Author Archives: justkeithharris

Colossians 4 on 1/14 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul concludes his letter by showing how Christ’s lordship shapes everyday faithfulness, beginning with justice and accountability in relationships. Masters are reminded that they too are under authority, serving a Master in heaven, which reframes power, work, and responsibility in light of Christ (v. 1, Ephesians 6:9). Paul then calls the whole church to a life marked by persistent, watchful prayer—prayer that is sustained by gratitude and focused on God’s purposes rather than personal comfort (v. 2). Even from prison, Paul asks not for relief but for open doors to proclaim the mystery of Christ clearly and boldly (vv. 3–4, Ephesians 6:19–20).

That prayerful posture flows outward into daily witness. Believers are urged to walk wisely toward outsiders, making the most of every opportunity because time is short (v. 5). Their speech is to be gracious, thoughtful, and “seasoned with salt,” reflecting both truth and kindness so that the gospel is commended rather than obscured (v. 6, Matthew 5:13). Paul assumes Christians are actively engaged in their communities, living in such a way that their words and actions work together to point others to Christ.

Paul closes with personal greetings that reveal the gospel at work in real relationships. He commends faithful partners like Tychicus and Onesimus, highlights restored relationships such as Mark’s reconciliation with Paul, and lifts up Epaphras’s tireless prayers for the churches in the Lycus Valley (vv. 7–13). Luke remains at Paul’s side, while others are reminded to faithfully fulfill their ministry (vv. 14–17). Writing the final greeting in his own hand, Paul asks them to remember his chains and ends as he began—with grace—underscoring that every act of faithfulness, prayer, and service flows from God’s unearned favor in Christ (v. 18).

🌀 Reflection:
How might a more watchful, thankful prayer life reshape both your daily priorities and your witness to those outside the church?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Pray intentionally today for an open door to speak about Christ—and when the opportunity comes, respond with wisdom, grace, and clarity.

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

Colossians 3 on 1/13 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

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Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Because believers have been raised with Christ, Paul calls the Colossians to live with a new focus and a new identity (v. 1). Their lives are no longer defined by earthly standards or spiritual shortcuts but by Christ Himself, who is seated at the right hand of God and reigns with authority (vv. 1–2,  Psalm 110:1). Though their true life is presently hidden with Christ, it is secure and destined for glory when Christ appears again (vv. 3–4, Romans 8:29–30). This eternal perspective becomes the foundation for how believers live faithfully on earth.

Flowing from that identity, Paul urges believers to put to death the sins that once defined them—especially sexual immorality, greed, anger, and destructive speech—because these belong to the old self that has already been put off in Christ (vv. 5–9). In its place, believers have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the image of its Creator (v. 10, Ephesians 4:24). This new life breaks down every barrier of race, culture, and social status, because Christ is all and in all (v. 11, Galatians 3:28). The gospel does not merely improve behavior; it creates a new humanity centered on Jesus.

Paul then describes what this new life looks like in everyday relationships. As God’s chosen and beloved people, believers are to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, and above all, love, which binds everything together in unity (vv. 12–14). The peace of Christ is to rule in the community, the word of Christ is to dwell richly through teaching and worship, and everything is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus with thanksgiving (vv. 15–17). This Christ-centered life reaches into the home and workplace, shaping marriages, parenting, and daily labor, as every role is lived under the lordship of Christ and for His glory (vv. 18–25).

🌀 Reflection:
What habits, attitudes, or relationships reveal whether your mind is set more on earthly concerns or on the risen Christ who is your life?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Intentionally display one Christlike virtue today—such as forgiveness, patience, or kindness—in a relationship where it would normally be difficult.

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

Colossians 2 on 1/12 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for Colossians 2 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul opens this chapter by sharing his deep concern and struggle for believers he has never met personally, including those in Colossae and nearby Laodicea (v. 1). His desire is that they would be encouraged in heart, united in love, and filled with a full assurance of understanding—knowing that God’s mystery is Christ Himself (v. 2). In Jesus alone are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, which means no secret insight, mystical experience, or spiritual elite can offer something Christ lacks (vv. 3–4). Paul rejoices that the Colossians are standing firm, and he urges them to continue living the same way they began: rooted, built up, and established in Christ, overflowing with thanksgiving (vv. 5–7).

