A wedding. A move. A loss. A new beginning.

But the Apostle Paul says the resurrection of Jesus was never meant to be a moment we celebrate once a year. It was meant to redirect everything about us.

“If then you have been raised with Christ… set your minds on things above.” Colossians 3:1–2

This Sunday in Colossians 3:22–4:1, we’ll see how the gospel reshapes the way we work, lead, endure hardship, and serve others.

Because even in the hardest seasons, your work is never unseen by God.

- Colossians 2:17

At the same time, Paul warns that if we’re not rooted in Christ, we’ll be pulled away by “philosophy and empty deceit” (Colossians 2:8). These gospel rivals promise more but ultimately try to replace Jesus at the center.

The good news is that we don’t need anything more. In Christ, the fullness of God dwells, and we have been filled in Him (Colossians 2:9–10). Through His death and resurrection, our sin has been forgiven, our record of debt canceled, and every spiritual power defeated (Colossians 2:13–15).

Real growth happens when we stay close to Jesus, rooted in His finished work, and guarded against anything that tries to pull us away from Him.

Paul also reminds us that we are not consumers but servants under a commission. With Christ in us, the hope of glory, we have everything we need to live on mission. Our lives now have a clear aim. Proclaim Christ and make disciples. Real joy is not found in comfort, but in giving our lives away so others can find life in Jesus.

The book of Colossians interrupts that cycle. 

It lifts our eyes off ourselves and fixes them on Jesus.

Because in Christ, forgiveness and freedom is not partial or temporary.

It is full, secure, and forever, purchased by His finished work on the cross.

This letter reminds us that fullness of life is found only in the fullness of Christ.

He is supreme over all things, sufficient for every need, and central to all of life.

Jesus rising from the grave doesn’t just secure our future, it renews our present.

He meets us in our suffering, reshapes what feels impossible, and redefines what’s ahead.

Because the resurrection is not just something to believe…

it’s a reality that changes everything.

Some of you are walking through something that feels dead right now.

A relationship. A season. Your peace. Your hope.

And into that, Jesus says:

“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)

As Jesus enters Jerusalem during Passover, the crowds gather to see the One who heals the sick and raises the dead. Word is getting out. But in this moment in redemptive history, Matthew shows us that how we respond to Jesus matters.

The call of the passage is simple: be strong in the Lord. God supplies the armor, and by His grace we put it on.

But not just any prayer.

He calls it “the prayer of faith.”

This Sunday we’ll explore how to pray in faith and, even when we’re uncertain about the outcome, we can be confident that God’s ans

We will walk away with three pictures of patience from James, that help us to keep trusting in seasons of waiting. We will discover that what you are walking through is not the end of the story. And like Job as we remain steadfast in the Lord, we will see “the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (v.11)

This fall at Vintage Church, we are continue our way through the Book of Galatians in a new series called Gospel Relationships. Together we will learn how God’s love changes the way we relate to Him, to people, and to the world. The gospel doesn’t just save us, it gives us a new identity in Christ and transforms how we love, forgive, and live with others.

No proving. No pretending. The gospel frees us to be bold in God’s love and humble in His grace.