SYNOPSIS: My ambition is to plant to plant a church within walking distance of every unreached village on the planet. Why? Because the local church is the hope of the world! So why would I say that? I mean, isn’t Jesus the hope of the world? Well, a church planted in a place—a city, a community, a village—is the most compelling expression of Jesus people will ever see.

Moments With God // Colossians 1:27

God has chosen to make known among the lost the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you the hope of glory.

In Colossians 1:27, Paul said that through the church,

“God has chosen to make known among the lost the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you …

In the Greek text of the New Testament, “you” is plural … Christ in the church, “the hope of glory.”

That’s why church planting is the primary passion of Petros Network.

In ten years, we’ve planted over six thousand churches that have preached the gospel to over five million people and have led over 1.1 million people to faith in Jesus.

And the testimonies coming from these churches are like what believers in the book of Acts experienced‚signs, wonders, miracles, even resurrections from the dead. Be sure to watch the video below to hear an incredible resurrection story that happened just a few months ago.

The local church—the collection of God’s people in a specific place—brings the hope of glory to the world because it’s the most compelling expression of God’s love, his grace, and his power.

It’s the conduit of healing, deliverance, restoration of marriages, reconciliation between people, and yes, even literal resurrections from the dead.

Sign up for our Petros Network newsletter, we’ll keep you up to date on these modern-day miracle stories.

Petros Network’s mission is sending missionary church planters because that’s how Jesus becomes known among the unreached.

So I invite you to leverage your praying and your giving to help us plant the church within walking distance of every village on the planet!

You can save a soul and transform a village by sending an indigenous church planter today.

This is how we change the world.

Check out the different ways you can give today at petrosnetwork.org/donate.

“ A church planted in a place—a city, a community, a village—is the most compelling expression of Jesus people will ever see. —RAY NOAH, PETROS NETWORK

If we want to be truly authentic in our faith and truly like Jesus in our character, then we will have to readily extend forgiveness to those who have offended us. Forgiveness is the first step on the pathway to Christ-likeness. Of all of the human qualities that make us in any sense God-like, none is more divine than our passion to quickly and fully forgive others. How so? Precisely because God is a God of forgiveness: “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives transgressions? You do not stay angry forever, but delight to show mercy.” (Micah 7:18)

A Simple Prayer To Freely and Fully Forgive Others:

What if you did everything for one week as if you were doing it for Jesus? What do you think would happen? Do you think your life, and the lives of people who interact with you, would be different? Better? Changed for the good? The quick and easy answer is yes, you, others and the world would be better by miles!

A Simple Prayer for Giving It My Best Shot:

In everything you do this week, do it as if you were doing it for Jesus. If you are married, love your husband like you would if your spouse were Jesus. Serve your wife like you would if Jesus were your bride. Parent your children like Jesus were your child. If you are under someone’s authority—a parent, teacher, a policeman who pulls you over, a supervisor who knows less about the job than you do, or the owner of the company—treat them with the kind of respect you would give Jesus is he were in their place. If you are in authority, lead like Jesus would. Do it no matter how you feel or how they respond to you, and just see what happens. Try it—because in fact, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.

A Simple Prayer for Offering My Best:

God, in everything I do this week, I will give it my best shot. I will love more freely, encourage more fully, serve more diligently, and work more excellently. I will do it for you, because it is you I am serving.

Reflect:
Colossians 3:23-24

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

What if you did everything for one week as if you were doing it for Jesus? What do you think would happen? Do you think your life, and the lives of people who interact with you, would be different? Better? Changed for the good?

I want to suggest a seven-day experiment, starting from the moment you read these words: For one full week, treat everyone you meet as if you were meeting Jesus. Speak to them, work for them, lead them, serve them, think about them just like they were Jesus himself. Do that, no matter how you feel or how they respond to you, and see what happens.

If you are married, love your husband like you would if your spouse were Jesus. Serve your wife like you would if Jesus were your bride. Parent your children like Jesus were your child. If you are under someone’s authority—a parent, teacher, a policeman who pulls you over, a supervisor who knows less about the job than you do, or the owner of the company—treat them with the kind of respect you would give Jesus if he were in their place. If you are in authority, lead like Jesus would—treat those under you with love and respect.

