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Colossians 4.2-6

To be Christian is to be counter-cultural. One thing we learn from history is that Christianity has always been under pressure. The first-century believers in Colossae lived in a highly religious world where they were singled out for their beliefs. When they eschewed idol and emperor worship, claiming Jesus was Lord, they risked everything. Many Christians around the world still risk everything to follow Jesus.

Though we live in a different culture, Christian beliefs continue to be under pressure. Pluralism and secularization dominate our world. Belief has been both personalized and privatized. Sometimes we are guilty of this ourselves, choosing to keep our beliefs private instead of letting them bubble up in casual conversation. Maybe we purposely forget to mention how we know a friend, even though we know them from church. Maybe we are afraid of what a co-worker will think if we tell them we will pray for their crumbling marriage.

As Christians, we represent Christ to the world. This past weekend guest speaker John Dickson showed us how Paul gives three ways to change the world around us: prayer, godly living, and winsome conversations. Paul gives the first-century Jesus community in Colossae this advice and it is applicable to us as well.

As you spend time in the Chair today, watch below as Pastor Jeff Manion recites this week’s passage. Then, identify areas where you sense Christianity is pressurized or privatized today. If our job is to make Christ known, in your The New You journal, list some challenges to making Christ known in our culture (click here for a PDF version).