Team Sport

Colossians 4:7-18 | Ben Potloff | Sitting on the floor of a Roman prison and bound in chains, Paul concludes the dictation of his letter to the church in Colossae. In his usual format, Paul closes the letter by extending his greetings to the complex network of leaders connected with his churches across the Roman world. After all that Paul has written to the Colossian church, this is what he wants to leave them with. Also, this means that after all that the Holy Spirit has inspired Paul to write to His people, this is what He wants to leave His people, us, with. It’s easy to neglect these greetings and skim through them, but they matter just as much as every other word of Scripture - let’s see why!MAIN IDEAKingdom work is done together.OUTLINEI. Our call is faithful service (vv. 7-9, 12-13, 17)II. Our comfort is fellow servants (vv. 7-11, 14-15)III. Our connection is in Christ (vv. 7, 12, 16-18)DISCUSSION QUESTIONS1. What does encouraging other believers’ hearts look like to you on a practical level?2. Paul asks the readers to remember his chains. Why is it important for Christians to remember one another in their suffering?3. What does “struggling in prayer” mean to you? Is there anything or anyone that you’ve been struggling on behalf of in prayer?4. What would it look like for you to fulfill the ministry/work in which you have received in the Lord?5. How can you use your present circumstances to spread the gospel and support your fellow believers, as Paul did from prison?6. How does Paul’s message to the early church inform or challenge the way you view participation in your local church?