Sermons on Colossians 1:12-14

Colossians 1:12-14 Interpretation:

Embracing Our Comprehensive Inheritance in Christ(FaithChurchCC & Frank Santora Ministries) reads Colossians 1:12–14 through the lens of the Eucharist and the physical reality of Christ’s body and blood, arguing that Paul’s phrase "giving thanks" (the Greek behind eucharisteo) points the Colossians back to the broken body and shed blood of Jesus as the decisive qualification for participation in the inheritance; Santora insists Paul is countering Gnostic denials of Christ’s real flesh, treats "which has made us meet" as literally “qualified,” and then expands the verse’s reach by insisting the cross purchased not only forgiveness but a wide inheritance (healing, freedom from the curse, prosperity tied to the promises to Abraham), so that the inheritance is both forensic (we are qualified legally because someone died) and practical (it entails physical deliverance and benefits to be appropriated by faith).

Engaging in Restoration: The Power of Compassionate Service(TC3.Church) emphasizes Colossians 1:12 as energizing gratitude that fuels mission: Paul’s call to “give joyful thanks” is interpreted not merely as liturgical language but as the spiritual posture that issues in persistent intercession, watchful awareness of cultural windows, and compassionate service; the pastor reads the qualification for the inheritance as an identity-forming gift that issues outwardly (thankfulness produces missional boldness), so the verse functions as a hinge between theological assurance and practical evangelistic engagement.

Building a Firm Foundation in Christ(Bridge City Church) treats Colossians 1:12–14 as a threefold reality—qualified for inheritance, delivered from the dominion of darkness, and transferred into the kingdom of light—and explains Paul’s language in juridical and royal terms (inheritance presupposes a death; transfer is analogous to a conquered people moved into a new king’s realm); the preacher stresses that "redemption" is the ransom price that secures our family status (inheritance is for those in the family), and uses the gift/activation metaphor (we possess redemption but must recognize/activate it) to interpret how the verse calls believers to receive and live out the benefits purchased on the cross.

Sanctification: A Journey of Grace and Transformation(Ligonier Ministries) reframes Colossians 1:12 as a declaration about who Christians are—saints already called and thus participants in an ongoing process of being made holy—and uses verse 12 to support a pastoral theology of sanctification: the Father “qualifies” believers not by their effort but by his ongoing, grace-driven work, so the inheritance language points both to positional status (saints) and to the progressive renovation of the image of God in believers, linking the verse to assurance and to the Spirit’s work in mortification and vivification.

"Sermon title: The Kingship of Christ: Our Eternal Sovereign"(Beulah Baptist Church) interprets Colossians 1:12–14 by placing the verses squarely inside a classical Christological/kingly framework: the Father "qualifies" believers to share the inheritance because the Son, as the royal Mediator, has rescued his people from the dominion of darkness and installed them into his kingdom; the preacher treats the three verbs in the passage (qualified/partakers, delivered/rescued, conveyed/translated) as concrete royal acts—sanctification, redemption, and the conferral of dominion upon redeemed humanity—and stresses continuity with Old Testament kingship (Davidic promises) so that Colossians’ language is read as proclamation of Christ’s mediatorial rule and the corporate identity of believers as the king’s dominion.

"Sermon title: Connecting People to God: Our Kingdom Mission"(Chatham Community Church) reads Colossians 1:12–14 as civic and missional identity language: Paul’s words mark Christians as dual citizens—translated from the dominion of darkness into the "kingdom of the Son"—and the preacher uses that civic imagery to interpret baptism and discipleship as a kind of spiritual naturalization and diplomatic commissioning, arguing that the passage grounds Christians’ calling to be visible representatives (ambassadors/“diplomatic corps”) of Jesus’ kingdom in the world.

