PrayerBits for Saturday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Saturday

Scripture lesson: Colossians 2:6-15 philosophy and empty deceit

Time to reflect: I am thoroughly convinced that we humans can talk ourselves into anything. We enjoy heady rethinking of everything and we are easily enticed with “new” and different ideas (they rarely are new, just repackaged for a new era). One of the things Christianity has going for it as opposed to many other religious, anti-religions and philosophies is that it is rooted in time and space. Jesus existed and lived in a particular era and yet his effect transcends time and space. This is no flash in the pan philosophy but a religion that works in every era, people and culture. It is important for us to hold onto the basics of Christianity (we can still get our kicks arguing over the fine points, however).

Moving through the day: Are there “philosophy and empty deceit” ideas that have been intriguing to you lately? Reevaluate these to see if they are rooted in the reality of Jesus the Christ.

Scripture:

6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

 8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

 9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature,[a] not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

 13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,[b] God made you[c] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[d]