What does your prayer life look like?  Chris Brannon continues in our Unrivaled series talking about mission living.  If prayer does not drive out sin, sin will drive out prayer.  You must come to God with the mindset of,”I’ve got nothing”.

Identity is important in our life around us.  Jordan Brannon continues in our Unrivaled series by talking about who God says we are.  The concept of our identity is one of the key areas where many Christians struggle.  The more we grow up in our faith, the more our identity becomes secure in us.  Even for those who are more mature in their faith, there is a risk of not treating our identity as significant or thinking of it as a byproduct of our actions.  That’s not really the perception that the Bible gives us.

Our earthly identities are going to fade away.  When we build our identity  on things that are defined in this world, we are like the foolish builder in Matthew 7:24.  We’re building our ego, our sense of self worth or self value, up on something that will not last.  By contrast, our identity in Christ is eternal.  Whatever happens to here on this earth – whatever we do, whatever someone does to us, whatever happens around us, whatever changes our lives, our identity in Christ is eternal.  It cannot be taken away!

So how do we know what our identity in Christ is?  The answer is the Bible tells us.  Jordan gives us some verses to look up and remember that tell us who we are in Christ.  These verses tell us who God says we are.

Jordan leaves us with some questions for reflection:  What is my identity built around?  If I’m saved, does my identity in Christ govern those things, or is it secondary to them?  How secure is my identity based on what I’ve built it around?  How confident am I in my identity in Christ?  As a child of God, how often do I identify myself based on my works rather than based on promises of the Word of God?  Lastly, how often am I identifying my identity in Christ based on what I do not do, rather than what I do?  He challenges us to make changes based off of our answers to these questions.

More of what we already have will not satisfy us!  Chris Brannon continues in our Unrivaled series in Colossians 3:1.  Every fact declared by God is for our taking by faith.  Most people try to live the Christian life by rules.  They strive to improve the flesh, but flesh will never improve.  They place themselves under regulations that they hope will deliver them from sinful inclinations.  All these lead us away from Christ.

In seeking things that are above, we look to follow hard after God and His way.  It is establishing relationship with Him, abiding in Him, drawing our strength and sustenance from Him.  In finding the richness of our relationship with Him, we also find satisfaction, enduring peace and rest.

What is your Christianity like? Is it focused on yourself or on Christ?  Is it focused on sin and failure or grace and forgiveness?  Chris Brannon continues in our Unrivaled series by posing these questions.  True Christianity is personally knowing Christ, who died for our sins and who was raised from the dead and is alive today!  There are three false practices that Paul attacks in these passages.  The first one is legalism.  This is rule following, especially man-made rules that supersede God’s rules.  It can take many forms in Christianity in what people believe a Christian should wear, drive, act etc.  Chris gives us some observations about legalism.  The next false practice is ritualism.  This is traditions that were begun to address worthy issues, but are now carried out with little value and no connection to the Father.  Chris gives us some samples of those as well.  The last false practice is asceticism.

Chris goes on to give us five observations about replacing Jesus with religion.  The first is that our religious practices alone are no basis for judging a person’s standing with God or standing in God’s family.  There are four questions that you can ask yourself to see if you wandering into gray area issues:  will I cause someone to stumble in faith?  Is it beneficial to others?  Will it become my master?  Is this an opportunity to indulge the flesh?  The next observation is that the fullness of life comes through Christ alone.  Another observation is that the source of life, purity and growth is through vital connection to Christ.  The next observation is that along with Christ, we have died to the basic inclinations of the flesh.  Lastly, regulations demanding certain behaviors do not necessarily create in us purity of heart.

Chris Brannon continues in our Unrivaled series, talking about being filled, raised and made alive in Christ.  This is the same message that Paul was communicating to the Colossian Christians – they needed only Christ.  Paul is seeking to refute the Gnostic heresy which was invading the Church at Colosse.  The heretics were saying that Christ alone was not enough to save a person.  They were adding to the death of Christ, circumcision, the ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic law, and the worship of angels as conditions for salvation.  They said a person must have Chris AND circumcision AND the worship of angels AND the ceremonial law to be saved.

We must remember that Christ plus anything equals works.  True salvation is all of grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Christianity is about moving forward, individually and collectively.  Chris Brannon continues in our Unrivaled series, talking about being rooted, built up and overflowing.  Paul remind the believers in Colossae that receiving Christ is only the beginning of the Christian life and there must be continual growth through building the life on Him.

Paul provided three images that show the importance of growing in our faith:  we are rooted in Christ, the believer is built up in Christ and to be established in the faith is a legal metaphor referring to maturity.  The first one is that we are to be rooted in Him.  We are kept straight, fed and receive our spiritual nourishment by being rooted in Christ.  In times of drought, the tree’s roots extend deeper into the soil in search of nutrients – this enables the tree to survive in all kinds of severe weather.  The next one is to be built up in Him.  There are a lot of nice things that you can do with sand; but don’t try to build a house on it.  We must be built up in Christ!  The last one is to be established in the faith.  So we grow downward by being “rooted”, upward by being “built up”, inward so that we can be “strengthened in the faith” and outward as we “overflow with thankfulness”.

Chris has us ask ourselves if we are rooted enough.  Are we rooted enough to stand against a culture that desires to draw me away from the path of the righteous?  To stand against temptation in areas where I know I am vulnerable?  How about to be a good example of the compassion of Christ to people in need?  Or to take a stand for Jesus in the face of criticism or ridicule?

