Colossians 3:1-11
Intro Questions
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Other Resources:
Transformation And The Renewing of Our Minds Colossians 3 https://virtualbiblestudy.com/lessons/colossians/3/
Prison Epistles
KNOWING WHEN TO QUIT —- A retired gentleman spent most afternoons at the local golf course. Every day he would spend about three hours out on the course, playing a round by himself. When he would return to the club house, the resident pro would inquire about his score.
"Ed, how'd you shoot today?", to which the man would always reply, "Another perfect par."
The golf pro (being of average intelligence) knew that there was no way the old man was shooting straight par every day, but since he was a regular customer, he didn't want to insult the man by accusing him of lying.
Finally, one day, the pro decided to accompany the old man on his daily round, just to see for himself. On the first tee, the older gentleman sliced the ball way off into the rough. He found his ball, but his second shot was even worse. Finally putting it into the first hole (a par 4) took him 8 swings. The golf pro thought to himself, "I knew it. This old geezer's been lying all this time. There is no way he is gonna shoot anywhere near par."
They continued on, and the old man's game stayed the same, never once getting a par on any one hole. After almost 3 hours, they teed off on the 13th hole. The old man actually hit it straight down the middle -- it was the best shot he had made all day! He promptly walked down the fairway to his ball, picked it up, and began walking back to the clubhouse.
The pro was confused. "Hey, that was a great shot. Where are you going now?"
"Oh, I'm done," the old man replied with a smile, "That shot was number 72 ...another perfect par!" PERFECTION!
I'll have to try that sometime (of course, I'd never find out what the back nine looks like! :-) I guess the moral of the story above is: If you know when to quit, you can shoot par every time! As Christians, it's also important for us to know when to quit.
"But now also put these things out of your life: anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and using evil words when you talk. Do not lie to each other. You have left your old sinful life and the things you did before. You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you...." (Colossians 3:8-10a, NCV)
If you're having trouble "shooting par" in your Christian life (our goal is to become like Christ), maybe you just need to learn when to quit!
Opening Questions — Get Us Thinking:
Living as Those Made Alive in Christ — Colossians 3:1-11
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is youra life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.b 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Research Questions — “Dig Deeper” to find God’s Will
Reflective Questions — Live it today.
I wish there was a knob on the TV so you could turn up the intelligence. They have one marked brightness, but it doesn't work, does it?
https://youtu.be/4kN8-UrwDno
Prison Epistles
Jesus: The Resource of Our Living
Colossians 3:1-11
KNOWING WHEN TO QUIT —- A retired gentleman spent most afternoons at the local golf course. Every day he would spend about three hours out on the course, playing a round by himself. When he would return to the club house, the resident pro would inquire about his score.
"Ed, how'd you shoot today?", to which the man would always reply, "Another perfect par."
The golf pro (being of average intelligence) knew that there was no way the old man was shooting straight par every day, but since he was a regular customer, he didn't want to insult the man by accusing him of lying.
Finally, one day, the pro decided to accompany the old man on his daily round, just to see for himself. On the first tee, the older gentleman sliced the ball way off into the rough. He found his ball, but his second shot was even worse. Finally putting it into the first hole (a par 4) took him 8 swings. The golf pro thought to himself, "I knew it. This old geezer's been lying all this time. There is no way he is gonna shoot anywhere near par."
They continued on, and the old man's game stayed the same, never once getting a par on any one hole. After almost 3 hours, they teed off on the 13th hole. The old man actually hit it straight down the middle -- it was the best shot he had made all day! He promptly walked down the fairway to his ball, picked it up, and began walking back to the clubhouse.
The pro was confused. "Hey, that was a great shot. Where are you going now?"
"Oh, I'm done," the old man replied with a smile, "That shot was number 72 ...another perfect par!" PERFECTION!
I'll have to try that sometime (of course, I'd never find out what the back nine looks like! :-) I guess the moral of the story above is: If you know when to quit, you can shoot par every time! As Christians, it's also important for us to know when to quit.
"But now also put these things out of your life: anger, bad temper, doing or saying things to hurt others, and using evil words when you talk. Do not lie to each other. You have left your old sinful life and the things you did before. You have begun to live the new life, in which you are being made new and are becoming like the One who made you...." (Colossians 3:8-10a, NCV)
If you're having trouble "shooting par" in your Christian life (our goal is to become like Christ), maybe you just need to learn when to quit!
Opening Questions — Get Us Thinking:
- In buying clothes, are you a name-brand buyer? A bargain hunter? Spouse conscious? Quality conscious? Style conscious? (or could you care less what others think? — Really?)
Living as Those Made Alive in Christ — Colossians 3:1-11
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is youra life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.b 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Research Questions — “Dig Deeper” to find God’s Will
- God is ... What do we learn about God?
- We are ... What do we learn about people?
- Paul moves to practical and pragmatic teaching in chapter three. How does this build on the first two chapters?
- How are we to grow in our spiritual life (vv. 1-4)? How does that contrast with the things that don't lead to growth? (Colossians 2:16-23) Why repeat that the Colossian believers had already died from verse 2:20 in 3:3?
- How is setting your mind and heart on Christ related to what he had already done for us (v. 1)? To what he will do for us (v. 4)?
- What are the things above that Paul speaks of in verse 1?
- Is Christ really "seated" at God's right hand (v. 1)?
- What "earthly things" is Paul thinking of in verse 2?
- What is the proper view of a "life" that is "hidden" (v. 3)?
- What is a reason that believers are to "put to death" their "earthly nature"? Why does Paul emphasize the "earthly nature" in verse 5? Why does Paul place such a strong emphasis on "sexual immorality" in verse 5?
- How much contrast is there between the “clothes” of the earthly nature (vv. 5-11) and those of God's chosen people (vv. 12-17)? How hard would it seem to take off the first and put on the second? How is it possible (see 2:6-7, 10)?
- Idolatry (v. 5) was a sin especially forbidden and abhorred in Jewish culture and religion. Since Paul is speaking generally to those in a Greek culture, how does this apply?
- What does the wrath of God refer to in verse 6?
- Paul refers in verse 7 to the Colossians former way of life "used to walk in these ways." What might Paul be arguing against here?
- In verse 8 Paul provides a second list of sins. What is the significance of this list?
- What is that "old self" or "old nature" (v. 9)?
- What is true knowledge (v. 10)?
- What is the point of verse 11?
Reflective Questions — Live it today.
- We get all too use to “earthly nature” clothing. Which aspect of your own nature feels like a comfortable old t-shirt to you now? Why is it difficult to shed or remove?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this?
- How does this equip us be a better disciple and help empower us to “make disciples”?
I wish there was a knob on the TV so you could turn up the intelligence. They have one marked brightness, but it doesn't work, does it?
https://youtu.be/4kN8-UrwDno
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