Know the understanding of God's will

Devotional

Day 1: The Generous Heart That Does Not Hinder God

A generous person does not obstruct the Spirit's movement. Such a heart is not fixated on earthly concerns like finances but is wholly captivated by a desire to serve Jesus. This posture of open-handedness allows God to work freely and without restraint. It is a way of living that prioritizes Christ above all else. [17:17]

“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints.” (Colossians 1:3-4, NKJV)

Reflection: What is one practical way you can express generosity this week, not just with your finances, but with your time or attention, to demonstrate your love for the saints?

Day 2: Praying to Be Filled With the Knowledge of God’s Will

There is a deep and ongoing need to understand what God desires. This is not a one-time request but a continual prayer to be saturated with spiritual wisdom and understanding. Knowing God's will is the foundation for a life that pleases Him and bears good fruit. It is the pathway to walking in the fullness of what He has prepared. [33:41]

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” (Colossians 1:9, NKJV)

Reflection: In which area of your life do you currently feel the greatest need for God's wisdom and spiritual understanding to know His will?

Day 3: From Alienated in Mind to Reconciled in Christ

Before knowing Christ, every person is a foreigner to the things of God, with a mind at enmity with Him. This alienation is rooted in our thinking and is broken only through the work of the cross. Reconciliation presents us as holy and blameless before God, but it requires our continued faith. We must not slip back into those old, foreign ways of thought. [29:49]

“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight.” (Colossians 1:21-22, NKJV)

Reflection: Can you identify a thought pattern or perspective you hold that feels more "alien" to God's kingdom than reconciled to it?

Day 4: Transforming Alien Thoughts Into Kingdom Thinking

Our thinking can separate us from God if it remains contrary to His Word. Changing this requires a active pursuit of His truth through reading, listening to, and studying the Bible. This transformation is a process of replacing worldly thoughts with the mind of Christ. It is the key to moving from being a visitor in God's kingdom to being a fully engaged citizen. [01:13:42]

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2, NKJV)

Reflection: What is one specific "alien thought" you can commit to replacing this week by meditating on a truth from Scripture?

Day 5: Answering the Call to Share the Gospel

God has a call and a purpose for every believer, which often involves sharing the hope we have in Christ. Fulfilling this call requires us to move past feelings of comfort, fear, or shame that hold us back. The harvest is plentiful, but it is entered by those who are willing to go out. The church grows when each person embraces their role in reaching others. [58:21]

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’” (Mark 16:15, NKJV)

Reflection: Who is one person in your life that God might be prompting you to lovingly invite or share the gospel with, and what is a simple first step you could take?

Sermon Summary

The text urges a radical reorientation of mind and life toward Christ’s reign and the fullness of his will. It emphasizes that generosity and a surrendered heart keep the Spirit moving, while worldly or “alien” thinking blocks God’s purposes. Scriptural prayer models call for believers to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, spiritual wisdom, and understanding, so that lives become fruitful, patient, and strong in God’s power. The gospel is presented as reconciling those once alienated and making believers holy and blameless through Christ’s blood, with Christ given preeminence over all creation.

A persistent theme insists that wrong thinking—poverty mindsets, fear, shame, or familiarity with sin—separates people from the kingdom. Transformation requires intentional pursuit: asking God for wisdom, digging into Scripture, listening to God’s Word daily, and changing mental habits. The call to follow Christ includes laying aside sin and weights so obedience can produce tangible kingdom power: healing, deliverance, evangelistic fruit, and bold witness. Practical responsibility accompanies divine calling; doors open for ministry and increase when believers act, share the gospel, and refuse discomfort or embarrassment as excuses.

Eternity frames urgency: decisions and patterns formed now determine eternal residence and experience. The text exhorts a steady, long-term commitment to kingdom thinking—daily growth that compounds into visible change by year’s end. The path combines prayer, study, repentance from alien thoughts, and active obedience in outreach. The promise is not immediate perfection but measurable transformation as understanding deepens and faith is applied, producing fruitful ministry and lives that reflect Christ’s reconciling work.

