The Letter to the Colossians

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Scenario: You've started to read the book of Colossians and you've never read it before or you have read it but now you want to get some background on what was the purpose for this letter? What was the city like historically and culturally at the time of this writing? What were the big issues facing the believers that the apostle Paul is seeking to help them with? What false teachings does this letter specifically address? See the full challenge... 

Scenario: You have a friend who is a believer but they are going through a time where they are doubting God and His love for them. You want to encourage them but you want to be sure that what you say truly represents God's heart for them. See the full challenge...

Scenario: You are praying for family members, friends, co-workers, leaders, and others but you don't always know just what to pray. You are looking for examples of prayer in scripture that can provide both motivation to pray for others and help shape what specifically to pray for them. See full challenge...

Scenario: When we think about some of the most powerful and highly responsible positions on the planet, we think of corporation CEOs, heads of state, and royalty. Each of these can be characterized with a job description detailing the role's responsibilities and required competencies/qualifications to successfully do the job. But there's a job description that we don't typically ponder and that one is -- what would be the job description for the Savior of the world? See full challenge...

Scenario: When we want to better visualize or conceptualize something we typically create a model. Whether it's a logical, physical, or mathematical model, it is meant to help us to understand and predict or simulate behavior. In our faith life, we too need models to help us examine what a life lived out in faith looks like. Here the apostle Paul is our model, someone that has been there, done that and succeeded. What is it that motivates and empowers a lifetime of faith? See full challenge...

Scenario: Fictional adventure stories and movies abound about maps with clues to buried treasure. The journey of faith can seem much like a treasure hunt, we need a map with clues to further point us in the direction of the treasure of substantial belief, faith in something beyond us, constant and absolute. But what is that treasure? Is it too hidden to find? What debt could it pay for me? See full challenge...

Scenario: We all enjoy a good shopping spree for new clothes -- especially if someone else is buying! The clothes we wear become too small, threadbare and are no longer suitable for us. So when we do acquire new clothes we can't wait to put off the old ones and put on the new. Likewise, we have an old nature - one that is no longer suitable and a new nature has been purchased for us. The challenge is to honestly assess what to put off and what's available to be put on. See full challenge...

Scenario: Some people seem to have the view that life would be great if we didn't have to deal with others. But life is about an array of personality types interacting in relationships whether it's our family, colleagues or with strangers. Life consists of multifaceted interpersonal connections, short-term and long-term, this is where the core of our faith life seems to be tested the most. The challenge is how to navigate each relationship with faith inspired excellence. See full challenge...

Scenario: To be spoken well of to others by a respected colleague or dear friend is one of the highest tributes we can receive. To have the sense of being valued and trusted can instill a confidence within that is beyond what we could muster on our own.  But how do we nurture friendships like this? How do friendships coupled with prayer shape a mutual unwavering maturity in faith and encourage confidence to walk toward all that God may have for us to do? See full challenge...

Scenario: Using the Agile methodology in software development where within a fixed time duration a body of work was completed, the team has a retrospective. This is a time where the team discusses what was learned and this shapes the team's focus/actions going forward. Having completed this study in Colossians, it's time for a retrospective. What have you learned that you can share with the team to further establish the next steps in your ever-improving walk of faith? See full challenge...