Letter One
“....In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.” - Colossians 1:6
Hello church family. I hope you are all doing well as we move into a brand new year. What a year 2021 has been in the life of True North! Recently, we finished up our Christmas services and we were privileged to see 3,548 of people come out during our 5 services where we saw 35 decisions made for Christ. What an incredible end to an amazing year, but I am believing this coming year is going to be even better.
As a family, we set out last year to become more Biblically literate and to prioritize God's word in each of our lives. Our vision for this year is to see more movement, more spiritual growth, and more people stepping into the purpose that God created them to live out. We want to be people who show evidence of what God has called us to. This is what it means to bear fruit, and this fruit comes through elevating God's call and God's word in our lives. Over the next several weeks, we will continue to look through the book of Colossians with the expectation to unearth new truth, challenge, and life change through the wisdom given to us in this brief but powerful letter.
We spoke yesterday at the launch of our series about where that good fruit begins. Like everything, it begins with Christ alone. For us, that is a call to remain grounded in the gift God has given through the Bible. God has blessed us with His Word, and we should live our lives with a high view of God's word as the foundation of our life. The Bible is not stagnant. It is not lackluster, dead, or irrelevant. God's word is alive and active! It holds the power of life and death. And yet, we remain susceptible to believing that it is not for us or not relevant in this day and age. Too often, the Bible can become too common, too ordinary, simply a daily routine, or even looked upon with apathy. But that is what we are looking to overcome this year because we know that from an earnest pursuit of God, good fruit will follow. The word of God will not return void.
I’ve been reflecting on what Paul says in Colossians 1:6, “...In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace”. We serve a purposeful God who is a multiplier. His word is growing that it might bear fruit among you. It produces something that is tangible, life-giving, sustaining, and pleasant. It fuels, inspires and reveals to us His will for our lives. Once again, it will never return void!
When was the last time you truly, as Paul worded it, “understood God’s grace”. Have you given God the opportunity recently to speak to you through His word? More importantly, how well did you listen? I would challenge you through this series to open your eyes and ears and believe that God wants to speak to you through His word. God loves you and wants to communicate with you as a parent with their child. Reading God's word with a heart to listen is a great way to gain clarity from God for your life. Dive in, dig deep, plant roots, stay in the Word, and watch as over the next several week's God reveals to you the wonderful things He has planned.
As a family, we set out last year to become more Biblically literate and to prioritize God's word in each of our lives. Our vision for this year is to see more movement, more spiritual growth, and more people stepping into the purpose that God created them to live out. We want to be people who show evidence of what God has called us to. This is what it means to bear fruit, and this fruit comes through elevating God's call and God's word in our lives. Over the next several weeks, we will continue to look through the book of Colossians with the expectation to unearth new truth, challenge, and life change through the wisdom given to us in this brief but powerful letter.
We spoke yesterday at the launch of our series about where that good fruit begins. Like everything, it begins with Christ alone. For us, that is a call to remain grounded in the gift God has given through the Bible. God has blessed us with His Word, and we should live our lives with a high view of God's word as the foundation of our life. The Bible is not stagnant. It is not lackluster, dead, or irrelevant. God's word is alive and active! It holds the power of life and death. And yet, we remain susceptible to believing that it is not for us or not relevant in this day and age. Too often, the Bible can become too common, too ordinary, simply a daily routine, or even looked upon with apathy. But that is what we are looking to overcome this year because we know that from an earnest pursuit of God, good fruit will follow. The word of God will not return void.
I’ve been reflecting on what Paul says in Colossians 1:6, “...In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace”. We serve a purposeful God who is a multiplier. His word is growing that it might bear fruit among you. It produces something that is tangible, life-giving, sustaining, and pleasant. It fuels, inspires and reveals to us His will for our lives. Once again, it will never return void!
When was the last time you truly, as Paul worded it, “understood God’s grace”. Have you given God the opportunity recently to speak to you through His word? More importantly, how well did you listen? I would challenge you through this series to open your eyes and ears and believe that God wants to speak to you through His word. God loves you and wants to communicate with you as a parent with their child. Reading God's word with a heart to listen is a great way to gain clarity from God for your life. Dive in, dig deep, plant roots, stay in the Word, and watch as over the next several week's God reveals to you the wonderful things He has planned.
Read:
Colossians 1:1-8 with a listening ear.
Ask:
What is God speaking to you through the reading of his word?
How can you be more intentional this year of hearing and knowing God’s will for my life?
What is an area you need His word to transform in your life?
What can you do practically to spend more time in God's word with a listening ear?
How can you be more intentional this year of hearing and knowing God’s will for my life?
What is an area you need His word to transform in your life?
What can you do practically to spend more time in God's word with a listening ear?
Move:
What do you think your next step in this area is? Let’s pray about it!
Pray:
Father, thank you for another year. Thank you for a new opportunity to know you, to love you, and to serve you. Lord, I ask right now that you would light my path with you Word, and that you would make clear to me a personal next step for 2022. Father, I trust that you have only good things in store for this year and I praise you for all you are going to do. In Jesus name, amen.