We are challenged here to grow up into Him who is the head, not to remain as children.  If we are to grow up firm and fixed in the faith, we must intentionally and purposefully apply ourselves to a training regimen.  One that includes the following:

Daily, systematic reading of the Bible

The practice of solitude and meditation

Regular times of prayer and communion with the Lord

Consistent times of fellowship with other believers – weekend church meetings, community groups, one on ones

Discovering and using my God-given gifts to serve others

Developing relationships with those outside the body of Christ to gain a platform to share the good news of Christ

Tom Maus continues in our Unrivaled series by asking us if we know what we have in Christ.  In Colossians 2: 1-5, Paul wanted the Colossians to know these three things:  The first is that he wanted them to know that he struggled on their behalf.  The next is that he warned them about being influenced by plausible arguments.  Lastly, he expressed two things that they needed to give themselves to.

Paul wanted the people to know that he struggled on their behalf.  Just as Paul struggled for the Colossians, the leaders at Cedar Springs are exerting themselves for you.  They care for you and pray for your needs.

If we’re not careful, plausible arguments can trip us up.  Tom lists some of the arguments that we need to destroy.  Among these are that the church doesn’t really care about us.  This is simply not true.

There are two things that we need to give ourselves over to.  The first is that we need to be knit together in love.  Tom explains what it means to be knit together and how important it is.  The other is that we must gain the full assurance and understanding of Christ.  Tom lists ten important truths that we need assurance of.

Do you know what you have in Christ?

Did you know that suffering is a normal part of Christian living?  Chris Brannon continues in our Unrivaled series by looking at rejoicing in suffering.  In the current climate of the American Church, there is a strong tendency in our preaching to be light on doctrine, but strong on addressing felt needs.  We must recognize that behavior is ultimately determined by our belief structure.  Suffering is  a normal part of Christian living.  Paul talks about the suffering he is going through on behalf of the gospel.  He tells us that he is rejoicing in his suffering.

Chris talks about six benefits of our suffering.  The first is that it helps us identify with the sufferings of Christ.  The next benefit is that, in suffering, we learn to trust in the supremacy of Christ.  Paul says in this passage that he learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger.  This secret is the supremacy of Christ.  Another benefit is that it connects us to others who are suffering.  Empathy for others and wisdom is gain through suffering, enabling us to lovingly embrace those who are going through difficult times.  Suffering also does a maturing work in us.  It also prepares us to step into future glory.  The last benefit is that, through suffering, we learn more deeply how much God loves us.

Christ’s power is best displayed against the backdrop of human weaknesses so that God, alone, is praised.  Rather than removing the problem, God gave Paul grace in it.  This grace is sufficient!

Before salvation we were “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds”.  Jordan Brannon continues in our Unrivaled series, speaking on Colossians 1:21 – 23.  There are three things established in this passage:  who we are before we are saved, the awesomeness of Christ’s sacrifice for us and what we do matters.

God’s will is a hot topic among Christians.  We are constantly trying to find out what His will is.  Chris Brannon continues in our Unrivaled series, showing us how to live a life pleasing to God.  Very simply, the will of God is to give thanks, to do right, and to not do wrong.  That is God’s will for your life!  It’s that simple!  Paul’s primary petition for the Colossians was that God would fill them with the knowledge of His will.

We must live a life worthy of pleasing the Lord.  A genuine knowledge of Christ reveals itself in transformed character in Christlikeness.  The aim of believers in all their worthy conduct should be to please Him in every way.  What does it mean to live a life that pleases God?  We turn to the Apostle Paul to give us some ideas on what a life that pleases God looks like:

Bearing fruit in every good work.  The idea of “bearing fruit” is not that foreign to us.  If we purchased a fruit tree, planted it, and took care of it we would expect to be getting fruit from it in a matter of years.  If after many years the tree was not yielding fruit, we would feel that the tree was defective or really not a fruit tree at all.  Fruitfulness takes time.  You don’t get  any good fruit the first year you plant a fruit tree.  It takes time for the tree to mature.  The same is true for Christ followers.  The change might not be immediate, but over time, we should be seeing a difference in the way people live.

Increasing in the knowledge of God.  The life that pleases God is the one that “keeps on growing in knowledge”.  It is continually seeking to know God better.  We can spend all our time mastering information about God and not have a relationship with God.  The life that pleases God is the one that yearns to know more about God so that they can know God better.

Strengthened with all power.  The purpose of this power is that we might “have great endurance and patience”.  It’s a strength that helps us endure the troubled times in life.  God enables us to endure by giving us the strength of His Holy Spirit, the promise of His word and by reminding us that He is in control, only does what is good, never makes a mistake and that this world is not our home.

Giving thanks.  Have you ever noticed how much we complain?  We complain about the weather, our income, the government, other believers, traffic and long check out lines at the store.  We thank God for what He’s given while at the same time feeling He should have given more.  An attitude of thankfulness grows as we learn to open our eyes to the blessings we take for granted.  We also grow in our gratefulness as we see how wonderful our Savior is.  This is even more true of Christ.

Chris leaves us with the following questions:  Do others see your faith in your living?  Are you doing anything to grow in the knowledge of God?  Are you living gratefully?