A growing church. A bustling city. Cultural pressures threaten the way of Jesus - from religion to philosophy, to mysticism and politics.
It’s here, around 60AD, that the apostle Paul, in prison, writes to this church. Here, he offers a panoramic view of Jesus and how this bigger view changes how you view your life and reality itself.
So for the next ten weeks, we’ll study this book as we ask - what does the church in Colossae have to say to our church? What are the cultural pressures we face? And how does a bigger view of Jesus change how we view everything else?
To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.
Week 1: TexMex & Christianity
Week 2: All Things for All Time
Week 3: Mature in Christ
Week 4: Hold Fast to Christ, the Head
Week 5: Put Off
Week 6: Getting Heaven Into Us
Week 7: Getting Heaven Into the Home
Week 8: Work, Slavery, and Power Dynamics
Week 9: The Frisbee on the Roof
One of the main ways we grow into the image of Jesus is to listen, meditate, and live out what He says in Scripture. To help us with that, for this series, we’re offering resources to help you further study the passage from Sunday.
Below you can find related videos, podcasts, and articles to learn more about the passage we studied that Sunday. You can also choose to receive those resources every Monday straight to your inbox. Just type in your email below. For now, we only have the first few weeks of the series posted, but more will be added soon.
WEEK 1
WATCH
“Book of Colossians Summary” from The Bible Project (9 minutes) For almost ten years, The Bible Project has released short explainer videos of every book of the Bible. This video provides a visual overview of what Colossians is all about.
“How to Read the New Testament Letters” from The Bible Project (6 minutes) Another one. Along with Bible book overviews, The Bible Project also has a series on how to read different genres of the Bible. This one centers around how to read New Testament Letters.
“Letter to the Colossians” by N.T. Wright (14 minutes) If you don’t know the name, N.T. Wright might be the GOAT in New Testament studies. Combining both the academic and pastoral, Wright provides the cultural landscape of Colossae, situated within the Roman Empire.
LISTEN
“Strength to Wait with Patience” from Desiring God (3 minutes) A devotional written by John Piper on Colossians 1:11 - is available both as an article and as a podcast episode.
READ
“Knowing the Bible: Colossians and Philemon” from The Gospel Coalition (over an hour) TGC released a free 12-week class on this book. Talk about a deep dive.
WEEK 2
WATCH
“Heaven and Earth” from The Bible Project (7 minutes) Like we mentioned in the sermon, Heaven is more than just a place you go to when you die. As the video explains, the emphasis of the Bible is that Heaven is a reality you can experience through Jesus now.
“Understanding God’s Identity in the Bible” from The Bible Project (8 minutes) Arguably one of the densest pieces of theology in the Bible, The Bible Project explains the concept of the Trinity.
LISTEN
“How Did God Reconcile All Things to Himself?” from Desiring God (14 minutes) John Piper dives more into Colossians 1:20 on his popular Ask Pastor John podcast series.
“The Son of God: Dr. Iron’s Trinitarian View of Jesus” from Trinities (50 minutes) This is a deep one - one of the premier Trinitarian theologians discusses the biblical view of the Trinity on a podcast devoted to talking solely about the Trinity. Meta.
READ
“He Holds All Things Together” from Desiring God (30 minutes) Both a sermon and a manuscript unpacking Colossians 1:15-20 from David Mathis, the executive editor at desiringGod.com.
“The Preeminence of Christ” from Reformed Theological Seminary (22 minutes) A seminary chapel message to an audience of mostly seminarians, Dr. Dusenbury unpacks Colossians 1:15-20.
WEEK 3
WATCH
“What Happens When We Die According to the Bible?” from The Bible Project (55 minutes) Last week’s text/idea was a big one, so to unpack a bit more on this concept, here’s more from Dr. Tim Mackie.
Kids Bible Devotional - Rooted in God | Colossians 2:6-7 from YoungHearts Ministries (5 minutes) Ok this is a little cheesy, but a great little video to teach kids about being “rooted in Christ.”
LISTEN
“Guard Yourself with Gratitude” from Desiring God (35 minutes) This is a sermon of John Piper’s from 1985. So yeah, this is a throwback.
READ
Colossians and Philemon For You by Mark Meynell For those interested in Bible commentaries, the “For You” series is an accessible, concise set of commentaries that digs into different books of the Bible.
