May 26, Col 1:23 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
Joy’s Notes:
Col 1:23
“But, you must continue to:
1. believe this truth and
2. stand firmly in it.
3. Don’t drift away from the HOPE (the anchor) you received when you heard the Good News. —- (The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.)
—————
JAMIE TRUCK STORY:
“Your vehicle is drifting. Please turn engine off and seek rest immediately.” (Faith college, Shea surgery)
👉 when I let God be my vehicle, He will let me know when I’m drifting & need me some rest!
Heb 6:19
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It (HOPE) enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.”
👇
Hope is an anchor that leads to intimacy with God!
ANCHORS:
but...an anchor is only activated when it hits rock-bottom —-otherwise it’s just a heavy piece of metal
Storms of life catapult us into a posture of hitting rock-bottom so that His anchor can be activated!!
👉HOPE IS often BIRTHED IN OUR GREATEST TRAGEDIES
Don’t fall for the worlds lie to avoid hitting rock-bottom.
👇
If God brought you there, he’ll meet you there & take you out of there.
• Why we have anchors at the barn ⚓️ REMINDER OF HOPE (that draws us into intimacy with Jesus!!!)
—————-
DRIFTING in the storms:
(Paul knew all about drifting, storms & anchors!)
PAUL’s SHIPWRECK:
Acts 27:13-24
Paul, (a prisoner,) was taken to Rome on ship to appeal his case before Caesar
V.13 “ A light wind began to blow and sailors thought they could make it, so they pulled up the anchor.”
👉 (& tried another way besides the way of HOPE)
👉we look for hope & help in people, things, comforts, self-help books .... instead of
T H E-H E L P!
————
• V14,18 “ but the weather changed abruptly & a typhoon appeared! The forceful winds continued to batter the drifting ship and the crew began throwing the cargo overboard!”
👉 movie= “Perfect Storm. “
—- They refused to throw the fish cargo overboard in the storm, even though it was weighing down the boat!($) (They finally did!)
👉Sometimes it takes a storm, to finally let go of the out-of-order things& thoughts in our life, that’s causing us to DRIFT & DROWN!
(Acronym T.E. A. R.S)
👉Extra cargo (who & what am I giving my...)
T= time
E= energy
A= attention/affection
R= resources
S= security
to, BEFORE GOD.....?
• Storms Will often force us to throw the heavy SIN/cargo over-board... or we’re going down!
• Micah 7:19 “ once again you will have compassion on me. He will trample my sins under your feet and throw them out into the depths of the ocean!
————
V21 “ no one had eaten for a long time.”
👉 we have to be careful what we allow “IN” during a storm— because storms can make us vulnerable & SUSCEPTIBLE to being hungry for counterfeit lifeboats!
👉Prov 27:7 “ when your soul is full, you turn down even the sweetest honey. But when your soul is starving, every bitter thing becomes sweet.”😳
👉 Which is why we’re susceptible to DRIFTING when we are not anchored during a storm,
—>we allow toxic people, stinkin thinkin etc, in our life !
👉We’re not feasting on the BREAD OF LIFE!
👉Jeremiah 15:16
“ when your words came God, I ate them. They were my joy and my hearts delight… “
👉John 6:35
“ then Jesus declared… “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will NEVER go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
————
V.22-22
“But take courage! Said Paul. None of you will lose your life even though the ship will go down. Last night an angel of the Lord to whom I belong, and whom I serve, stood beside me, and he said “don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial Before Caesar!”What’s more, God in his goodness is granted safety to everyone sailing with you”
👉Paul was in the middle of a typhoon, but because he was feasting on the bread of life —
1. he wasnt spiritually hungry (& not tempted to drift)
2. he was anchored in hope — firm & secure
3. he had an intimate connection with his father (HOPE BRINGS INTIMACY— into the inner curtain)
4. he was able to share hope and encouragement with others who were paralyzed in fear
👉👉👉GOD ultimately DESIRES US TO BE
HOPE-CARRIERS IN OTHERS’ storms!
But we can’t be this of we’re not
(1) BELIEVING our identity,
(2)STANDING FIRM
(3) & ANCHORED TO HOPE TO AVOID DRIFTING !
—————-
“The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.”
👇 “I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world”
~Mother Teresa
Tara’s Notes:
May 26 Colossians 1:23 Journal
"But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it.
Don't drift away from the assurance you received
when you heard the Good News.
The Good News has been preached all over the world,
and I, Paul, have been appointed as God's servant to proclaim it."
Interlinear:
If indeed you continue in faith
Established and firm and not being moved away
From the hope of the gospel that you have heard
Having been proclaimed in all creation under heaven
Of which have become I Paul a minister
https://www.bibleref.com/Colossians/1/Colossians-1-23.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-the-gospel.html
Gospel = the Good News
Greek: euaggelion à English evangelist
The gospel is, boldly speaking Scripture; more specifically, the gospel - the good news concerning Christ which is the way of salvation.
The bad news = sin, separation from God
OT: sin = anything that falls short of perfect = death. So to go to heaven – God’s dwelling place/light/life – sin had to be removed or paid for through a bloody sacrifice of an innocent life.
Good News -Jesus paid for ALL our sin by dying on the cross. PAID IN FULL
This is a divine invite, not a man-made invitation.
Focus is on the perfection of Jesus! That’s enough.
The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. That’s enough.
It is proven and written “according to Scripture.” That’s enough.
The theme of the whole Bible - salvation of mankind THROUGH Christ. That’s enough.
What does LOVE say?
The love and truth of Jesus is a bold and powerful message for ALL – in their AS IS state.
The love and truth of Jesus is the ONLY THING that can truly transform a human heart.
It is received by faith; salvation is a gift from God.
Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
John 3:16 “For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Reflection:
To reject the gospel is to embrace the bad news.
How might I be rejecting the gospel?
How might I be embracing the bad news?
Condemnation before God is the result of a lack of faith in the Son of God, God’s only provision for salvation.
How might I be condemning myself and others?
How might I be showing lack of faith (in the Son of God) not focusing on the fact that Jesus IS the way to salvation?
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:17–18).
How might I be focusing on condemnation when I (or others) have already been saved?
How might I be trying to save souls through condemnation/fear/guilt/shame (focusing on behaviors)?
How might I be not truly and fully believing in the powerful name of Jesus? Did he really save me? Did he really save that sinner?
God has given a doomed world good news: the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Is that enough for me?
Joy & Tara’s Primary Source: The Holy Spirit
Secondary Source: Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Tyndale, 1996, 2004, 2015