"Sermon title: Understanding Deliverance: Can Christians Be Demon-Possessed?"(SermonIndex.net) treats Colossians 1:12–14 as the doctrinal hinge for deliverance theology: the preacher draws out the grammar and tense of Paul’s verbs (especially the past tense "has delivered" and "has translated") to argue that salvation effects a decisive, once-for-all legal transfer out of Satan’s exousia (authority/rights) into Christ’s kingdom, and he uses that grammatical point to deny that an authentic, born‑again believer can be indwellingly demon‑possessed while nevertheless acknowledging other kinds of ongoing spiritual attack.

"Sermon title: From Darkness to Light: Embracing Jesus as King"(Genesis Boyne) interprets the Colossians language devotionally and practically: the preacher makes the move "from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light" an experiential, ongoing reorientation—Jesus is more than a Savior functionally applied at death; he is the King who now "drives the car" of the believer’s life—so Colossians becomes the textal warrant for daily submission, clearer vision, better decisions, and concrete spiritual practices (scripture memorization, discerned choices) that flow from being translated into the kingdom of light.

A Thankful Heart Speaks Volumes(Memorial Baptist Church Media) reads Colossians 1:12–14 as a summons to recognize a new identity—Paul’s prayer framed here shows believers as legally and relationally "qualified" by the Father to share the saints’ inheritance because God has enacted a transfer from the "dominion/kingdom of darkness" into the "kingdom of the Son"; the preacher develops this by treating thanksgiving not as a polite response but as the appropriate, whole‑hearted, public declaration that flows from being rescued and forgiven, using the psalmist and Paul together to argue that gratitude is both the evidence of true knowledge of God and the fitting posture for someone who has been redeemed (no Greek/Hebrew technicals were deployed; instead he uses a concrete chain‑of‑gratitude analogy—thanking the slide creator, then her parents, then grandparents—to illustrate how genuine thanksgiving recognizes and honors intrinsic value and so corresponds to the passage’s emphasis on being transferred into light).

Thanksgiving Isn't a day..It's a Doorway!(North Pointe Church) interprets Colossians 1:12–14 by making the theological move that God’s act described in the verses creates not only new status (qualified, transferred, redeemed) but also practical access—thanksgiving functions as a doorway or key that opens the believer into God’s presence and into the benefits already deposited for them; the preacher presses the image of being "qualified" (God has made you eligible) and uses metaphors like a password of praise, a bank account/debit card for inheritance, and a table prepared in the presence of enemies to argue that when believers give thanks they move from passive possession of promises to active participation and breakthrough, and he reads "rescued from darkness / conveyed into the kingdom" as both positional rescue and the ground for a daily life of praise and sanctified reception (no original‑language exegesis offered; interpretation is metaphorical and pastoral).

Colossians 1:12-14 Theological Themes:

Embracing Our Comprehensive Inheritance in Christ(FaithChurchCC & Frank Santora Ministries) develops the distinctive theological theme that the Eucharist (body and blood) is not merely memorial but the locus of qualification for every aspect of salvation and blessing—Paul’s emphasis on being “qualified” is grounded in the real, physical work of Christ (contra Gnostic denial of flesh), and the cross secures not only forgiveness but covenantal inheritance including healing, deliverance from the curse, and the blessings promised to Abraham.

Engaging in Restoration: The Power of Compassionate Service(TC3.Church) advances a missional-theological theme that thanksgiving is formative: gratitude (grounded in being qualified for the inheritance) shapes intercession, cultural awareness, compassion, and evangelistic readiness, so sanctifying grace is not only inward transformation but the engine for outward missionary action aimed at repentance through kindness.

Building a Firm Foundation in Christ(Bridge City Church) presses a thematic point that redemption is corporate and positional: the inheritance is family-membership conferred by ransom, and the believer’s identity shift (delivered from darkness, transferred into the kingdom of light) entails new cultural belonging and responsibilities—salvation reconstitutes social identity, not merely personal status.

