8/27 Colossians 2:16-17
So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new-moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules were only shadows of the real thing, Christ himself.
CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the focus of a Christian. We pattern our life after His life. We read God’s Word and apply that to our life. Jesus is the reason we can grow day by day in a Christ like walk.

8/26 Colossians 2:13-15
You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.
ALIVE
The cross event displayed God’s wonderful work in Christ. He forgave my sin. He brought me into His family. He made me and us alive in Christ. His forgiveness of my sin, a free gift from the Father, gives me and us access to Him through Christ. Jesus death, burial and resurrection destroyed the ability of evil to control me for I have been born again. Have you asked Jesus into your heart?

8/25 Colossians 2:11-12
When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure — the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
TRUST
We came into the family of God by trust. We live our life in Christ by trust. We trust that He is there. We trust that He will lead us. We trust that His Word will provide the wisdom and guidance we need in daily life and in growing in Christ. The Christian Walk is a walk of trust. Trust in the Lord and He will not disappoint you.

8/24 Colossians 2:8-10
Don’t let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ. For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.
FOCUS
The world cannot give us LIFE. LIFE is in JESUS. Focus you heart on Christ and do what He says to do. This will change the way you think and where you walk. The result will be a life that is growing in Christ.

8/23 Colossians 2:6-7
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him. Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.
OBEDIENCE
I cannot grow if I am disobedient. Today I want to grow therefore I will obey the Lord. It is helpful that we focus on Jesus. Forget the sins that so easily entangle us and focus on Jesus. His guidance as we focus on Him will untangle our sin, call us to repentance and a closer walk with HIM. Remember that focusing on our sin will only entice us to sin more. Focusing on Jesus will pull us out of our sin and into a closer relationship with HIM. When we walk with Jesus we will not be involved in sin.

8/22 Colossians 2:3-5
In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am telling you this so that no one will be able to deceive you with persuasive arguments. For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I am very happy because you are living as you should and because of your strong faith in Christ.
CHRIST
Jesus is Lord. He lives in us if we are in the family of God. When we face difficulty decisions Jesus will give us the wisdom and knowledge we need to make a good decision. He will not let us be overwhelmed. He will give us the strength to face the day. The power of Christ dwells in us. Claim His power and ask Him to guide you.

8/21 Colossians 2:2
My goal is that they will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have full confidence because they have complete understanding of God’s secret plan, which is Christ himself.
TOGETHER
Service to the Lord is a community service. Each one of us is charged with the responsibility of helping each other. Together we serve the Lord. There are no Lone Rangers in the family of God-we are brothers and sisters of Jesus. He is our Lord and Savior.

8/20 Colossians 2:1
I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other friends who have never known me personally.
CONCERN
Paul is concerned for those Christians he knows and for those that he doesn’t know. His concern is broad and yet specific for each one he is remembering before the Lord. It is good for us to develop a habit of concern for people especially those who are along with us part of the family of God. Spend some time today thinking about and praying about the church at large. Pray changes things especially us.

8/19 Psalm 9:19-20
Arise, O LORD! Do not let mere mortals defy you! Let the nations be judged in your presence! Make them tremble in fear, O LORD. Let them know they are merely human. Interlude
FEAR
Our Lord God Almighty is a God that should make people shake with fear especially those that are not in His family. The fool in his heart says there is no god. This does not shake the Lord. God is God and He is eternal. The Lord will bring everyone and every nation to the bar of justice and in that day all accounts will be settled. Eternity begins now but it lasts forever.

8/18 Psalm 9:18
For the needy will not be forgotten forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.
LOVED
We struggle every day. The Lord is always aware of what is going on in our life. He will never forget our struggles and will walk with us through each one of them. The poor struggle and suffer more than we can realize. All of God’s children are taken care of it is just so difficult for us in our limited wisdom to reconcile the plight of the poor and the LOVE of the Lord. The key for us is to remember that God is a good God and He always does what is right. GOD LOVES YOU.