Colossians 4:7–18 (ESV)

7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. 10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Saying goodbye can be hard.

Honestly, I hate goodbyes. Sure, we have our daily goodbyes that are said with an expectation of soon return. But when it comes to lengthy or long-term goodbyes, nope. I’m out. Not a fan.

This week includes some goodbyes. While we will see Colossians passages again, there is something nostalgic and even emotional about preaching through an entire book of the Bible.  So in a sense, we say goodbye. With that, we are saying goodbye to the Centered series as well. After 17 weeks, it’s going to be odd to get up and ask you to turn to another book.

Ironically, we will be saying these goodbyes while studying Paul’s goodbyes in the text itself.  Within this benediction, we find Paul identify ten people who were all part of his personal ministry team. As you read through the text, you can see that it was quite the team. He was a man who obviously valued people and teamwork. He was an amazing leader who obviously saw the value in strong, spiritual partnerships. How about you? Do you have a spiritual ministry team? Do you have partners in the Lord with whom you can count on?

This week, we are going to be ending our series with the theme Christ-Centered Partnership.  As the Lord has done each and every week, I think you’ll be once again amazed how His Word is going to speak to our path forward. If the church is to lead the way in our culture today, it is going to take us working together in partnership. As you prepare for Sunday, be sure to listen to the worship songs and even take a look back at the passage and consider Paul’s love and devotion for Christ, the church, and those with whom He served. Paul did not do life alone. The churches that were planted and the unity and strength that was developed in the first century was the result of spiritual community and partnership. Perhaps there is a good lesson in this for us as we seek unity in our day as well.

Love you, Church!

Jerry Lingenfelter
Senior Pastor

SUNDAY PLAN
9:00 AM  – Worship Service Online
10:15 AM – Small Group Prayer on Zoom
10:15 AM – Guest Connection
10:15 AM – Student Prayer (Grades 6-12) on Zoom

SUNDAY RESOURCES
Everything you need for Sunday is available on the Mission Church App under Sunday Resources or on our website.