing what's going on in your life — and walking through life with you."This devotional is a challenging, honest invitation to evaluate whether you're really doing life with others — or just consuming spiritual content on your own. Because according to Paul, encouragement and unity have to come before deep understanding ever takes root.📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 2:2 🎯 Series: Colossians Devotional (Chapter 2) ⏮️ Catch up on previous parts if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Tomorrow: We continue exploring Paul's heart for the churchSubscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a single devotional. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone in your community — or with someone who needs the reminder that they weren't meant to walk this faith alone.💬 Drop a comment below: Are you in a Christian community where people know your name? If not, what's holding you back — and what could you do this week to take a step?#Colossians #BibleStudy #Devotional #Christian #ApostlePaul #Unity #Community #ChurchLife #Jesus #NewTestament #DailyDevotional #Colossians2 #OneAnother
Transcribe →
Who Are YOU Showing Up For?
1w ago00:03:19Tap to summarizePaul is chained to a Roman guard. He can't go where he wants. He can't be with the people he loves. He's not on vacation, on retreat, or at rest. He's struggling — and not for himself, but for people he has never even met. In Day 25 of our Colossians devotional series, we step into Colossians chapter 2 and discover a powerful, convicting truth about what spiritual maturity actually looks like.In this devotional, we explore:→ The striking opening of Colossians 2: Paul "struggling" — wrestling in prayer — from a prison cell → Why Paul is straining for strangers — people in Colossae and Laodicea he has never met in person → The common assumption that spiritual maturity makes life smoother (and why Paul completely shatters it) → Why God is more concerned for our character than our comfort → How God often does His most significant work in our lives during seasons when we feel forgotten → James's reminder: "Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance" → Why the Christian life is not a spectator sport — it's a calling to show up for others, even when costly → The beauty of being on the receiving end when someone shows up for you in a hard seasonKey takeaway: "Is there someone I could be showing up for right now? Is there someone I could be interceding for in prayer? And the follow-up question: What's preventing me from doing that?"This devotional is a stirring challenge to stop expecting spiritual maturity to make life easier — and to start showing up for others the way Paul did, even from his prison cell. Because the work God is doing in you might be most evident when you choose to wrestle in prayer for someone else.📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 2:1 🎯 Series: Colossians Devotional (Now Beginning Chapter 2!) ⏮️ Catch up on the Colossians 1 series if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Up: More from chapter 2 as Paul continues to shape this church he lovesSubscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a single devotional as we journey through Colossians 2. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who has shown up for you — and let them know it mattered.💬 Drop a comment below: Who is someone you can intercede for in prayer today? Name them (or just initials) — let's wrestle in prayer together.#Colossians #BibleStudy #Devotional #Christian #ApostlePaul #Intercession #Prayer #Character #Jesus #NewTestament #DailyDevotional #Colossians2 #SpiritualMaturity
Transcribe →
Once You Were... But Now You Are
2w ago00:06:27Tap to summarizeFor weeks, Paul has been lifting up Jesus. Now in Day 24 of our Colossians devotional series, Paul turns the corner and brings it all down to us. Because everything he's been saying about Christ has stunning implications for you — and it can be summed up in two life-changing words: "But now."In this devotional, we dive into Colossians 1:21-23 and explore:→ The gospel summarized in Paul's "before and after" framing: Once you were alienated, enemies, in rebellion — but now you have been reconciled → Why the incarnation matters for our salvation — Jesus didn't just appear human; He became fully human to perfectly represent us in death → The mystery of the hypostatic union — Jesus as one person with two natures, fully God and fully man → How the Council of Chalcedon gave us the language to talk about this (building on the Council of Nicaea) → Why Christ's death has infinite value — because of who He is → The staggering exchange at the cross: we give Christ our sin, and we receive His righteousness → Why God now looks at you and sees the person and work of Jesus → The crucial gospel equation: Faith = Salvation + Works (not faith + works = salvation) → John Stott's beautiful insight: "The mark of a Christian is not sinlessness, but a new sensitivity to sin and a growing desire to follow Jesus" → Why our sanctification often hasn't caught up to our justification — and that's okayKey takeaway: "If your faith is real, if you truly trusted Christ, over time there will be signs — not of perfection, but of direction. Changes in how we think, what we love, how we live. The gospel doesn't just change our status — it should change us. That's good news."This devotional is a powerful reminder of what Christ has done for you, and an honest invitation to ask: Am I seeing meaningful growth — not perfection, but direction?📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:21-23 🎯 Series: Colossians Chapter 1 Devotional ⏮️ Catch up on Parts 1-23 if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Soon: We close out our journey through Colossians 1Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss the final devotionals in this rich series. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who needs to hear the "but now" of the gospel today.💬 Drop a comment below: Where have you seen meaningful growth (not perfection — direction!) in your walk with Christ?#Colossians #BibleStudy #Devotional #Christian #ApostlePaul #Gospel #Reconciliation #JohnStott #Jesus #NewTestament #DailyDevotional #Colossians1 #Justification
Transcribe →
They Spit on Their Creator's Face
2w ago00:05:32Tap to summarizeWe talk about the cross. We talk about the resurrection. But how often do we slow down and reflect on the incarnation — the staggering moment the Creator stepped into His own creation? In Day 23 of our Colossians devotional series, we slow down on Colossians 1:19 and let the weight of one of the most overlooked realities of the Christian faith sink in.In this devotional, we explore:→ The breathtaking claim in this verse: "God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him" → Why we tend to race past the incarnation to get to the cross and resurrection → The profound humiliation of Jesus that began the moment He entered time and space → How Paul's hymn in Philippians 2 describes Jesus's "downward mobility" — emptying Himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming obedient even to death on a cross → Charles Spurgeon's powerful reflection — overwhelmed not by the cross, but by the simple fact that people spit on their Creator's face → Why the humiliation of Christ didn't begin at Calvary — it began at Bethlehem → Why theology isn't impractical — and why we shouldn't think we need "Velcro" to make Scripture stick → How seeing what Jesus gave up deepens our understanding of His love — and reshapes how we respondKey takeaway: "Don't minimize the incarnation or the humiliation of Jesus. The more clearly you see what He gave up, the more deeply you understand His love. And that changes how you respond — leading to gratitude, humility, and worship."This devotional is a powerful invitation to sit — really sit — with the staggering reality that the Creator of the universe stepped into His own creation for you and for me. Don't rush past it. Let it lead you to awe.📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:19-20 + Philippians 2:5-12 🎯 Series: Colossians Chapter 1 Devotional ⏮️ Catch up on Parts 1-22 if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Tomorrow: We continue toward the close of this incredible chapterSubscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss the final devotionals in this rich series. If this teaching moved you, share it with someone who needs to be reminded just how much Jesus gave up to come for us.💬 Drop a comment below: What part of the incarnation moves you most when you really stop to reflect on it?#Colossians #BibleStudy #Devotional #Christian #ApostlePaul #Incarnation #Philippians2 #Spurgeon #Jesus #NewTestament #DailyDevotional #Colossians1 #Humiliation
Transcribe →
Jesus's Resume Has No Close Second
2w ago00:05:29Tap to summarizeWhen Paul talks about Jesus, he doesn't hold back. In Day 22 of our Colossians devotional series, we revisit one of the most stunning summaries of who Jesus is found anywhere in Scripture — and it reads like a resume with no close second.In this devotional, we explore:→ Why Paul plays offense instead of defense — holding up Christ rather than just tearing down false teaching → The towering "resume" of Jesus: image of the invisible God, Creator of everything, Sustainer of all things, Head of the church, Conqueror of death → Why Jesus has no rival, no peer, no close second — He is in a category all His own → The crucial reminder that the church belongs to Christ — not to leaders, pastors, personalities, or preferences → What "firstborn from the dead" really means — and why it's a different use of "firstborn" than we saw earlier → How Jesus's resurrection isn't just an event — it's category-changing and permanent → Why Lazarus's resurrection (and