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weekend > 7/12                                                                                   2                                                                  Personal Space
       Do you                           You have to let                                                       tuesday > 7/14                                        3

       kNoW HiM?                        Jesus be Lord                                                    HeRe’S HoW To GeT A LiFe.                                 wednesday > 7/15

                                        of your life.                                                         hy do you think some students live to get a “rush” from things like   He’S GoT

       He is the image of              It’s a decision                                                   wdrugs, adventure, and relationships with the opposite sex? do you think   PoWeR.
       the invisible God, the          YOU have to                                                      these things will bring true and lasting pleasure? where do you look in life for
       firstborn over all creation.                                                                     true enjoyment and fulfillment?
       —Colossians 1:15                make.                                                                                                                             hen Was the last time
                                                                                                         life was in Him, and that    read John 1:1-5. What does verse 4   wyou went to the doctor? have
                                                                                                                                      mean to you?
                                                                                                                                                                   you ever felt like you needed more
                                                                                                         life was the light of men.
       read colossians 1:15-17.                                                                          —john 1:4                    �  who is the word in these verses?   than physical healing? does it ever
             hen you hear someone                                                                                                     �  how was he involved in creation   seem like no one can handle all the
       wmention the name “jesus,”                                                                                                      according to verse 3?       problems that overwhelm your life?
       what comes to mind? a baby in a                                                                  �  according to these verses, what is life? from where does it come?
       manger? or maybe just a religious                                                                  who gives it?                                            So that what was spoken
       feeling? regardless of who you are, it                                                           �  does it surprise you that physical and spiritual life come from the word    through the prophet
       is crucial that you figure out who this                                                            of god? why or why not?                                  Isaiah might be fulfilled:
       jesus is. your forgiveness, joy, and                                                             �  where have you found yourself searching for life other than from christ?   “He Himself took our
       eternity are at stake. the good news                                                                                                                        weaknesses and carried our
       is that god’s word gives us a clear   1                                                          do you love the latest thing in technology? you will soon discover that you are   diseases.” —Matthew 8:17
       answer.                                                                                          fighting a losing battle. just when you think an ipod  could not possibly hold any
                                                                                                                                            ®
         in colossians 1:15 we learn that   monday > 7/13                                               more songs, they come out with a new one that holds twice as many. your ipod   read Matthew 8:14-17. reflect on
       jesus christ is the very image of god,                                                           then becomes an ancient artifact. Many people take this same approach to life.   verse 17.
       showing us exactly what god is like.   iS He AT THe CeNTeR oF youR LiFe?                           because of our sinful nature, we are always looking for something or   �  what does this passage teach you
       in fact, he is the divine son of god                                                             someone other than god to satisfy us. you’ve seen it in yourself and your   about jesus’ attitude toward those
       who came in the flesh. it may surprise   hoM do you look up to in our culture? do you often wish that others   friends, in that constant search for meaning through money, sex, popularity,   who are physically sick? toward
       you to learn that everything in the   wthought more highly of you? what do you think that says about your heart?  whatever. but the one who created us offers true life.   those who are spiritually sick?
       universe was created through him                                                                   jesus is referred to as the word of god in today’s passage, and it is through   �  what does this episode in jesus’
       and for him. even now, the world   read colossians 1:18-23 and look closely at verse 18.         him that god created the world. both our physical and spiritual lives depend on   ministry tell us about his mercy and
       holds together because of the living                      �  what does it mean that jesus is to   him. other things may offer us a short-lived sense of security and excitement,   his power?
       lord jesus. Mountains, oceans, and   He is also the head of the   have the “first place in everything”    but eternal life comes only through jesus christ. only he truly satisfies us   �  is there a sin in your life that seems
       all people were created for the glory   body, the church; He is the   (col. 1:18)?               forever.                                                    too great for jesus to overcome?
       of jesus christ.             beginning, the firstborn     �  what does it mean that all of god’s                                                            �  how does this passage speak to that?
         some people claim to know god   from the dead, so that    fullness dwells in jesus?
       and love him while rejecting jesus.   He might come to have   �  what does it say about the                                                                 it is rare that we see someone who is
       our passage makes it clear that   first place in everything.   greatness and worth of jesus’                                                                both powerful and merciful. but this
       this is not possible because god has   —Colossians 1:18     sacrifice in light of the fact that he                                                          is exactly what we see in jesus christ.
       revealed himself perfectly in the                           is fully god?                                                                                   Matthew 8:17 refers to isaiah 53:4, an
       person of his son. the father not   �  does he have first place in everything in your life? why or why not?                                                 old testament prophecy about a man
       only created and sustains the world                                                                                                                         to come who would take upon himself
       through jesus, but he also saves   our culture tells us constantly that the way to happiness and meaning in life is                                         the sickness and sin of his people. this
       sinners through him. the son of   to have better self-esteem. after all, they say, you need to learn to love yourself                                       prophecy was fulfilled in jesus christ.
       god became a Man in order to save   because it is all about you. this may sound appealing, but it completely goes                                             in Matthew 8:14-17, the situation
       people like us who deserve god’s   against god’s design. no wonder it leaves us so empty in the end.                                                        surely seemed grim. however, jesus’
       punishment.                    god has designed creation so that his son, jesus christ, would have first                                                    healing touch was more than just a
         amazingly, jesus christ, the   place in all things. this makes sense, for jesus is fully god. the simple truth:                                           “hang-in-there” pat on the back. it was
       creator and lord of the universe, died   god never intended for us to be the center of the universe. when we get a                                          a touch of divine mercy and power.
       for our sins on a cruel cross and rose   glimpse of his glory, we begin to realize how unworthy and sinful we are. yet, in                                  in fact, the woman was completely
       from the dead that we might have life.   his grace, god has provided the way for us to be forgiven of our sins because of                                   and instantly healed! jesus christ
       this is the jesus of the bible. do you   jesus’ great sacrifice on the cross. everything we need in life is found in him, for                               has power and authority over all of
       know him?                    he is lord of all.                                                                                                             creation, but his greatness does not
                                      so what does that mean for your daily life? if jesus is lord of everything in                                                mean that we are insignificant to him.
                                    this world, he is lord of your life—all the drama, decisions, dreams, fears, and                                               he cares for the weak and sinful. he
                                    doubts. but you have to let him be lord of your life. have you submitted to                                                    has the power to deal with sickness—
                                    jesus as lord?                                                                                                                 physical and spiritual. he can free us
                                                                                                                                                                   from the spiritual effects of our sin.
                                                                                                                True satisfaction is in Christ alone.
       22  |  jul 2009  ec magazine                                                                                                                                       ec magazine  jul 2009  |  23
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