Colossians 3 3 3

Yet again, I'm taking away a lot from this chapter.

v.9 "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."
I don't know if I'm being harsh when I say that accepting Christ is accepting to live a different life. Paul talks about our "selves" as almost like clothes that we take off and put on. The "old self" represents our life in the world, and the "new self" symbolizes our life that is filled with God and is always growing because of God. A lot of us still struggle with habitual sins that we committed even before accepting Christ. Of course, it takes time and a lot of faith and trust to break those sins and turn to God. However, we shouldn't procrastinate in getting rid of our sins. If we are determined to live completely for and in God, He will help us. If you are struggling with a sin, tell someone about it and ask them to help you. That someone could be a teacher, a friend, or family. All in all, that's the reason why this forum exists- to help and motivate each other to stretch and grow in God.

v.11 "Christ is all, and is in all."
This short part of the verse really stuck out to me. I think it's easy and natural for a lot of us to think that we can leave God out in some aspects of our lives when we don't want Him there. For example, when we are with non-Christian friends, we might ignore God in order to fit in and have fun. The fact is that God is everything. No matter how much we try to reject God and keep Him out of our lives, He will always be there because He'll never give up on us. Even if people sin, ignore, or believe that He doesn't exist, "Christ is all, and is in all."

v.14 "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
I think it's so difficult to love. It's easy to love those that we get a long with, but it's not so easy with people who annoy us or don't respect us. Paul, however, states here that love is the finishing touch to unity and to all the virtues he mentions in this chapter. Even though loving is hard, let's remember that God loves everyone, including those who have been rejected by society- the homeless, the widows. From reminding ourselves of how unconditionally loving God is, hopefully, we can learn to love everyone.

v.23 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
In thinking about university, I was really stressed because I wanted God to tell me what He wanted me to do. I've always heard of those people who received signs from Him or even heard His voice. No matter how hard I tried to see God's purpose for me, I could not. But, one friend asked me what I wanted to do and how I could glorify God through that career. This advice brought me to a whole other level of understanding, that as long as we choose a path that can bring glory to God and His people, God's purpose is still there.

great devo denise! i like the part when you talked about God being everything. and when were with our friends, we shouldnt compromise God just to have fun

the last part of the chapter, didnt we read this already? it sounds familiar...
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven,

I had course selections yesterday, and like Denise, i wanted to pick courses that would eventually glorify God. Although Denise and Hannah have a much harder time i wanted to "set myself up" to university. And in the end, i hope i chose the right courses (with the help of God of course...)
Its hard to ask someone to LIVE like a Christian. I mean when i look at people who gave up money, fame, and popularity to do what God asked of them i wonder if i could do the same. I say i would... but when it really happens, its a different situation.

VANILLA BEAN LATTE WITH SOY MILK yay-ye

-Enjoy!

Sorry for not posting, as of late. But I'm getting my act back together and I'll be diligent with the posting!
Really like everything that's been said!
(You know, at my school, even grade 12s have to print out a course selection sheet saying that they won't be returning? What a waste of paper. So dumb.)

Eats Cold is juicy, wisdom goodness.

Colossians 3

10Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.

Just as Denise had already really well-put it, it's not about God's expectation for us to flush out our sinful nature, and be completely righteous from that moment on. Through His son, Jesus, He understands the difficulties and temptations of this world more than anyone else. To Him, it's more about us taking that first step and demonstrating the willingness and desire to change. I like how in this verse it says, "be renewed as you LEARN to know your Creator and become like Him." It's indicative of the fact that it's a learning process, and so long as you're on the path...that's the most important part.

12Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

This simply stuck out to me because of the stark contrast it made to that passage we read in Ephesians, where Paul talks about putting on the armor of God, like the sword of the Spirit, etc. And it put things into the perspective of a battleground. Here, he offers a different approach, in which these are characteristics we can "wear" on a daily basis. I thought that was neat, because to me it makes it appear really manageable when he compares it to wearing it like clothes...

17And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

This reminded me that this is something that I have to do much more often. If you take a look at the New Testament when Jesus was alive, he never took credit for any of the miraculous works he did. Even when he was in public, where he could've said nothing at all, he'd always make a point to publicly declare that it was not his doing but God alone's. Now, not to say that we should go about saying, "No, it was all God" every time we're complimented (not that you can't do that, hahaha), but, constantly remembering that it's never our power but God's power that makes the good things happen in our lives will help to keep our humility in check, please Him, and I think will set the path for even greater things to happen in the future...

Excited for Friday.

- H

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guess who im looking at

i don't understand the picture...

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above

The moment, Christ was raised, we were raised from sin with him and saved. IT says set your hearts on things above. Don't take satisfaction in earthly things, but look forward to things like worship and praise, where you can experience amazing things. I never feel more happier than an amazing experience on the last night of a retreat. My week has never gone faster than when i lok forwrad to praise practice. Don't setlle with just the bar, go over the limits, not just with God, but in life as well.
I only feel satisfied when it comes to worship, don't you?
Obviously, when you talk abotu it its not the same, but when you experience it, you can't describe it.
Love it ahahah

Its mike. near the teacher. mouth open. looking at a totally different angle....