Live Free with Josh Howerton - Grace-Healed Eyes | Ep. 85 | Friday June 2, 2023

Episode Date: June 2, 2023

The final chapter of Colossians in the Bible is packed with timeless wisdom that still applies to our modern lives. Paul's message encourages us to pray with an alert mind and a thankful heart, connecting with God as our lifeline. In today's episode, Pastor Mike reminds us to keep our focus on eternity and live every day with a sense of purpose. For more information, visit lakepointe.church/dailydrive

Thanks for tuning in to today's Daily Drive with Lake Point Church, a daily dose of God's word for your morning drive. When the word, not the world, becomes the majority of your week, your life will start to change. For that reason, our prayer is that God will speak to you through today's devotional. For more digital content to feed your faith, visit lakepoint.comit. Church slash daily drive. And now let's dive in to today's devotional. Hey, welcome to the Daily Drive. I'm Mike Bro, and super grateful that you tuned in today. We do this Monday through Friday for about five minutes or so, and by this, I mean we dive into a little chunk of God's word together so that we can get to know him better. And we can apply the wisdom and truth that he gives us for our, dare I say, daily drive through life. Well, we are at the end of this letter we've been walking through. The book of Colossians is a little letter found in the New Testament section of the Bible. Man, it is a breath of fresh. We've been calling it a springtime letter because it is all about new life. The writer is a guy named Paul who God chose to plant churches all around the known world and

he and a team of men and women. They planted a whole bunch of churches. Now, this particular one was one that Paul had never been to. Somebody else in the team got it started. But he had heard so much about their tremendous reputation of faith and love and how they were making a difference in their city and beyond. So he writes this letter to encourage them in their new, life and he kind of lays out what their new normal looks like.

It's such a great letter. If you haven't read it yet, you ought to go back and read it from start to finish today. It'll take you 10 or 15 minutes. That's it. It is so, so good. Well, in chapter 4, Paul wraps it all up by giving some greetings from some significant people in these readers' lives and in his own life, and he tells them to make sure they pass the letter along to some other churches.

And, man, I am so glad they did. so grateful that God preserved it and he made it all the way to us. And he tells him, listen, this really is me that's writing this letter. You can check out the signature. And then he asks him to remember him while he's in prison. And he says this of verse 2. Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Connect constantly with God.

Prayer is going to be your lifeline. Keep renewing your mind to this new way of living. And always be thankful for this new life that God has given you because gratitude will keep you from becoming entitled and soul. selfish. And then I love his attitude here, verse three. And would you pray for us, too? Talking about his team who had been called to spread the good news of Jesus, would you pray that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ? That is why I'm here in chains. I love his attitude. So my incarceration is giving me more

opportunity to get the word out. Even though I can't physically move around freely like I used to, I love Jesus more than ever before. And the exciting thing is, is more and more people are joining the team. There are so many faithful people doing so much more that I could ever do all by myself. I mean, churches are springing up everywhere. There's no way I could personally get to them anyway. So being able to write these letters from prison?

Oh, man, it has been such a blessing. So make sure that you pass this one around, because that's how we're going to get the word out. And while I'm here surrounded by guards and other prisoners, would you pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. You know, some people, when you're trying to tell them about something, they'll say, yeah, well, I know I want to see it.

You ever say that? I mean, if you were asked to write a definition of authenticity, or write down a definition of courage or integrity or confidence or hope or write a definition of faithfulness or love or humility, would you say, well, you know, I can't really give you a clear definition. I might not be able to put it into words, but I know it when I see it. And I think that way when I look at Paul's life. I may not be able to define courage, passion, focus, secure confidence, but man, I know it when I see it.

To have that kind of attitude while you are in prison is remarkable, especially when you're an innocent man, unjustly locked up simply because you love Jesus. I think he goes all the way back to what he said in that previous letter we walked through, Philippians, where he said, you know what, I just want to know Christ. I have been down so many dead-end streets leading my own life, trying to prove myself, trying to validate myself, trying to save myself. Man, it's all garbage compared to just knowing him. I counted a privilege to suffer for him because he sure did suffer for me. And I know where my real home is, his resurrection, has made that a reality.

That's how you maintain a great, resilient attitude when you're going through tough stuff, especially tough stuff that's totally unfair. So I pray that you would get to know Jesus, like really know him so that when tough stuff happens, and it will, you can have the same kind of internal courage and trust that Paul did. And then he gives every Jesus follower a closing word about interacting with an unbelieving world. And when I read it, I personally thought about, man, I thought, it's a good word for us. Of course, social media was not a thing back from Paul wrote. But it sure is now. look what he writes

live wisely among those who are not believers I think if he could say it to us today think twice before you post that rant before you try to prove your point think twice before you disparage somebody else on social media before you share your comment or like a negative

less than Jesus like post because there's lots of non-believers scrolling your actions your tone and your attitude he says make the most of every opportunity be sensitive to who God puts in your path notice who might need a touch from God the day slow down your pace give your to-do list to him and say God here's what I got to do today

but if you have other plans I'm giving you permission to totally interrupt me with an opportunity to make you known and then he says this in verse 6 let your conversation be gracious and attractive let your conversation be gracious and attractive Let your conversation be gracious and attractive

so that you will have the right response for everyone. A right response, a right reaction, a right tone, a timely word, looking at the world through the grace-heeled eyes of Jesus, it's his way. And guess what? It's our new normal. Man, I pray that this little letter has made it into your heart and that you have found new, found gratitude for who Jesus,

Jesus is and what He has done, and that you would know that he really is enough. I pray that His Word will dwell in your hearts richly, and you would live every day with an eye on eternity, knowing that we're only here for a little while. And while we're here, what do you say we live such gracious and attractive, joy-filled lives of love, that people will look at us and say, man, whatever they got. I want it. Let me pray for us all. Father, thank you for this journey through the Book of Colossians.

thank you that you preserve this letter all the way to 2023, so we could read it like it was personally sent to us, and God, we know it was. And so I pray that we would hide these words in our heart, that we would apply what we've learned together. I even pray today, God, as people go back and maybe read it again, that you would just spring some things right off the page, right off their screen into their heart. So this is for you today. God, thank you so much, will you speak to us?

And, God, I'm so grateful for everyone who listens. and I pray for them today in Jesus' name. Amen. They see you back next time with something fresh and new. Thanks for tuning in today. For more biblical teaching and worship, join us for our church online live weekend services on Saturdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 9.30 and 11 a.m. Central Standard Time.

Also, if this podcast was helpful to you, would you be sure to rate, review, and share this podcast to help get the word out? For more information about all digital ministries of Lake Point, visit lakepoint.compt.combe.combe.com slash daily drive.