Scripture referenced 17 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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Psalm 150 Opening call to worship: 'let everything that has breath praise the Lord'
1 Praise Yah! Praise God in his sanctuary! Praise him in his heavens for his acts of power!
2 Praise him for his mighty acts! Praise him according to his excellent greatness!
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet! Praise him with harp and lyre!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute!
5 Praise him with loud cymbals! Praise him with resounding cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise Yah! Praise Yah!
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Keep this verse
Hebrews 13
Quoted before the offering: 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever'
1 Let brotherly love continue.
2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.
3 Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body.
4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
5 Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”
6 So that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?”
7 Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9 Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
10 We have an altar from which those who serve the holy tabernacle have no right to eat.
11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside of the camp.
12 Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate.
13 Let us therefore go out to him outside of the camp, bearing his reproach.
14 For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come.
15 Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.
16 But don’t forget to be doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you.
18 Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.
19 I strongly urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you sooner.
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,
21 make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
22 But I exhort you, brothers, endure the word of exhortation; for I have written to you in few words.
23 Know that our brother Timothy has been freed, with whom, if he comes shortly, I will see you.
24 Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. The Italians greet you.
25 Grace be with you all. Amen.
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Psalm 92
Referenced as a psalm to be sung on the Sabbath: 'it is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the most high'
1 It is a good thing to give thanks to Yahweh, to sing praises to your name, Most High;
2 to proclaim your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night,
3 with the ten-stringed lute, with the harp, and with the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, Yahweh, have made me glad through your work. I will triumph in the works of your hands.
5 How great are your works, Yahweh! Your thoughts are very deep.
6 A senseless man doesn’t know, neither does a fool understand this:
7 though the wicked spring up as the grass, and all the evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.
8 But you, Yahweh, are on high forever more.
9 For, behold, your enemies, Yahweh, for, behold, your enemies shall perish. All the evildoers will be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox. I am anointed with fresh oil.
11 My eye has also seen my enemies. My ears have heard of the wicked enemies who rise up against me.
12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in Yahweh’s house. They will flourish in our God’s courts.
14 They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green,
15 to show that Yahweh is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
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Colossians 3:1-3
Always be thankful, cited during offering prayer
1 If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
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Psalm 27:13
Displayed after the offering video: 'I am confident that I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living'
13 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living.
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Psalm 123:1
Displayed alongside Psalm 27: 'I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in the heavens'
1 To you I do lift up my eyes, you who sit in the heavens.
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Colossians 2:9-10
Quoted to establish the supremacy of Christ: 'in Christ lives all the fullness of God in the human body... you are complete through your union with Christ'
9 For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily,
10 and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power;
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Colossians 3:1-17
Main preaching text: living the new life, set your sights, put off, put on
1 If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;
6 for which things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.
7 You also once walked in those, when you lived in them;
8 but now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and shameful speaking out of your mouth.
9 Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings,
10 and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator,
11 where there can’t be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
14 Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
17 Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.
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Colossians 2:12
Quoted to illustrate burial and resurrection with Christ in baptism
12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
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1 Peter 1:3-4
Quoted twice to describe new birth into a living hope through the resurrection that can never perish, spoil, or fade
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you,
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John 11
Referenced as example of tender-hearted mercy: Jesus weeping at Lazarus's tomb
1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha.
2 It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick.
3 The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”
4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.”
8 The disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and are you going there again?”
9 Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
10 But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.”
11 He said these things, and after that, he said to them, “Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so that I may awake him out of sleep.”
12 The disciples therefore said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.
14 So Jesus said to them plainly then, “Lazarus is dead.
15 I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him.”
16 Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go also, that we may die with him.”
17 So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.
19 Many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
20 Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed in the house.
21 Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.
22 Even now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
26 Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
28 When she had said this, she went away, and called Mary, her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here, and is calling you.”
29 When she heard this, she arose quickly, and went to him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met him.
31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
32 Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Jesus wept.
36 The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!”
37 Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?”
38 Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
40 Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
41 So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank you that you listened to me.
42 I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude standing around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44 He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews, who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did, believed in him.
46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.
47 The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs.
48 If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
50 nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”
51 Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
52 and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
53 So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He stayed there with his disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.
56 Then they sought for Jesus and spoke one with another, as they stood in the temple, “What do you…
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John 8
Referenced as example of kindness: Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, 'let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone'
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down, and taught them.
3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the middle,
4 they told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the very act.
5 Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. What then do you say about her?”
