One of the markers of Christian maturity that Paul mentions repeatedly is kindness. kindness doesn’t mean that we are squishy on the truth or that we never speak with boldness. Kindness doesn’t mean that we will never do anything that offends others, or even that everyone will like us. What kindness does mean is that, at the end of day, we have compassion and show care to all people, even to those who are anything but kind to us. After all, that’s the heartbeat of our story, a God who showed us such kindness He suffered and died on the cross for us.
Our love for Jesus should manifest in a wholehearted desire to always give God our best. God gave us His best when He sent His only begotten Son to die for us. The depth of His love and grace expresses His overwhelming generosity towards us. Because we have experienced God’s generosity, we will seek to reflect that same attitude in all we do. We will do everything to the best of our ability in every moment of life. We will be generous in our relationships with others by showing kindness and forgiveness. In our finances, we will give generously so others can grow in Christ and experience His love for them.
Our love for Jesus should manifest in a wholehearted desire to always give God our best. God gave us His best when He sent His only begotten Son to die for us. The depth of His love and grace expresses His overwhelming generosity towards us. Because we have experienced God’s generosity, we will seek to reflect that same attitude in all we do. We will do everything to the best of our ability in every moment of life. We will be generous in our relationships with others by showing kindness and forgiveness. In our finances, we will give generously so others can grow in Christ and experience His love for them.
As we launch into the fall, we want to anchor the church in what our church culture should look like. Our starting point is being a church led by Jesus. We want to be a church that sees and experiences the majesty and love of Jesus to such a degree that we can’t help but want to love and follow Him. Being a church led by Jesus means we seek the Father’s will and blessing through prayer – the Word of God is our authority in belief and practice – and the Holy Spirit is guiding and empowering all we do.
As we launch into the fall, we want to anchor the church in what our church culture should look like. Our starting point is being a church led by Jesus. We want to be a church that sees and experiences the majesty and love of Jesus to such a degree that we can’t help but want to love and follow Him. Being a church led by Jesus means we seek the Father’s will and blessing through prayer – the Word of God is our authority in belief and practice – and the Holy Spirit is guiding and empowering all we do.
Paul writes in Colossians 4:2 that we need to be devoted to prayer. Why is prayer so critical? This passage offers us two reasons: First because if God calls us to pray, we should obey him. Second, as Paul makes clear in the verses that follow, our mission and the salvation of lost people depends on it. Prayer is a constant reminder of our dependence on God and a constant confession of His ability.