others) wasn't the same — they died again. Jesus didn't. → Why the Christian hope isn't disembodied spirits floating in some mystical realm — but a resurrected body → The Apostles' Creed reminder: "I believe in the resurrection of the body" — your body, not just Christ's → Abraham Kuyper's famous declaration: "There is not one square inch over which Jesus does not claim, 'Mine!'" — and how that includes death itselfKey takeaway: "If Jesus is who Jesus claims to be — the Creator, Sustainer, Ruler, Redeemer, and Judge — then He is not just part of our life. He is over our life. And that's not something to resist. It's something to lean into. Because the one who holds everything together is the one who holds you."This devotional is a powerful, soul-anchoring reminder that your future isn't uncertain. If you're in Christ, it's anchored in the One who has already conquered death itself.📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:16-18 🎯 Series: Colossians Chapter 1 Devotional ⏮️ Catch up on Parts 1-21 if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Tomorrow: We continue our final week through this incredible chapterSubscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a single devotional as we close out Colossians 1. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who needs to be reminded that Christ holds them — and their future.💬 Drop a comment below: Which line from Jesus's "resume" in this passage means the most to you today?#Colossians #BibleStudy #Devotional #Christian #ApostlePaul #SupremacyOfChrist #AbrahamKuyper #Resurrection #Jesus #NewTestament #DailyDevotional #Colossians1 #ApostlesCreed
Transcribe →
Created BY Him, THROUGH Him, and FOR Him
2w ago00:05:39Tap to summarizeWe're in the last week of our journey through Colossians chapter 1 — and today we land on a verse that contains one of the most weighty and freeing truths in all of Scripture. In Day 21 of our Colossians devotional series, we unpack Colossians 1:16 and uncover three game-changing takeaways about who Jesus is and why you exist.In this devotional, we explore:→ The context of Paul's "prison epistles" — written from a Roman cell to churches he loved deeply → Takeaway #1: Jesus is not created — He is the Creator. Everything that exists was made by Him, through Him, and for Him. → Why the Council of Nicaea fought so hard to establish that "there was never a day before Christ existed" → The beautiful theology of the Gloria Patri: "As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be" → Takeaway #2: Jesus has unmatched power — He didn't slowly assemble creation, He spoke it into existence. Whatever power impresses you (technology, nature, human achievement) is all downstream of His power. → Takeaway #3: Everything exists for Him — including you and me → Why this third truth is the hardest one to accept — most of us start by assuming God exists to help us → The freeing realization: God doesn't exist for our benefit. We exist for His. → Why idols ultimately collapse under their own weight — they can never sustain the meaning we try to place on themKey takeaway: "If everything is about us, that's an incredible weight to carry. But when this truth moves from an idea to a reality — that God is the center, and we don't have to be — it changes everything. Our life has purpose, not because we define it, but because He has defined it. We exist for Him. That's very good news."This devotional is a soul-anchoring, perspective-shifting reminder that being made for God isn't a burden — it's the most freeing news you could ever hear.📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:16 🎯 Series: Colossians Chapter 1 Devotional ⏮️ Catch up on Parts 1-20 if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Tomorrow: We continue our final week through this incredible chapterSubscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a single devotional as we close out Colossians 1. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who's been carrying the weight of trying to make life all about them.💬 Drop a comment below: Which of the three takeaways hits you hardest today — Jesus as Creator, His unmatched power, or that we exist FOR Him?#Colossians #BibleStudy #Devotional #Christian #ApostlePaul #SupremacyOfChrist #Purpose #Creator #Jesus #NewTestament #DailyDevotional #Colossians1 #CouncilOfNicaea
Transcribe →
"Firstborn" Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means