Paul then issues a strong warning: do not be taken captive by teaching that sounds wise but is rooted in human tradition and spiritual powers rather than Christ (v. 8). The reason believers can resist such deception is because Jesus is fully God—the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily in Him—and believers have already been made complete in Him (vv. 9–10). Through union with Christ, they have experienced a true spiritual transformation: a “circumcision made without hands,” burial and resurrection with Christ, forgiveness of sins, and new life by God’s power (vv. 11–13). At the cross, God canceled the record of debt due for our sin that stood against us and decisively defeated the spiritual rulers and authorities, triumphing over them through Christ (vv. 14–15).

Because of this finished work, Paul warns the Colossians not to let anyone judge or disqualify them based on food laws, religious festivals, Sabbaths, ascetic practices, angel worship, or mystical visions (vv. 16–18). These things may look spiritual, but they are only shadows; the substance belongs to Christ (v. 17). True growth comes from holding fast to Christ the Head, from whom the whole body grows with a growth that is from God (v. 19). Since believers have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, submitting again to human rules and self-made religion is both unnecessary and powerless to restrain sin (vv. 20–23).

🌀 Reflection:
Where are you tempted to look for “more” than Christ—whether through rules, experiences, or approval—and how does Paul’s reminder of Christ’s sufficiency challenge that impulse?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Gently encourage someone who feels spiritually inadequate by pointing them to the truth that, in Christ, they are already complete.

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

Colossians 1 on 1/11 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for Colossians 1 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul opens his letter by thanking God for the Colossians’ faith in Christ, love for the saints, and hope laid up in heaven—a hope grounded in the true gospel they learned from their pastor, Epaphras (vv. 3–8). This gospel is not a local message but the only gospel, and it is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world, producing changed lives wherever it is truly received (v. 6). Paul then shares how he prays continually that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, leading them to walk in a way that pleases the Lord—bearing fruit, growing in knowing God, and being strengthened with God’s power for endurance, patience, and joyful thanksgiving (vv. 9–12).

At the heart of Paul’s prayer is gratitude for salvation itself. God has rescued believers from the domain of darkness and transferred them into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins (vv. 13–14). Paul then lifts the reader’s eyes to one of the richest portraits of Christ in all of Scripture. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, supreme over all creation, the agent and goal of everything that exists, and the one who holds all things together (vv. 15–17). He is also the head of the church and the firstborn from the dead, so that He might be preeminent in everything (v. 18). In Him all the fullness of God dwells, and through the blood of His cross God is reconciling all things to Himself (vv. 19–20).

Paul applies this glorious truth personally. Once alienated and hostile toward God, believers are now reconciled through Christ’s death so that they may be presented holy, blameless, and above reproach—if they continue steadfast in the faith and do not shift from the hope of the gospel (vv. 21–23). Paul then explains his own ministry: he suffers gladly for the sake of Christ’s body, the church, and faithfully proclaims the mystery once hidden but now revealed—Christ in you, the hope of glory (vv. 24–27). His aim is not merely conversion but maturity, as he labors with Christ’s power to present everyone mature in Christ (vv. 28–29).

🌀 Reflection:
How does seeing Jesus as supreme over creation, redemption, and the church reshape the way you view your life and your faith today?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Encourage another believer by reminding them—verbally or in writing—that Christ is at work in them and that their hope is secure because Jesus reigns.

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

Songs for Sunday, January 4, 2026 @ Christ Community Church

Tomorrow is Sunday — and I’m grateful to start 2026 gathered with my faith family at Christ Community Church.

Hebrews 10:23-25 reminds us why we gather. We come to “hold fast the confession of our hope” — that Jesus is Lord — and be encouraged by others who have been saved by the same grace. We gather to “stir up one another to love and good works”, not as spectators but as participants in what God is doing among us. We gather often, because the Lord has given us a church family and lovingly warns us against “neglecting to meet together”. We gather to “encourage one another”, lifting weary hearts with the reminder that this broken, fallen world isn’t all there is. And every time we gather, we are being prepared for a greater gathering that is coming — shaped week by week into a people ready for the presence of the Lord — the day Revelation 7:9-10 describes when a numberless multitude stands before the throne of God, praising and glorifying the Lamb.

