What's happening:

FUSE Sermon Notes:

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.
He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.

(Colossians 1:15-18)

CHRIST IS GOD

CHRIST IS POWER

CHRIST IS FIRST

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
(Galatians 2:20)

FUSE SMALL GROUP:

  1. What is three words you would use to describe yourself? (for extra credit explain why for each word)
    Identity is a big thing. As a Christian it is an even bigger thing because it's not just you, it's Christ!
    What does it mean to identify with Christ? is just being a Christian by name or more than that?

  2. Read Colossians 1:15-20 as a group

  3. Paul describes Jesus in some pretty powerful ways in these verses (image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation, the one in whom all things hold together, head of the church, the beginning, firstborn from the dead, the one through whom God reconciled all things).
    Which of these descriptions stands out to you the most and why?

  4. Verse 16 says, "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."
    How does understanding Jesus as the creator of everything impact the way you see the world and your place in it?

  5. Colossians 1:17 states that "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."
    What does it mean to you that Jesus is not only the creator but also the sustainer of the universe?
    How might this truth bring you comfort or strength in challenging times?

  6. Verse 20 talks about God reconciling "to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
    What 1 does it mean for God to reconcile all things? How does Jesus' sacrifice make peace possible between humanity and God, and potentially between people?  

  7. How can the group pray for you tonight in making Jesus first place in your life?