Today’s Scripture
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:12-15 (NLT)
Big Idea
Do your part in building deep, meaningful relationships with other followers of Christ.
Today’s Thought
Let’s jump right into today’s passage of Scripture. Paul offers us four awesome ideas for building authentic community as r12 Christians:
1. Make a fashion statement for God
OK, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see a line of fashion called JesusWear, but God does care about your “clothing.” Every morning, you choose what clothes to wear. It’s a decision — and yes, for some of you, it’s a long, painstaking, detailed process! But you have the freedom to choose. And God says you have similar freedom in how you clothe your life. You can be a jerk, if you want. But you also can decide to be merciful, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Model some Jesus-style fashion this week.
2. Let the past be the past
Did you see what Paul wrote in verse 13? He said Christians should “make allowance for each other’s faults.” In other words, get ready to discover and experience other people’s faults and shortcomings! Don’t expect others to be perfect, because it just ain’t gonna happen! (Apologies to all you grammar- loving teens.) And remember, you aren’t perfect, either. Get in the habit of offering forgiveness — and receiving it when you mess up!
3. Be peace-seeking people
We can’t always get along with everyone. But we can try, right? We experience peace from God as we pursue His plans for our life, and we experience peace with other people as we love them, pray for them, forgive them, and go through life together with them. Looks for ways to resolve conflict, and search for points of common interest with other Christians.
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:12-15 (NLT)
Big Idea
Do your part in building deep, meaningful relationships with other followers of Christ.
Today’s Thought
Let’s jump right into today’s passage of Scripture. Paul offers us four awesome ideas for building authentic community as r12 Christians:
1. Make a fashion statement for God
OK, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see a line of fashion called JesusWear, but God does care about your “clothing.” Every morning, you choose what clothes to wear. It’s a decision — and yes, for some of you, it’s a long, painstaking, detailed process! But you have the freedom to choose. And God says you have similar freedom in how you clothe your life. You can be a jerk, if you want. But you also can decide to be merciful, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Model some Jesus-style fashion this week.
2. Let the past be the past
Did you see what Paul wrote in verse 13? He said Christians should “make allowance for each other’s faults.” In other words, get ready to discover and experience other people’s faults and shortcomings! Don’t expect others to be perfect, because it just ain’t gonna happen! (Apologies to all you grammar- loving teens.) And remember, you aren’t perfect, either. Get in the habit of offering forgiveness — and receiving it when you mess up!
3. Be peace-seeking people
We can’t always get along with everyone. But we can try, right? We experience peace from God as we pursue His plans for our life, and we experience peace with other people as we love them, pray for them, forgive them, and go through life together with them. Looks for ways to resolve conflict, and search for points of common interest with other Christians.
4. Be thankful
The more thankful we are, the more we appreciate the people around us. Be thankful for the friends who show up during difficult times in life. Be thankful for the friends who appreciate your jokes. Be thankful for the parents and grandparents at your church who value teenagers. Be thankful for all the skills, abilities, gifts, and interests God has given you. It’s impossible to be too grateful or thankful.
Out of the four things listed, what is the easiest one for you to do? What is the hardest? Comment below...
Prayer
God, I want to experience real, authentic, genuine community with other people who love You and follow You as r12 Christians. Help me do my part to build these kinds of relationships. I pray that my church would be a place known as a place filled with forgiveness, love, compassion, and peace — and a place where Jesus’ fashion is on display for a world in need. Amen.
The more thankful we are, the more we appreciate the people around us. Be thankful for the friends who show up during difficult times in life. Be thankful for the friends who appreciate your jokes. Be thankful for the parents and grandparents at your church who value teenagers. Be thankful for all the skills, abilities, gifts, and interests God has given you. It’s impossible to be too grateful or thankful.
Out of the four things listed, what is the easiest one for you to do? What is the hardest? Comment below...
Prayer
God, I want to experience real, authentic, genuine community with other people who love You and follow You as r12 Christians. Help me do my part to build these kinds of relationships. I pray that my church would be a place known as a place filled with forgiveness, love, compassion, and peace — and a place where Jesus’ fashion is on display for a world in need. Amen.
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