3w ago00:05:05Tap to summarize"He is the firstborn over all creation." It's one of the most misunderstood phrases in the New Testament — and if you read it too quickly, you'll get it very wrong. In Day 20 of our Colossians devotional series, we slow down on this critical phrase in Colossians 1:15 and uncover one of the most foundational truths about who Jesus really is.In this devotional, we explore:→ Why "firstborn" does NOT mean Jesus was the first thing God created → How the Bible uses "firstborn" to refer to rank and exaltation, not birth order → Examples from Scripture: God calling Israel His "firstborn" and David being made the "firstborn" though not the literal eldest son → The towering claim Paul is making: Jesus is supreme over everything — not part of creation, but its Creator → Why the early church had to settle this question once and for all at the Council of Nicaea (whose 1,700th anniversary we just marked last year!) → The crucial truth defined at Nicaea: "There was never a time when Jesus did not exist" → Why the virgin birth matters — and what it really proves (hint: it's not about embarrassment over sex) → How Jesus preexists His incarnation as the eternal Logos — present at the very beginning of creation → Why a small view of Jesus throws everything else offKey takeaway: "It is impossible for us to think too highly of Jesus. He is certainly not just a teacher, a moral example, or even a spiritual leader. He is all of those things — and so much more. If your view of Jesus is too small, everything else will be off. But if you begin to see Jesus as He truly is — eternal, sovereign, supreme — then things start to come into focus."This devotional is a powerful, theologically rich invitation to lift your eyes higher than you ever have when you think about Jesus. He's not the side issue. He is the very center.📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:15 🎯 Series: Colossians Chapter 1 Devotional ⏮️ Catch up on Parts 1-19 if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Tomorrow: We continue exploring the supremacy of ChristSubscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a single devotional in this rich chapter. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who needs a bigger view of who Jesus really is.💬 Drop a comment below: Has your view of Jesus grown bigger through this series? What's stretched you most?#Colossians #BibleStudy #Devotional #Christian #ApostlePaul #Firstborn #CouncilOfNicaea #VirginBirth #Jesus #NewTestament #DailyDevotional #Colossians1 #DeityOfChrist
Transcribe →
How Do We Actually Know Anything About God?
3w ago00:05:37Tap to summarizeHow do we actually know anything about God? We can't put Him under a microscope. We can't run experiments on Him. So where does our knowledge of God come from? In Day 19 of our Colossians devotional series, we step back and look at the bigger picture of how God reveals Himself — and why Jesus is still the clearest picture we have.In this devotional, we explore:→ Why we don't discover God through chemistry experiments or by looking inside ourselves — we know Him because He has revealed Himself → The two big categories of revelation: natural (general) revelation and supernatural (special) revelation → How creation reveals the Creator — just like a painting reveals something about the painter → Why natural revelation alone isn't enough — the world (starting with us) has been impacted by sin → How special revelation reaches its pinnacle in Jesus — the Word of God incarnate — and continues in Scripture — the Word of God written → Why God is not described as a vague force, cosmic energy, or "the ground of being" — but as a personal God who speaks, acts, and relates → The incommunicable attributes of God: infinite, eternal, unchanging, self-sufficient — qualities altogether beyond us → The communicable attributes of God: loving, just, wise, merciful — qualities we share, but never to the same degree → Why Jesus is the premier revelation: not His physical appearance, but His life, teaching, priorities, and how He treated people, power, and suffering → John Stott's powerful observation: "The world's greatest need right now is a clearer vision of God"Key takeaway: "Don't settle for a vague idea of God. Don't rely only on what you feel or assume. Go back to Jesus, because He is not just part of the story — He is the image of the invisible God. The more clearly we see Him, the more clearly we understand everything else."This devotional is a powerful framework for understanding how we come to know God — and a reminder that the journey always leads back to Jesus.📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:15-18 🎯 Series: Colossians Chapter 1 Devotional ⏮️ Catch up on Parts 1-18 if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Tomorrow: We continue digging into the supremacy of ChristSubscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a single devotional in this rich chapter. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who's been chasing vague spirituality and needs to see God as He has actually revealed Himself.💬 Drop a comment below: Which attribute of God — communicable or incommunicable — has meant the most to you recently?#Colossians #BibleStudy #Devotional #Christian #ApostlePaul #JohnStott #AttributesOfGod #Revelation #Jesus #NewTestament #DailyDevotional #Colossians1 #Theology
Transcribe →
Are You Making God in Your Own Image?
