Growing Stronger Everyday

Last Saturday had a great ride with the Calvary Cruisers (Christian Motorcycle Club).  We did something called a progressive supper (actually it started at 11:00 am and went to 7:00 pm).  We traveled up to North Conway and had appetizers with dear a dear brother and sister in Christ who have retired to a development in that area.   Appetizers might be the wrong word for a table spread for 10 people that included fruit dish, cheese and crakers, bread ball with cheese mix, bread pieces baked with cheese topping, ginger butter, apple butter, shrimp dip, veggie platter, eggs wrapped in sausage and baked, cream cheese, pumkin bread, spice bread, rasin bread and some other exotic dishes I can't remember.  From there we traveled over to parsonfield where the Libby family served us brocoli salad and venison stew.  If I wasn't so stuffed by the appetizers I would have had about 3 bowls of stew.  We then traveled to our house for meatball subs, sweet potatoe and sausage casserole, and macaronin and cheese.  Wow!! If that wasn't enough we then went to Rhonda's house for dessert.  Apple Crisp, Fudge Brownies, cookies and something else that was real good but I forgot.  We ate way too much and that is what contributed to our slow progress. A normal progressive supper lasts about 2 hours, ours lasted 8.



At been involved in a new project at work for hosting Unum UK insurance business on our computer systems.  Only bring that up because it was great to meet new friends who visited from across the pond and also had a great opporutunity as some of my coworkers from Chattanooga were up for a visit.

Last time we looked at the letter from Paul to the Colossians.  If you are looking for it on the map you will have to look for a place called Pinarket in Turkey.  The acropolis of Colosse is just a series of mounds now.  We found out that Paul had not actually brought the gospel to the Colossians but essentially had heard about there faith through the grapevine.  Actually one of Paul's helpers Epaphras was the one who actually told them about Jesus Christ and God's love.

Because of this great news Paul is writing this letter that leads him to share with the Colossians his prayer for them.  We will spend several weeks just on this prayer because it contains so much that helps us understand more about the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

Col 1:9 For this reason, 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. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. NKJS

Even though this letter is written to those have faith in Jesus Christ and love for the saints, I think those who do not believe but are seeking can gain a good understanding on what this gospel message is all about.

First of all lets look at just verse 9.  Paul is praying for God to fill them with knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  Whoa!! does that mean Christians aren't instantly filled with complete knowledge when they get saved.  Exactly, when someone becomes a Christian they only have a very small understanding of who God is and what is His will for thier lives.  Christians make mistakes. Christians are on a spiritual journey.  When you accept Jesus you are saved from the judgement and punishment we deserve as a result of sin, but much of our old nature remaines.  We are just as capable of poor judgement, poor behavior and selfishness.  We need to realize that christians are growing.  We need to grow in knowledge. There is never a time when that knowledge is complete.


As demonstrated in these verses we need to pray for each other to be filled with the knowledge of God's will, spiritual wisdom and understanding.  What an awesome responsibility. 


Why do we need to grow?  Next time we will look at verse 10 for the answer.