Easter | Colossians 2:6-15 (with Nick Locke)

Opening Song:
All Glory Be Forever by Jordan Kauflin

Lyrics:
We had turned from God to sin's disgrace
We chose the path to hell
Perfect law of God condemned our race
For all in Adam fell
But the righteousness of God appeared
And the world found hope again
For the righteous One has come down to bear
All the curse of sin and death

Now to Him Who's seated on the throne
All glory be forever
Oh the depths of wisdom grace and power
All glory be forever
All glory be forever

Every bond of sin that held us fast
Is left in Jesus' grave
We've been freed from all that gripped our past
From Satan's rule and reign
We've been raised to life to breathe His grace
As captives now reclaimed
All our guilt is gone all our striving ceased
We're alive to seek His fame

Now our future's fixed our journey clear
God will not let us go
Every trial that tempts our hearts to fear
He'll use to give us hope
All creation groans as we await
What our eyes have longed to see
Every pain and evil we've long endured
Will be crushed by Christ our King

Passage:
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
(Colossians 2:6–15 ESV)

Musical Reflection:
It Is Well With My Soul (VILLE DU HAVRE) by Philip Bliss

Reflection Notes:
A hymn born in tragedy, “It is Well” was penned by Horatio Spaffor after hearing that his daughters had all perished in a shipwreck. Through this devastation, Spafford and his wife clung to the promise of God’s goodness. Spafford’s immortal words were set to music by his good friend and hymn writer, Philip Bliss; Bliss titled the tune “Ville du Havre” after the ship on which Spafford’s children had died.

Prayer:
Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the
human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to
take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross,
giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant
that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share
in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.