READ THE BIBLE SLOWLY AND STRATEGICALLY
Tychicus
will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved
brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. I have sent
him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to
encourage you. I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one
of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening
here. Aristarchus, who is in prison with
me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were
instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. Jesus (the one we
call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers
among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And
what a comfort they have been! Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a
servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for
you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are
following the whole will of God. I can assure you that he prays hard for you
and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved
doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. Please give my greetings to our
brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in
her house. After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at
Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to
them. And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord
gave you.” HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING PAUL. Remember my
chains. May God’s grace be with you. COLOSSIANS
4:7-18 NLT
EXTRACT GOD’S MAIN THOUGHT OR POINT
Good people can and do suffer
greatly
Tychicus
will give you a full report about how I am getting along. COLOSSIANS 4:7 NLT
I have
sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to
encourage you. COLOSSIANS 4:8 NLT
Aristarchus,
who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, COLOSSIANS 4:10 NLT
And what
a comfort they have been! COLOSSIANS
4:11 NLT
Remember my
chains. COLOSSIANS 4:18 NLT
APPLY IT TO MY LIFE
What are my chains?
And we
believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a
foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin
and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will
give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he
has promised us. ROMANS 8:23 NLT
Sin
Therefore, since we also have such a
large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the
sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies
before us. HEBREWS 12:1 HCSB
Suffering
Pray for Relief
I
am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power. PSALM 69:29 NLT
For
he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned
his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help. PSALM 22:24 NLT
Endure with Jesus
For
our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for
us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 NLT
Endure
suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 2 TIMOTHY 2:3 NLT
LET IT OUT
Who do I need to tell about what I’m
dealing with?