Read the whole book again and list out:
What have you learned and been challenged by? What questions do you still have?
What themes do you now see running through the book that you may not have before?
Pray
Thanking God for all that you have learned and ask that it be reflected in your life.
Read Colossians 4:7-18
Go back to study 3 and have a look at the people that are mentioned in this section.
What do we know of (assuming they are all the same people):
Tychicus (Acts 20:4, 2 Tim 4:12, Titus 3:12)
Aristarchus (Acts 19:29, 20:4, 27:2)
Onesimus: (Philemon 8-22)
Mark (Acts 15:36-41, 1 Peter 5:13, 2 Tim 4:11)
Demas (2 Tim 4:10)
Luke (Luke 1:1-4, Acts 1:1-3, 2 Tim 4:11)
Who are the guys that have been good to Paul, Who are less reliable?
Pray
That God would use the people of Soma despite our failings and frailties
Read Colossians 4:2-6
At the start of this letter Paul prays for the Colossians, here, at the end of the letter, he asks them to pray for him.
What does he ask them to pray for specifically?
What does also ask of them in their lives?
Why is that important?
Pray
That you and the rest of the Soma community would do a great job of
Read Colossians 3:18-4:1 This passage deals with a number of different roles in the household (slaves used to live with the people they served as a part of the household).
Which of these roles apply to you?
How can you be better at these roles?
Are there others you might need to add (e.g. housemate)?
How do you think Paul would address this role?
Pray
That God would help you to fulfill the roles He has placed you in.
Read Colossians 3:12-17
What are the things that we are clothe ourselves with in this passage? (list them out)
How is doing this different to living out religion or doing the things in chapter 2?
Which one do you need to work on more?
Which one do you think the Soma community needs to work on more?
Pray
For yourself and the Soma community to clothe ourselves in the right way
Read Colossians 3:5-11
What is Paul’s attitude to the ‘old life’ we have (3:5)?
What’s another word you might use for the verb?
What’s the list of things that are to be executed in the old life?
Which one on this list do you need to lose?
Pray
That God would help you repent of these sins
Read Colossians 3:1-4
Try and draw this passage diagrammatically. What’s the problem?
What is the instruction that Paul gives his readers in 3:2?
How might that work out in your day to day life?
How does this effect the way you think of yourself?
Pray
That you would have a clear picture of who you are and where you live in Christ.
Read Colossians 2:16-23
This section also deals with temptations of not living under the Gospel of the grace, but in a slightly different way.
What do think lies behind the temptations of 2:18?
How is it the same and different to the ones in 2:16?
Why is this a failure (2:20-23)?
Why is this a danger (2:19)?
Looking back over the rest of the chapter, what does Paul offer as the solution?
How might you be tempted to fall into the same or similar temptation?
How might we see the Soma community fall into the same or similar temptation?
Pray
That the community in Soma will not fall into this temptation and will focus on the Gospel of grace.
Read Colossians 2:16-17
This section deals with temptations of not living under the Gospel of grace.
What do you think lies behind the temptations of 2:16?
What is the connection to 2:8?
What is the solution that Paul offers in 2:17?
How might you be tempted to fall into the same or similar temptation?
How might we see the Soma community fall into the same or similar temptation?
Pray
That the community in Soma will not fall into this temptation and will focus on the Gospel of grace.
Read Colossians 2:8-15
What is the warning that he gives in v8?
In what way might we be in danger of following ‘empty deceit’?
What sorts of ways does Paul describe Jesus death on the cross?
How might you describe the connection to what Jesus has done, and how God sees us, to someone who is not a Christian?
Pray
That we would not be taken captive by different teaching and remain faithful to the Gospel.
