1. Serving Christ Through Life’s Stages & Shifting Priorities
A biblical Framework to Help Christians live Integrated lives

2. What is the situation in your lives?
Stages? Newborn? More than one? Out- numbered?
What is the concern of each day?
Did you try and walk with God before kids?
Has God become a bigger part of life while you have had a family?
Do you also have a paying job?

3. What is the situation in your lives?
Certain threads that should remain constant in any stage of life . . .
Goal is a healthy spiritual lifestyle. Why?
All throughout the NT, Paul instructs about the living out our lives – Lets look at his letter to the Colossians

4. Gospel-Rooted . . .
Colossians 1:3-6 “We give thanks to God, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth . . .”

5. Gospel-Rooted . . .
Colossians 1:3-6 “We give thanks to God, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth . . .”
Because of the gospel . . .

6. Mission-Driven . . .
Colossian 1:9-12: For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

7. Mission-Driven . . . Colossian 1:9-12:
you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord
bearing fruit in every good work
increasing in the knowledge of God
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might,
for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience
joyously giving thanks to the Father
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

8. Community-Based
Our mission is to live a life motivated by the grace of the gospel, glorifying God by loving the lost and others with the power that he supplies. All of this happens within the context of the community of the Body of Christ.

9. Gospel-Rooted, Mission-Driven, Community-Based Lifestyle
Areas of life/demands on our time in this letter: Colossians
Outreach / Evangelism
“Body” Life: Home Group
Marriage & Family
Discipleship Ministry & Spiritual Friendships
(School), Work & Service
Corporate Teaching: Central Teaching
Prayer and personal time with the Lord
Biblical – all rooted in the gospel, driven by God’s mission, & based in the community of believers.

10. Rooted in the Gospel Mission-Driven Community-Based
Outreach: Col. 4:2-6
Marriage/Family: Col. 3:18-21
“Body Life” / Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
Rooted in the Gospel
Mission-Driven
Community-Based
School, Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24
Discipleship & Spiritual Friendships: Col. 1:28,29, 2:1-2
Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8

11. “Body Life” / Home Group Participation
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Col. 3:12-15
“Body Life” / Home Group Participation

12. 23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Col. 3:23-24
“Body Life” / Home Group Participation
School, Work & Service

13. Outreach: Col. 4:2-6
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; 3 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.
5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Col. 4:2-6
“Body Life” / Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
School, Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24

14. Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him & established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Col. 2:6-8
Outreach: Col. 4:2-6
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Col. 3:16
“Body Life” / Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24
Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8

15. Discipleship & Spiritual Friendships: Col. 1:28-29, 2:1-2
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf … 2 that [your] hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself Col. 2:1-2
Outreach: Col. 4:2-6
28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. Col. 1:28,29
Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24
Discipleship & Spiritual Friendships: Col. 1:28-29, 2:1-2
Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8

16. Marriage/Family: Col. 3:18-21
Outreach: Col. 4:2-6
Marriage/Family: Col. 3:18-21
“Body Life” / Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart. Col. 3:18-21
School, Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24
Spiritual Friendships: Col. 1:28-29, 2:1-2
Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8

17. Outreach: Col. 4:2-6
“Body Life” / Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
Family: Col. 3:18-21
School, Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24
Discipleship & Spiritual Friendships: Col. 1:28-29, 2:1-2
Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8

18. Outreach: Col. 4:2-6
Marriage
Col. 3:18-21
“Body Life” / Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
School, Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24
Discipleship & Spiritual Friendships: Col. 1:28-29, 2:1-2
Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8

19. “Body Life” / Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
Marriage/Family: Col. 3:18-21
Outreach: Col. 4:2-6
School, Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24
Discipleship & Spiritual Friendships: Col. 1:28-29, 2:1-2
Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8

20. “Body Life” / Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
Marriage/Family: Col. 3:18-21
Outreach: Col. 4:2-6
Discipleship & Spiritual Friendships: Col. 1:28-29, 2:1-2
School, Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24
Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8

21. TIME Outreach: Col. 4:2-6 Marriage/Family: Col. 3:18-21
“Body Life” / Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
School, Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24
Discipleship & Spiritual Friendships: Col. 1:28,29, 2:1-2
Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8

22. Gospel-Rooted, Mission-Driven, Community-Based Lifestyle
When viewed in isolation, these areas of life can feel like COMPETING priorities
Functional approach to all – Legalism
Discouraging – no full investment
Anxious; Duty-Driven; Self-Protective; Guilty
Accusation – “You’re not good enough/spiritual enough.”
“People are judging you.” “You’re a crappy parent.”
“it’s not important for me to come to HG anyway!”

23. How do we avoid neglect and imbalance of these critical areas of life?
Balance is the wrong idea
We need to see them all as completely necessary as they are!
ALL INTERDEPENDENT AND NECESSARY for healthy spiritual living

24. Outreach: Col. 4:2-6
“Body Life” / Home Group Participation: Col. 3:12-15
Marriage/Family: Col. 3:18-21
School, Work & Service: Col. 3:23-24
Discipleship & Spiritual Friendships: Col. 1:28-29, 2:1-2
Corporate Teaching Col. 3:16a, 2:6-8

25. Gospel-Rooted, Mission-Driven, Community-Based Lifestyle
We need to fight for deep investment in all of these areas! Teach friends to fight for this as well!!
Significant environments we are called to give and receive God’s love.
Who is adequate for these things?
2 Cor. 4: “perplexed, struck down, persecuted”
Col. 3:2 “Set your mind on the things above . . .”
Allow the struggle to drive you to Christ!
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in your both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:!2,13)