Colossians 1:9-23

"Dear Father, We have not seen you. We do not even know what it might mean to see you. But you have shown us Jesus, and because we have seen him, we....."

"Dear Father, We are Christ's church and he is head over us, head over his body. He is the beginning, the first-born of creation and the first-born..."

"Dear Child of God, If you were a shepherd in the time when I was born, you would never have expected anyone to be astonished at anything you could..."

"Dear Beloved, Today you will read two powerful passages of praise. The first one is from Paul's letter to the Colossians. The second is from Paul's....."

"Dear Father, in whom there is no darkness at all, Strengthen me with all power, according to your great might, so that I can both endure and be..."

Who is that little child in that manger who looks so tiny and fragile? Phil Ware begins a four series set of articles for Advent and this first one is called BEFORE and focuses on Jesus being God, pre-existent before the world began.

Can you really accept that God views you as He does? Phil Ware describes a dream a friend had about Phil's dad -- and he shares how hard it is for him to accept that God feels that way about him, too.

The Father is looking to use you, no matter how unlikely it seems possible! Rubel Shelley reminds us that God does his best work through the most unlikely of people.

"This [reconciliation with God and the peace that comes through Christ's blood] includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies,..."

Moses wanted Pharaoh and the Egyptians to see that only Israel's God was truly God. Anything in addition to God was less. James Nored and Phil Ware look at Moses' showdown with Pharaoh to remind us that this was really a showdown to show who was truly God and our need to choose to follow him.

How can such a discovery, no matter how badly dirt-encrusted and stained, not be seen as a genuine treasure? Phil Ware tells us a simple story of a mother's love to remind how our Father sees us as his treasure.

How did God make you to stand out from the crowd? Phil Ware reminds us that the Gospel of Luke introduces us to common folks made special by God to remind us that we are not just another face in the crowd.

So who is Jesus to you? Phil Ware talks about Paul's big reversal from seeing Jesus as a blasphemer to seeing him as everything.

A genuine disciple, and especially an apostle, follows the path of Jesus who gave up his life to seek, serve, and save the lost. James Nored in video, and Phil Ware using the Scriptures, remind us of the beauty and the cost to God of saving us and forgiving us, and giving us a new life.

Sometimes a single, short, straightforward passage from Proverbs gives us two gems to help us live fruitful and long lives! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to celebrate the greatness of Jesus our Lord and learn to live for him from others and help others learn to live for him, as well!

Are you playing religious games or are you really delivered? Phil Ware shares another insight from Colossians about deliverance from the dead-end alleys, the dark dungeons, and the pits that keep us trapped and reminds us how Jesus brings deliverance.

Our message points us to 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Paul's promise that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation! Phil Ware and Demetrius Collins invite us to worship God and celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit as we are transformed to be more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ as we trust in God to give us a new fresh start in life because of Jesus!

"For [God] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by....."

"Dear Father, Help me and all of your people everywhere to be filled with complete knowledge of what you want, in all wisdom and spiritual..."

"For [God, our Father,] has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and...."

"For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in..."

"[A]nd by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people. He rescued..."

"[I, Paul, and our brother Timothy] also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience..."

"So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual..."

"So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual..."

"So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual..."

"Dear Father, I am so thankful that in your love and wisdom you gave up your Son to reconcile us to yourself through his body of flesh offered in..."

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:19-20 -- For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace with his blood, shed on the cro

Despite all the challenges, Mary and Joseph accepted their part in salvation's plan and their faith brought us God's gift of love, his beloved Son, Jesus! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to call us to recognize God's great love in sending Jesus, the joy Jesus' birth brings, and the truth that Jesus is with us and for us in this

What do you do when things fracture between you and someone important to you? Phil Ware talks about what to do when relationships are shattered and how it feels easier to trade in those relationships for new ones, but asks if this is really smartest and if it honors Christ and our walk with God.

We must learn to use prayer to face our challenges. One of our most important tools in our spiritual warfare is prayer.

Can you walk this walk from now on? It's not how many days we have, but how we use those days for God that matter -- or to say it differently, it is not how far we walk, but how we walk in the miles we cover that matter most.

Are you going to let that keep you away from Jesus? We lose sight of what is important and let many things get between us and Jesus.

Why can't we see the power of the Holy Spirit in less exciting ways? Even if our time in life means we have to slow down, that doesn't mean the Holy Spirit quits working in us; we can see his power in the small things he does in our lives.

Because we could not be James Nored and Phil Ware remind us that we all needed Jesus' redemptive death on the cross so we could find new life in the grace of God.

You offer the invitation, and Jesus brings the blessing! Max Lucado reminds us that Christ is our hope and that we can invite him into our lives anew, and to stay, this Christmas.

"For [the Father] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves."

"For [the Father] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves... "

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."

"For by [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things..."

"He [Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together. "

"He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior."

"He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation."

"Once you were alienated from God ... but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and..."

"Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and..."

"Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and..."

"Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and..."

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will..."

