Colossians 3:12-14 – Several of our deacons have been meeting regularly over the past couple of years to develop plans for implementing our elders’ vision through improved communication and collaboration. Part of their efforts involves choosing an annual theme to direct their activities. They selected
the following theme for this year:
Equipped for the mission: every disciple, every place
Their theme motivates our current sermon series, which explores the question, “What does it look like to be equipped for the mission?” We are focusing our study on Paul’s letter to the Colossians because it records his instruction to his audience to “put on”1 certain attitudes and practices (Colossians 3:12-14), which, together, form the portrait of an equipped disciple. After reminding his readers of the inheritance God guaranteed them in “the kingdom of his beloved son” (Colossians 1:12-13), Paul urged the Colossian Christians to focus themselves on that kingdom by “seek[ing] the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). But, Paul wrote, seeking has a specific look; it involves “put[ting] to death” the attitudes and practices inconsistent with Jesus’ rule and kingdom and “put[ting] on” ones consistent with Jesus (Colossians 3:5-14). This lesson introduces an examination of the attitudes
and practices Paul instructed the Colossians to “put on,” beginning with compassionate hearts” (Colossians 3:12).