Key Takeaways

1. Be filled with God's will A life shaped by clear knowledge of God’s will produces discernible fruit, steady patience, and strengthened power. Knowing God’s will is not mere information but a transforming lens that orders choices, priorities, and ministry effectiveness. Persistent prayer and deliberate pursuit of understanding invite God to translate doctrine into daily conduct. [32:01]
2. Stop thinking alien thoughts that separate Thoughts that treat God as foreign create a practical estrangement from the kingdom; transformation begins by identifying and replacing those patterns. Alien thinking shows up as poverty mentality, shame, or comfort with sin—and these mental habits block spiritual authority and witness. Consciously reframe internal narratives to align with Scripture and watch behavior and outcomes shift. [35:12]
3. Ask for wisdom; pursue Scripture daily Wisdom comes by request and sustained engagement with the Word; passive desire yields no deep change. Use available tools—reading, audio Bibles, study—to embed truth into the mind until it governs action. Regular asking plus steady intake of Scripture unlocks understanding that enables righteous steps and kingdom fruit. [51:33]
4. Actively share the gospel locally Doors open through intentional witness, not waiting for leaders to fill spaces; neighbors and highways need deliberate outreach. Embarrassment or comfort erodes mission; bold sharing and hospitality extend the church and release new life. Obedience in evangelism activates promised spiritual outcomes like conversions and healings. [58:21]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[16:49] - Generosity Keeps the Spirit Moving
[26:39] - Thanksgiving and Prayer for Believers
[28:27] - Christ: Firstborn and Head of All
[32:01] - Be Filled with Knowledge of His Will
[34:21] - Alienated and Enemies in Mind
[35:12] - Identifying Alien Thought Patterns
[44:38] - Eternity Frames Present Decisions
[51:33] - Ask for Wisdom; Use Scripture Tools
[57:09] - Doors Open: Respond to the Call
[58:21] - Go Out and Share the Gospel
[74:28] - Daily Pursuit and Long-Term Growth

Bible Study Guide

Based on the sermon summary and transcript provided, here is a Bible study discussion guide.

Bible Reading:
Colossians 1:9-14, 21-23 (ESV)
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 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, 23 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.

Observation questions

According to Colossians 1:9, what are the three specific things Paul prays for believers to be filled with?
What are the four results, listed in verses 10-12, of being filled with the knowledge of God's will?
Verse 21 describes a past condition. What two words are used to describe a person's mind and actions before being reconciled to God?
The sermon emphasized that wrong thinking can block spiritual authority. What was one specific example of "alien thinking" mentioned, such as a poverty mentality or shame? [35:12]

Interpretation questions

What does it mean to be "alienated and hostile in mind" even after becoming a believer? How can someone who loves Jesus still think in ways that are foreign to God's kingdom?
The prayer in Colossians 1 links knowing God's will with practical outcomes like endurance, patience, and joyful strength. Why is simply knowing facts about God different from having a knowledge that transforms your daily life and character?
The idea was presented that a "poverty mentality is against the word of God." [37:58] How does a mindset of lack or scarcity conflict with the truths of our redemption and inheritance described in Colossians 1:12-14?
If Christ has truly reconciled us and made us holy, why does verse 23 include the condition to "continue in the faith, stable and steadfast"?

Application questions

What is one "alien thought" or pattern of thinking (e.g., fear, shame, comfort with sin) that you recognize has been a practical block between you and experiencing God's fullness? [35:12] What is one Scripture you can use to consciously reframe that narrative this week?
The knowledge of God's will is not passive but requires asking and pursuing. James 1:5 says if you lack wisdom, you should ask God. What specific area of your life do you most need to ask God for spiritual wisdom and understanding right now?
A door for ministry often opens through intentional action, not by waiting. [57:09] Who is one person in your immediate circle—a neighbor, coworker, or family member—that you feel a responsibility to share the gospel with, and what is one practical step you can take to do that?
Transformation is a daily pursuit that compounds over time. [01:14:28] What is one new habit—like listening to an audio Bible, setting a daily prayer time, or studying a specific book—you can commit to for the next month to embed God's truth into your thinking?
Embarrassment or comfort can erode mission. [59:08] What is a fear or point of embarrassment that has held you back from inviting someone to church or speaking about your faith? How does the eternal reality of someone's destiny help put that temporary discomfort into perspective?

Sermon Clips

33s

#WalkInFullness

“In other words, he's telling the the Colossians that, you know, that is is you've received the gospel into your life as far as your life is concerned. Now the thing it is is God wants you to come to the place that you're walking in the fullness of the power of the gospel as far as your life is concerned. God wants us to come to the place that he wants us to walk in the fullness of the wisdom of God, fullness of the will of God, the fullness of an understanding of the spirit.”

28s

#AwakeToGod

“you were an alien. You come to the place that when it come to the things of god, you didn't understand the things of god. You didn't know the things of god. You didn't know who god was. You didn't have a clue as far as god was concerned. And because you didn't have a clue, you're you were an enemy in your mind and you're in your thinking. Now there it is as you come to a place that you were constantly battling against god as far as your life is concerned.”

Ask a question about this sermon

Eagles Way Life Center This sermon · AI assistant

How can Christians be filled with knowledge of God's will

What separates believers from the things of God

How should faith change our everyday way of thinking