"Dear Father, Help me to continue in the faith by holding on to what you have given and by being stable and steadfast. Don't let anything move me away..."

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:15 -- He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:15 NIV -- He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:21 -- Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:16 -- For by him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:13 -- For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:20 nlt -- God in all fullness pleased live Christ, through reconciled everything made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:9 -- Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:22 -- [Once you were alienated from God...] but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:17 NIV -- He [Jesus] is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Inspirational illustration of Colossians 1:18 NIV -- He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Moses wanted Pharaoh and the Egyptians to see that only Israel's God was truly God. Anything in addition to God was less. James Nored and Phil Ware look at Moses' showdown with Pharaoh to remind us that this was really a showdown to show who was truly God and our need to choose to follow him.

What's your toughtest word to spell in your lifestyle? One way to learn the art of reconciliation is to look at the word as meaning re-cancellation -- cancelling the debt, the sin, the hurt between us and another.

Surely this can't be done in the test tube or research laboratory? Jesus is much more than his DNA: even this hoax can't begin to explain Jesus as God's Son.

How do we prepare the hearts of those we influence to be ready to receive Jesus with joy? ToGather.church worship segment for April 5, 2020, focusing on Jesus' Triumphal Entry and how we prepare people to receive Jesus into their hearts and shout "Hosanna!" in praise and welcome to him.

Why would Jesus face all that he faced when He could have stopped it with a word? Max Lucado reminds us of the gift Jesus gives us with the cross and resurrection.

Are you too hard on yourself? Perfectionism is not a godly trait, but a trait that makes life miserable and puts us out of balance.

When Jesus taught on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, he shifted from individual prayer in private to prayer shared with others Phil Ware, with the help of Grady King, reminds us that prayer is a together experience in much of experience and God calls us to share this experience together, then Grady King gives us some added insight and an exercise to help us through the next week.

"Dear Child of Grace, You have been blessed with grace because of the Father's love (John 3:16-18; Colossians 1:12-14). That grace was embodied by My...."

What is most important for us to believe and do as disciples of Jesus, today? Phil Ware begins a series of messages on what is core, or what is at the heart of what we must believe and do to be true disciples of Jesus, today.

If there is a God and he's out there, why doesn't he just get it over with and show himself to us? Why this need for faith? Phil Ware and James Nored share in word and video an idea about how we can truly understand God's greatness, glory, and grace even though we cannot understand everything about him.

Do you have the strength to stand? The power of an anonymous motel room doesn't have to claim our purity or cause us to cave into sin.

Can you find that light that chases away the shadows? Phil Ware continues his series on When Spirit Becomes Flesh and talks about Jesus as heaven's light.

Is there any hope, any light, for our darkness? Phil Ware talks about the triumphal entry of Jesus and the darkness that Jesus faced for all of us to defeat the darkness and bring us to light.

"Through him [Jesus] God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as..."

Advent is the celebration of Jesus' coming to earth and bringing God's heavenly Kingdom shown in his ministry, lived by his people, and ultimately experienced at his return! Phil Ware shares Scriptures and James Nored shares an inspirational video regarding the blessings and significance of Advent, Jesus' coming to earth as God in human flesh as our Savior and Lord.

The cycle of violence is heartbreaking — will it ever end? Phil Ware reminds us of the simple, yet powerful words found in the hard story of Jesus' birth and Herod's attempt to murder him at Bethlehem -- But Herod came to an end.

"Dear Disciple, I appointed My apostles as My emissaries to the world. I commissioned them to take My message everywhere to everyone. The original..."

What words do you most long to hear from Jesus today? Phil Ware continues his series called Beyond Bread and Wine and focuses on the three sets of words we most long to hear.

Have you lost your identity? Phil Ware challenges us to look at our identity built around the question of "Who are you?" and the answer framed by the work of Jesus.

Is there something out there? What would it mean if there were? Scientists are forever searching the skies for alien life, but what does that mean to the Christian? Randy Becton shares his thoughts on extra-terrestrials, aliens, and God.

Why do we have to be the big fish in our small puddle? Phil Ware looks through The Jesus Window and is led to ask a question of all of us: just how big is our aquarium, just how big is our Jesus?

We will exchange our mortal bodies for immortal bodies that are made for eternal glory! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to glorify God as we remember the encouraging future and forever-change we have in Jesus at his return in glory.

Caught to be released into life, community, and purpose by the grace of God! Phil Ware begins a series of articles on sharing Jesus in word and deed with others called Catch and Release and focusing on following Jesus.

Can you think of a more noble vision or a more compelling mission for us, the Lord's people, than to be Jesus' bodily presence to our fractured and fragmented world? James Nored and Phil Ware challenge us through words and video to embrace God's mission for us as the bodily presence of Jesus in the world.

How can I take this bread and wine as someone worthy? Phil Ware reminds us that we share in The Supper, not because we are worthy of Jesus' sacrifice, but because we've been made worthy by his sacrifice!

How do we ever understand what the cross cost God? Phil Ware continues his series on Mary and her being a window to the heart of God.