Living in Christ

Devotional

Day 1: Rooted in the Storm

The Colossian believers stood firm while false teachings swirled around them. Paul urged them to walk in Christ just as they’d first received Him—through repentance and faith. He compared their growth to a tree’s roots spreading wide, drawing stability from truth. Like the roofing job where confusion reigned, many today feel adrift in their faith, unsure how to grow. [17:23]

Roots don’t grow overnight. They push deeper through seasons of drought and storm. Jesus designed your faith to thrive not by fleeting emotions but by anchoring in His death and resurrection. Doctrine isn’t dry theory—it’s the nutrient-rich soil for your soul.

When life’s chaos distracts you, where do you turn? Open your Bible before opening your phone today. Read Colossians 2:6-7 aloud. What single truth can you cling to when doubts arise?

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
(Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal one area where you’ve neglected rooting yourself in Scripture.
Challenge: Underline every mention of “Christ” in Colossians 2:6-8 and say His name aloud each time.

Day 2: Currents and Countercurrents

A fish swimming upstream fights the river’s pull. Paul warned the Colossians: the world’s current drags us toward empty philosophies. Passivity isn’t neutral—drift leads to danger. Like the roofing job’s stagnant days, spiritual complacency breeds anxiety. [09:03]

Jesus called disciples to active obedience: “Follow Me” meant leaving nets and routines. Your faith muscles strengthen through resistance—praying when weary, serving when drained, choosing truth over trends. The river of culture never stops pushing; neither can your pursuit of Christ.

What downstream habit have you tolerated? Identify one compromise—a show, a relationship, a thought pattern—and replace it with 10 minutes in Philippians 4:8-9 today.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just…think about these things.”
(Philippians 4:8, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve floated with culture’s current.
Challenge: Delete one app or mute one social account for 24 hours to create space for Scripture.

Day 3: Scraps of Gratitude

The pepperoni thief took without thanking. Paul told the Colossians: thanksgiving immunizes against entitlement. Every communion cup and baptismal pool rehearses Christ’s sacrifice—gifts we didn’t earn. Like the unproductive job season, spiritual dryness often stems from forgetfulness. [27:37]

Jesus healed ten lepers; only one returned to give thanks. Gratitude isn’t a garnish but the main dish—a daily feast on God’s faithfulness. List your “pepperoni moments”: air in your lungs, a Bible in your hand, grace when you failed.

When did you last thank God for ordinary mercies? Write “Thank You” on three sticky notes and place them where you’ll see them today.

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…be thankful.”
(Colossians 3:15, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for three specific gifts from your past week.
Challenge: Text one person who’s helped you grow spiritually—name what they did and why it mattered.

Day 4: Guarding the Lampstand

False teachers peddled “new” truths in Colossae. Paul shouted: “See to it!”—a command to guard truth like sentries. The sermon’s roofing job confusion mirrors today’s doctrinal fog. Not all voices nourish; some poison. [36:08]

Jesus said His sheep recognize His voice. Test every podcast, book, or post against Scripture’s plumb line. The Bereans checked even Paul’s preaching against Moses and the prophets. Your mind is a fortress—raise the drawbridge against invaders.

Whose teaching have you consumed uncritically? Open 2 Peter 1:16-21 and circle every claim about Scripture’s source.

“No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
(2 Peter 1:20-21, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God for courage to reject any teaching that dims Scripture’s authority.
Challenge: Research the doctrinal statement of one influencer you follow online.

Day 5: The Unchanging Charcuterie

Paul circled the Colossians back to their starting point: “as you received Christ.” The Gospel isn’t a starter kit but the lifelong meal. Like the charcuterie board ruined by distraction, we sabotage joy when we chase novelty over Christ’s sufficiency. [16:15]

Jesus told the Samaritan woman He was the living water—no need to keep drawing from broken wells. Rehearse your testimony today: Who were you before Christ? How did He intercept you? What chains did He break?

When tempted to seek “more” than the Gospel, pause. Whisper: “Christ is enough.”

“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
(1 Corinthians 2:2, ESV)

Prayer: Confess any craving for spiritual “pepperoni” beyond Christ’s finished work.
Challenge: Share your testimony with one person today—in person, by call, or message.

Sermon Summary

Paul locates the church in Colossae inside his own struggle and joy, rejoicing over their “good order and the firmness” of their faith while assuring them they are not alone. On that footing, Colossians 2:6–8 issues two commands. First, “as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.” The command to walk refuses passivity. A body cannot walk and stand still. A disciple in a fallen world is like a fish in a river: stop swimming and the current carries the life downstream. The text insists the Christian life is motion in union with Christ.

The walk Paul names moves on three beats. The gospel comes first. The church is told to go back to what it received: Christ crucified, buried, risen, ascended, and coming again. Paul’s own ministry is “set apart for the gospel,” and his letters pound that drum so the church’s steps are set to it. The second beat is doctrine. “Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith” pictures a tree whose roots spread wide to stabilize and feed the life. Knowledge and discernment teach the church to approve what is excellent, not the world’s cheap imitations of the good, true, and beautiful. That requires sweat: closed screens, open Bibles, meditation, memorization, and life together in the body, learning from those out ahead and training those coming behind. The third beat is thankfulness. “Abounding in thanksgiving” keeps the church from presumption and pride. The “how about another pepperoni?” story exposes how quickly a heart asks for more while ignoring mercies already on the blanket. Gratitude steadies doctrine and remembers grace.

