Reframing Relationships: Living as New Creation in Christ

Today, we gathered as a community to worship, to give, and to celebrate the sacraments of communion and baptism—reminders of God’s grace and the new life we have in Christ. We grieved together the loss of a beloved member, Jim Hemberry, and prayed for his family, trusting in the hope of resurrection and the nearness of God to the brokenhearted. In the midst of our ordinary and extraordinary moments, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, especially to those who are hurting.

Turning to Scripture, we explored God’s original intent for human relationships, beginning in Genesis. There, men and women are created together in God’s image, charged equally to steward creation. This partnership is fractured by sin, introducing hierarchy, domination, and power struggles into relationships—a pattern that has echoed through history and shaped societal norms, including the Greco-Roman household codes of Paul’s day. These codes, as articulated by Aristotle, established rigid hierarchies: men over women, parents over children, masters over slaves, with dignity and agency reserved for the few.

Paul, writing to new believers in Colossae, enters this context not to reinforce the brokenness of the fall, but to reframe relationships under the lordship of Jesus. He does not simply dismantle the structures of his time, but subverts them from within. Wives are called to voluntary submission, not blind obedience; husbands to sacrificial, Christ-like love. Children are given moral agency, and fathers are held accountable for nurturing rather than discouraging. Slaves are addressed with dignity, and masters are reminded of their own accountability before God. In every relationship, Paul insists that Christ is Lord, and that mutual love, dignity, and service are to mark the new creation.

This vision is not just for ancient households, but for us today. We are invited to examine our marriages, our parenting, our workplaces, and our communities. Are we living out the new creation, or are we perpetuating the old patterns of domination and hierarchy? The call is to submit every relationship to Jesus, to embody his love, humility, and justice, and to be a people who reflect God’s original intent for humanity—side by side, bearing his image together.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s original design for humanity is partnership, not hierarchy. In Genesis, men and women are created together in God’s image, charged equally to steward creation. The power struggles and domination that mark so many relationships are not God’s intent, but the result of sin and the fall. Recognizing this invites us to pursue relationships marked by mutual respect and shared purpose, reflecting God’s image more fully. [41:13]
• 2. The patterns of hierarchy and domination are deeply ingrained, but not inevitable. The Greco-Roman household codes, as articulated by Aristotle, reflect the brokenness of the fall—assuming that some are born to rule and others to obey. Paul’s teaching does not accept this as natural or good, but subtly undermines it by insisting on dignity, agency, and accountability for all. We are called to resist the world’s patterns and instead live as new creation, even when it challenges cultural norms. [51:24]
• 3. In Christ, every relationship is reframed under his lordship. Paul’s instructions to households are not about reinforcing power structures, but about mutual submission, sacrificial love, and shared dignity. Wives are invited to voluntary submission, husbands to Christ-like love, children to moral agency, and parents to nurturing care. Even those with little social power are addressed with dignity and worth, and those with authority are reminded of their accountability to God. [54:17]
• 4. Living as new creation means examining our own relationships for patterns of control, domination, or neglect. Whether in marriage, parenting, the workplace, or community life, we are called to ask hard questions: Are we building others up or seeking to win? Are we nurturing or discouraging? Are we treating others as image-bearers or as means to an end? The lordship of Jesus calls us to humility, service, and love in every sphere of life. [62:38]
• 5. The hope of the gospel is that we are not bound to the old patterns of sin and brokenness. Through Christ, we are made new—invited to live out God’s original intent for humanity here and now. Baptism is a sign of this new life: dying to the old self and rising to walk in the newness of Christ, with every relationship, every choice, and every moment submitted to his transforming love. [67:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:45] - Worship Through Giving
• [02:00] - Announcements and Potluck Invitation
• [04:30] - Marriage Course Introduction
• [07:00] - Children’s Church Update
• [15:40] - Children’s Ministry Changes
• [20:31] - Communion Invitation and Prayer
• [22:44] - Confession and Assurance
• [24:14] - The Lord’s Supper
• [30:26] - Communion Reflection and Dismissal
• [34:58] - Remembering Jim Hemberry and Praying for the Grieving
• [37:08] - Context for Colossians: Household Codes
• [39:07] - God’s Original Design in Genesis
• [41:13] - The Fracturing of Relationships in the Fall
• [45:46] - Aristotle and Greco-Roman Household Codes
• [52:47] - Paul’s Radical Reframing in Colossians
• [54:17] - Dignity and Mutuality in Christian Relationships
• [59:56] - Living as New Creation in Our Relationships
• [64:38] - Moment of Silence and Prayer
• [67:28] - Baptism: Sign of New Creation
• [71:10] - Closing and Dismissal

Bible Study Discussion Guide

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Bible Reading

Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV)
> Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
> So God created man in his own image,
> in the image of God he created him;
> male and female he created them.
> And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 3:16 (ESV)
> To the woman he said,
> “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
> in pain you shall bring forth children.
> Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
> but he shall rule over you.”

Colossians 3:18–4:1 (ESV)
> Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
> Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
> Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
> Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
> Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
> Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
> For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
> Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

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Observation Questions

1. According to Genesis 1, what was God’s original intent for men and women in creation? ([39:07])
2. What changes in human relationships are described as a result of the fall in Genesis 3? ([43:38])
3. How did the Greco-Roman household codes, as described by Aristotle, view the roles of men, women, children, and slaves? ([45:46])
4. In Colossians 3:18–4:1, what instructions does Paul give to each group: wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves, and masters? ([52:47])

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why does the sermon emphasize that hierarchy and domination in relationships are not part of God’s original design, but a result of sin? ([41:13])
2. How does Paul’s teaching in Colossians differ from the cultural norms of his day, especially regarding dignity and agency for all members of the household? ([54:17])
3. What does it mean for every relationship to be “reframed under the lordship of Jesus,” according to the sermon? ([59:56])
4. Why might Paul choose to subvert the household codes from within, rather than outright dismantle them? ([51:24])

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Application Questions

1. In your closest relationships (marriage, family, friendships), are there patterns of control, domination, or neglect that you recognize? What would it look like to submit these relationships to Jesus and pursue mutual respect and service? ([01:02:38])
2. The sermon challenges us to examine whether we are building others up or trying to “win” in our relationships. Can you think of a recent situation where you tried to win or control instead of serve? How could you approach it differently next time? ([01:02:38])
3. For those who are parents or have influence over children, how can you nurture rather than discourage the children in your life? Are there specific words or actions you need to change? ([01:03:32])
4. In your workplace or community roles, do you see people as image-bearers of God or as means to an end? What is one practical way you can show dignity and fairness to someone you lead or work with this week? ([01:03:32])
5. The sermon points out that the patterns of hierarchy and domination are deeply ingrained but not inevitable. What cultural or family patterns have you inherited that you need to resist in order to live as new creation? ([51:24])
6. Baptism is described as a sign of dying to the old self and rising to new life in Christ. If you have been baptized, how does this truth shape the way you approach your daily relationships? If you haven’t, what questions or hesitations do you have about this step? ([01:07:28])
7. When someone in your community is hurting or grieving, like the Hemberry family, how can you be the hands and feet of Jesus to them? Is there a specific person or family you feel prompted to reach out to this week? ([34:58])

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