Discipleship isn’t a spiritual mystery. It is simply the progress and joy of our Christian faith. It is never done alone; it is always deeper than information; and it ends not only in the growth of one person, but the growth of many. If we are growing and multiplying disciples, then we are a healthy church.

The New Testament calls every believer to several identities which we will seek to live out at Redeemer. We are trusting God that every member would be a minister—using their spiritual gifts to edify the body. A missionary—seeking to live and speak the gospel to people they are naturally in relationship with. A disciple-maker—seeking to be part of winning people to Christ, building them in their faith, and sending them to win others!

Where there is authority, there is submission; and where there is ultimate authority, there is ultimate submission. Let’s just be clear right from the start – Ultimate authority only rest in the hands of the Creator of all things. God alone has ultimate authority. For the Christian, submission isn’t a dirty word, but one to be embraced with joy and delight.

Everyone who has trusted Christ is connected to God’s Kingdom. Everyone who is connected to the Kingdom has a commitment to their local embassy of the Kingdom – the local church. Therefore, church membership is not something you join like a social club, rather it is something you embrace as true and submit to as a loyal subject.

When Christ saves an individual, He unites them to every other Christ-follower as brothers and sisters. These brothers and sisters, now connected at a level deeper than blood, recognize they need each other to sustain and deepen spiritual life. A healthy church is one that takes seriously the New Testament calls to life and mission centered on King Jesus.

This sermon exposits the wise counsel given by a godly mother to her son regarding the character traits he should seek in a woman as he searches for his future wife and mother of his children.

Paul cares about your spiritual freedom and so do I. At the cross, It Was Finished! “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The supremacy and sufficiency of Christ not only deals a death blow to sin, but it also stands in the face of religion. Make no mistake, the enemy of your soul wants to entice you not only with secular philosophies, but nice sounding religious wisdom. Don’t be fooled. Don’t be cheated. Don’t give in!

We tend to look a lot of different places to meet our needs before we look to Jesus. We’re like Israel of old who the Lord confronts through the prophet: “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). But the good news of the gospel is that Jesus is sufficient to meet our deepest needs!

I want to become a mature disciple – how do I do that? I don’t want to be deceived by enticingarguments – how do I make sure that doesn’t happen? In this text, Paul gives some of the mostbeautiful and simple pictures of a growing Christian. From what they have received in the past, tohow they must walk in the present, and how to be on guard in the future. Let’s learn obedience andunmask the tools of the enemy who wants to hold you hostage this morning.

At the end of Colossians chapter one we felt the heartbeat of Paul to see disciples made. Now as chapter two opens we see the great agony he has that the Colossian church be healthy and strong. What undermines that health? Division that comes when enticing words draw people away from their firm understanding of the supremacy of Christ. If you lose full confidence that Christ is enough, you open yourself up to error. When you open yourself up to error, you open the door in the church for unity to be wrecked. We need the firm and loving protection Paul provides in our text today for our steadfastness and the church’s unity.