Second, the text commands, “See to it that no one takes you captive.” The danger is not always a blatant denial of Christ. It is often “philosophy and empty deceit,” human tradition and the world’s elements posing as wisdom. Plausible arguments dazzle, but when cut loose from Scripture they drift with the current. The church must resist the itch for novelty and the habit of saying, “what this passage means to me.” Peter testifies that Scripture does not arise from private interpretation; the one Author carried men by the Spirit, and He intended what He said. So the test is simple and hard: does the voice in the ear run on the Word, or on opinion? In short: walk and watch. Go back to the gospel, grow deep roots, overflow with thanks, and keep your eyes open.

Key Takeaways

1. Walk; standing still drifts backward The Christian life does not idle in neutral. The world’s current pulls the heart downstream unless the believer intentionally moves in step with Christ. Real growth requires motion, resistance, and effort, not just sentiment. Walking is obedience tied to union with Jesus. [09:27]
2. Return to the gospel every day The received gospel is not a doorway left behind but the hallway the whole life travels. Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and return supply both power and pattern for holiness. Remembering grace dislodges self-trust and resets desire. The church’s steps get sure when they keep cadence with the cross. [10:26]
3. Grow deep roots in doctrine Roots spread through Scripture to steady and feed the soul, so knowledge and discernment can approve what is excellent. Doctrine is not dry storage; it is living nourishment that equips love, purity, and fruit. That means closing noise, opening the Bible, and submitting to the Word with the church. Roots take work, and that work bears ballast. [16:51]
4. Overflow with thankfulness, not presumption Gratitude protects the soul from entitlement and the cold pride that comes with bare information. Thanksgiving remembers deliverance, prizes the gift of Scripture, and delights in the ordinary mercies already on the table. A thankful heart asks less for “another pepperoni” and more to praise with an undivided tongue. [24:52]
5. Watch out for empty, Christ-less ideas Not every polished argument carries truth; some carry captivity. Philosophy severed from Scripture drifts with the world’s stream, while the Spirit’s Word anchors meaning and life. One divine Author intended one meaning, and His voice must judge every voice. Wisdom becomes safe only when it is “according to Christ.” [30:06]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:33] - Confusing job and unclear roles
[02:07] - Spiritual confusion and calling
[02:46] - Colossians 2:1-8 read
[04:19] - Therefore: walk in Christ
[09:27] - Fish in the river image
[10:26] - Go back to the gospel
[16:51] - Rooted and built up
[20:27] - Push back against passivity
[24:52] - Abounding in thanksgiving
[26:14] - How about another pepperoni?
[30:06] - Watch out for captivity
[31:56] - Philosophy apart from Scripture
[36:08] - One meaning, one Author
[40:46] - Walk and watch: final charge

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Colossians 2:6–8 (ESV)
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

Observation Questions

What two commands does Paul give in Colossians 2:6–8, and how are they connected?
The sermon compares the Christian life to a fish swimming against a river’s current. What happens if the fish stops swimming? [09:27]
According to the passage, what three actions (“beats”) are involved in “walking in Christ” (rooted, built up, abounding)?
What example was used to illustrate how thankfulness combats entitlement and presumption? [26:14]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize walking as an active, ongoing effort rather than a passive state? How does this contrast with the world’s influence?
How might “philosophy and empty deceit” (v. 8) subtly infiltrate a believer’s life today, even if they aren’t openly denying Christ? [31:56]
The sermon argues that doctrine is like roots stabilizing a tree. How does deep biblical knowledge protect against being “taken captive” by false ideas?
Why is gratitude described as a safeguard against pride, even for those who study Scripture diligently?

Application Questions

What practical step could you take this week to intentionally “walk” in Christ instead of drifting passively? (Example: Set a daily reminder to read Scripture, pray, or serve someone.) [20:27]
The “how about another pepperoni?” story highlights ingratitude. What ordinary mercies in your life do you often overlook, and how could you practice thanking God for them daily? [26:14]
Identify one source of teaching or influence (podcast, social media, etc.) you regularly engage with. How could you test whether it aligns with Scripture or risks “captivity” to empty ideas? [37:47]
When have you felt tempted to treat the gospel as a “doorway left behind” rather than the “hallway” of daily life? What habit could help you return to the gospel’s truths more consistently? [10:26]
How could you intentionally grow “roots” in doctrine this month? (Example: Join a Bible study, memorize a key verse, or discuss a theological question with a mature believer.) [16:51]
What specific distraction (noise, screens, etc.) do you need to limit to create space for Scripture meditation or prayer? [22:04]

Sermon Clips

What will you continue to do or add to in your personal discipline of reading, memorizing, and studying scripture. That's your walk. What author, podcast, or celebrity do you need to stop listening to? That's your watch. You can't walk one direction looking in another direction and hearing a different voice that takes you somewhere else. Eventually, you're gonna run into something. We need to walk rooted in god's word and watch out for those that would use other things other than God's word to take us away from him. [00:41:46] (58 seconds)

This command is to see that no one takes you captive. I would say like this, watch out. Watch out, church. You need to walk, but you also need to watch out. There are people who wanna take you away from God. And it seems like they're leading you to God, but they actually do a little end around. The next thing you know, you're walking away from god following these people. [00:30:24] (35 seconds)

How many times have you come to god asking, how about another pepperoni? Without thinking about all that he has given you, without resting in all that he has has just blessed you with, we wanna we want the next thing. Just give us some more, god. We need more. I need something else. And I know you gave me this, but I I don't like this. I I'm really bored with that. I need something else. [00:27:34] (35 seconds)

And you need to repent of your sin. You need to turn from your sin to God. You need to believe that Jesus is god, that he's your savior who died, rose again, ascended into heaven, and will return. That is the gospel. We need to go back to the gospel weekly, if not daily, for our own sake, for the sake of the church, for the sake of those who don't know Christ yet, go back to the gospel. [00:15:59] (36 seconds)

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