Break the ice. Did you make any resolutions for this year? Do you have any prayers that you are asking God to answer this year?

Read Colossians 1:21-23.

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And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

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Discuss the passage.

1. Verse 21 is a display of God’s movement toward His creation that He meets us where we are. When we were alienated, hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, God moved toward us. Do you remember life before Jesus? What do you remember from that time?
2. Jesus reconciles His followers to unity with God; He meets us where we are to make us who we are meant to be. What words does Paul use to describe the status of those who God has reconciled?
3. Is faith static? How does Paul urge us to participate in our faith?
4. In what ways does spending time in God’s Word (the Bible), spending time with God’s people (Sunday Services), and spending time on God’s mission shape us and keep us stable and steadfast?
5. Are these rhythms in place in your life? In what ways could you lean more into these rhythms this year?

Close by praying Colossians 1:21-23 together.

• Thank God for His grace in meeting you where you were before salvation (v. 21).
• Praise Him for life in Christ that shapes us into the image of Jesus.
• Ask God to help shape your time and help you spend more time with Him through His word, His people and His mission.