And do your work like you were working for the man, because really, Paul says, you are working for “the man”! If it is cooking breakfast and cleaning house, or doing homework and working on some project, or if it is keeping the books and ringing up a customer, do it as if you were doing it for Jesus himself.

Try it—because in fact, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.

What if you did that? What if…?

“It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, but why he does it.” ~A.W. Tozer

Reflect and Apply: “Whatever you do” … that is a pretty comprehensive list. Your goal this week is to do those things out of unconditional love, with unrestrained joy, full of Christ’s peace, exhibiting absolute patience, with complete kindness, in God-hearted gentleness, out of Spirit-led goodness, with unimpeachable faithfulness along with unflappable self-control. That’s how Jesus would do it.

Reflect:
Colossians 1:1-23

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” (Colossians 1:21-22)

My arch-enemy in the second grade was a kid named Delmer. He was the biggest, meanest, scariest guy in our class…a real bully. And I had the brains to get into a fight with him one day at recess. No damage was done, really, we were only eight-years-old.

After school that day Delmer and two of his no-good lackeys, Stephen and Jay, confronted me as I walked on my way home. Words were exchanged, and we went our separate ways. Then I made the critical error of heaving a rock, along with some choice words, at Delmer and his buddies as they were walking away. That caused a barrage of rocks to come back my way. One of those rocks, about the size of a baseball, caught me right on the chin. It caused a great deal of pain and discomfort, along with a fair amount of blood. I ran home, bloodied and bawling, and told my mom the whole story (from my point of view of course). My mom then took me right back to school and into the headmaster’s office where I again gave my account of the story. The next day at school, Delmer and his buddies were summarily marched into the office, and the “board of education” was swiftly and forcefully applied to their “seat of knowledge”, if you know what I mean.

That encounter way back in the second grade left me with a scar that is still visible to me today. I see it every time I look into the mirror. It is a constant reminder of the fact that I offended someone, that I didn’t handle a conflict very well, and that this failure led to severe pain in my life.

Each of us has scars—unpleasant reminders of painful times. But the worst scar in our lives, whether visible or not, is the scar that sin has left. Sin always leaves scars. Sometimes those scars are physical, sometimes they’re emotional, but always they’re spiritual—ugly scars that remind us of our past failures.

I want to suggest a new way of looking at your scars. Use them as an ever-present reminder of Christ’s triumph over your failed and sinful past. Every time you look at that scar or you feel remorse or you cry over what has been or what might have been, remember that God has brought victory out of sin through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. That is what Paul is reminding us of here in Colossians 1:20-23 as he explains what we call the doctrine of reconciliation:

“…And God, through Jesus, reconciled all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight and without blemish and free from accusation–if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel.”

In my opening story I told you about Delmer and his partners in crime, Stephen and Jay. Jay received the principle’s paddle along with Delmer for hitting me with the rock. Actually, Jay was the guy who threw the rock that did the damage. But somehow, for some reason, Jay and I were reconciled through that encounter. And Jay and I were not just reconciled, we became closest friends throughout our growing up years. We were inseparable all the way through childhood. We who were once enemies now stood as friends.

That’s a picture of reconciliation. That’s what happened when Jesus died for you. He has the scars to prove it. And so do you. His scars were for your sins. Your scars are a reminder that he became a sin offering for you.

The next time you look at your scar, or see it in your mind’s eye, don’t die again for that which Christ has already died! Rather than remembering the pain and disappointment of your sin, think of the reconciliation that Christ’s death produced between God and you.

You were once an enemy—now you are God’s friend!

“Most Christians are being crucified on a cross between two thieves: Yesterday’s regret and tomorrow’s worries.” ~Warren Wiersbe

Reflect and Apply: Here is a prayer you might want to offer to God this morning: “Lord Jesus, thank you for bearing my sin in your body on the tree. I sometimes fall back into feelings of guilt for things I have done, but today, I choose to look at those things as a reminder that I have been reconciled to God and have been brought near to him. All that is due to you, and I gratefully praise you for that.”

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most
of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full
of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may
know how to answer everyone.”
(Colossians 4:5-6)

Thoughts… Are you ready to share you faith at a moment’s notice? Many Christians would freeze up if that “moment” ever happened. The truth is, I have been there and done that—I had the perfect opportunity to share Christ, but I pulled my punches and missed a perfect opening to put in a good word for Jesus.

