April 30, Colossians 1:5 Bible Study Notes
Welcome!
This blog is used to share some of our notes from each day’s journaling while we were in Bible study with The Holy Spirit. At the bottom of each blog page, you’ll see which Bible we used and additional resources that may have informed our thinking and learning. We are curious and humble #Biblenerds. Each day we GET TO use the Word of God to learn more about His never-changing character, how much Jesus loves us and how The Holy Spirit guides us through a heart transformation one verse at a time. The Bible reads us just as much as we read It.
We hope these perfectly imperfect notes help you as you join us weekday mornings 8:00 - 9:00 EST via Facebook & Youtube. And, of course, we welcome you whenever and wherever you get a chance to learn along with us!
In His Love,
Joy Lee & Tara Ouellette
Garett & I dedicated this study to single parents, thanks to the dedication of our mom. She raised Garett, Jason and me all on her own sometimes taking on a second job in the evening to make ends meet. She’s a beautiful woman who taught us the “soft skills” in life that have impacted our lives to this day.
This Bible study is also about redemption. Nothing is wasted in the Kingdom of God. Nothing. It’s because of the Good News that we are FREE from the circumstances of this world
Garett:
Spring from the HOPE that is stored up for you IN HEAVEN. Hope is a treasure that motivates me in my life. This type of HOPE has a GREAT POWER.
Before Jesus - hope in ME, my efforts.
After Jesus - HOPE in Him!
Garett’s testimony of hearing the Good News through his friend, Paul Butcher (Interesting how Garett’s friend/mentor is Paul as we are studying the Apostle Paul.)
The Gospel is like a plate of fruit that never parishes. God is inviting you to choose Him and what He’s done for you.
Through the evidence of my friend Paul’s life, I could see Jesus = fruit. I wanted this, so while I was laying in bed during a hot summer night I talked to God about the desire to learn more. Suddenly all the burdens and stress I carried was immediately lifted. This was on June 20 the summer going into my junior year of college. (Interesting again, our Mom’s birthday.)
1st time in my life, I had this peace in my life that wasn’t dependent on how hard I worked. It wasn’t in my own strength. He loved me. There wasn’t anything I could do more or less for that LOVE. It was done on the cross - Jesus died for me.
I hurt deep inside and Jesus was what I needed.
Paul’s faith & love through his hope.
I CHOSE to jump into the arms of Jesus. Like a little boy jumping off the top of a bunk bed into your Father’s arms, KNOWING he will be caught regardless of the absence of an earthly father.
The HOPE set before Jesus allowed Him to go to the cross. It’s through FAITH and not WORKS.
Jeremiah 29:11 Favorite while I was just learning about God’s Word.
HOPE is a treasure in heaven.
Roman’s 5:5 b/c of God’s LOVE! Hope doesn’t put us to shame!
Waterfall image: HOPE —>Faith —> Love
How does that HOPE - that stored up treasure- motivate me day to day? EX: It was not only in God’s Word, but it was in working through Paul and that perfect love through Jesus, peace came. Out of faith, I received God’s gift, and I’m now open to the work of the Holy Spirit and through daily getting to know Him and being reminded of His precious truths and promises.
1 Peter 1:3-9 …New birth into a living HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…
Oswald Chambers Devotional reference
I want this living hope. I want that faith that shields me, by God’s great power, through all the trials and tribulations.
Tara:
God’s timing is amazing. His ways are perfect. We can humanize His perfect plan, because we want THAT HOPE in (things of this world).
The HOPE in heaven are mysteries being revealed little by little. It’s easy to look back and see God’s good work and the plan come to fruition, but in the moment of pain and strife it can be incredibly hard to have faith and hope in His plan and His ways.
Garett: I’m reminded how precious His LOVE is for us no matter how much my life is “together.” He is has a living hope that He wants to impact my life no matter how much I drop the ball in all the areas of my life. He wants to do a renewing work as I keep my eyes on the HOPE set before us and in doing so FAITH and LOVE come through - which love when focused on Him it’s going to be spontaneous.
Tara: How interesting we focus on the outcome of sharing the Good News. Like how other’s are going to receive it, but today we saw an example of how Garett’s testimony/sharing the Good News may have been awkward and intimidating to our me/my family, but to many others like his 5 friends in college, they received the Good News and started their journey following Jesus. Our role as Christ followers and vessels for God is to share as we’re led by the Spirit and allow God to take it from there.
Tara & Garett’s Primary Source: The Holy Spirit
Secondary Source: Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndal, 1996.