The House You're Building

  During advent season, many pastors retell the Christmas story to their congregants.  It is a blessing to hear afresh the narrative of how our Lord came to earth, answering the long-awaited hopes of His people.  After 400 years of silence, the angels sang praise of His immanent arrival to shepherds.  One my favorite decorations I set up is the nativity.  I’ve collected pieces over the years that visually express how the story unfolds in the synoptic gospels.   This year, I’m reflecting on a more distant part of the Christmas story, the one that started in Genesis 3, where our ancestors ate of a tree in disobedience and sin entered the world.  The curse was upon the earth and humanity has suffered in sin ever since.  Genesis 3:15 predicts the enmity between humankind and its oppressor to end when the Offspring will come who will crush his head, rendering the snake, one symbol of Satan found in scripture, ineffective....

What an encouragement this book is!   So much truth about who and what Christ is to us and my prayer is that this week’s study will give you even more to lean on…   The first chapter tells about who Christ is and the work He has done on our behalf.   In chapter 2 we read about our identity-who we are in Him.   Chapter 3 is very practical and essential for day to day living; in verse 4 it calls Christ “our life.”   The first part of chapter 3 describes how you can live as a new man, one saved and changed forever by the transforming work of Jesus.     This week we will cover the first 17 verses of Colossians chapter 3.     1.        There are two selves described in this passage.   One being the old man, one being the new.   The old man was your self before Jesus resided in you through the presence of the Holy Spirit on the basis of faith.   Cross reference the word self (which ...