Sermons at Graham Emmanuel

Seek Christ | Colossians 3:1

Paul now begins the second half of his letter by shifting from his focus on the sufficiency of Christ and the insufficiency of the world to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to giving practical help on how to walk with Christ. Paul begins chapter 3 of his letter by urging the Colossians to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord by living with a focus as one who is resurrected with Christ and living with a heavenly perspective.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words 1 Peter 4:8-11

God calls every Christian to love one another by serving each other with the gifts that God has given us. Serving is an important discipline that all Christians should be engaged in.

Do Not Submit to the World | Colossians 2:20-23

Paul ends chapter two by urging the Colossians to not unnecessarily submit themselves to any created things, rules, or teachings other than Christ. He does so by reminding them that in Christ they have died to these things, meaning they are no longer slaves to them. In doing so, Paul also reminds Christians today that it is futile to live according to anything that they have died to in Christ.

Asceticism and Angels | Colossians 2:18-19

Paul continues to give examples of insufficient means to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. In the previous verses he highlighted the insufficiency of food and drink and festivals for spiritual growth, and in Colossians 2:18-19 Paul points out the insufficiency of asceticism and angel worship to produce the spiritual growth which only Christ, the Head, can do.

Feasts, New Moons, and Sabbaths | Colossians 2:16-17

After Paul explained the sufficiency of being “in Christ” in order to walk in Him, Paul now addresses the insufficiency of the “philosophy,” “empty deceit,” “human tradition,” and “elementary principles of the world,” mentioned in Col. 2:8. Find out specifically why Paul says Christians should not be judged according to eating, drinking, or religious practices now that they are followers of Christ.

Alive in Christ | Colossians 2:13-15

Paul concludes his thoughts on the sufficiency of Christ as means for “walking in a manner worthy of the Lord” by reminding them that they have been made alive with Christ as a result of what God has done to sin on the Cross. Find out how this impacts the way believers should think about sin and Christ’s death in their daily life.

Baptized in Christ | Colossians 2:12

Paul continues to describe the sufficiency of Christ to empower believers to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” The next “in him” statement Paul makes about Christ is that believers are baptized in Christ. Find out what it means to be baptized in Christ and its relationship to Christ’s death and resurrection.

Circumcised in Christ | Colossians 2:11

Synopsis: As Paul explains the various ways in which Christ is sufficient as the source of Christians walking in a manner worthy of the Lord, Paul specifically reminds the Colossians that they have been circumcised “in Christ.” By doing so, Paul makes important claims about the source of a Christian’s spiritual identity and spiritual security.

In Christ | Colossians 2:9-10

Paul breaks down Colossians two into two parts. After commanding the Colossians to “walk in Christ” in verse 6, Paul spends the first half of the chapter describing the sufficiency of Christ to enable believers to do so. In Colossians 2:9-10, Paul explains how God is filled in Christ, how believers are filled in Christ, the difference between those two kinds of fillings, and its implications for the role of depending on Christ in the Christian life.

Do Not Be Taken Captive | Colossians 2:8

After Paul gives his first command in the entire letter for the Colossians to walk in Christ in the same way they received Him, Paul then gives a warning by telling them to watch out for those who wish to take them captive by ideas that may sound good but are not centered in Christ.