Welcome to week 40 of Weekly Word! We are so glad you are here as we study through the books of Colossians and Romans.
As we walk through our sermon series, So That, our weekly readings, devotionals, and reflection questions will ground us in the supreme sufficiency of Jesus and the power of the gospel, so that His grace transforms our lives from the inside out.
Below, you’ll find this week’s readings, a short devotional, and reflection questions for your own time with the Lord or discussion with your community.
Readings:
- Romans 6 & 7
- Colossians 3:1–4
Devotional:
Readings: Romans 6&7, Colossians 3:1–4
What a gift to sit with the truths of Romans 6 & 7 alongside Colossians 3:1–4 this week!
In these chapters, Paul brings us face-to-face with a glorious reality: through our union with Christ, the power of sin over our lives has been broken. In Romans 6, we learn that when Jesus died and rose again, we died to sin’s authority and were raised into a brand-new way of living. Yet in chapter 7, Paul expresses the honest, often weary battle we all know so well—wanting to honor God, but feeling the ruthless tug of our old habits and fleshly desires.
When we feel caught in that internal tug-of-war, Colossians 3 gives us the blueprint for true transformation. Paul doesn’t call us to try harder; he calls us to lift our eyes to Jesus. He points out that because we have been raised with Christ, our actual, true life is now safely “hidden with Christ in God.” Victory isn’t found by obsessing over our daily stumbles, but by continually fixing our thoughts and affections on King Jesus and His finished work!
Anchored in who we are in Him, we get to step into our daily lives with eternal purpose. Friends, this isn’t a weight to carry or a performance to maintain. It is an invitation to abide! May we lean into the Holy Spirit this week, letting Him shift our gaze to things above as we step out in the freedom Christ has already won for us.
Reflection Questions:
- Re-read Colossians 3:1–4. What does the promise that your life is “hidden with Christ in God” tell you about your security when you fall into sin? Take a moment to thank Him for holding you fast!
- Where in your life are you experiencing the Romans 7 struggle between your new desires and old patterns? Bring those specific areas to the Lord in prayer today, asking Him to help you set your mind on things above and put on the “new self.”
Dig Deeper
Want to dig deeper into the big picture of Romans? To get more context on how the book is structured, specifically chapters 5–16, check out this animated short video from BibleProject that breaks down the main themes of the second part of Romans!
We also encourage you to check out this video resource from BibleProject on the book of Colossians.
We are praying for you as you dig into God’s Word this week!