from colossae to cork

last week i spent 5 days with other pais project leaders from across europe at the talmidin academy. we were taught by paul gibbs, global director of pais project, on discipleship.

we learned that one of the key things that is necessary for leading and growing those around you is transparency, giving people an example to follow. so, we have each been encouraged to blog our daily devotions from those 5 days...

personal devos from the talmidin academy

day 1:  colossians 1:1-23

paul (and timothy) has written a letter to the church in colossae...

vs 4-5  ...we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all his people--the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven... 

hope.

i find that planting our hope in the wrong place can cause disappointment, fear, manipulation, anger, bitterness.

and putting hope in nothing leads to cynicism and isolation.

but this hope that paul writes about produces faith in Christ and love for people.

that sounds good, i want that!

what do i put my hope in?

have i placed my hope in systems and legalism?

maybe a political party or a religious leader?

it's possible to put hope in a relationship...current or future...

or have i put my hope in myself?

--

vs 9-12

paul and timothy pray for the church...

- knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of God's will that comes from the Holy Spirit

great! yes, please!

how many of us have prayed for those things, to know the will of God?

to have the wisdom to do the right thing?

what university do i attend? what career do i choose? who should i marry? where should i live?

but the rest of paul's prayer doesn't help with any of those things...

- bearing fruit in every good work

- grow in knowledge of God

- strengthened according to God's might

- endurance and patience (through God's strength)

- joyful gratitude towards Father

and goes on to tell the church that they have been... 

- qualified as co-heirs in the kingdom of light

- rescued from dominion of darkness

- redeemed by Christ

seems to me that living 'a life worthy of our Lord and pleasing to Him in every way' is less about what we do and more about who we are and how we do it.

--

vs 15-18

Christ is at the center of everything.

Genesis 1

Job 38-41

John 1:1-18

but not just in the beginning, not just when he lived on earth, not just when paul wrote this, not just in the new earth and new heaven.

NOW.

how does it change who i am and how i live when i begin to fully acknowledge who He is?

--

vs 21-23

now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.

back to hope...

hope isn't a warm fuzzy feeling.

hope is a source from which faith and love spring up.

hope is a choice, a resolution, a decision to stay on the path no matter how scary it might be in places.