UR The Church: Dedication
Dedication is inspiring. Seeing dedicated athletes, entrepreneurs, missionaries, etc, inspires us. They show us the power of unwavering commitment, relentless persistence, tenacity in adversity, and a focused mindset. Throughout the Bible, we see dedicated men and women who model dedication, whether it be Noah, Abraham, Ruth, Paul, or Epaphras. They inspire us to love our Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
“1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.1”—Read Colossians 1:1-8
“1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.1”—Read Colossians 1:1-8
Discussion Questions
- Who are some of the most dedicated people you have encountered in life? What made them so inspiring?
- Russell mentioned several characteristics of dedication, including unwavering commitment, relentless persistence, tenacity in adversity, and a focused mindset. Which of these qualities have you displayed and when? Which of these need some work?
- Looking back at Colossians 1:1-8 and 4:12-13, what stands out about Epaphras? What inspires you about his story?
- The UR series is over, and we now move to Genesis 1-3. Let’s reflect a little before we close the book on this series.
- How has the series challenged you?
- What will be different now that the series is over? (more consistent church attendance, small group commitment, daily time with God, finding a place to serve, etc.)
- Which of the six topics we covered (presence, gifts/service, discipleship, encouragement, generosity, and dedication) spoke to you the most? Why?
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