“The Incomparable Christ” from Reformed Theological Seminary (15 minutes) Dr. Ligon Duncan works through this passage in Colossians expositionally with his seminary students.
WEEK 4
WATCH
“Spiritual Beings series” from The Bible Project (about 5 minutes per video) When Paul mentions “elemental spirits” in Colossians 2:20, he doesn’t really believe evil spirits exist…right? In this video series, The Bible Project brings up an important concept that serves as a helpful biblical backdrop.
LISTEN
“What is Baptism and How Important Is it?” from Desiring God (45 minutes) Baptism is a central part of Paul’s argument in this passage - so how are we to think about baptism biblically? John Piper got you.
READ
“How Do Baptism and Circumcision Correspond?” from Desiring God (46 minutes) Also central to Paul’s argument in the passage is the connection between circumcision and baptism. So….what’s that about? Once again, John Piper on the mic!
The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser If that Bible Project video series whet your appetite, then check out the book that inspired it (outside the Bible, of course). This book teeters on the intellectual side, so Heiser also released a non-academic version of the book too called Supernatural. Either book is well worth your time.
WEEK 5
WATCH
“The Glory of Christ and Racial Unity” from Desiring God (45 minutes) What does Jesus’ death and resurrection have to do with racial unity? A lot actually. Here, John Piper unpacks how because of Jesus’ work, He is drawing all people to Himself.
LISTEN
“Saved From God’s Wrath” from The Bible Project (56 minutes) The Bible Project not only is the top-tier video resource, their podcasts are also pretty solid too. In this one, the gang covers how to think about the atonement.
“The Light Beyond the Light” from Desiring God (4 minutes) I love that title! In this quick podcast, John Piper unpacks what it means to be seated with Christ.
READ
“The Incomparable Christ” from Reformed Theological Seminary (20 minutes) Once again, Dr. Ligon Duncan, president of RTS, teaches through the book of Colossians.
BONUS VIDEO
A couple of years ago, most of us learned to be pros at Zoom. The key phrase here is, “most of us.”
WEEK 6
WATCH
“What Jesus Meant by Eternal Life” by The Bible Project (6 minutes) The call to “put on” Christ is a call to step more and more into the abundant life Jesus makes us available to us now. The Bible Project unpacks this more.
“What Happens When We Sing?” by Desiring God (1 hour) In Colossians 3, one way in which we let the “word of Christ dwell in us richly” is through singing together. In this sermon, John Piper presses into this idea and why singing is a crucial practice in our formation to Jesus.
LISTEN
“Gloria Furman on Eternal Outlook for Everyday Life” by The Gospel Coalition (49 minutes) ”Whatever you feel defines you, look at this in light of what you read in Colossians—that this life is not all there is. You know that. We all know that. God has put eternity in man’s heart. But we have to do the hard work of remembering that our life is hidden with Christ in God.”
“Matt Chandler on Worship” by The Gospel Coalition (48 minutes) In this sermon given to an audience of worship pastors, Matt Chandler speaks on the importance of worship in our lives.
READ
Following Jesus Together - We created a website on spiritual practices to help us further “put on” Christ. Here you’ll find blogs and videos on how to abide with Jesus, confess sin, fast, and more.
“Living Together When Christ is All” by Desiring God (26 minutes)
WEEK 7
Watch
Parenting Resources from Midtown Fellowship There are a million voices and blogs telling you what to do and not do as a parent. So we created and pooled together some of the best parenting content to help!
“Marriage: Forgiving and Forbearing” from Desiring God (53 minutes) Colossians speaks to the importance of marriage. Ephesians 5 is also a great text in the New Testament, further unpacking that. In this sermon, John Piper speaks to how marriage is a pointer to the work of Jesus.
LISTEN
“How do I Not Provoke My Children?” from Desiring God (12 minutes) Colossians 3:21 warns against fathers provoking children. But what could that look like?
”Family of God” from The Bible Project A podcast series on the biblical theme of family from Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins. Enjoy!
The Family of God sermon series from Midtown Fellowship How we love our neighbor reflects our love for God and how we love God manifests itself in how we love our neighbor. And the reality is, while our “neighbor” encompasses everyone, it most immediately applies to who we share a home with and see daily. Check out our sermons from 2021 as we unpack this more.
