Hurricane Updates

Hope from Three Big Questions

Identity. Purpose. Family. These are some of the deepest longings of the human heart. Pastor David Rose reveals how Jesus Christ alone answers these needs. Through faith in His death and resurrection, we lay claim to an unchanging identity as children of God and brothers and sisters in His forever family. More than that, Christ equips us to live fully alive and on mission each day empowered by His Spirit.

Key Takeaways

  • Jesus gives us a new identity (vv1-2).
  • Jesus gives us a new family (v2).
  • Jesus gives us a new attitude (vv2-3).
  • Jesus gives us a new purpose and discipline (vv4-6).
  • Jesus gives us difference-making outcomes (vv7-8).

Further Study

  • What does Paul’s reference to the “faith and love” of the Colossians tell us about the fruit produced by a genuine saving faith? (See Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Peter 1:5-8)
  • Why is it significant that the gospel has borne fruit among the Colossians and in all the world? What does this tell us about the transforming power of the gospel? (See Romans 1:16; Titus 3:4-7)
  • What does Paul’s description of the Colossians’ “hope laid up” for them in heaven reveal about the certainty and security of our salvation? (See Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:3-5)
  • How does Epaphras’ faithful ministry as a fellow servant of Christ serve as an example for how Christians should proclaim the gospel to others? (See 2 Timothy 4:1-5; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9)
  • David talked about how the “message of truth, the gospel” that Paul sent the Colossians still bears fruit in our lives today. Jot down some practical ways this has been true in your life. (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:4)

The Gospel

If you have questions about what it means to be a Christian, we would love to talk with you about it.

Reach out

As Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, the gospel is the good news that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

This gospel radically transforms our lives in each of the three areas Pastor David talked about: identity, family, and purpose. Through faith in Christ, believers are given a new identity. The perfection of Jesus’ life is imputed to us, so our whole identity is founded on Him rather than the world’s standards.

The gospel also brings us into God’s eternal family. Just as Paul considered Timothy and the Colossians as his brothers, we become spiritual brothers and sisters united to Christ and each other through faith.

Christ equips us with a new attitude and purpose as His Spirit dwells within. He calls us to bear fruit for God’s glory so our lives now have meaning and direction empowered by the resurrected Christ.

This transformation occurs solely by God’s grace through faith in Christ. By His sinless life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and secured our adoption as God’s children. The hope of salvation in Christ gives our lives profound and eternal significance.

If you have questions, or perhaps even doubts, we would love to talk with you about it. Call our office at 337-480-1555 or reach out here on our website.