Kingdom Friends

I'm thinking and praying over so many things as I'm preparing for worship tomorrow but the theme that the Lord gave me earlier this week ("Kingdom Friends" based on Colossians 4:2-18) seems quite fitting.

The end of the book of Colossians is full of names.  Beginning with verse 7 we have

• Tychicus,  
• Onesimus,  
• Aristarchus,  
• Mark the cousin of Barnabas, 
• Jesus who is called Justus,  
• Epaphras,  
• Luke the doctor, 
• Demas,  
• Nympha and  
• Archippus, not to mention  
• Paul (the author) himself and  
• Timothy, Paul's apprentice & secretary. (See Colossians 1:1).  

         Click on any of those names to learn more about them.

The church of God is full of people.  People with particular names and particular stories.  People who know each other and appreciate each other's gifts.  The church is NOT about official titles and jobs.

Are you taking time to know your brothers and sisters in Christ?  Are they your friends? 

Tomorrow, before we share the Lord's Supper together, I'm hoping we can meet someone one or two people we don't know well who happens to be at church tomorrow to find out:

• Their names
• What they do
• Where they live
• Who they live with (or family)
• Where they've been
• Fun/hobbies/sports
• Something they think is important
• Problems, Frustrations, Challenges (1 or 2)
• Goals & Dreams

We'll then take a moment to encourage our new friend(s) and to pray a 10 second prayer for them.

Maybe this will be a small step to being the kind of friends God desires us to be in His Kingdom.
--------------------------

The book of Colossians is a letter written to Christians in Colossae, a small town in the middle of present day Turkey.  This letter is connected with others--it has a lot in common with Ephesians.  The letter to Philemon was probably delivered with Colossians since Philemon lived in Colossae.  There's another letter that seems to have been lost--one sent to the nearby city of Laodicea.  It's connected with the letters to Timothy too.

In all of these letters God points to Christian believers as "holy and beloved," brother and sisters in Christ.  Believers are given a new identity--an identification with Jesus that will never end.

We are not alone in that identity!  Though the devil wants to keep us apart, the Holy Spirit will draw us together if we allow Him to do so.  Let's pray that we will become better Kingdom Friends.

www.equalsharing.com