This summer, the youth are going to the National Youth Gathering. In our preparation for the trip, as I’ve come across our theme verses from Colossians 1, I’ve been foolishly putting them in a box in my brain marked “for the teens.” This week, as I surrendered to the voice of Jesus saying “this if for you too,” I found a lot of amazing (& challenging) truths to consider for my own heart & I want to share them with you.
“The Son is the exact likeness of God, who can’t be seen”
• In Jesus, the invisible God makes himself visible & knowable
• Where in your life do you need to ask God to make himself visible & knowable to you?
“The Son is first & he is over all creation… All things have been created by him & for him”
• Jesus is above every created thing. The thing you’d give anything to have. The thing that feels out of control. The person you’d give anything to make happy. Over rulers & authorities.
•Where have you placed created things as the number one thing?
•What areas of your life do you need to rediscover that Jesus is authoritative over every created thing?
“Before anything was created, he was already there. He holds everything together”
• It’s not your job to hold everything together. It’s his job. Since the beginning of creation, he’s been holding the very fabric of time and space together, holding relationships together. If that thing that you’re worried about happening happens, he’s still going to be there, holding everything together.
• What in your life do you need to surrender to Jesus who is able to hold everything together?
“The Son is the exact likeness of God, who can’t be seen. The Son is first & he is over all creation. All things were created in him. He created everything in heaven & on earth. He created everything that can be seen & everything that can’t be seen. He created kings, powers, rulers & authorities. All things have been created by him & for him. Before anything was created, he was already there. He holds everything together. He is the head of the body, which is the church. He is the beginning. He is the first to be raised from the dead. That happened so that he would be far above everything. ” - Col 1:15-18 (NIRV)