Colossians: Life Centred On Jesus

Paul’s opening words in Colossians set the tone for the whole letter: identity rooted in Christ, not in role, achievement, or spiritual performance. Even in two short verses, Paul reminds the church that grace and peace come from God—not from striving—and that believers are “saints” because they’ve been set apart by Him, not because they’ve earned a title. The session highlights Paul’s humility in introducing himself simply as “Paul, an apostle,” keeping function and identity distinct, and modelling a way of ministry that resists status and embraces servanthood. It also places the letter in its context—Colossae facing subtle, blended influences that threatened to nudge believers off course by only a degree or two. In a world full of “designer spirituality,” Paul’s introduction quietly calls the church back to the clarity, authority, and sufficiency of Christ from the very first line.

In this session, the teaching highlights Paul’s remarkable pastoral heart toward a church he had never met. Instead of beginning with correction, he starts with thanksgiving—anchoring the Colossians in the reality of God’s work already evident among them. From there, Paul lifts their eyes to the nature of true apostolic ministry, contrasting the grounded, servant-hearted model he embodies with the extremes and suspicions often attached to the term. He then turns toward the power of the gospel in their midst—its fruit, its growth, its grace, its effect on community love—and prays that they would continue to walk worthily, shaped by wisdom from above rather than the counterfeit wisdom pressing in from their culture. The session closes by centering on the breathtaking reality of redemption: believers transferred from darkness into Christ’s kingdom, called to remember where they’ve come from and what now belongs to them in Him.

Colossians 1:15–23 draws the group into the heart of Paul’s message by lifting their eyes to the unmatched supremacy of Jesus. Rather than getting lost in philosophies, competing worldviews, or religious add-ons, this session recentres faith on the person of Christ—Creator, Sustainer, Head of the Church, and the One in whom the fullness of God dwells. Paul stacks phrase upon phrase not to overwhelm but to reawaken wonder, reminding believers that everything—visible and invisible—holds together in Him alone. From that foundation, the passage shifts to the miracle of reconciliation: people once alienated and hostile toward God are now made holy and blameless through Christ’s sacrifice. The session calls believers to continue steadfast in this gospel, resisting both the temptation to add to Jesus and the pressure to subtract from Him, holding fast to a faith built on Christ plus nothing and Christ minus nothing.

This session explores Paul’s deeply personal reflections on the privilege and the price of his calling. He sees himself first as a servant, entrusted with a stewardship from God—to make the Word fully known, to reveal Christ to Gentiles, and to help believers grow toward maturity. Paul’s ministry wasn’t glamorous; it demanded suffering, perseverance, and emotional weight as he carried the concerns of young churches he’d never even met. Yet he speaks of these hardships with joy, because they draw him deeper into the life of Christ and remind him that God supplies the strength for what He asks of His people. The session closes with Paul’s pastoral prayer: that believers would be encouraged, united in love, grounded in Christ, and able to stand firm against teaching that sounds convincing but leads them away from Him.

Paul’s words in Colossians 2:6–15 remind believers that the Christian life is a journey walked the same way it began—by trusting wholly in Christ’s finished work, not slipping back into self-effort. This session highlights four pictures Paul gives for healthy discipleship: being rooted in Christ, built up over time, established through years of steady faithfulness, and overflowing with thanksgiving. From there, the teaching warns the church to stay alert, refusing to be “kidnapped” by philosophies, traditions, or spiritual influences that sound wise but pull believers away from the simplicity of Christ. The heart of the passage, however, is Paul’s sweeping reminder of who believers are in Christ—spiritually circumcised, buried and raised with Him, forgiven completely, and made alive by God Himself. The session ends with Paul’s triumphant vision of Christ’s cross: every accusation canceled, every spiritual enemy disarmed, and the believer invited to live from victory rather than striving toward it.

Paul exposes the heart of the threat facing the Colossian church by pulling back the layers of the so-called “philosophy” that promised deeper spirituality but ultimately pulled believers away from Christ. This mixture of rigid Jewish regulations and mystical pagan practices looked impressive on the surface, yet it replaced the substance of the gospel with shadows that could never give life. Paul reminds the church that Christ is the Head, and anything—visions, angel-worship, or human rules—that distracts from Him is spiritually dangerous. True growth comes from staying rooted in Christ, not in chasing experiences or tightening man-made restrictions. At its core, the passage calls believers to discern the difference between religious pressure and genuine life in Christ, and to guard the unity and simplicity of the gospel.

Paul turns our attention to what life in Christ actually looks like when the gospel begins to reshape us from the inside out. Salvation isn’t only about what we’ve been freed from—it’s also about what we’ve been freed for. In this passage he shows how the Christian life grows as we intentionally set our minds on things above, put to death the patterns that once ruled us, and learn to walk in the character of Jesus. The outward habits matter, but the deeper work happens as the Spirit renews our hearts, forms new desires, and teaches us to see one another through the lens of Christ rather than old divisions. It’s a picture of a community being slowly, steadily shaped into His likeness.

Paul’s teaching on the Christian household in Colossians 3:18–4:1 shows how the gospel reshapes the most ordinary and revealing parts of life. Mark walks through these verses by lifting them out of the cultural assumptions around authority and control and grounding them instead in Christ’s character—humility, sacrifice, and mutual honour. The session highlights how biblical submission is never about inferiority or passivity but about choosing, for the Lord’s sake, to trust God’s design rather than our own instincts. At the same time, husbands, parents, and leaders are called to embody Christlike gentleness and responsibility, refusing harshness, fear, or misuse of power. Together, these instructions offer a picture of a home and workplace ordered not by domination but by the transforming presence of Jesus—where every role becomes an act of worship and every relationship a place where the gospel takes root.

Colossians closes with what looks like a simple list of greetings, but beneath it is a glimpse into how the kingdom advances—through ordinary people faithfully doing life and ministry together. Paul reminds us that the gospel is always expanding, and we each have a part in that, whether we’re praying, speaking with wisdom, or watching for openings that God creates. He also shows us the beauty of team: unlikely people, restored people, new leaders, seasoned leaders—all knit together for God’s purposes. And tucked inside his final words is a personal charge we all need to hear: see to it that you fulfill the ministry Jesus has given you. Not someone else’s calling—yours. Paul signs off with one last reminder of grace, and it’s the right place to end: everything God asks of us can only be lived by His grace at work in us.