August 9, 2026
Where's The Hope? | Lost Connection
The believers in Colossae were struggling. We can’t avoid it; we bring religious baggage with us when we come to trust Jesus. In our day, it’s more likely that people go to church and think God should be chill and adjust to their thinking and preferences. 2000 years ago it was the opposite; people brought rules and restrictions, believing that God (or the gods) needed to be placated with displays of earnestness. They basically guessed what God wanted. Paul wanted those believers to guess no more! Get back and stay with the core of Christianity, which is, I hope, obvious: Jesus!
Songs for this week: Spotify
Colossians 2:20-3:4
Questions:
- Did you ever go into serious training? Workouts, diets, long runs, or 2-a-days? Tell that story.
- Explain what it means to be ‘dead in your sin’ and also what it means to ‘die with Christ’.
- What church rules/requirements have you experienced or heard of? Can you figure out what was intended by imposing those rules?
- What does it mean to first ‘set your hearts on things above’ and then ‘set your minds on things above'? Why that order? Does your answer grow as you realize those commands are spoken in the plural?
- What does being ‘with Christ’ look like in your life this summer?
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Recent Sermons
Isaiah 35 – Out of a parched desert, crocuses bloom. A small sign of hope that doesn’t stay small. Best of all, our God will come. Isaiah points to Jesus.
Isaiah 25:1-9 - Isaiah’s images announce God’s hope in an anxious time: God loves us, is trustworthy, and will right every wrong and renew the world, including us.
Isaiah 5:1-2-Isaiah’s vivid images of a world-changing event on a rock invite us to dream of a new way to settle disagreements and disputes.
Isaiah 1:15-20-Join us for "Unshakeable," a new sermon series exploring the epic images God gave His people in Isaiah. We begin with a call to repentance.
1 Samuel 24:1-22 - David chose inconvenience and risk when he could have chosen an easier life. Jesus calls us to do the same—to “Go!” even when it costs us, because sometimes our inconvenience helps someone else find Life.
2 Samuel 24:18-25-After his second colossal failure, David refused to cheap out on his sacrifice. See how God used his obedience to end a plague and build the Temple.
