John’s Gospel has been dearly loved by the church for thousands of years, and responsible for millions of believers turning to Jesus and growing in him. While its purpose is stated clearly in chapter 20, the book cannot be understood fully by reading it quickly one time. Instead, it has been structured intentionally to slowly reveal its secrets as a person hears it, reads it, ponders it, and discusses it with others over the course of a lifetime.

How intentional are you with your life? Psalm 1 entices the reader by stating that the blessed life is a possibility, but it challenges us to consider carefully where we get our information, how we make our decisions, and who we spend significant time with. The passage also holds significant clues about how to turn our lives in a better direction towards more purposeful living.

The great and glorious truths of the gospel are not meant to be kept a secret. But how do we go about sharing these truths in a society that often seems hostile to the Christian message and the story of Jesus? As Paul closes out his letter to the Colossians, he lays a beautiful groundwork explaining in the simplest terms how ordinary followers of Jesus can work together with God in sharing his good news.

As apprentices of Jesus, there are things that we have put off or rid ourselves of; things that didn’t fit from the old man. Now as we continue in our passage today, Paul is saying there are things that we ought to put on as followers of Jesus. Now as the new man, we have a new uniform and we are to wear it in our daily lives.

Often in our lives, we say we want change, but don’t make any changes. Where might this be true for you? Where are the areas where you’ve decided to change but haven’t changed? In today’s passage, Paul urges followers of Jesus to simply and aggressively live in a way that lines up with who we already are.

What matters most to you, and what gets the majority of your attention and effort? In this passage, Paul urgency the Colossians to remain in Jesus and reject counterfeit “saviours.” He celebrates that Jesus has done what is necessary for us, and calls us to life our full lives in Jesus, remembering that only he has the power to truly solve our problems.

Paul writes his letter to the Colossians to encourage them to be sure that they have a correct picture of Jesus and are not being swayed with alternative views of who Jesus is or what it means to follow him. In particular, Paul clarifies that just as suffering was a significant part of Jesus' life on earth, it is often also a part of the lives of those who follow him. As his disciples, we should not run from the challenges that come from following Jesus, but should actually view them as a part of a thriving life and faith, seeing them as stepping stones to becoming fully mature in Christ.

Deep in our souls, we feel that history and our universe has a purpose, that it’s going somewhere, that life must have a deep meaning. But we struggle to put our finger on it, and so often we live in ways that make our lives more empty. Until we understand and align ourselves with the true reason and purpose of the cosmos, we will never experience the thriving that our hearts long for. Spoiler alert: Jesus is the key to all of this.