Life Groups // Fall 2022 // Week 5
Posted October 7, 2022 — Lincoln Berean
Victory or Bondage // Colossians 2:6-15
All month we are focusing on loving our neighbors, one way to do this is to Live Intentionally. This can look like drawing a map of your street, writing down your neighbor’s names, and praying for them each day. Try this as a way to love your neighbor!
Introduction
Prior weeks in our Colossians series have provided a firm foundation to what Paul will say in the coming chapters of the letter. Paul writes with gratitude, in prayer for the church of Colossae proclaiming to them the hope and fruit of the gospel. Reminding them that they are qualified in Christ. Pointing them to the supremacy of Christ and how His work on the cross makes us complete. This week we move forward in Paul’s message to acknowledge how our salvation offers us the opportunity to be alive in Christ and rooted in Him.
To think through the main ideas in the sermon and prepare for your discussion together, we invite you to look over all the questions on the following pages and write your thoughts down before you meet with your group.
Warm Up (Suggested time: 30 min)
1. Think back to when you were younger. Did you have house rules? What were they and which one was particularly challenging for you to follow?
2. In our study of Colossians thus far, what is something you are learning and have taken to heart?
Getting Started
Transition into group discussion.
1) Open group discussion with prayer. Here are a few potential prayer items:
a. For the Spirit of God to lead you in truth
b. For the fruit of the Spirit to be cultivated in your lives
c. For grace to hear and apply what the Spirit says to you
2) Choose someone to read the passage aloud for the group. Consider reading Colossians 2:1-15 to keep the flow of thought of the letter from the previous week.
Study Questions (Suggested time: 40 min)
1) The beginning “Therefore” of the passage indicates that what Paul would like to say next hinges on what he just said. Summarize Colossians 2:1-5 from last week’s text. What is Paul’s vantage point going into this section of the letter? What type of context does this provide as we take a closer look at verses 6-15?
2) Verses six and seven form the theme of our Colossians series Rooted in Christ. What are some descriptor words you find in these two verses that define the ways of someone that is rooted in Christ?
What does Paul intend when he encourages the Colossians to walk in Him? What is our part in the journey of maturing in faith? How does this lead to overflowing gratitude?
How is the Holy Spirit currently building you up in Christ? Where are you at in your journey towards a mature faith? Share what is happening in your walk now that excites you, and also ways you want to grow
3) Paul provides a sober warning to those walking in Christ. What is the warning in verse 8? What do you think is Paul’s biggest concern for the Christ followers in Colossae?
Pastor Bryan referred again to the imagery of a trailer packed full of super knowledge about Christ and what He has done and is doing in our lives. He mentioned that others may come and suggest other things we need in our trailer to survive. What are some current-day religious philosophies or traditions that people might suggest we pack in our trailers?
What are things you have tried to pack in your trailer from time to time to help you be built up in Christ? How did those things end up leading you astray or into bondage?
4) Paul immediately suggests that our tendency to living in bondage should be exchanged for a life in accordance with Christ. Verses 9-12 explain this further by pointing us back to the sufficiency of Christ and our relation to Him. What does Paul say about Jesus in Colossians 2:9-12? Notice the in Him and with Him language to list attributes of Christ below.
In light of these attributes you listed, what does Paul also say about us as Christ followers in verses 9-12. Notice the you language to determine attributes of someone living in accordance with Christ.
How are you currently being challenged to live in accordance with Christ? What part of human tradition holds you captive? How can your life group specifically pray for you about this challenge and be an encouragement to you?
5) In pointing us to the sufficiency of Christ, Paul then adds another layer that draws our focus on what Jesus did for us. What does Paul say Jesus did for us in Colossians 2:13-15 and what was our status before Christ’s work?
Where do you see the permanency in these verses that what Christ did is sufficient, final and cannot be undone?
How is this truth a comfort to you? When are there moments when you don’t fully live in accordance with this truth? Share out of a current or past experience.
Personal Spiritual Exercises
Just like physical exercises help strengthen and stretch our bodies for healthy living, these spiritual exercises are meant to move us spiritually in ways that may be new so we might experience inner growth. Since God longs for us to experience Him with our whole selves—mind, body, spirit—we invite you along each week to strengthen your souls with suggestions and prompts. Next week in Life Group, take a few moments to share how the Lord may have used this exercise in your life.
Study Scripture: Take a deeper dive into the letters of Paul as the topic of walking in accordance with Christ transcends across multiple epistles. Compare Colossians 2:6 with Galatians 3:1-5 to gain a more complete picture of our assurance of faith over legalism.
Look Inward: Take time to fully think through and list areas where you see legalism seeping into your life. Identify three tangible steps you can take toward fully living in accordance with Christ. Then enter into a moment of prayer to:
Praise God for His sufficiency.
Surrender your propensity to perform to earn God’s favor.
Ask that He would place someone in your life to hold you accountable.
Prayer (Suggested time: 20 min)
A significant part of “coming together” is being open and honest with our lives. Sitting in a group of people for prayer may be new or it may be familiar to you. If you would rather not pray aloud when it is your turn, feel free to pray silently and then say “Amen” aloud signaling the next person in the group to pray. Whether or not you choose to verbalize your prayer, everyone is a participant in sharing this time before God together.
Take a few moments to prepare a prayer request. What did the message, working through the above questions or the discussion cause you to notice about your own relationship with Jesus? Would you be willing to share your prayer request with the group?
Next Week: Read Colossians 2:16-23