Grace and Peace

Colossians 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 

This Sunday we will begin a 15 week sermon series from the book of of Colossians. Paul wrote this letter during his first imprisonment in Rome to a people he had never met. As you will discover early in chapter 1, Epaphras was the leader that started this church and he is instrumental in making a connection with Paul to discuss an issue of
concern for the believers at Colossae.

His concern for the believers at Colossae revolved around issues that were contrived by false teachers within the community. Many were teaching that Jesus was in fact not God. As a result throughout the letter Paul describes Jesus with some of the loftiest descriptions found in the New Testament. Through the pen of Paul we discover the
doctrine of the trinity as he identifies Jesus as both creator and the recipient of creation as He takes on the form of human flesh. Paul leaves no room for the imagination as he exclaims that in Christ the fulness of deity dwells. However, before he addresses the issue at hand Paul introduces himself as an apostle.

You will quickly notice the encouraging words he gives to these believers first appears at the end of verse 2. In this section Paul says “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” When Paul uses the word “grace” he is specifically dealing with God’s good favor toward those in Christ. The root of the word also signifies that which brings joy. The Greek word is closely related to the word rejoice. The emphasis here is that the grace of God gives life to joy. Because of grace, God has demonstrated compassion toward us rather than judgement and condemnation. From that statement alone we can find much joy that ultimately leads the heart to rejoice!

As we begin 2019, I want to encourage your participation in three specific areas.

1. Community Groups: This is a great time to check out a group and grow and develop in community at New Life. Groups are designed to encourage you to connect with other believers to care for each other, grow in your faith together, serve practical needs, and reach outside the church with the Gospel. You will not regret connecting with a group this semester.
   
   
2. Core Seminar: This Sunday at 5:30 p.m. we will begin a 7-week study called You and Me Forever by Francis Chan. You can order a copy of the book on this website. You will notice that 100% of the proceeds will go to support various gospel-centered ministries. The book is not mandatory for the class but it will be a great supplement as you study the content. We will provide a nursery and childcare for kids through the age of 11. Again, I want to encourage you to take advantage of this study!
   
   
3. One Night: New Life will host a prom for the special needs community on Feb. 21. Check out our website to get a feel for and to refresh your memory from last year's event. Make sure you scroll through the picture album at the bottom of the page. The prom will be held at Westview Primary School in Goose Creek. I want to encourage you to begin praying for this event and your personal investment of financial support to help make this an amazing evening for so many adults with special needs. Over the next few weeks I will provide additional information on how you can volunteer to serve and provide a financial gift for this ministry.

Pastor Billy