That’s also why we do these “Songs for Sunday” posts. They are a simple invitation to prepare — to read the Scriptures we’ll read aloud in worship, to sing or listen to the songs we’ll sing together, and to come ready to worship with full hearts and clear hope. Preparation doesn’t replace worship; in this case, it deepens tomorrow’s worship it because the preparation itself is worshiping Jesus today.

Sunday’s coming. Let’s come ready to hold fast, encourage one another, and make much of Jesus — together.

Won’t you gather with us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

17For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

19Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

22The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; 23they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 24“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Ephesians 6 on 1/10 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for Ephesians 6 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul continues showing what a Spirit-filled life looks like in everyday relationships. Children are called to obey and honor their parents as an act of obedience “in the Lord,” echoing the fifth commandment and its promise of blessing (vv. 1–3; Exodus 20:12). Parents—especially fathers—are warned not to provoke their children but instead to raise them with loving discipline and instruction rooted in the Lord (v. 4, Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Paul then addresses slaves and masters, applying gospel principles to the realities of the first-century household. Slaves are to serve sincerely, as serving Christ Himself, while masters are commanded to lead with justice and humility, remembering they too answer to a heavenly Master who shows no partiality (vv. 5–9, Colossians 3:22–4:1).

Paul closes the letter by lifting the reader’s eyes to the larger reality behind daily obedience: the Christian life is spiritual warfare. Believers are called to be strong in the Lord, not in their own strength, and to stand firm against the devil’s schemes by putting on the full armor of God (vv. 10–13). This armor—truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God—comes from God Himself and equips believers to resist spiritual enemies, not human ones (vv. 14–17, Isaiah 59:17). Prayer undergirds everything. Paul urges constant, Spirit-dependent prayer for all believers and even asks for prayer that he would boldly proclaim the gospel, reminding us that faithfulness in the battle depends on God’s power, not ours (vv. 18–20). The letter ends with a benediction of peace, love, faith, and grace—fitting gifts for those learning to walk worthy of their calling in Christ (vv. 23–24).

🌀 Reflection:
Where has God placed you under authority—or given you authority over others—and how can you reflect Christ more faithfully in those relationships this week?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Pray intentionally today for another believer who is facing spiritual opposition, asking God to strengthen them to stand firm in Christ.

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

Ephesians 5 on 1/9 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for Ephesians 5 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul calls believers to live like who they now are: “beloved children” of God (v. 1). The shape of that life is love—specifically, the self-giving love of Jesus, who “loved us and gave himself up for us” (v. 2; cf. 4:32). So Christian holiness is not cold rule-keeping; it’s imitation of our Father that flows out of being loved by Christ. That love shows up in what we refuse and what we replace. Paul is blunt: sexual immorality, impurity, and greedy desire don’t belong among the saints—not even as accepted, joked-about norms (vv. 3–4). Greed is not just “wanting more”; it’s a kind of idolatry that puts something else where God belongs (v. 5). And Paul warns against a deadly lie: that someone can claim Christ while living in a settled, unrepentant pattern of sin and still have peace with God (v. 6). Christians aren’t called to avoid all contact with unbelievers, but they must not partner with darkness by joining in its deeds (v. 7).

The reason is identity: you once were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord—so “walk as children of light” (v. 8). Light produces fruit—goodness, righteousness, and truth (v. 9)—and it learns to discern what pleases God in real-life situations (v. 10). Instead of participating in the “fruitless works of darkness,” believers expose them—carefully, wisely, and without slander—by the clarity of the Word and the contrast of a holy life (vv. 11–13). Paul even breaks into what sounds like an early hymn: “Awake, O sleeper… and Christ will shine on you” (v. 14). Then he urges wise living in an evil age: watch how you walk, redeem the time, and seek God’s revealed will—not secret clues, but Scripture-shaped wisdom for daily life (vv. 15–17). And at the center of wisdom is this: don’t be mastered by anything that distorts and controls (like drunkenness), but be continually filled with the Spirit (v. 18). A Spirit-filled church is marked by worship that overflows, gratitude that endures, and relationships shaped by humble, Christ-centered submission (vv. 19–21).