Sanctification: A Journey of Grace and Transformation(Ligonier Ministries) foregrounds sanctification as both assurance and energizing promise: because God “qualifies” us we are to expect his ongoing grace to renovate our whole person (thoughts, desires, actions), and verse 1:12 supports the doctrine that sanctification is God’s work of restoring the image of God in us, producing both hope and responsibility in the Christian life.

"Sermon title: The Kingship of Christ: Our Eternal Sovereign"(Beulah Baptist Church) emphasizes a distinctive theme that Colossians’ rescue language is royal/mediatorial and that Christ’s threefold office (prophet, priest, king) is integrally salvific—especially that his kingship effects sanctification and the restoration of humanity’s original dominion (Genesis 1:28 motif); the sermon reframes “redemption” and “forgiveness” as sovereign acts of a conquering King who both vindicates and reconstitutes a people to rule under him.

"Sermon title: Connecting People to God: Our Kingdom Mission"(Chatham Community Church) develops a fresh ecclesiological theme from Colossians: Christian belonging is diplomatic and missional—believers are “naturalized” into a polity of light and therefore commissioned to represent the king’s character and accountability in public life; the sermon reframes gratitude and watchfulness from private piety into civic duty and relational evangelistic practice (prayer for open doors, gracious speech, wise engagement).

"Sermon title: Understanding Deliverance: Can Christians Be Demon-Possessed?"(SermonIndex.net) advances a doctrinal theme not often foregrounded in pastoral sermons on Colossians: Paul’s past‑tense verbs denote a definitive juridical transfer that nullifies Satan’s prior legal rights (exousia) over a person; from this theological move the preacher infers pastoral conclusions about the impossibility of indwelling demon-possession in a true born‑again believer and highlights distinct categories (possession, oppression, temptation, hindrance) that must be carefully distinguished in ministry.

"Sermon title: From Darkness to Light: Embracing Jesus as King"(Genesis Boyne) presses a pastoral-anglican theme: Christ’s kingship is ontological (a title, not merely a function) and therefore changes how one “sees” moral and spiritual problems—Colossians’ inheritance language becomes the basis for a spirituality of renewed vision, moral discernment, and deliberate application (memorize scripture, judge fruit, choose paths of light rather than darkness).

A Thankful Heart Speaks Volumes(Memorial Baptist Church Media) emphasizes the distinct theological claim that thanksgiving is not optional piety but the will of God for believers (appealing to 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and Romans 1:21), arguing that gratitude functions morally and theologically as obedience, as the chief indicator of a right view of God (honoring and acknowledging his sovereignty, goodness, and covenant faithfulness) and as the counter to covetousness and futility of thought—thus thankfulness is cast as a spiritual discipline that shapes identity and wisdom rather than merely an emotion or etiquette.

Thanksgiving Isn't a day..It's a Doorway!(North Pointe Church) advances a distinctive, action‑oriented theology that thanksgiving is an instrument of spiritual efficacy: it is the means by which God’s promised resources are accessed (the inheritance/debit‑card motif), it is a weapon in spiritual warfare (praise sent out ahead of battle as in Jehoshaphat), and it sanctifies what is received (appealing to 1 Tim. 4:4–5 as theological support), so gratitude is both sacramental/ritual (it consecrates ordinary things) and strategic (it produces breakthrough, restoration, and multiplication).

Colossians 1:12-14 Historical and Contextual Insights:

Embracing Our Comprehensive Inheritance in Christ(FaithChurchCC & Frank Santora Ministries) explicitly situates Paul’s line against first‑century Gnostic tendencies in Colossae—Santora explains that the heresy minimized or denied Christ’s real human body (matter being evil), so Paul’s eucharistic language and stress on the broken body and shed blood directly contradict that background and insist on a crucified, incarnate Savior to secure the inheritance.

Engaging in Restoration: The Power of Compassionate Service(TC3.Church) outlines the original Colossian situation at a high level—Paul writing to new converts from diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds—and uses that context to explain Paul’s pastoral priorities (shaping identity first so that disciples can then be sent), thereby reading verse 1:12 as a corrective and a foundation for mission to a plural community.

