Today’s Verse: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. ~Colossians 3:1-2 Most people I know want to succeed at what they do. They do not want to fail in their job, their marriage, raising their children, or becoming financially independent. They want to be remembered as someone who did well at what they were given. The same can be said abo

Today’s Verse: Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. ~Colossians 4:14 Choosing a good doctor is critical to one’s personal health. You want a doctor who is extremely competent, caring, conscientious, confidential, and connected. A good doctor is your advocate for good health. This morning, let us consider a man who is called the beloved physician. His name is Luke. Let us consider his conversion. Luke was a professional man. He was very well-educated and attained

Today’s Verse: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ~Colossians 3:16 If you have ever placed a cloth into a basin or container filled with a liquid, you know that within a period of time, that cloth will become completely saturated. In other words, the entire cloth will be permeated with that liquid and will take on the color, odor,

Today’s Verse: Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. ~Colossians 4:14 Among our many Western idioms, “just what the doctor ordered” is probably one of the more catchy and favored ones. It is a term that means something is exactly as needed. Luke, or Lucas, bears a prominent place in the New Testament and first-century churches. Though he was not a strong preacher or church planter like Paul, he was a man whom God mightily used for His glory. We must remember that

Today’s Verse: Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. ~Colossians 4:6 Do you like food that is bland and tasteless? If you are like me, you probably like your food seasoned with salt. Salt gives food just the right taste! It takes something ordinary and gives it just that right balance to make it palatable and delicious. Paul uses the metaphor of salt to help us understand the importance of saying the right

Today’s Verse: All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord: ~Colossians 4:7 As Christians, we do not believe in chance, luck, or fortune. People will sometimes say after an event, “As fate would have it….” We believe that God, in His foreknowledge, knows what the future holds and, by His providence, works all things together for our good. We might think something is bad, but God works all things

Today’s Verse: And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: ~Colossians 2:10 The word complete implies everything you need has been provided. The word as used in Colossians 2:10 means fulfilled; filled to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim. Another way of expressing being complete is by saying, “I am liberally supplied.” Our Lord Jesus Christ is perfectly God: “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the

Today’s Verse: And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. ~ Colossians 1:18 Sometimes, in the busyness of everything that we do, we forget Who Jesus really is. As a preacher, I preach and talk about Jesus. When I sit in a service where there is another preacher, I listen to messages about Jesus. When we serve, we know that we are serving Jesus. When we pray, we are praying th

Today’s Verse: And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. ~Colossians 4:17 When I have the opportunity to preach in another church, I am blessed to meet the members of the other congregation. It is a blessing to meet people who have been in their church for many years. It is a blessing to hear when these faithful members have accepted greater responsibilities in serving the Lord. In our devotion, we see an indivi

Today’s Verse: And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. ~Colossians 2:15 A Roman Triumph was a most celebrated event. It gave widespread public acknowledgement of a Roman general’s conquest of a foreign enemy on their soil. A minimum of 5,000 enemy soldiers had to be killed. The entire area had to be conquered and become the possession of Rome. On the day of the celebration, the processional would begin with the

Today’s Verse: Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; ~Colossians 4:2 The Apostle Paul made an emphasis five times on thankfulness in the epistle to the Colossians. In Colossians 1:3, he gave thanks to God for the church, praying always for them. In Colossians 1:12, he encouraged the church to give thanks to God for being partakers of the inheritance with the saints in the light. In Colossians 2:7, he encouraged the church to abound with thanksgiving. In

Today’s Verse: Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. ~Colossians 4:6 The difference between bland and tasty is the seasoning. The right use of spices and sauces transforms a normal dish into a culinary sensation. It’s all about having the right seasoning in the food that makes it delicious and unforgotten. During Paul’s day, seasoning food with salt was the difference maker. He uses the metaphor of food se

Today’s Verse: And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. ~Colossians 4:17 Warren Bennis was considered one of the foremost experts on leadership. He made a powerful statement that differentiates a leader from a manager: “Managers do things right; leaders do the right things.” Doing the right things includes getting things done. It does not matter how grand a plan you have, how great your product or service is, o

Today’s Verse: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. ~Colossians 2:7 Someone has said that many times, how we start determines how we finish or our result. The church at Colossae had become stunted in their spiritual progress due to false teachers who were seducing them concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul successfully dealt with the false teachers and their doctrine, he then went to the root

Today’s Verse: For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; ~Colossians 1:9 There are things we do every day that we take for granted: things that we do that are without ceasing. We breathe without ceasing. Our heart beats without ceasing. We blink our eyes without ceasing. We think without ceasing. Some of us probably talk withou

Today’s Verse: And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. ~Colossians 3:15 A family assembled around the table to eat. The father looked around as his family looked at the youngest member of the family, who was only four years old. “Son, what are you thankful for?” He looked at the sumptuous spread on the table. He said, “I’m thankful that I’m not that turkey!” Today is Thanksgiving in the United States. Whil

Today’s Verse: For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; ~Colossians 2:1 The word “conflict” means “to fight” or “ to contend with.” Dictionary.com defines it as “a fight, battle, or struggle, especially a prolonged struggle or strife.” Paul had a “shepherd’s heart” for the spiritual lives of believers. The devil seeks to discredit or destroy the faith of every believer. Paul w

Today’s Verse: That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; ~Colossians 1:10 I like to observe military parades and processionals, especially when a large number of the troops march together. Each branch of the military has a certain way or style that they want each soldier to walk and march. It has a dignity and a respect to it. It identifies them by their country and military branch. As t

Today’s Verse: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ~Colossians 3:1 The Scottish preacher John McNeill liked to tell about an eagle that had been captured when it was quite young. The farmer who snared the bird put a restraint on it so it couldn’t fly, and then he turned it loose to roam in the barnyard. It wasn’t long till the eagle began to act like the chickens, scratching and pecking at the grou

Today’s Verse: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ~Colossians 3:1 Federal authorities have a most-wanted list of dangerous criminals. The signage will include the name, pictures, and crimes committed by this person. The top of the most-wanted signage would read, “Wanted: Dead or Alive.” Our text, Col. 3:1-3, teaches us that God wants us both dead and alive if we are to experience the victorious Ch