From there, Paul applies Spirit-filled life to the home. In marriage, wives are called to willingly submit to their own husbands as to the Lord, and husbands are called to love with Christlike sacrifice—laying down their lives for their wives’ good (vv. 22–25, 33). Paul roots this in the picture of Christ and the church: Christ is the Head and Savior who gave himself to make his bride holy, clean, and radiant (vv. 23, 26–27). Husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies because in God’s design the two become “one flesh” (vv. 28–31; cf. Genesis 2:24). And then Paul lifts our eyes higher: this “one flesh” union was always meant to point beyond itself—marriage is a living signpost toward the “mystery” now revealed, the covenant love between Christ and his church (v. 32).

🌀 Reflection:
Where are you most tempted to treat holiness like a private matter—something you can “manage” while still flirting with darkness (vv. 7–12)? What would walking as a child of light look like in that area this week (vv. 8–10)?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Redeem one opportunity today by doing a clear “light” action: encourage someone with worshipful words, give thanks out loud, or lovingly refuse participation in something you can’t do “to please the Lord” (vv. 10, 16, 19–20).

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

Ephesians 4 on 1/8 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for Ephesians 4 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul turns from what God has done for us in Christ (chs. 1–3) to how we live because of it (v. 1). From prison, he urges believers to “walk in a manner worthy” of their calling—not by earning salvation, but by living in a way that fits the grace we’ve received (v. 1; cf. 2:8–10). The first “worthy” step is unity: humility, gentleness, patience, and a love that keeps bearing with each other (v. 2). The Spirit creates this unity; our job is to keep it, held together by peace (v. 3). Paul grounds that unity in seven “one” realities: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father over all (vv. 4–6). Unity isn’t built on personality or preference—it’s built on the shared life of the Triune God.

But unity doesn’t mean sameness. Christ gives grace-gifts to each believer, and He does it as the victorious, ascended King who has triumphed and now distributes gifts to His people (vv. 7–10; cf. Psalm 68:18). In particular, Christ gives gifted leaders—apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers—not to do all the ministry for everyone else, but to equip the saints so the whole church serves and the body is built up (vv. 11–12). The goal is a church that grows into maturity together: united in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, steadily becoming more like Christ (v. 13). That kind of maturity protects believers from being tossed around by confusing teaching and spiritual scams (v. 14). Instead, the church grows by “speaking the truth in love,” holding tight to Christ the Head, as every member does their part and the body builds itself up in love (vv. 15–16).

Then Paul gets very practical: don’t go back to your old way of life. The old life is marked by empty thinking, spiritual darkness, hard hearts, and unchecked desires (vv. 17–19). But Christians have “learned Christ”—the truth that is in Jesus calls for a real break with the past (vv. 20–21). Put off the old self that’s being corrupted, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self—created after God’s likeness in righteousness and holiness (vv. 22–24). That new life shows up in everyday relationships: tell the truth (v. 25), deal with anger quickly (vv. 26–27), work honestly so you can share with those in need (v. 28), and speak words that build up and give grace (v. 29). Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit who sealed you for the day of redemption (v. 30). Put away bitterness and harsh speech, and instead be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving—because God in Christ forgave you (vv. 31–32; cf. Matthew 6:12).

🌀 Reflection:
Which “new self” habit do you most need today—truthful words, quick reconciliation, honest work, or forgiving kindness (vv. 25–32)? What would it look like to practice it on purpose in one specific conversation?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Build up one person today with grace-filled speech. Send an encouraging text, write a note, or speak a timely word that strengthens them in Christ—truthful, kind, and fitted to the moment (v. 29; cf. Proverbs 25:11).

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

Ephesians 3 on 1/7 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for Ephesians 3 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul reminds the Ephesians that his suffering and imprisonment are not random setbacks—they are part of his calling “on behalf of you Gentiles” (vv. 1, 13). God gave Paul a stewardship of grace: to announce and explain a “mystery” that was once hidden but has now been revealed by the Spirit through Christ’s apostles and prophets (vv. 2–5). That mystery is wonderfully clear: Gentiles are full members of God’s family in Christ—fellow heirs, fellow members of the same body, and fellow partakers of the promise through the gospel (v. 6; cf. Galatians 3:28–29). In other words, there aren’t “first-class” Jewish Christians and “second-class” Gentile Christians. In Christ, God has made one people (cf. 2:14–16).