READ
Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley “Discover simple habits and easy-to-implement daily rhythms that will help you find meaning beyond the chaos of family life as you create a home where kids and parents alike practice how to love God and each other.”
Family Worship by Donald Whitney “Gathering together for worship is an indispensable part of your family’s spiritual life. It is a means for God to reveal himself to you and your loved ones in a powerful way.”
WEEK 8
Watch
"Does the Bible Support Slavery?" from The Gospel Coalition (1 hour) Dr. Peter Williams (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) argues, based on the standard definition of slavery, no. "To make his argument, he examines the key Old Testament and New Testament texts said to support slavery. Along the way, he looks at the biblical words commonly associated with slavery and how their translation has changed over time. He also looks at the logic of the Old Testament world and the way ancient societies were structured quite differently from ours."
LISTEN
Precious in His Sight sermon series by Midtown Fellowship. In our sermon, we explored the power dynamics at play in Roman culture and how Jesus speaks into those dynamics. And while our context looks different than Rome, we want to equip each other to understand better our nation's history and how to navigate such issues.
Work sermon series by Midtown Fellowship. We can put love into our work without necessarily loving our work. Check out our sermon series from 2019 to learn more.
READ
Garden City by John Mark Comer. "Does God care where I work?" "Does he have a clear direction for me?" "How can I create a practice of rest?" Check out this book on work to learn more.
How Then Should We Work? by Hugh Whelchel. This book covers topics like the difference between work, vocation, and calling as a Christian, the history of the Christian view on work, the call to "reweave shalom" through your job, how to live a life of deep significance, and more.
Resources on Race by Midtown Fellowship. "As followers of Jesus, we stand up for righteousness, truth, justice, and love - because those things are definitive of life in the Kingdom of Heaven…In the list of resources, we've also included links to organizations and opportunities for you to take further steps to stand up for justice and love."
WEEK 9
Watch
“How Does God Answer Prayer for Others?” by Tyler Staton (13 minutes). When we pray for others, what happens to us? Check out this video (and honestly, this whole series is awesome and worth your time.)
“Paradise Now” by Tim Mackie (50 minutes). From the 24-7 Prayer USA Conference, The Bible Project’s Tim Mackie talks about entering this Heaven and Earth reality when we step into prayer.
LISTEN
“The Power of Persistent Prayer” from Midtown Fellowship (30 minutes) This was from our Acts sermon series in 2022. (Personally, I’m a fan of whenever we can mention Dwayne the Rock Johnson as an example.)
“The Practice of Prayer” from Midtown Fellowship (38 minutes) Fom our 2020 series based on the Sermon on the Mount, “The Way of Jesus.”
READ
“Abide” from Following Jesus Together. For some practical steps on prayer, including blogs and videos, check out our Abide page and practices like “Lectio Divina” and “Examen Prayer.”
“Persevere in Prayer!” from Desiring God (5 minutes) John Piper unpacks Colossians 4:2-6 and offers five guidelines for prayer.
A Praying Life by Paul Miller IMO, this is one of the best books of prayer in the last ten or so years.
BONUS VIDEO
Hoop dreams!
Acts | Part 2
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.”
These were some of Jesus’ very last words on Earth. And yet, a little over a week later, something happened. Jesus released His Spirit on the disciples who went out proclaiming everything Jesus did. Their proclamation was the day The Church began.
You cannot tell the story of the early church without also telling the story of the person, work, and power of the Spirit of God. He’s everywhere on almost every page of Acts.
We hope that during this series, we experience afresh not only who the Spirit is but experience all the potential He can unleash in and through us when it comes to walking more closely with Jesus, including prayer, worship, and being on mission.
To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.
Week 1: The Movement of God
Week 2: A Defining Moment
(Sermon) (Mission Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 3: Three Expectations from the Life of Paul
(Sermon) (Mission Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 4: Who’s In and Who’s Out
(Sermon) (Mission Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 5: The Church in Antioch
(Sermon) (Mission Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 6: The Power of Persistent Prayer
(Sermon) (Mission Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 7: Mountains, Molehills, and Which Ones to Die On
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 8: The Church in Philippi
Week 9: The Church in Athens
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 10: The Church in Ephesus
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 11: Living in the Dash
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 12: The Storm and the Shipwreck
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 13: The Story Continues
We want to focus on particular tools to help us learn to follow Jesus more closely. Since Acts concentrates so much on spreading the name of Jesus, our corporate practice is mission.
