Look at the Book

How Not to Break Your Child’s Spirit: Colossians 3:18–21, Part 7

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fathers, do not discourage your children with excessive demands. Instead, encourage your kids by teaching them to hope in God.

Children, Obey Your Parents! Colossians 3:18–21, Part 6

05 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why should parents diligently teach their children to obey? Because the Lord takes delight in the glad-hearted obedience of children.

Husbands, Love Your Wives! Colossians 3:18–21, Part 5

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean for a husband to become embittered toward his wife? How can we overcome such bitterness?

What Is Submission ‘In the Lord’? Colossians 3:18–21, Part 4

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Wives who trust the Lord are fearless. How does this confidence in Christ affect how they relate to their earthly husbands?

The Design of Creation for Man and Woman: Colossians 3:18–21, Part 3

29 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

God saw his created order for marriage as good. What order did he intend, and why do godly women joyfully submit to their husbands?

A Wife’s Submission Is Fitting: Colossians 3:18–21, Part 2

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why should Christian wives submit to their husbands? What does it mean for a wife to submit to her husband “as is fitting in the Lord”?

Citizens of Heaven Still Have Earthly Families: Colossians 3:18–21, Part 1

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We do not belong to this world, nor to the things of this world. How then shall we live out our time in this world?

Do Everything in the Name of King Jesus: Colossians 3:15–17, Part 4

22 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How we speak and act reflects something about our King. What tangible effect has that had on your Christian life?

Songs Rich with the Word of Christ: Colossians 3:15–17, Part 3

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Does it really matter if we sing in the Christian life or not? Could we really be spiritually stunted if we refuse to greet one another with songs?

How Does the Peace of Christ Rule? Colossians 3:15–17, Part 2

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone lives by a rule. How can the “peace of Christ” rule in our hearts, homes, and communities?

Is Christian Peace in My Heart or in the Church? Colossians 3:15–17, Part 1

15 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Panic often prevents peace. In a world lacking calmness, what does it mean to be called to the peace of Christ?

How Does Love Bind Everything Together? Colossians 3:12–14, Part 4

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

God calls us to marvel at Christ’s love which forgives and renews us. How does this fascination functionally change how we live?

The Perplexities of Forgiving and Forbearing: Colossians 3:12–14, Part 3

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The bite of others’ sin hurts more when repentance never comes. How do Christians become long-suffering in relationships?

Put on Bowels of Mercy: Colossians 3:12–14, Part 2

08 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You need biblical bowels. What on earth are those, and how does a Christian embrace this unusual command?

Christian, You Are Chosen, Holy, Loved: Colossians 3:12–14, Part 1

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What difference does it make in our actual lives as Christians to know ourselves as chosen, holy, and loved by God?

The End of Ethnic Strife in the Church: Colossians 3:11

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The alternative to ethnic strife that divides the world is a Christ-centered, Christ-empowered love that unites his people.

Develop a Radical Love for Truth: Colossians 3:5–10, Part 7

01 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If we functionally replace God from the center of our lives with some other god, we cannot be people of the truth.

The Cravings Behind Our Anger: Colossians 3:5–10, Part 6

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anger boils when our cravings are denied. The new man in Christ must put away all unrighteous anger and replace it with grateful joy.

Why Warn Saints About Wrath? Colossians 3:5–10, Part 5

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If Christians are safe from God’s wrath, why does God warn them about it?

How to Put Sexual Immorality to Death: Colossians 3:5–10, Part 4

24 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do we gain victory over a sin that continually tempts us with the promise of pleasure?

What Is Sexual Immorality? Colossians 3:5–10, Part 3

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do we know what a biblical author means when he uses words that we almost never use?

Where Is the Spirit in Colossians? Colossians 3:5–10, Part 2

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Paul seems extremely shy to mention the Spirit in Colossians. He does so explicitly only once. Why might that be?

Kill What’s Killed, Renew What’s New: Colossians 3:5–10, Part 1

17 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When sinfulness remains and newness of life delays, how should Christians make sense of it all?

Relentlessly Seek Reality Above: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 8

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nothing on earth can compete with the worth of Christ, so we are called to seek him with all our hearts and minds.

Christ Is Coming in Glory: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 7

12 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Grace upon grace, resurrection from the dead, transformation into unimaginable glory, and the unceasing company of our Lord — can you imagine?

