Gary Gleans

Walk in wisdom toward   outsiders, making the best use of the time.    Let your speech always   be gracious,   seasoned with salt,   so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.   God has called us to reach unbelievers with the Gospel.  Evangelism should be a part of everything we do.  It is the only reason believers are left on earth after salvation.  Every other aspect of our Christian walk we will do better in heaven.  However, once we are in heaven our opportunity to evangelize is over.  As we saw in the previous passage, evangelism should mark our prayers.  This passage gives us two important instructions as to how our walk and our talk should be used to engage with the world with the goal of evangelism.    HAVE A WISE WALK: As we seek to impact the world around us, it is important that we be wise in the way we live.  Jesus instructed His disciples to be w...

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it   with thanksgiving.    At the same time, pray also for us, that God may   open to us a door for the word,   to declare the mystery of Christ,   on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.   Prayer is an important part of the teaching of Scripture and was modeled by both Jesus and the Apostle Paul. This passage includes instruction on how to pray as well as what Paul’s specific prayer requests were.  There are important lessons for us to learn as we seek to follow these instructions about prayer.    PRAY INTENSIVELY: There are basically three instructions in this passage about how we should pray.  First, we should be consistent in prayer.  Paul says that we should continue and be steadfast in prayer.  In order to continue something, it must first be a habit in our lives.  Certainly, the g...

Bondservants, obey   in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.    Whatever you do, work heartily,   as for the Lord and not for men,   knowing that from the Lord   you will receive the inheritance as your reward.   You are serving the Lord Christ.    For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.   Everything we do is important to God.  This includes both our actions and attitudes.  God works, and created us in His image to be workers.  Work was not a consequence of the fall of man into sin.  The productivity of our work is certainly diminished by sin and the motivation behind our work is affected by sin.  God calls us to work diligently out of a desire for God’s glory and the eternal rewards He has promised.   WORK SINCERILY OUT OF FEAR OF...

Wives, submit to your husbands, as   is fitting in the Lord.    Husbands, love your wives, and   do not be harsh with them.    Children, obey your parents   in everything, for this pleases the Lord.    Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.   The family is a vital part of God’s mission in this world.  It is through the family that we understand and experience many aspects about God and His relationship with us.  We are members of the family of God as a result of salvation through faith in Christ.  Our families are to be used as instruments to expand God’s mission by reproducing image bearing children and evangelism.     MARRIAGE MATTERS: Submission is one of those teachings that has fallen out of favor in the modern world. However, it is a vital part of the Christian life.  We are all called to a life of submission to the Lord and to one another....

Put on then, as   God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,   compassionate hearts,   kindness,   humility, meekness, and patience,   bearing with one another and,   if one has a complaint against another,   forgiving each other;   as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.    And above all these put on   love, which   binds everything together in   perfect harmony.    And let   the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called   in one body. And   be thankful.    Let   the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,   singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,   with thankfulness in your hearts to God.    And   whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,   giving thanks to God the Father through him.   There is a tendency to think that t...

Put to death therefore   what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity,   passion, evil desire, and covetousness,   which is idolatry.    On account of these the wrath of God is coming.  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.    But now   you must put them all away:   anger, wrath, malice,   slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.    Do not lie to one another, seeing that   you have put off   the old self with its practices   and   have put on   the new self,   which is being renewed in knowledge   after the image of   its creator.    Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is   all, and in all.   Our new life in Christ involves replacing the sinful practices with those that are aligned with our identity as image bearers of Christ.  Unbelievers are ens...

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek   the things that are above, where Christ is,   seated at the right hand of God.    Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.    For   you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.    When Christ   who is your life   appears, then you also will appear with him   in glory.   There are three events that shape the lives of every Christian: the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and the return of Christ.  These three events impact the way we live in the present because they give us a correct perspective on both the past and the future.     SEEK HEAVENLY THINGS: The resurrection of Christ is a first fruits of the resurrection meaning that it is also our resurrection.  All who have placed their faith in Christ are given new life in Him.  We are no longer dead spiritually but have been...