Building a Firm Foundation in Christ(Bridge City Church) supplies local and ancient background: the preacher narrates the small, declining city of Colossae (likely an Ephesian offshoot), notes first‑century epistolary customs (greeting “Saints” as a common opening), and explains cultural-legal notions of inheritance (legal will, inheritance presupposing death) and imperial practice of transferring conquered peoples to a king’s realm—all used to make Paul’s metaphor of transfer and inheritance concrete for first‑century readers.

Sanctification: A Journey of Grace and Transformation(Ligonier Ministries) gives sustained biblical-historical context for Paul’s address to “saints,” tracing the use of the term from Old Testament (kadosh) through Second Temple usage into Paul’s letters, and situates the Colossians’ self-understanding (saints who still struggle) within the long biblical pattern (e.g., Abraham, Psalm 119) to show how Paul’s “qualified to share an inheritance” functions within both covenant history and pastoral theology.

"Sermon title: The Kingship of Christ: Our Eternal Sovereign"(Beulah Baptist Church) situates Colossians’ kingdom language in Old Testament royal expectation and messianic typology by citing Jeremiah 23 and the Davidic throne promises, Psalmic throne imagery, and the prophetic expectation that a righteous Davidic branch would reign; the preacher uses those Old Testament contexts to show that Paul’s “brought into the kingdom” phrasing is not abstract spirituality but the fulfillment of Israel’s royal hope in the Messiah.

"Sermon title: Connecting People to God: Our Kingdom Mission"(Chatham Community Church) supplies Roman‑imperial and sociopolitical context for Colossians: he names Colossae in Asia Minor and explains how proclaiming “Jesus is Lord/King” functioned as subversive gospel speech within an empire that idolized Caesar and competing thrones; that context undergirds his argument that Paul’s chain‑language and kingdom vocabulary carried political risk (hence Paul’s imprisonment) and explains why Paul’s audience needed the reminder of their dual citizenship.

"Sermon title: Understanding Deliverance: Can Christians Be Demon-Possessed?"(SermonIndex.net) brings careful attention to New Testament usage and first‑century categories by unpacking Greek words and how early‑apostolic narratives portray demonic phenomena (Gospel cases like the Gadarenes, Mary Magdalene, the girl in Acts 16); he treats the cultural and textual setting of exorcistic stories as crucial for discerning what the New Testament means by "power/authority of darkness" and what marks genuine demonic possession versus other afflictions.

Thanksgiving Isn't a day..It's a Doorway!(North Pointe Church) draws on a few traditional/cultural interpretive touchpoints from the biblical world to explain Colossians’ language: he invokes the imagery of the tabernacle/courts to explain what it means to "enter God’s presence" with thanksgiving (arguing that the courts are the place of God’s presence and thus gratitude grants access), and he relies on the traditional explanation of "eye of the needle / camel" (the camel must kneel, shed baggage) as a cultural image of the humility required to enter the kingdom, using these ancient‑world images to make Paul’s language about kingdom transfer concrete for a modern audience.

Colossians 1:12-14 Cross-References in the Bible:

Embracing Our Comprehensive Inheritance in Christ(FaithChurchCC & Frank Santora Ministries) weaves a dense network of cross‑references: he ties Colossians 1:12–14 to Matthew 26 and 1 Corinthians 11 (the institution of the Lord’s Supper, stressing body/blood), Colossians 2:14 (the law’s indictment nailed to the cross), Galatians 3 (redemption from the curse and Abrahamic blessings), Psalm 103 (forgiveness linked to healing), Acts 3–4 (Peter’s proclamation connecting healing and salvation), Isaiah 53:4–5 and Matthew 8:16–17 (Isaiah’s “by his stripes we are healed” applied to physical healing), Acts 10:38 (Jesus anointed to do good and heal), and 3 John 2 and Luke 4:18–19 (Jubilee themes, healing, prosperity); Santora uses each to argue that the cross secured a broad inheritance—legal forgiveness plus restoration, health, provision—so Paul’s “qualified” opens all these scriptural promises to believers.

