Beware of the Drift – Week 1

Colossians 1:1-14 (NLT)

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.

² We are writing to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.

May God our Father give you grace and peace.

³ We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, ⁵ which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

⁶ This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

⁷ You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. ⁸ He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.

⁹ So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰ Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

¹¹ We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, ¹² always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Colossians 1:3 (NLT)

³ We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. We have to pray.

Colossians 1:5a (NLT)

…confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven.

2. Our hope belongs in Heaven.

Colossians 1:5b-6 (NLT)

You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

3. Remember the Gospel.

COMMUNITY GROUP MEETING OUTLINE

Where your faith intersects with real life

Reconnect:

Each person shares a recent high and low from their life.

Explore:

Review the message notes.

Big Idea: To ensure that we do not drift, we must build our lives on the Gospel.

Consider:

Choose one or two questions for your Group to discuss as time allows.

▶ Read Colossians 1:1-7. How has the gospel, the good news, changed your life?

▶ Read Revelation 3:14-22. What does it look like to drift from being intentional in our faith?

▶ Read Nehemiah 8:10. What are some ways that work to guard against the drift?

Activate:

Spend a moment in silence to consider your response, then share your decision with the Group.

Read Psalm 51:12. What is a specific way you want to guard against the drift?

Prayer:

Thank God for the highs and lift up the lows.

Pray that we will intentionally connect with the joy of the Good News in our lives and continue to pray for the wanderers identified last week.