3w ago00:06:04Tap to summarizeGod is invisible. We can't put Him under a microscope. We can't run experiments on Him. So how do we actually know what He's like? In Day 18 of our Colossians devotional series, we dig into Colossians 1:15 and confront one of the most subtle dangers in modern spirituality — the temptation to remake God in our own image.In this devotional, we explore:→ Eugene Peterson's beautiful paraphrase of this verse: "We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen" → Why getting God right matters practically — what we believe about God shapes how we live → The Old Testament moments when God showed up in physical form (theophanies — burning bush, cloud, voice) and the unique revelation of God in Jesus → How modern Romanticism has trained us to look inside for spiritual answers → The real danger of trusting our feelings: "God made us in His image, and ever since then, we've been attempting to return the favor" → The fascinating example from a church in Nazareth — paintings of Mary and Jesus from 100 different countries, each one made to look like the people who painted it → G.K. Chesterton's piercing reminder: "I don't need a church to tell me I'm wrong when I know I'm wrong. I need the church to tell me I'm wrong when I think I'm right." → Why the real danger isn't when we know we're off — it's when we're confident we're right and we're notKey takeaway: "If it's been a while since something in Scripture has challenged you, if it's been a while since you've had to rethink an assumption, if your picture of Jesus hasn't stretched or unsettled you — there's a good chance you're not really looking at Him."This devotional is a powerful, humbling invitation to put down the mirror and pick up the Gospels — to see Jesus as He really is, not as we've imagined Him. Because when we see Him clearly, He doesn't just inform our thinking — He reshapes our life.📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:15 🎯 Series: Colossians Chapter 1 Devotional ⏮️ Catch up on Parts 1-17 if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Tomorrow: We continue our journey through this towering passage about JesusSubscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a single devotional in this rich chapter. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who needs a fresh, unfiltered vision of who Jesus really is.💬 Drop a comment below: When was the last time something in Scripture genuinely challenged you? Let's encourage each other by sharing.#Colossians #BibleStudy #Devotional #Christian #ApostlePaul #ImageOfGod #GKChesterton #EugenePeterson #Jesus #NewTestament #DailyDevotional #Colossians1
Transcribe →
Liar, Lunatic, or Lord? C.S. Lewis Was Right
3w ago00:04:32Tap to summarizeWhat if the passage we're about to read was actually an ancient hymn sung by the earliest Christians? In Day 17 of our Colossians devotional series, we step into the towering vision of Jesus found in Colossians 1:15-20 — and discover why everything in the Christian life ultimately comes back to two things.In this devotional, we explore:→ Why many scholars believe Paul lifted this passage straight from an early first-century hymn about Jesus → The two things people almost always get wrong when they drift spiritually: who Jesus is and how we are made right with God → Why Paul doesn't engage the false teachers' specific arguments — he simply elevates the supremacy of Christ → C.S. Lewis's famous challenge: Jesus is either the Son of God — or a madman, or something worse. There is no middle ground. → The towering claims of this passage: Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, the Creator (not part of the creation), supreme over all things, and the one in whom everything holds together — including your life → Why reconciliation with God doesn't come through effort, rule-keeping, or being good enough — but through Christ's blood shed on the cross → Tim Keller's profound insight: "We are more sinful than we ever realized, but more loved than we ever imagined" — and how both meet at the crossKey takeaway: "In a world with lots of voices, lots of ideas, and lots of spiritual options — don't miss Jesus. Don't reduce Him. Don't sideline Him. Don't add to Him. Jesus is enough. He is who He claimed to be. He has done what He said needed to be done. He is the one in whom all things hold together."This devotional is a powerful, soul-anchoring reminder of who Jesus really is — and why everything else in your life finds its meaning and stability in Him.📖 Scripture Focus: Colossians 1:15-20 🎯 Series: Colossians Chapter 1 Devotional ⏮️ Catch up on Parts 1-16 if you're just joining us! ⏭️ Coming Tomorrow: We dig deeper into the towering claims of this passageSubscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss a single devotional as we walk through one of the most important passages about Jesus in all of Scripture. If this teaching encouraged you, share it with someone who needs a clear, unreduced vision of who Jesus really is.💬 Drop a comment below: Which phrase from Colossians 1:15-20 stands out most to you — and why?#Colossians #BibleStudy #Devotional #Christian #ApostlePaul #SupremacyOfChrist #CSLewis #TimKeller #Jesus #NewTestament #DailyDevotional #Colossians1 #Gospel
Transcribe →