Questions: 1) Are you surprised by the Scripture’s statements that you will suffer for following Jesus (1)? How do we arm ourselves to be ready to suffer? 2) Have you ever experienced others being surprised by or maligning you because of your commitment to Jesus (3-6)? 3) How does God’s righteous judgment of all things encourage you when mistreated by others (6)? 4) How does love cover sin (8)? How would love set Christians apart from the world around us (John 13:34-35)? 5) What would gracious hospitality look like in 2024 (9)? 6) How should we view our gifts and abilities (10-11)? Since we are stewards of God’s grace, what should we do with the various gifts that we have? How would this build up our church and promote the Gospel in our area? 7  Why do you think suffering and serving are both an essential component of a growing relationship with God? 8) How are you using your gifts and strengths to serve God and others?

Questions:

1. What was confusing, convicting, or encouraging from this study of Scripture?
2. Who has influenced you most in your Christian walk? What about their life or ministry has the greatest impact on you?
3. How do verses 2-4 shape our priorities for prayer?
4. Paul calls us to be devoted to prayer in verse 2. How should ‘being watchful’ and ‘thankful’ influence how we pray?
5. What is Paul’s focus in his prayer requests in verses 3-4? How can that shape our prayers today?
6. What do we learn about prayer from the description of Epaphras in 12-13 (see also Paul’s prayer in 1:9-14)? How do these prayers sum up the message of Colossians?
7. How do verses 5-6 challenge us to engage with unbelievers?
8. Do you have the kind of relationships and friendship with others that would make it possible for you to share the Gospel with them? Where do you need to ‘make the best use of the time’?
9. By God’s grace, what needs to change in your life based on this study of Colossians 4:2-18?

Questions:

1. What was confusing, convicting, or encouraging from this study of Scripture?
2. Why is it important that God speaks to all parties in this list of instructions to husbands and wives, fathers and children, and masters and slaves?
3. The instruction to husbands and wives feels very countercultural. How would you explain to an astonished outsider why this is such good news for men and women?
4. God calls children to obey their parents, how does submission to earthly authority reflect our relationship with God?
5. Thinking about parents and children: What are some bad examples in each of these categories—in yourself or others? How would living in obedience to God’s Word here change these scenarios?
6. According to verses 22-24, what should our work look like? How does Paul’s greater purpose for work encourage or challenge you?
7. Thinking about slaves and masters (employers and employees): What are some bad examples in each of these categories—in yourself or others? How would living in obedience to God’s Word here change these scenarios?
8. In all of these instructions, who is the ultimate master? Who should be the master in our home and in our work? How does this change how we view these relationships?
9. By God’s grace, what needs to change in your life based on this study of Colossians 3:18-4:1?