Paul is reminding us that we must stay alert to our main mission in this world, and that is to serve as ambassadors of Jesus Christ (cf. II Corinthians 5:17-21). We are not on this planet just to get a good education, find a good spouse, make a good living, live in a good neighborhood, drive a good car, have good friends, and go on good vacations every year. We have been put here to point people to a good God by telling them the Good News that they can be made right with God through his Son, Jesus Christ, live a life of purpose and when life is done, enjoy an eternal life that is light years ahead of being just merely a good life.

That is our mission. That is our main focus—or at least it should be. And we are to “make the most” of every situation in order to strategically align ourselves to get in a word with “outsiders” — since in reality, they unknowingly and subconsciously are looking for what we have already found. The Greek phrase for “making the most of every opportunity” literally means to buy up an opportunity for one’s self; to use everything and everyone as an advantageous opportunity; to see each moment as a strategic, crucial God-moment to extend his kingdom.

How can you do that? Paul gives several ways in the surrounding verses. First of all, ask God for opportunities. Verse 2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Being and staying on mission requires being and staying on alert in prayer. Second, develop a kingdom mindset. How? Again, it involves prayer; specifically, prayer for kingdom advancement through the lives and ministries of others. Doing keeps your mind on the main reason you on are this earth. Verse 3 says, “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” And third, make sure your message matches your mouth. A lot of believers blow any chance at an effective witness because their behavior has sabotaged the beliefs they are trying to share. Paul says things like “be wise in the way you act toward outsiders…let your conversation be seasoned with salt”, which represents purity of speech, and “full of grace”, which means full of God’s loving, redemptive truth.

“Make the most of every opportunity!” Paul is pleading with us to take advantage of every situation. We are to capture each moment. We are to be opportunistic for the kingdom’s sake every chance we get.

Whatever the Lord has planned for you today, it will include opportunities to advance his kingdom.

So be ready to think on your feet, and when there is an opening, put a good word in for Jesus!

Prayer… Father, keep me in a kingdom mindset all day long. And enable me to make the most of each opportunity to speak up for you!

One More Thing… “Jesus Christ did not say, ‘Go into the world and tell the world that it is quite right.’” —C.S. Lewis

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the
Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an
inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the
Lord Christ you are serving.”
(Colossians 3:23-24)

Thoughts… What if you did everything for one week as if you were doing it for Jesus? What do you think would happen? Do you think your life, and the lives of people who interact with you, would be different? Better? Changed for the good?

I want to suggest a seven-day experiment, starting from the moment you read this blog: For one full week, treat everyone you meet as if you were meeting Jesus. Speak to them, work for them, lead them, serve them, think about them just like they were Jesus himself. Do it no matter how you feel or how they respond to you, and just see what happens.

If you are married, love your husband like you would if your spouse were Jesus. Serve your wife like you would if Jesus were your bride. Parent your children like Jesus were your child. If you are under someone’s authority—a parent, teacher, a policeman who pulls you over, a supervisor who knows less about the job than you do, or the owner of the company—treat them with the kind of respect you would give Jesus if he were in their place. If you are in authority, lead like Jesus would.

And do your work like you were working for the man, because really, Paul says, you are working for “the man.” If it is cooking breakfast and cleaning house, or doing homework and working on some project, or if it is keeping the books and ringing up a customer, do it as if you were doing it for Jesus himself.

Try it—because in fact, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.

What if you did that? What if…?

Prayer… Jesus, in everything I do this week, I will give it my best shot. I will love more freely, encourage more fully, serve more diligently, and work more excellently. I will do it for you, because it is you I am serving.

One More Thing… “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, but why he does it.” —A.W. Tozer

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
(Colossians 2:6-7)

Thoughts… Christianity at its best is to live as Jesus would if he were in my place.

That’s what Paul is teaching. That’s what it means to “continue to live in him.” To “continue” pictures a lifestyle patterned after Christ’s. It simply means to walk as Jesus would walk if he were in your place. I John 2:6 says, “The one who says he abides in him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked.”

Actually, it means that we should not just live in him, but rather, we should allow him to fully live in us.

