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Truth that Grows In You. Truth that Grows In You. Paul , an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God , and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father . . Truth that Grows In You.
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Truth that Grows In You Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
Truth that Grows In You 3We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
Truth that Grows In You Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,
Truth that Grows In You just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. (Colossians 1:1-8 ESV)
Truth that Grows In You • Discussion: • When Paul writes to the Colossian believers, what does he give thanks for?
Truth that Grows In You We (Who? Paul and companions) always thank (when we pray for you) [when we began praying for you] (since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints)
Truth that Grows In You We (Who? Paul and companions) always thank (when we pray for you) God, (the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ)
Truth that Grows In You We (Who? Paul and companions) always thank (when we pray for you) God, (the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,) because of (the causal link for Paul’s thanks to God)
Truth that Grows In You We (Who? Paul and companions) always thank (when we pray for you) God, (the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,) because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. (what Paul is thankful for)
Truth that Grows In You • What does their faith in Christ and the love they have for other believers have to do with their hope? • Why do you think Paul emphasizes his thankfulness for their hope rather than for their faith and love?
Truth that Grows In You • What is the “hope laid up for them in heaven?” Why doesn’t Paul define “the hope” in this passage? • How do you define hope? How does hope’s presence or absence affect you?
Truth that Grows In You • What is the impact of “the word of the truth” on the world? On the Colossians? • What does it mean for the word of the truth to be bearing fruit and increasing? • How could such growth be measured? What would demonstrate such growth?
Truth that Grows In You • Paul says that they learned of this “hope” through hearing the “word of the truth, the gospel” which has come to them, and gone out into the whole world. • When you hear the word gospel, what do you think of? What do you think of when you hear the phrase “the word of the truth”?
Truth that Grows In You • When does the word of the truth begin to bear fruit and increase in the hearer? • Is it possible for the word of the truth to have no impact on the hearer? What would make it useless?
Truth that Grows In You • Why does Paul praise Epaphras? What is he praised for? • What lesson does the example of Epaphras teach the Colossian church?
Truth that Grows In You • When Paul claims that the word of the truth is bearing fruit and increasing everywhere, does that mean that every person who believes the truth must be bearing fruit and increasing as well? How do we do that?
Truth that Grows In You Response: Who is responsible for your growth in the “word of the truth?” How will you grow in faith and “bearing fruit” in this New Year? What obstacles to spiritual growth and service do you face?