To help us grow in this practice, we've created a six-week-long guide to work within your group. Each lesson comes with discussion questions, a teaching video, and worksheets to print out for everyone in your group.
To accompany our book and further expand on the topics covered in this series, we’d recommend the following books and videos to you.
Philippians
SERMONS | READING PLAN | PRACTICES | RESOURCES
In 62AD, we find the apostle Paul bound in prison and disconnected from his friends and church family. Yet during his imprisonment, he’s able to pen what is considered to be the most joyful book of the Bible - the letter to the Philippians.
In this 12-week series, we'll take a look at how our church family can become people of joy as we slowly transition back into “normal” life, and how our joy can be a witness to our city that Jesus is alive.
To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.
Week 1: God Don’t Quit
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 2: The Unstoppable Kingdom
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 3: Joy in Life or Death
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 4: Live as Citizens of the Gospel
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 5: The Way of Jesus vs. The Way of Caesar
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 6: Joy in Our Perseverance
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 7: Gospel Friendships and Gospel Goodbyes
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 8: Surpassing Worth
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 9: You Got to Hold On
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 10: An Unsinkable Joy
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 11: The Skillful Management of Attention
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide) (Scripture Guide)
Week 12: Contentment & Giving
As we launch new teaching series, we want to introduce new tools and practices that help you learn to be with Jesus and look more like Him.
For this series, we want to focus on a particular tool to help us learn to follow Jesus more closely. Given that the book of Philippians is one of the most joy-filled books in the Scriptures, our spiritual practice for this series is gratitude.
For those wanting to dive further into Philippians, we’d recommend the following videos, books, and commentaries:
Philippians: The NIV Application Commentary
Paul’s Letter to the Philippians by Gordon Fee
Paul's Letter to the Philippians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
The Other Half of Church by Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks
1 Timothy
Jesus’ kingdom-sized vision is to go and make disciples - to teach others how to follow the way of Jesus in teaching and practice. As disciples are made and gathered together, the Church is formed. And that’s exactly what His followers did. Through making disciples and planting churches, the kingdom of God has been on the move for millennia and shows no signs of stopping. In the book of 1 Timothy, we zoom in on one of Jesus’ disciples equipping a new pastor on what the church is called to be and how to lead accordingly. In this series, we’ll take 12 weeks unpacking what is the church as we seek to be the called out people of God together.
To help you worship at home, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.
Week 1: Defend the Truth (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 2: The Gospel vs The Law (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 3: Prayer and the Church (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 4: Men, Women, and the Church (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 5: Teaching, Authority, and the Church (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 6: Leadership and the Church (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 7: Some Will Fall Away (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 8: Guard Your Life and Doctrine (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 9: Care for the Widows (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 10: Godly Elders and Spiritual Authority (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 11: Warnings to the Rich (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 12: Fight the Good Fight (Sermon) (Transcript) (LifeGroup Guide)
As a church, we want to be people marked by God’s Word. For only in His Word do we find the death-defying, hope-giving good news of Jesus. In His Word, we see an invitation to a way of life that is overflowing with joy, peace, and love not only in the life to come but in the here and now.
Because of this, we want to put every effort into making us into Word-marked people. We do this by preaching the Bible on Sundays, bringing it into our lives throughout the week in our LifeGroups, and creating resources to help you abide with Jesus regularly.
One of those resources is this 1 Timothy Bible Study Reading Plan. In this e-book, you’ll find the book broken down into smaller passages to help you slowly take in what we’re going through on Sundays. Along with that, we’ll be studying other passages in the Bible that connect with the bigger ideas in 1 Timothy throughout the week.
We want to see God’s Spirit move, to push back spiritual darkness, and bring His Kingdom here in Columbia. In the Bible and in church history, we see the Spirit of God unleashed when God’s people wage war on their knees in prayer. To that end, as long as we physically can’t gather together, we’ll be gathering virtually to pray for our church, our city, and our world. We’ll pray Wednesdays at 8am for 30 minutes through the video conferencing platform Zoom.
These calls will be facilitated by Midtown leadership or prayer team members and will last for up to 30 minutes. To take part in this make sure to sign up below no later than 24 hours before the Zoom call that week. Once signed up, you will receive a link Tuesday evening to our call the next morning.
