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    • Mar 20, 2022

Colossians 3:12-17

  • Think about the best moments of friendship you've had in your life. What words would you use to describe those moments: your feelings, your actions, the effect of that moment on each of you, etc.

  • How do you make those kind of moments happen?


Read Colossians 3:12-17

Consider the list of 'clothing' we are to put on, in verses 12-14:

  • compassion

  • kindness

  • humility

  • gentleness

  • patience

  • bearing with one another

  • forgiving each other

  • love

  • How do these virtues reflect our status "as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved"?

  • How do these virtues help us to form healthy relationships with one another?

  • Which of these virtues do you find the most difficult to 'put on', and why?


Having considered our personal virtues as God's people, Paul then extends the list with communal activities, listed in verses 15-17:

  • Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts

  • Be thankful

  • Let the message of Christ dwell among you...

  • Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus

  • How do we practically do these things when we gather together (in Connect groups, Sunday services, or other gatherings)?

  • Can you think of anything we do regularly which doesn't fulfil any of these?

  • Should we be focusing on any of these four things more? What else could we be doing together?


Look again at verse 16. The 'word' or 'message' of Christ is to 'dwell richly among us'.

  • What methods does Paul suggest we should use?

  • How does it look for us to be 'teaching and admonishing one another'? [1]

    • Can you think of a time in your walk with God when someone has taught or admonished you?

  • How does our singing together make the word dwell richly among us?

    • Can you think of a time in your walk with God when a particular song has taught you or shaped you in a significant way?


Paul returns to this theme again in chapter 4.

Read Colossians 4:2-6

  • How do these words add to the picture of God's people following Jesus together?

  • What other activities should we be doing together as God's people?

  • How is the indwelling 'word' or 'message' described in these verses? How else should we be people of the word (besides teaching and admonishing and singing together)?


Spend some time reflecting on the stories you've shared, and what you've discussed about our community. Then pray for one another, for your group, and for our church.



[1] The Greek word for teaching here is straight forward, but the word often translated as 'admonishing' (noutheteo) is not as harsh as the English translations might imply. It literally means, 'to put in mind' or 'to call attention to', and might be better translated as cautioning or warning; reproving gently or mildly rebuking.

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