Show Notes
Our media is saturated with influencers who offer advice, shortcuts, and inspiring life hacks. But after we turn them off, and the struggles of real life hit, have they actually given us anything of lasting value? Pastor Angela illuminates Paul's words in Colossians, when he encourages the church and its people to find their strength by rooting themselves in the ever faithful, ever trustworthy, ever good Jesus Christ. It is the only way we are going to find the help and satisfaction we actually need.
More from Sanctus Church Podcasts
Life is hard. Sometimes much harder than we ever expected. What is a Christian to do with that? Pastor Jon assures us that part of being a Christian is guaranteed difficulties, but through holy struggle great gains for the Kingdom are made. We are imitators of Christ, even in the pain and suffering he bore. We can rejoice that we are offered the Kingdom-building work of persecution & suffering as Christ did.
Who is Jesus—really? In a culture filled with podcasts, substacks, and spiritual trends claiming Jesus was just a great moral teacher, a prophet, or a divine spark within us, Apostle Paul confronts the exact same dangerous ideas in Colossians 1:15–23.
Have you ever thought about how the way you talk to someone shapes your relationship with them? Pastor Jon looks at Paul's prayer in for the Colossian church as an example of how we are to pray for others, but also how we are to be shaped in our relationship with others. Building on last week's grounding in the real, Biblical Jesus, we need to step forward into prayer for others as intercessors, desiring God's will enacted here on earth.
When you think about who Jesus was, what do you picture? The baby Jesus in the manger? The man on the cross? A nice man, but nothing more? As we start our study of the Book of Colossians, Pastor Jon is clear that we must be oriented to the true, biblical, living Christ Jesus if we are to walk faithfully with Christ in the next season prepared for Sanctus Church.
Pastor Jon continues the kickoff of the ministry year with a spiritual heart check for all of Sanctus. How are we actually doing with Jesus these days? Faith is informed, factual trust. Is our faith in Jesus strong? Is he the most important thing to us -- more important than or family, our friends, our jobs, our aspirations? Do we live in a way that reflects our desire for Jesus?