Stone's Hill Community Church
Letters from Prison - Colossians
Our series is called "Letters from Prison" - which is a study of Paul's prison epistles or letters. A quartet of men left Rome in the year A.D. 62, bound for the province of Asia, which was located in what was designated as Asia Minor and is currently called Turkey. These men had on their persons four of the most sublime compositions of the Christian faith. These four letters are designated the “prison epistles of Paul,” since he wrote them while imprisoned in Rome. He was awaiting a hearing before Nero who was the Caesar at that time. Paul, as a Roman citizen, had appealed his case to the emperor, and he was waiting to be heard. (1) Epaphroditus from Philippi (Philippians 4:18) had the Epistle to the Philippians. (2) Tychicus from Ephesus (Ephesians 6:21) had the Epistle to the Ephesians. (3) Epaphras from Colosse (Colossians 4:12) had the Epistle to the Colossians. (4) Onesimus (Philemon’s slave) from Colosse (Philemon 10) had the Epistle to Philemon. We've covered three of these four. So, welcome to "Colossians" the final book in this quartet of letters. And welcome to Stones Hill Community Church and Online Notes!
Locations & Times
Stone's Hill Community Church - Ligonier Main Campus
151 W Stones Hill Rd, Ligonier, IN 46767, USA
Saturday 1:02 PM
We welcome you to Stone's Hill today!
A typical Stone's Hill service has music (feel free to sing out); some announcements (things that are upcoming that you can be a part of); a message out of the Bible (God speaks to us through his Word); and an opportunity for you to respond to the message (either immediately in the case of a decision that needs to be made OR in the future as you live out the message in your life.)
So relax and enjoy your morning! We're so glad you are here!
Letters from Prison
One pastor calls this passage “Negative Newness”.
Why? Well, Paul writes about stuff that holds you back in your spiritual growth. You can present “Negative Newness” in a positive form.
The stuff Paul says to stop engaging in will result in newness of life…
1. There’s a new cleanness (3:5-7)
2. There’s a new calm (3:8)
3. There’s a new candor (3:9-10)
4. There’s a new community (3:11)
Do you need a new cleanness? A new calm? A new candor? A new community? Come to Christ today.
Dr. Victor Cline, a clinical psychologist at the University of Utah and a specialist in the area of sexual addictions, has observed a four-step syndrome common to almost all of his clients who have given themselves over to a sexual immorality and it’s various expressions.
I kind of think that the way Paul lists these selective terms here in Colossians 3, because he’s describing an addiction process like Dr. Cline.
Step 1-Addiction (immorality). Despite negative consequences, most addicts are unable to rid themselves of their dependence on a certain behavior. Their addiction rules their lives.
Step 2-Escalation (impurity). Cline describes the second phase as an escalation-effect – going further. This nearly always diminishes the viewer's capacity to love and express appropriate intimacy within relationships.
Step 3-Desensitization (lust). It no longer alarms and it all feels legitimate and necessary and deserved.
Step 4-Acting out (evil desires/acts). This is when you harm other people in some way because of the bondage.
This seems to be a progressive pattern. And I’m learning that early emotional wounding is almost always a factor in the various forms of sexual addiction.
Do you have an emotional wound? Christ can heal it today.