Your Life Is Hidden with Christ in God: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 6

10 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One day we will all shine like the sun. What will our now-hidden lives look like on that day?

Christ Is Your Life: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 5

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Christ is our life now, but how do we experience that life? Scripture illuminates how this life flows to Christians through faith.

Seated at the Right Hand of God: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 4

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why is it significant that Jesus sits at the right hand of God? Exult in the current physical location of Christ.

Christian, You Have Been Raised! Colossians 3:1–4, Part 3

03 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Satan entices us to believe that our sin defines us. How does unity with Christ forever change the way we battle that lie?

Christian, You Are Dead! Colossians 3:1–4, Part 2

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Death precedes true life. Christ exemplifies this, and we follow in his footsteps. How should this change how we live?

Obedience Confirms Our Resurrection: Colossians 3:1–4, Part 1

29 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Christ calls his disciples to be doers of the word, not hearers only. How does our union with Christ relate to obeying his commands?

Self-Made Religion Is Useless: Colossians 2:20–23

27 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Christians have died to man-made worship and any religious effort that would try to commend them to God apart from Christ.

Why We Do Not Worship Angels: Colossians 2:18–19

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

God has provided one Mediator between God and man, and he is far greater than any heavenly or fallen angel.

Shadows of Christ, the Substance: Colossians 2:16–17

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If Christianity is rooted in the Old Testament, why are Christians not keeping so much of what God commanded there?

How Did the Cross Defeat Satan? Colossians 2:13–15, Part 5

20 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Through his crucifixion, Christ silenced the accuser, nullified the terror of death, and delivered sinners from the dominion of sin.

Can the Innocent Die for the Guilty? Colossians 2:13–15, Part 4

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Does it satisfy the standards of God’s justice for an innocent one to die for the guilty?

The Gospel: Salvation by Substitution: Colossians 2:13–15, Part 3

15 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

God obliterates our record of debt by nailing it to the cross through the substitutionary death of Christ.

How Did God Make Us Alive? Colossians 2:13–15, Part 2

13 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The plights of our sinful state — deadness, blindness, hardness, and inability — were all resolved decisively in the moment God made us alive.

How Dead Are We Before Christ? Colossians 2:13–15, Part 1

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Death before life is the testimony of all who really live. Do you know how bleak things were before God brought you to life?

The Glorious Reality Baptism Reveals: Colossians 2:11–12, Part 3

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our union with Christ in his death and resurrection should tangibly, observably define how we live in this world.

What Is a Circumcision Without Hands? Colossians 2:11–12, Part 2

06 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is the body of the flesh, and how do you put it off? What exactly is cut away in this “circumcision of Christ”?

The Sign of Circumcision and Baptism: Colossians 2:11–12, Part 1

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Christians have received a circumcision that is “made without hands.” What is this circumcision, and what does it do?

Filled with the Head of All Authorities: Colossians 2:6–10, Part 4

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To be filled in Christ is to possess the riches of his inexhaustible love, unsearchable wisdom, and unrivaled rule.

All Deity in Christ Bodily Now: Colossians 2:6–10, Part 3

30 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The incarnation of the Son of God reveals any denigrating of the human body as a man-made, deceitful philosophy.

What Is Wrong with Philosophy? Colossians 2:6–10, Part 2

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Christ is the treasure chest of wisdom and knowledge. Any philosophy that would exclude him excludes Wisdom himself.

The Divine Tradition of Walking in Christ: Colossians 2:6–10, Part 1

25 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Faith rooted in Christ, built on him as its firm foundation, will not be blown about by every new gust of doctrine.

Spiritual Antibodies Against Delusion: Colossians 2:4–5

23 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many people are deceived by false teaching and lost while believing that they know the truth. How do we resist such deceptions?

Love, Unity, and Assurance in the Truth: Colossians 2:1–3, Part 2

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Communities bound together in love will better know the great riches of Christ than communities divided by rivalry.

What Was Worth So Much Struggle? Colossians 2:1–3, Part 1

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

God gives good gifts to his church when he gives her good men to serve as pastors. The work is challenging, but worth every sacrifice.

How to Struggle in the Strength of Christ: Colossians 1:28–29, Part 2

16 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When we put our hands to the plow of our Christian lives, we cannot leave prayer behind. God gives the strength we need; he must work within us.

Who Presents Believers Mature in Christ? Colossians 1:28–29, Part 1

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our growth in Christ can seem so slow and the road so long, but we can take comfort knowing that God himself is maturing us.