Engaging in Restoration: The Power of Compassionate Service(TC3.Church) groups Colossians 1:12 into Paul’s missional instructions (Colossians 4:2–6): the preacher references Colossians 4’s commands to be devoted to prayer, watchful, and thankful and Paul’s plea to “pray for an open door” (Col. 4:3–4) to show how verse 1:12’s gratitude grounds intercession and evangelistic opportunity; he also invokes Luke’s persistent‑widow parable (Luke 18) to undergird persistent intercession, Romans 2 on God’s kindness leading to repentance, and uses Colossians’ “open door” motif to show how prayer, watchfulness, and gratitude cooperate in gospel witness.

Building a Firm Foundation in Christ(Bridge City Church) connects Colossians 1:12–14 to broader Pauline and canonical motifs: the sermon references Philemon and Revelation 3 (local church contexts and church founders), John 15 (fruitfulness and abiding as fruit that remains), and the Colossians/Philemon corpus to show the ransom/purchase language (redemption) and the juridical idea of inheritance; the preacher uses these cross‑references to affirm that the gospel both saves and matures believers into fruitfulness and family‑status.

Sanctification: A Journey of Grace and Transformation(Ligonier Ministries) places Colossians 1:12 within a web of Paul’s teaching on holiness and becoming: the speaker cross‑references Ephesians (prayers for being filled with God’s fullness and strengthened by the Spirit—Eph. 1, 3, 4), Romans 6–8 (mortification and vivification—the crucifixion of the old self and walking in newness of life), Psalm 119 and Genesis (continuity of God’s people as called/holy), and the Westminster catechetical tradition; these references are marshaled to demonstrate that being “qualified” for the inheritance is both positional (sealed by the Spirit) and progressive (Spirit-enabled growth toward the image of God).

"Sermon title: The Kingship of Christ: Our Eternal Sovereign"(Beulah Baptist Church) weaves Colossians 1:12–14 into a broad tapestry of texts—Jeremiah 23:5–6 (Davidic branch and righteous reign) and Luke 1:30–33 (angelic annunciation of an everlasting throne), Acts 2 (Peter on David and the resurrection/exaltation), Colossians 1:15–17 and Hebrews 1 (Christ’s cosmic rule and exaltation), John 18–19 (Pilate scenes showing Jesus as king), Philippians 2 and Revelation (exaltation and cosmic lordship), and 1 Corinthians 1:30–31 and Psalm allusions; he uses each passage to reinforce that Colossians’ “delivered/conveyed” language describes a royal work that began in incarnation, was accomplished in atonement/resurrection, and is now exercised in rule and sanctification.

"Sermon title: Connecting People to God: Our Kingdom Mission"(Chatham Community Church) groups Colossians 1:12–14 with Paul’s broader kingdom corpus and narrative cross‑references—Paul’s own gospel language about “rescue from darkness” and “kingdom of the Son,” Acts (Paul’s chains and Roman imprisonment as witness), John’s Christology that Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth, and Paul’s closing encouragements to walk wisely and season speech (Colossians 4); these cross‑references are used to argue that Paul’s short doctrinal statements must translate into public, relational, and missional wisdom (prayerful diplomacy, graceful conversation).

"Sermon title: Understanding Deliverance: Can Christians Be Demon-Possessed?"(SermonIndex.net) collects Gospel and Pauline narratives to test the doctrinal claim: he cites Colossians 1:12–14 as primary and then marshals Gospel deliverance episodes (Mark/Luke accounts of the Gadarenes, Matthew 12’s teaching about binding the strong man, Luke 11), Luke 8 (legion), Mark and Luke stories of demoniacs, Acts 16 (girl with spirit of divination), 1 Corinthians 10:13 (temptation), 2 Corinthians 12 (Thorn in the flesh/buffeting), Ephesians 4:27 (give no place to the devil), and Matthew 12:43–45 (danger of an empty swept house) to differentiate possession, oppression, temptation, hindrance, and sifting and to show how Colossians’ “delivered/translated” language functions doctrinally within apostolic witness.

