Friday December 20, 2013
Colossians 3:18-4:1

The lesson today is bound to create a question or two! Wives, husbands, children, masters and slaves…what’s that all about? What does that have to do with Advent and the experience of Christmas? Before you let hot topics ruin your day, take a minute to read it again.

Now, perhaps we can think about it by following our two step process of asking what did this mean to the original readers and how then does it apply to my life. The section comes together under a heading of “rules for Christian households” so apparently there was a need to set some standards for the faith community in Colossae. We don’t know exactly what issues Paul was trying to address, but we do know that there was a need for some correction.

From our point of view today…let’s think about the family. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every family found a spirit of unity at Christmas? Better than that, what would happen if unity was a part of our year-round family experience?

Over the years I have discovered that the teaching here about husbands and wives is really the key. It is central because the marriage relationship is the innermost relationship that impacts a family. Not all families come packaged in the ‘two parent’ model but do know that unity in core relationships is essential to a healthy family structure.

This is a family instruction that appears repeatedly in the New Testament. Let’s look at the Ephesians 5:22-25 model for the husband and wife conversation. It is similar but it adds the best explanation of the role of a husband in all of Scripture. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Do you remember what Jesus did for the church and for each one person in the world? He sacrificed his own life!

Do you recognize the song, Mary Did You Know? Mary, did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters? Did you know that the infant in the manger would be the Savior of the World? Could it be that the Kingdom of God would be advanced because a child drew first breath in Bethlehem so he could give his life outside the city of Jerusalem? What would that kind of sacrifice mean for the unity of sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers, nations, tribes, races, and tongues?

How will you sacrifice today so spiritual unity can prevail in your home and in the world?

Memory Verse Of The Week:

Colossians 3:12 NIV
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

Missional Prayer Focus For Today:
Please pray for our Christmas Eve offering this year. Pray that it would miraculously overflow into the world as a gift of transformational hope.

Be sure to join us in worship on Sunday. 8:00 – 9:30 – or 11:00 Be a part of what God is doing at The Parker United Methodist Church. Make plans today to be a part of Christmas Eve worship as well!