6 They said this testing him, that they might have something to accuse him of. But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with his finger.
7 But when they continued asking him, he looked up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw the first stone at her.”
8 Again he stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground.
9 They, when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest, even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where she was, in the middle.
10 Jesus, standing up, saw her and said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one condemn you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way. From now on, sin no more.”
12 Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
13 The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”
14 Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or where I am going.
15 You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.
16 Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me.
17 It’s also written in your law that the testimony of two people is valid.
18 I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”
19 They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me, nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
20 Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
21 Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins. Where I go, you can’t come.”
22 The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come’?”
23 He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.
24 I said therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
25 They said therefore to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”
27 They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the Father.
28 Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these things.
29 He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
30 As he spoke these things, many believed in him.
31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.
32 You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.
35 A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.
36 If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
37 I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.
38 I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”
39 They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this.
41 You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.”
42 Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.
44 You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.
45 But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.
46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
47 He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.”
48 Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?”
49 Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.
50 But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges.
51 Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”
52 Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets; and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’
53 Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”
54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is…
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Luke 22:42
Referenced as example of humility: Jesus praying 'not my will but yours be done' in the garden
42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
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Matthew 11:28
Referenced as example of gentleness: 'Come to me all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest'
28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
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John 14:5-9
Referenced as example of patience: Jesus responding patiently to Philip's request to be shown the Father
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him.”
8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’
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John 14:6
Quoted within the Philip exchange: 'I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life'
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
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Luke 23:34
Referenced as example of forgiveness: Jesus on the cross, 'Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing'
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
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Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
Carl preached through Colossians 3:1-17 on the Sunday before July 4th, with Ray away visiting family. The message centered on three imperatives Paul gives the church: set your sights on heaven, put off the old nature, and put on the new. Carl framed the whole thing around what it means to live out a new identity in Christ.
What was said
The foundation Paul lays before giving any commands is this: you have already been raised to new life with Christ. Carl pointed to Colossians 2:12, which pictures baptism as being buried with Christ and raised again. He took a moment to encourage anyone who has made a profession of faith but has not yet been baptized to come talk to Ray or himself, saying it is not a small thing, it is a profound symbol of exactly what Paul is describing here.
Because of that new life, Paul's first imperative is to set your sights on the realities of heaven. Carl described it the way he thinks about running on Alcrafuge Road: pick a point, keep your head up, and run toward it. He was careful to say this is not so heavenly minded that we stop looking for God's goodness now. Psalm 27 gave him that balance: "I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living." The point is keeping eternal things in view while you are still walking around in a temporary home.
The second imperative is to put off the old nature, and Paul gets specific. Carl worked through the list, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and lying, and noticed a theme running through all of them. They are strong desires aimed in the wrong direction. He brought in a C. S. Lewis quote to press the point: our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. The problem is not that we want too much, it is that we have settled for wanting the wrong things.
The third imperative is to put on the new nature, and Carl said he could hear Jesus in every item on that list. Tender-hearted mercy brought him to Jesus weeping at the tomb of Lazarus. Kindness brought him to Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. Humility brought him to the garden: "Not my will but yours be done." Gentleness brought him to the invitation to the weary and heavy-laden. Patience brought him to Jesus with Philip, still answering questions after all that time together. Forgiveness brought him to the cross: "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing." His point was simple: these are not just virtues to admire, they are the clothes of someone who has been raised to new life in Christ.
Carl read the prayer attributed to Saint Francis as a way of making the call to peace personal and concrete, asking the congregation to pray it with him. He then sat for a moment with the phrase "always be thankful," noting that Paul is not asking people to be thankful for every circumstance, but to be thankful in every circumstance, trusting that God is working out what is eternally good even when it cannot be seen yet.
The message closed on verse 17: whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus. Carl called that both wonderful and terrifying, because we can be excellent representatives and we can also be awful ones. His honest word to the church was that none of us have arrived, this is ongoing work, and there are things that need to be put to death day by day. He asked God to make the church the kind of community where people who have been hurt and have grown skeptical of the church could look at this body and have their confidence renewed.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Carl read Colossians 3 and pointed to three imperatives: set your sights, put off, and put on. Which of those three feels most urgent or most difficult in your own life right now, and why?
- Carl described all the sins listed in verses 5 through 9 as 'strong desires aimed in the wrong direction.' Do you agree with that framing? What does it look like practically to redirect a desire rather than just suppress it?
and 3 more questions in the guide
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