"Sermon title: From Darkness to Light: Embracing Jesus as King"(Genesis Boyne) connects Colossians 1:12–14 to Paul’s wider pastoral advice and to practical passages: he quotes Colossians itself about inheritance and translation, links the identity to Ephesians’ and Paul’s wider teaching about union with Christ and God’s empowering work (Ephesians 1/Ephesians 3:20), and appeals to John and 1 John’s light/darkness motifs and to Paul’s practical injunctions (e.g., Joshua’s call to ponder and obey) as biblical support for the claim that being “translated” produces new vision, decision‑making, and moral formation.

A Thankful Heart Speaks Volumes(Memorial Baptist Church Media) weaves Colossians 1:9–14 into a broader canonical argument: he reads Paul’s prayer (Colossians 1:9–14) as the focal text and brings in Psalm 111 and Exodus 15 (Moses’ song) to show that thanksgiving is the appropriate response to God’s mighty works and deliverances; Hebrews 11 (Moses’ faith) is used to illustrate seeing promises as worth choosing over immediate gain; Romans 1:21 is appealed to negatively—unthankfulness as the heart symptom that darkens thinking—while Philippians 4:11–13 is cited positively to exemplify contentment born of trust; 1 Thessalonians 5:18 is used to claim thanksgiving as the will of God; Galatians 5:22–23 (fruit of the Spirit) is appealed to demonstrate that the Spirit’s work produces the character (joy, faithfulness, contentment) that naturally expresses thanksgiving—each reference is marshaled to show that being transferred into the kingdom of light issues in concrete thankful living and that thanksgiving itself is evidential and formative of Christian identity.

Thanksgiving Isn't a day..It's a Doorway!(North Pointe Church) anchors his pastoral application to many biblical texts: Colossians 1:10–14 is the center, Psalm 100 and Psalm 34 (enter his gates with thanksgiving; bless the Lord at all times) are used to argue that thanksgiving opens and keeps access to God’s presence; Luke 17:11–19 (the ten lepers) is used exegetically to show that the one who returned to give thanks experienced full restoration—illustrating the preacher’s claim that gratitude produces wholeness; John 6 (loaves and fishes) and 1 Corinthians 11:23–25 (Jesus giving thanks at the Lord’s Supper) are cited as Christological models—Jesus gives thanks over meager means and thereby multiplies/proclaims covenant, supporting the argument that thanksgiving releases God’s provision; Acts 27 and Acts 16 (Paul on the stormed ship; Paul and Silas in prison) are invoked to show thanksgiving and praise functioning amid trial and producing deliverance; 1 Timothy 4:4–5 is quoted to defend the theological statement that "what is received with thanksgiving is sanctified"; 2 Chronicles 20 (Jehoshaphat sending worshipers ahead) and Psalms (including Psalm 107) are used to portray praise/thanksgiving as a strategy in spiritual battle and as a means to produce increase; Proverbs 17:22 and Nehemiah 8:10 (joy of the Lord is your strength) are appealed to show thanksgiving’s psychological and spiritual benefits—each passage supports his central thesis that thanksgiving is both the appropriate response to Colossians’ description of redemption and an effective means by which God’s promises are experienced.

Colossians 1:12-14 Christian References outside the Bible:

Engaging in Restoration: The Power of Compassionate Service(TC3.Church) explicitly quotes N. T. Wright when urging believers to “regard time as an opportunity for witness and use it eagerly as such”; Wright’s phrasing is used to amplify Paul’s “open door” and “make the most of every opportunity” charge (Col. 4), framing cultural engagement as a stewardship of moments God opens for gospel witness.

