F. BECOMING AND GROWING AS A DISCIPLE

Peter lived in a beautiful home in Southern California. His children were in sports, and he was busy with work. His wife worked full-time and loved her work.  They were church members and found that with all the activity, they could only get into church once a month. They loved doing family outings, and they saved lots of money so their kids could attend college in the future. They liked praying but were caught up with entertainment, parties, and many social activities. Often, he found himself worried about the future. They rarely had time to read the Bible. They found themselves living the “American dream.”  In his coaching session, the coach asked about his relationship with Christ. He answered, “I find myself so busy with all that life has to offer I can’t find time to spend meaningful time with God personally.  I have pursued all these activities and relationships, thinking this would be my fulfillment. The reality is that I am finding my life empty, and my heart is not filled up. What should I do?”  The coach asked, “Would you be willing to look at a passage that speaks to this issue in your life?”  He agreed.

Colossians 1:10-20 (NIV):

¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

1. When you read verses 10-14 from Chapter 1, what do you feel?

2. Describe your experience of being transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of the Son he loves.

3. What comes to your mind when you think of Kingdom? List the qualities you see about the Son in verses 15-20.

4. Which quality about Jesus stands out to you?

5. What are the implications of this perspective on Jesus?

1. How do we bring these qualities to reality in our own experiences?

2. Which one would you like to meditate on first?

3. What conclusions can you draw about who Jesus is and what part he should have in your life in the Kingdom of His Son?

4. What do you know about the American Dream?

5. How does it influence the place Christ plays in your life?

6. What practical steps can you take to ensure that Chris has His rightful place in your life?

7. When can you put this step into action?

8. What can I do to help you achieve this goal?

1. What is the most important part of this lesson to you? Explain.

2. How do you see applying aspects of this lesson to your life?

3. When do you feel would be the best time to make that application?

4. What do you hear the Lord speaking to you about this right now?