Sermon Rewind 3/13/11 - How Salty is Your Cookie?

Colossians 4:2-6 (NASB)

² Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³ praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; ⁴ that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. ⁵ Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. ⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Alex Wu rounded out the One series by challenging us to embrace lifestyle evangelism. Does sharing about Jesus generate the same excitement that sharing other good news does? Has our walk with GOD created a noticeable difference in us that the world can see? In our words, actions, and even our cookies, can others taste our saltiness? Paul encourages us to pray that the answers be "Yes."

Sermon Rewind 3/6/11 - Living The New Life

Colossians 3:1 - 17
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


Pastor Peter continued The One series with a sermon expounding Paul’s decree for followers of Christ in Colossians 3. In the book of Colossians, Paul argues for the validity of Christ’s deity and the freedom that it provides for those who believe – we are made Holy, and no longer need to worry about worldly distractions and temptations. Though they may trouble us now, we were made for and set apart for another world. Like a child, however, we must learn and grow into this new life. Change is an ongoing, continual process. This means letting go of our sinful past – to not just remove immorality, anger, and lust, but to replace them. Since Christ made us holy, it is our endeavor to become holy and more like Christ – with kindness, forgiveness, and love.

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Sermon Rewind 02/27/11 - Freedom in Christ

Colossians 2:8-12 (NIV)

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. ⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹ In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Benjie Kim continued the One series by paraphrasing Colossians 2: “Jesus is the only way for us to experience freedom.” No human philosophy, tradition, or pursuit can achieve this, certainly not our pursuit of the illusion of safety. We have darkness within us that no amount of piety or good works can counter. Only Jesus and the cross can free us from our darkness.

Sermon Rewind 2/20/11 - Knowledge vs. Belief

Colossians 1:15 - 23
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.

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.
22 But 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—
23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.


It is one thing to know the truth, and another to believe the truth. As Christians in the early days struggled with the truth of Christ, Paul sent the Colossians a letter reaffirming the truth and provisions gained in The One - Christ. As Christ followers, we believe in the preeminence of Jesus – that He was God in the flesh, who reconciled us to bring us in relationship with God. Because of this, we have been rendered holy and without fault. We may have this knowledge, but do we believe it? Armed with this knowledge, we must continually stand firm in it. Only through true belief that Christ now lives in us can we be compelled to transform our hearts and minds. Believing in Christ’s power is the only way we can learn to truly forgive, do good, and resist temptation.

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