Sanctification: A Journey of Grace and Transformation(Ligonier Ministries) draws on several post-biblical Christian resources while unfolding Colossians 1:12: the speaker refers to the Westminster Shorter Catechism’s definition of sanctification as a work of God’s free grace, cites Sinclair Ferguson’s reminder about R. C. Sproul’s Latin phrase (simul iustus et peccator) to convey the simultaneously saint-and-sinner reality, and recounts John Piper’s candid line about the surprising perseverance in Christian life (“I’ve walked with Christ for 50 years and I am amazed that I’m still a Christian”)—these sources are used to support the theological claim that verse 12’s “qualified” language secures both assurance and the expectation of ongoing growth by God’s grace.

"Sermon title: The Kingship of Christ: Our Eternal Sovereign"(Beulah Baptist Church) appeals explicitly to the Reformed theologian Abraham Kuyper (mis‑named in the sermon but clearly invoked), quoting Kuyper’s famous dictum that there is “not one square inch in the universe over which Christ does not cry out, ‘Mine’.” The preacher uses Kuyper’s aphorism to reinforce the Colossians theme that Christ’s kingship extends to every realm and that believers’ status as the king’s dominion implies Christ’s claim over “every inch” of life—Kuyper is deployed to give historical‑theological weight to the claim that Christ’s rule is universal and immediate.

"Sermon title: Understanding Deliverance: Can Christians Be Demon-Possessed?"(SermonIndex.net) explicitly engages twentieth‑century and modern Christian writers in exegetical critique: he recounts Jesse Penn‑Lewis’s War on the Saints (and its claim that revivals were infested by demons) and criticizes her influence, cites Evan Roberts’ involvement and alleged dislocation by that teaching, and names more recent teachers (Derek Prince and others) who promoted broad doctrines of Christian demon‑invasion/demonization; the sermon uses these historical theologians and revival‑era polemicists to explain how certain mistaken deliverance doctrines developed and to contrast those extra‑biblical developments with the apostolic grammatical and narrative reading of Colossians and Gospel exorcisms.

Colossians 1:12-14 Illustrations from Secular Sources:

Embracing Our Comprehensive Inheritance in Christ(FaithChurchCC & Frank Santora Ministries) uses legal and contractual analogies drawn from everyday secular life—he contrasts “contract” versus “covenant” (contracts renegotiate or break; covenants, he says, are enforced, broken only by death) and repeatedly employs the secular, practical image of a last will and testament (you can’t have an inheritance unless somebody dies) to make Paul’s point concrete: the inheritance Paul speaks of presupposes a real death (Christ’s), and these legal/secular frames help listeners grasp the seriousness and the legal-transactional character of redemption.

Engaging in Restoration: The Power of Compassionate Service(TC3.Church) grounds Colossians 1:12 in contemporary, local secular events and relief efforts: the pastor recounts boots‑on‑the‑ground work after community devastation in Port Salerno/New Monrovia, partnering with Convoy of Hope, the police officer’s call to serve, and mobilizing volunteer logistics (text‑updates, distribution centers) to illustrate how gratitude and being “qualified” for the inheritance lead to practical compassion; these concrete disaster‑response stories function as the modern analogue of Paul’s charge to be thankful and ready to open doors for the gospel.

Building a Firm Foundation in Christ(Bridge City Church) employs everyday secular analogies to make the Colossian metaphors vivid: he opens with a football‑stance story about the necessity of a firm base (a secular sports image) to illustrate spiritual foundation; he then uses the gift‑card statistic and activation image—pointing out that many Americans have unused gift cards (citing the ~$23 billion figure) and comparing redemption to an unactivated gift card—to illustrate how believers possess a purchased inheritance but often fail to recognize or “activate” those benefits in daily life.

Sanctification: A Journey of Grace and Transformation(Ligonier Ministries) leavens theological exposition with pastoral/secular illustrations: the speaker describes the routine, relatable image of a dog running free in a field as an analogy for the joy of doing what one was made to do (used to explain Christian freedom and the flourishing that comes from sanctification), and he recounts a candid ministers’ accountability meeting (a professional, non-scriptural anecdote) and John Piper’s personal, humanizing remark about long-term perseverance—these everyday and vocational examples are used to make the work of being “qualified” and transformed by God’s grace feel immediate and encourageable.