Paul says this calling still amazes him. He knows what he used to be—a persecutor of the church—so he calls himself “less than the least” of the saints (v. 8). Yet God appointed him to preach “the unfathomable riches of Christ” and to bring to light God’s plan for forming this new, united people (vv. 8–9). And here’s the jaw-dropper: through the church—this reconciled, multiethnic body—God is displaying His manifold wisdom to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (v. 10). The church is not an afterthought; it’s part of God’s eternal purpose accomplished in Christ (v. 11). Because of Jesus, believers now have confident access to God—not self-confidence, but Christ-confidence—through faith (v. 12; cf. Hebrews 4:16). So Paul urges them not to lose heart over his tribulations; God is using even suffering to produce glory for His people (v. 13; cf. Romans 8:17–18).

Then Paul returns to what he started in v. 1 and prays. He kneels before the Father who names every family in heaven and on earth (vv. 14–15). His request isn’t mainly for easier circumstances but for deeper strength: that the Spirit would strengthen believers in their inner being, that Christ would dwell in their hearts with power as they trust Him, and that they would be rooted and grounded in love (vv. 16–17). He prays they would grasp—together with all the saints—the vastness of Christ’s love, and that they would know it in a real, lived way, even though it will always be bigger than our understanding (vv. 18–19). And he closes with worship: God is able to do far more than we ask or think, and the goal of it all is His glory in the church and in Christ forever (vv. 20–21).

🌀 Reflection:
Do you treat the church like a spiritual “add-on,” or do you see it the way Paul does—as God’s living display of His wisdom and grace in the world (vv. 10, 21)? What would change in how you love, serve, and show up?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Encourage someone who is suffering. Send a message or have a conversation that gently reframes hardship through the lens of Ephesians 3—God is not absent, and He can use trials to strengthen faith and spread glory (vv. 13, 16–17; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:16–18).

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.

Ephesians 2 on 1/6 | NT260 — Reading & Growing in Christ

Click here for Ephesians 2 audio:

Read it. Pray it. Share it. Live it.

Paul starts by telling the truth about who we were without Jesus: we were spiritually dead—stuck in trespasses and sins, shaped by the values of this world, pushed along by Satan’s influence, and controlled by the desires of our flesh (vv. 1–3). Even worse, we were “by nature children of wrath,” meaning God’s judgment was not a distant possibility but the verdict hanging over us because we belonged to Adam’s fallen family (v. 3; cf. Romans 5:12). There was no “try harder” solution here; dead people can’t fix themselves.

Then comes one of the greatest turns in the Bible: “But God” (v. 4). Because He is rich in mercy and full of great love, God acted when we could not. He made us alive together with Christ, raised us with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places—so that forever His people would marvel at the riches of His grace and kindness (vv. 4–7; cf. 1:20–21). Salvation is not a paycheck for religious effort; it is a gift: by grace you have been saved through faith, and even that whole rescue—grace, faith, salvation—is not from ourselves (vv. 8–9). Yet grace doesn’t leave us unchanged. God recreates His people as His workmanship—new creations in Christ—so we can “walk” in the good works He prepared for us (v. 10; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17).

Paul then zooms out from individual salvation to church unity. Gentiles once lived “far off”—cut off from the covenants and promises and without hope (vv. 11–12). But now, in Christ, they have been brought near by His blood (v. 13). Jesus Himself is our peace: by His cross He tore down the dividing wall, set aside what separated Jew and Gentile under the old covenant, and created one new humanity—one people—reconciled both to God and to each other (vv. 14–18; cf. Isaiah 57:19). So Gentile believers are no longer outsiders; they are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, built together on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone (vv. 19–20). The church is now God’s living temple—Jew and Gentile together—where God dwells by His Spirit (vv. 21–22; cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16).

🌀 Reflection:
Where do you still think you have to earn God’s welcome—like you’re a “near” person because you’re doing better lately—rather than living like someone who was “far off” but has been brought near only by the blood of Christ (v. 13)?

💬 Mission Challenge:
Cross one boundary today. Reach out to a believer you don’t naturally connect with (age, background, personality, history) and take one step toward real unity—invite them to coffee, encourage them, or pray with them—because Jesus didn’t just save you from sin; He made you part of one new people (vv. 14–16).

Click here to return to the contents page for Phase 2.4 — The Savior, His Church, and the Mission.