Message of the Week

Little White Community Church

Scripture: Col. 3: 14 -17 October 19, 2025

Message: “Love, Peace and Praise!”  

By Pastor George Gnade

Play to Listen to the Message

0:00

Introduction:

1. Today we are continuing our study of the Book of Colossians, especially Col. 3, where Paul told us to take off our wrong behavior and put on our Christ-like behavior as if we were changing our clothes.

2. At the beginning of a day, most of us ask ourselves what we are going to do. Then we decide what we are going to wear. Some clothes we specifically wear to work, others for around the house, others for going to church. 

a. Did you ever ask yourself what you wanted to wear to please the Lord?

b. In Col. 3:14, Paul tells us “to above all clothe ourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

3. Most of us are familiar with Gal. 5: 22-23 where God teaches us the fruits of the Spirit. These include “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control.”

a. If you think about this list, they are all different ways to show love to others or the Lord. If you are kind to someone, isn’t that one way to be loving to that person? If you are faithful to your mate, isn’t that one of the ways you can show him (or her) that you are committed to him and love him? 

4. That is what Col. 3:14 means when it says “love binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

a. When you get dressed, you have all kinds of different clothes to choose from. So when you choose to dress up for Christ by putting on love, Paul is saying the one word binds all the other ways of showing love together.  

b. Making dinner for a loved one or making a phone call to a friend or listening to praise music for the Lord are all different kinds of loving behavior that are held together by that Christ-like love.  When you do this deliberately to please the Lord, it makes Him proud of you.

A. That brings us to Col. 3:15 where Paul encourages us to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were called into one body.”

1. Peace is another fruit of the Spirit. It could refer to having peace with God because He forgave you. It could also refer to you “seeking peace and pursuing it” in your relationships.

a. Just as being clothed with love can take on many different forms, so having peace and showing peace can find different expressions.

b. But what makes this verse so unique is the admonition to “let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.”

2. When you ask Jesus to forgive you and to come into your heart, you are supposed to be asking Jesus to rule over your life. That is why a Christian calls Jesus “his Lord.”  

a. When others are watching us, they can tell whether we are allowing Jesus to rule over our lives or if we are still pushing Him aside and doing whatever we feel like doing. 

b. Now Jesus is asking us to let “the peace of Christ rule in our hearts.”

3. While I do my best with the help of the Holy Spirit to let Jesus rule over my heart, I do not do as good letting His peace rule over my heart.

a. Sometimes I become overwhelmed by the needs in my own family. Sometimes I become overwhelmed with the burdens of others. Sometimes I relive some of my past mistakes instead of giving them to the Lord and moving on. 

b. When I do, Carol can tell and has to remind me to let the peace of Christ rule. No problem is too big for the Lord.

4. Just as clothing ourselves with Jesus’ love is a deliberate choice, so is letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. It is one of His wonderful gifts to those who let Him.

B. But the command to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts is followed by two simple words. It says: “Be thankful” (Col. 3:15)!

1. When you express your gratitude to the Lord for all He has done for you, you will be far more likely to clothe yourself with His love and peace as you share that love and peace with others. God wants us to be thankful.

2. In Col. 3:16, Paul writes: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” as you “teach and admonish one another in all wisdom.”

a. How many times does Paul have to remind us that our wisdom comes from God’s Word, not the worldly philosophies that are all around us?

b. Let me remind you that the Colossians were being influenced by a group of philosophers called Gnostic. In fact, that is why Paul wrote this letter.

c. You and I are surrounded by all kinds of ideas being pushed down our throats by the media, the internet, and television. They constantly defy what God’s Word says. 

3. True wisdom comes from the Lord and His Holy Word. 

C. Which brings us to our last lesson for the day. It is really a repeat of Paul’s admonition to be thankful. Except this time, the stress is on how we can show we are thankful.

1. In vs. 16, the Bible says to show the gratitude in our hearts by “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…”

a. The Psalms were the hymns of the O.T. They express joy and sadness. But God is always at the center of the psalm. Thanksgiving for all He has done for us is a close second.

b. The prophets spoke of a new song that was coming from the Lord, that is what our N.T. is all about. It is all about Jesus. Today we have hundreds of new songs to choose from.

2. In Col. 3: 17, it says: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

a. The Bible is full of the many different ways that God hears us and blesses us. Our hymns are full of variety.

b. Singing is certainly not limited to a church building. Carol has singing groups that she really likes. I am sure many of you do to. 

c. Some of us even like to sing to ourselves.

3. However you show you are thankful, keep it up. I don’t know about you, but when I sing a song, it really helps to lift my spirits.

In conclusion: 1. Today we have stressed three primary ideas including clothing ourselves with Jesus’ love, letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, and being thankful in all that we do.

2. May God bless us as we practice and learn how to do these things better.  Amen!