I love the story of a little girl and her mother who were having a conversation on the way home from church one Sunday. The girl turned to her mother and said, “Mommy, the preacher’s sermon this morning confused me.”

The mother said, “Oh? Why is that?”

The little girl said, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?”

The mother replied, “Yes, that’s true honey.”

“And he also said that God lives in us? Is that true, Mommy?”

Again the mother replied, “Yes.”

So the girl said, “Well, if God is bigger than us and he lives in us, wouldn’t He show through?”

As we “continue to live in him” —to live as if Jesus himself were living in our place—to allow Jesus to live alongside and inside us—he will begin to show through!

That is Christianity at its best!

Prayer… Lord, I have just one simple request: So fully indwell me today that you show through!

One More Thing… “Beside Jesus, the whole lot of us are so contemptible…. But God is like Jesus, and like Jesus, He will not give up until we, too, are like Jesus.” —Frank Laubach

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds
because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you
by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy
in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”
(Colossians 1:21-22)

Thoughts… My arch-enemy in the second grade was a kid named Delmer. He was the biggest, meanest, scariest guy in our class…a real bully. And I had the brains to get into a fight with him one day at recess. No damage was done, really, we were only eight-years-old.

After school that day Delmer and two of his no-good lackeys, Stephen and Jay, confronted me as I walked toward home. Words were exchanged, and we went our separate ways. Then I made the critical error of picking up and heaving a rock, along with some choice words, at Delmer and his buddies as they were walking away. That caused a barrage of rocks to come back my way. One of those rocks, about the size of a baseball, caught me right on the chin. It caused a great deal of pain and discomfort, along with a fair amount of blood. I ran home, bloodied and bawling, and told my mom the whole story (from my point of view of course). My mom then took me right back to school and into the headmaster’s office where I again gave my account of the story. The next day at school, Delmer and his buddies were summarily marched into the office, and the “board of education” was swiftly and forcefully applied to their “seat of knowledge”, if you know what I mean..

That encounter way back in the second grade left me with a scar that is still visible to me today. I see it every time I look into the mirror. It is a constant reminder of the fact that I offended someone, that I didn’t handle a conflict very well, and that this failure led to severe pain in my life.

Each of us has scars—unpleasant reminders of painful times. But the worst scar in our lives, whether visible or not, is the scar that sin has left. Sin always leaves scars. Sometimes those scars are physical, sometimes they’re emotional, but always they’re spiritual—ugly scars that remind us of our past failures.

I want to suggest a new way of looking at your scars. Use them as an ever-present reminder of Christ’s triumph over your failed and sinful past. Every time you look at that scar or you feel remorse or you cry over what has been or what might have been, remember that God has brought victory out of sin through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. That is what Paul is reminding us of here in Colossians 1:20-23 as he explains what we call the doctrine of reconciliation:

“…And God, through Jesus, reconciled all things to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight and without blemish and free from accusation–if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel.”

In my opening story I told you about Delmer and his partners in crime, Stephen and Jay. Jay received the principal’s paddle along with Delmer for hitting me with the rock. Actually, Jay was the guy who threw the rock that did the damage. But somehow, for some reason, Jay and I were reconciled through that encounter. And Jay and I were not just reconciled, we became closest friends throughout our growing up years. We were inseparable all the way through childhood. We who were once enemies now stood as friends.

That’s a picture of reconciliation. That’s what happened when Jesus died for you. He has the scars to prove it. And so do you. His scars were for your sins. Your scars are a reminder that he became a sin offering for you.

The next time you look at your scar, or see it in your mind’s eye, don’t die again for that which Christ has already died! Rather than remembering the pain and disappointment of your sin, think of the reconciliation that Christ’s death produced between God and you.

You were once an enemy—now you are God’s friend!

Prayer… Lord Jesus, thank you for bearing my sin in your body on the tree. I sometimes fall back into feelings of guilt for things I have done, but today, I choose to look at those things as a reminder that I have been reconciled to God and have been brought near to him. All that is due to you, and I gratefully praise you for that.

One More Thing… “Most Christians are being crucified on a cross between two thieves: Yesterday’s regret and tomorrow’s worries.” —Warren Wiersbe