"Sermon title: From Darkness to Light: Embracing Jesus as King"(Genesis Boyne) uses a string of vivid secular/pop‑culture and biographical illustrations to interpret Colossians experientially: the preacher recounts a detailed visit to Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy ride (the “jump point” roller‑coaster), describing the disorientation, the Zone of Refuge bench and the bodily after‑effects as an extended metaphor for spiritual reorientation from darkness into light; he tells personal life anecdotes—drug years, working at the Brown Paper Mill in Kalamazoo, late‑night television evangelism that precipitated his conversion, and the “level/wrench” artifacts from his blue‑collar past—to give tangible texture to the claim that being translated into the kingdom produces immediate, observable life change (new name, work choices, relationships).

"Sermon title: Connecting People to God: Our Kingdom Mission"(Chatham Community Church) relies heavily on civic and technical secular analogies: the sermon opens the three‑year church plan with a mechanical “pulley/force‑multiplier” image to describe organizational leverage, then develops an extended diplomatic/embassy metaphor (baptism as “naturalization,” church as a little patch of kingdom territory like an embassy compound) and modern civic examples (ambassadors, envoys, diplomatic immersion) to show how Colossians’ citizenship/kingdom language should shape everyday witness, hospitality, and strategic relational engagement in a plural public square.

"Sermon title: The Kingship of Christ: Our Eternal Sovereign"(Beulah Baptist Church) uses contemporary secular anecdote and domestic imagery for rhythm and rhetorical punch: a short topical illustration—Emmanuel Macron getting an on‑camera slap—was offered to underline the preacher’s point about Christ’s uncontested supremacy (a humorous “Christ could pop any king on the head” aside), and more domestic metaphors (children grabbing toys saying “mine”) were used to make Kuyper’s “mine” image concrete and to dramatize the claim that Christ’s royal claim is both universal and personal.

A Thankful Heart Speaks Volumes(Memorial Baptist Church Media) explicitly uses secular illustrations to illumine Colossians 1:12–14: he summarizes a Science News article on the "science of gratitude" (claiming that gratitude lights up brain regions for decision‑making, emotional regulation, moral judgment, reward and stress reduction, and that grateful practice benefits sleep, inflammation, immune response)—this neuroscientific summary is used to argue that even nonbelievers recognize gratitude’s formative power and to introduce Colossians’ spiritual benefits of being transferred from darkness to light; he also quotes Elie (Eli) Wiesel—describing Wiesel’s line about "no one is as capable of gratitude as the one who has emerged from the kingdom of night"—and ties that quotation directly to Colossians’ language of rescue from darkness, using Wiesel’s firsthand testimony of gratitude after surviving extreme suffering to highlight how coming "into the light" heightens thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Isn't a day..It's a Doorway!(North Pointe Church) saturates his Colossians application with everyday, secular anecdotes and metaphors: he recounts taking family trips (a Thanksgiving dining‑out anecdote at a Brazilian steakhouse), a Walmart run with his nephew whose joy over a dollar‑store airplane becomes a microcosm of childlike gratitude, and a hunting story (the deer that appeared early in the morning) to illustrate how praise follows perceived blessing and how praise can be practiced apart from circumstance; he uses the family‑meal and table metaphors (table prepared in presence of enemies) and a concrete "bank account/debit card" analogy—saying God has deposited inheritance into believers and thanksgiving is the means of withdrawal—to make Colossians’ language about being "qualified to share the inheritance" and "partakers" practically accessible, and he even narrates a church‑level secular provision scene (freezers of venison and fish distributed to the congregation) to demonstrate tangible ways thanksgiving and sharing manifest the “inheritance” imagery in everyday life.