Colossians Study, Week One | Missouri Made Momma

The study has began.  I know that in a couple of previous posts I have talked about the Colossians Bible study through Good Morning Girls.  

We are through week one and onto week two so I wanted to do a review/summary of week one.  I have really enjoyed this study so far.  I will say that I wasn't used to the type of study they use.  It is called the SOAP method.  I am sure some, if not most, of you have heard about it.   It's actually really easy to use once you get used to it.  The letters stand for S= Scripture O= Observation A=Application and the P= Prayer.  

I wanted to take a few minutes and share some of what I have written down in my notebook through the first week of study.  But, first the scripture.  

Colossians 1:1-14   

(1)Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, (2)To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.  (3) We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, (4) because we heave heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints--- (5) the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel (6) that has come to you.  All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth. (7) You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, (8) and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. 

(9) For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. (10) And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in ever good work, growing in the knowledge of God, (11) being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully (12) giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  (13) For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, (14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  

So, as you can see my Bible is that NIV format.  It can be a little difficult to understand but, there are a few key things to pull from all those verses.  Remember, these are the whole weeks worth of verse and are broken down day by day on the study book mark which you can get here.  You need to subscribe to their site and a link will get sent in an email.  Anyway, on to the rest.

The observations that I took away from these verses are:

• Paul saw that the people of Colosse were faithful and thankful to God for his wonderful gospel. 
• If you have hope then you will have faith & love.  Hope has to come first.  
• Paul always thanks God for the people of Colosse because of their faith in God.  It is spreading among them and bearing fruit.  
• Epaphras is the servant of God, that taught the Colossians about the gospel of the Lord.  
• The word of God is spreading about the world and bearing fruit because of the hope, faith and love of people.
• God will show people his will through spiritual wisdom and knowledge. 
• Live a life worthy of the Lord.
• Seek spiritual wisdom through God's word. If we seek God, through his word, he will make His will known.
• If we follow his way and have the endurance & patience to withstand all trials (with hope and faith), and never stop giving thanks, we will inherit everything he has to offer in the kingdom of light.
• Our Father has rescued us from darkness and delivered us to the great kingdom of his son.
• We have been forgiven our sins when Jesus, God's beloved, died on the cross.
• Through redemption and forgiveness, we will enter the kingdom of God.

I know that my observations are probably more rudimentary than yours are but, this is the very first time I have studied the ACTUAL Bible.  Sure, I have read the bible study books that are written by different authors but, there is nothing, NOTHING, like studying the Bible itself.  

I have enjoyed every minute of the study thus far and look forward to week two.  Can't wait.