The Wealth of the Glory of Mystery: Colossians 1:24–27, Part 4

11 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The welcoming of the nations into the unspeakable hope of the glory of God is the mystery revealed to the elect in the gospel of Christ.

What Is Lacking in Christ’s Afflictions? Colossians 1:24–27, Part 3

09 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? The personal, bodily, costly presentation of his love to the elect through missionaries.

The Amazing Apostolic Heart of Love: Colossians 1:24–27, Part 2

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Paul understood his sufferings for the gospel as an essential means to bring about the salvation of the elect.

Six Reasons to Rejoice in Suffering: Colossians 1:24–27, Part 1

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The New Testament provides at least six reasons for why Christians embrace the trials they undergo with joy.

Global Response, Personal Apostle: Colossians 1:21–23, Part 4

02 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

God is no tribal deity. He will see to it that his gospel reaches every tribe, people, language, and nation under heaven.

Conditional Reconciliation and Eternal Security: Colossians 1:21–23, Part 3

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

God uses the warning passages of Scripture to stimulate us to fight for faith. And he uses that fight to keep us safe until the end.

Reconciliation Accomplished and Applied: Colossians 1:21–23, Part 2

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

God achieves reconciliation at the cross and applies it to us through faith, and he does it all to bring the elect to himself.

Our Minds Were Hostile to God: Colossians 1:21–23, Part 1

25 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alienated. Enemies. Evil. We won’t revel as we ought in the reconciling work of Christ unless we know who we were without him.

Reconciliation of All Things by Blood: Colossians 1:19–20, Part 2

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When God finishes his reconciling work, there will be nothing left unreconciled to him.

All the Fullness of God in Christ: Colossians 1:19–20, Part 1

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The central truths of the gospel of reconciliation are bound up in the mystery of the Trinity.

Entranced by the Supremacy of Christ: Colossians 1:15–18, Part 3

18 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The one who humbly stoops to save his people is the infinitely supreme Creator and Upholder of all things.

Christ Created All Things to Display Christ: Colossians 1:15–18, Part 2

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

God created all things through the Son so that all might know the beauty and glory and supremacy of the Son.

How Is Jesus the Firstborn of Creation? Colossians 1:15–18, Part 1

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Scripture calls Jesus “the firstborn of creation,” he doesn’t mean firstborn as part of creation.

How Do We Become the Redeemed? Colossians 1:13–14, Part 3

11 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Through faith, Christians are delivered from bondage to Satan and transferred to the kingdom of the Son.

How Did Jesus Free Us from Satan? Colossians 1:13–14, Part 2

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At the cross, Satan’s one weapon of damnation is taken away. Jesus’s sacrifice cancels our record of debt.

Delivered from Satanic Authority: Colossians 1:13–14, Part 1

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To be a Christian means God delivered you from the rule of Satan to live under the rule of God’s beloved Son.

God Qualifies Us for Eternal Light: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 9

04 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Father has mercifully and freely adopted us into his family and placed us in the bright kingdom of his Son.

Strengthened Through Joy for Endurance: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 8

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What produces the kind of strength we need to patiently and joyfully endure? The glory of God.

Knowing God by Bearing Fruit: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 7

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The good works God brings about through our lives are a means he uses to increase our knowledge of him.

How Does Our Walking Please God? Colossians 1:9–12, Part 6

27 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How does one walk in a manner worthy of the Lord? Value him in your work, in your play, in your worship.

How Are We Filled with the Knowledge of God’s Will? Colossians 1:9–12, Part 5

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How can I know God’s will for my life? How can I live a life pleasing to him in everything I do?

Does Paul Pray for Perfection in This Life? Colossians 1:9–12, Part 4

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pray for fellow believers that they might grow in Christian maturity, that is, that they would know God’s will and walk in a manner pleasing to him.

God’s Will of Decree and Decree of Command: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 3

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding all the Bible says about God’s will requires one to think in two categories: the sovereign will of God and the moral will of God.

Partnering with God in a Thousand Prayers: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 2

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Through prayer, we participate in God’s ongoing work of strengthening the saints and bringing them to full maturity.

Doctrinal Prayer, Prayerful Doctrine: Colossians 1:9–12, Part 1

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prayer and careful thinking about God aren’t separate activities. Prayer should precede theology; theology should inform prayer.