In the meantime as we prepare our hearts to pray together, we invite you to do three things
1 - Get equipped. To help us see the power of regular intercessory prayer in our lives and the life of our church, read the article “Kingdom-centered Prayer” by Tim Keller.
2 - Abide. The more we are personally with Jesus through regular Bible reading and prayer, the more we can serve our family in prayer. If you don’t have regular time in the Bible or don’t know where to start, follow along in our 1 Timothy Bible Study Plan or go to our Abide page.
3 - Consider fasting. When we fast we are more empowered by God’s Spirit and our love for others increases (Luke 4:1, 14, Isaiah 58:6, John 4:34, Matt 4:4). So before coming together to pray, we ask you to consider what you might give up to get more of God. Examples can include forgoing food, alcohol, TV or anything else that “grips your soul” for 24 hours before meeting. To learn more about fasting, listen to our sermon, “Fighting with Fasting.”
If you have any questions, contact Jake Blair.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” - 1 Timothy 2:1
When followers of Jesus pray for God’s kingdom to come, the Spirit answers. So as a church family, we will be praying in specific ways for each day of the week, as we ask Jesus to work in and through this series:
Monday
Pray for our church to be a “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Pray that we would defend and cling to right doctrine which would lead to right hearts that produce in us right love for God and for others.
Tuesday
Pray for needs within our church right now - those in your LifeGroup or others - who are struggling. Pray that they would draw near to God in this season.
Wednesday
Pray for our church family to fight for spiritual health and maturity. Pray that we would all “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (1 Tim 4:16) and “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Tim 6:12).
Thursday
Pray for the leadership in our church - for the elders/pastors, coaches, LifeGroup leaders, directors and others who serve in various ministries. Pray that they would draw near to God and that he would sustain them with wisdom and joy as they lead.
Friday
Pray for Citizens Church Charlotte. For all of the logistical details - jobs, housing, etc. For them to experience unity as a new church plant. Pray that the core team members would grow in their walks with the Lord and that people in Charlotte would come to know and love Jesus through Citizens Church.
Saturday
Pray for tomorrow’s Gathering - that whether we are together or apart, we would experience unity as a church family. Pray that we would be engaged with worship and the teaching of God’s Word. Pray that God would speak to us through conviction or encouragement.
Sunday
Pray for you and our church family to Sabbath well today. Pray that we take the time to stop our work, get physical rest, delight in God’s good gifts, and worship Jesus together.
Recommended Reading
As a church, we’re committed to providing you with helpful resources to better understand who Jesus is and how to live in light of that. The following titles were used for our current series. For more recommendations go to our Bookstore.
1 Corinthians | Part 2
In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the brokenness within the church at Corinth and how only the good news of Jesus can unify and restore. We want this series to be an opportunity to celebrate all the goodness and beauty of the church while also being honest about the struggle and difficulty of being the church.
To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.
Week 1: Flee From Idolatry (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 2: 5 Meals that Changed the World (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 3: Gospel-Centered Ethics (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 4: Haircuts and Head-Coverings (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 5: Build Up the Body in Love (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 6: No Seriously, Build Up the Body in Love (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 7: A Loving Community (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 8: Supernaturally Life-Giving Words (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 9: Supernaturally Life-Giving Words Part 2 (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 10: The Reminder We Need (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 11: Our Resurrection (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 12: Change the World with People You Love (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
1 Corinthians | Part 1
In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the brokenness within the church at Corinth and how only the good news of Jesus can unify and restore. We want this series to be an opportunity to celebrate all the goodness and beauty of the church while also being honest about the struggle and difficulty of being the church.
To help facilitate LifeGroup discussion, we'll be posting resources for each week of the series.
Week 1: Dissonance Theory (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 2: Unity Without Uniformity (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 3: Silly Church Kids (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 4: Spirit-Led Maturity (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 5: Build So You Don’t Get Burned (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 6: Self-Forgetfulness (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 7: Covenant Breaking and the Sin of Tolerance (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 8: Death by Drama (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
3-Week Mini-Series “Sex, Marriage, & Singleness”
Week 9: Nothing Is Just Physical, Especially Sex (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 10: Acting Out Your Wedding Vows
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 11: Different Paths of Devotion
(Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 12: The Demands of Love Pt. 1 (Sermons) (LifeGroup Guide)
Week 13: The Demands of Love Pt. 2 (Sermon) (LifeGroup Guide)