This week, Jon Vega wraps up his sermon series on the book of Colossians.  Listen for the P.A.S.S. anagram and how Paul fulfills the process.  Below are some of Jon's notes for your understanding and some questions to encourage your exploration. Colossians 4:2-3“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” Note: This is a flipping of the theme in Chapter 1. Instead of Paul praying for them (Colossians 1:3-5a), he exhorts them to pray for him and those with him in the fields of the gospel. Question 1: If we Chritians are God’s hands and feet (His body the Church), how/ why is this a parallel of 1 John 4:19? “We love because he first loved us.”    Colossians 4:4 (proclaim)“Pray that I may Proclaim it [the message... the mystery of Christ] clearly, as I should.”   Note: C.S Lewis wrote in an essay, “I believe in Christianity [Christ] as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”  Question 2: In Colossians 2, Paul asks, “where is our head?” If Christ is firmly attached both as the head of our personal walk of faith and as the head of our communal walk of faith in the church, how does that bring our faith into focus? How should we see everything else?  Colossians 4:5 (act)“Be wise in the way you Act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” Note: Paul has endured much and used each trial as a witness and opportunity to spread the Gospel.  2 Corinthians 11:23-28Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Question 3: Once properly focused with Christ as our head (Colassians 2) and with the Holy Spirit flowing living water through us into the world (Colassians 3), what trials and tribulations in our lives can we use to make the most of every opportunity for the Gospel?   Colossians 4: 6 (seasoned with salt) Let your conversation be always full of grace, Seasoned with Salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth.” Note: Two examples of salt mentioned in the Bible:  Brings Death and DestructionJudges 9:45“All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it.” Brings Life and Healing2 Kings 2:21“Then [Elisha] went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’”” Question 4: Both Abimelek and Elisha had suffered a recently experienced the loss of their leader: Abimelek (Gideon) and Elisha (Elija). What do they choose to do with their salt?  Question 5: How does being full of grace determine how we will use our experiences (trials and tribulations) in answering others? We are a witness either way.