Does Faith or the Spirit Produce Love? Colossians 1:3–8, Part 8

13 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Faith in the promises of God overflows in love toward others by the gracious working of the Spirit in the heart.

The Global Impact of the Gospel: Colossians 1:3–8, Part 7

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The gospel is not static. It increasingly advances throughout the world and grows in the heart of believers.

Six Aspects of the Glorious Gospel: Colossians 1:3–8, Part 6

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A gospel presentation that stops at the forgiveness of sins has missed the ultimate aim of the gospel, namely full and forever joy in God himself.

The Gospel Is the Word of Truth: Colossians 1:3–8, Part 5

06 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The gospel is not just a truth to know, but a truth to be embraced and loved and taught and proclaimed.

Hope Awakens Faith and Faith Awakens Love: Colossians 1:3–8, Part 4

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Faith that truly embraces the hope laid up in heaven reveals itself through good works that are done in love.

How Does a Future Hope Awaken Faith Now? Colossians 1:3–8, Part 3

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Moses could renounce the pleasures of Egypt because of his coming reward. In the same way, Christians reject the world and put all our hope in Christ.

What Is Our Hope Laid Up in Heaven? Colossians 1:3–8, Part 2

29 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our hope laid up in heaven includes forgiveness of sins, a dwelling in the kingdom of Christ, and an inheritance in light.

We Are Not Sons of God Like Jesus Is: Colossians 1:3–8, Part 1

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jesus’s sonship is not like ours. All the benefits we enjoy as sons come to us through the only-begotten, eternal Son of the Father.

If God Is Your Father, Grace Flows Continually: Colossians 1:1–2, Part 5

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The people who have God as their Father are the recipients of his inheritance, namely, boundless grace and perfect peace.

Productive Imprisonment and Beloved Partners: Colossians 1:1–2, Part 4

22 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prison, for the apostle, was not a time for pity parties, but for productive labor on behalf of local churches.

What Does It Mean to Be a Saint? Colossians 1:1–2, Part 3

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every believer is someone who has already been made holy through his union with Christ by faith.

The Relational Authenticity and Wisdom of Paul: Colossians 1:1–2, Part 2

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The apostle mentions his fellow ministers, in part, to show how important relational dynamics are in the exercise of Christian authority.

A Persecutor of Christians Was Made an Apostle: Colossians 1:1–2, Part 1

15 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What we read in the apostles is not mere human wisdom, but wisdom taught by the Spirit.

How Would You Summarize 2 Thessalonians? 2 Thessalonians 3:16–18, Part 2

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How might you summarize Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians? In this lab, Pastor John makes an attempt.

Peaceful Relations Are Precious, Not Ultimate: 2 Thessalonians 3:16–18, Part 1

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Peace is precious. Peace is to be prized. But peace is not to be pursued at any cost.

How Long Are We Patient with the Idle? 2 Thessalonians 3:11–16, Part 3

08 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The aim of holy ostracism is to cause shame in a fellow believer so that they might turn and walk in the light.

Five Implications of ‘Eat Your Own Bread’: 2 Thessalonians 3:11–16, Part 2

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are at least five significant implications from Paul’s command to the Thessalonian church to “eat your own bread.”

As New Creatures, Eat What You Earn: 2 Thessalonians 3:11–16, Part 1

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

God created mankind for good works. When he makes us new in Christ, his purpose remains the same.

Does ‘No Work, No Food’ Mean No Mercy? 2 Thessalonians 3:6–10, Part 3

01 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When someone sins against us, Christians are not always called to turn the other cheek.

Why Did Paul Refuse Gifts of Food? 2 Thessalonians 3:6–10, Part 2

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pastors ought to be paid for their labors, but they should never give the impression that they labor for money.

Sometimes Ostracism Brings Reconciliation: 2 Thessalonians 3:6–10, Part 1

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Christians must have a category for shaming other Christians so that they might repent and be reconciled.

Prayer as an Answer to Prayer: 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 5

25 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hearts that remain firm through trials don’t depend on their own strength, but hang on the steadfastness of Christ.

An Obedient Church Deals with Disobedience: 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 4

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Disobedient churches deal lightly, if at all, with flagrant disobedience. Obedient churches consistently practice church discipline.

What Is the Faithfulness of God? 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5, Part 3

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The deepest ground of God’s faithfulness, to his word and to his people, is his faithfulness to his own self.