Stuff That Matters

In one paragraph

Pastor Carl was away for three Sundays, and this message picked up where the Colossians study had paused, working through the final chapter of the letter. He called it "stuff that matters," and the sermon moved through Paul's closing instructions before turning to the personal greetings at the end of the letter as a way of showing that people, not just principles, are what the gospel is really...

Read together

1. Colossians 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving
2. Colossians 4:3 pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ
3. Colossians 4:4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak
4. Colossians 4:5 walk in wisdom toward outsiders, redeeming the time
5. Colossians 4:6 let your speech always be gracious and seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person
6. Colossians 4:7 Tychicus described as beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant
7. Colossians 4:9 Onesimus described as faithful and beloved brother, one of you
8. Colossians 4:10 Aristarchus called fellow prisoner, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas mentioned
9. Colossians 4:11 Jesus called Justus mentioned as a comfort to Paul
10. Colossians 4:12 Epaphras always struggling in prayer that believers may stand mature and fully assured
11. Colossians 4:13 Paul bears witness that Epaphras worked hard for Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis
12. Colossians 4:14 Luke the beloved physician and Demas send greetings
13. Colossians 4:15 greetings to brothers at Laodicea and to Nympha and the church in her house
14. Colossians 4:16 letter to be read also in the church of the Laodiceans
15. Colossians 4:17 say to Archippus, see that you fulfill the ministry you have received in the Lord
16. Colossians 4:18 Paul writes with his own hand, remember my chains, grace be with you
17. Titus 3:3 we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, slaves to passions, hated by others
18. Ephesians 2:12 you were separated from Christ, strangers to the covenants, having no hope and without God
19. Exodus 22:21 you shall not wrong a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt
20. Ephesians 2:8-9 by grace you have been saved through faith, not of works lest anyone should boast
21. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 closing benediction about God giving eternal comfort and good hope through grace

Talk about it

1. The pastor talked about praying 'without ceasing' and described a friend who prayed even while struggling to get out of a well. What does continuing steadfastly in prayer look like in your own daily life, and what gets in the way of it?
2. Paul asks the Colossians to pray that God would open a door for the word, and the pastor pointed out that Paul understood the gospel did not have to go through him alone. How do you personally discern whether a door for sharing the gospel is open or closed, and what have you done when it seemed closed?
3. The sermon drew a contrast between speaking theologically correct truth and walking in wisdom toward outsiders, noting you can have every word right and still push people away. Can you think of a time, from your own experience, when the way something was said mattered as much as what was said?
4. The pastor mentioned that Gypsy Smith said there are five gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the Christian, and that most people will never read the first four. What do you think people who know you are reading about the gospel from watching your life?
5. The sermon closed with a call to say to one another, 'See that you fulfill the ministry you have received in the Lord,' and used Bailey Morley's nursery work as a concrete example of an unseen ministry. Who in this church is serving in a way that largely goes unnoticed, and what would it look like for you to help them fulfill that ministry?