The book of Colossians was a letter written by Paul, while in prison, to a church for their encouragement, development and correction.

Colossians 1:1-2 (ESV)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

1) We must be careful about from whom we learn.

2) The will of God must be the point.

3) We are given a new and secure identity in Christ.

4) God is our Father.

Colossians 1:3-14

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf 8 and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul prayed for faith, hope, and love to define this church.

The most important thing about a person is what they believe about Jesus.

1) Jesus is the Image of God.

Colossians 1:15

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

John 14:9

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

2) Jesus rules over creation.

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

3) Jesus created everything.

Colossians 1:16

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

John 1:3

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4) Jesus is eternal.

Colossians 1:17

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 8:57-58

So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

5) Jesus sustains all things.

Hebrews 1:3

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

6) Jesus is the Head of the Church.

Colossians 1:18

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Ephesians 1:22

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.

7) Jesus is alive.

Revelation 1:17b-18

But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”