The God Shot With Tara-Leigh Cobble

The God Shot: 1 Thessalonians 5:14

"And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone." (1 Thessalonians 5:14)Our challenges are always changing. Maybe yesterday you felt lazy, today you're off the rails, and tomorrow you'll feel discouraged. In this passage, Paul says each scenario requires a specific response. But all the responses are rooted in the Gospel hope of Christs' finished work on the cross. He says those who are idle need to be warned or rebuked with patience. Those who are faint-hearted need to be patiently encouraged and those who are weak need our patient help. We can be patient toward others because we've been in their shoes. We know what it's like to be idle, faint-hearted, and weak. God was patient with us when we were in those spaces so His patience fuels our own. We can trust that He is at work in their lives to draw them near to Himself. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

"Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other." (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)The apostle Paul wrote these words in his letter to the church at Thessalonica. Lots of churches in this day were dealing with false teachers who needed to be rejected and resisted, but the leaders of the church at Thessalonica were godly and upright. When you find leaders like that, build them up. Paul knew on a personal level the unique challenges of leadership because leaders need support and encouragement. So who are the spiritual leaders in your life? Let them know you're praying for them and that you value them as they serve and lead the church. May your words usher in peace and remind them that their labor in the Lord isn't in vain because He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Colossians 1:23

"if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant." (Colossians 1:23)In this letter to the church at Corinth, the apostle Paul has been reminding us of all the blessings granted to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, who is God in the flesh. Jesus not only reveals the Father to us, but reconciles us to Him. He not only died to pay our sin debt but lived to grant us righteousness. And here, Paul reminds us to hold tightly to these truths. There is nothing else on Earth that can bring us reconciliation with God. Not our church attendance or our morality or even our daily devotions. Those are all good things, but they aren't what causes God to approve of us. He approves of us because of the finished work of His Son Jesus. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Colossians 1:21-22

"Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—" (Colossians 1:21-22)Do you remember who you were before you knew Jesus? Maybe it was yesterday or maybe you were young. But before you met him, you are alienated from God, enemies by nature. But when your heart acknowledged and surrendered to the finished work of Jesus on the cross, you were reconciled to God, enemies no more. There's more good news! Jesus not only died to pay our sin debt, but He also lived a perfect life and granted that righteousness to us despite our sin. Because of His work, we come to God the Father presented holy and blameless through Christ. You and I could never attain this on our own but Praise Jesus He can and did! He is where the joy is!

The God Shot: Colossians 1:19-20

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Colossians 1:19-20)This verse is talking about Jesus, God the Son. In Him, we see all the fullness of God. Earlier in this chapter, Paul said, 'Jesus is the image of the invisible God.' In other words, if you want to see what the Father's heart looks like, look to Jesus. They're identical. They have a shared nature and it pleased the Father to make Himself known to us through Jesus. God the Son took on flesh becoming 100% God and 100% man in order to bridge the gap between God and man. He did this to make a way for us to be in a relationship with the Father. He reconciled us to Him. His death was our peace. His loss was our gain. What a savior! He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Colossians 1:18

"And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." (Colossians 1:18)In this letter to the church at Corinth, the apostle Paul is talking about God the Son, also known as Jesus. What does it mean that he is the head of the body? This is a reference to the church. Scripture often refers to all believers as one body and Christ is our head. That means He's united to us and He's in charge. Paul goes on to say that Jesus is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. This refers to the way his resurrection from the dead made it possible for us to be raised from the dead into our eternal life with Him. This is huge. He is before, above, and sovereign over all things and He has invited us to join him in eternity. Count me in! He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Colossians 1:17

"He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17)Have you ever felt like your life is coming unhinged? Like all your best-laid plans have failed and you're waiting for the next disappointment or a bit of bad news. God sees your pain. He is not removed from it. In fact, He's the one holding you together right now. You are in Christ and He is the one who holds all things together. He goes before you and all things and is supreme over all things. That doesn't mean you won't experience trials, it means your pain matters. It won't be wasted and God will ultimately cause it to serve your greatest joy. Whatever ache you're facing today, whatever uncertainty is spinning through your mind disrupting your peace, may your heart set its hope firmly on Jesus. He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Colossians 1:16

"For in 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." (Colossians 1:16)Did you know that Jesus is credited with the work of creation? John 1, Colossians 1, Hebrews 1, and 1 Corinthians 8 reveal that Jesus is the one who responded to the Father's creation commands and fulfilled the manual labor of creation. He created Heaven, Earth, every created being, human, or otherwise, as God the Son he has always existed. When He took on human form as a baby named Jesus, He stepped into the physical realm He created in a personal intimate way. Paul says not only was everything made through Him but for Him as well. He made you on purpose for His glory. He delights in you and I hope that by knowing that you'll delight all the more in Him because He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Colossians 1:15

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)Have you ever thought maybe God had a personality transplant between the Old Testament and the New Testament? It's a common misconception, but this verse set us straight on that line of thought. Here Paul is talking about Jesus, also known as God the Son. Paul says Jesus is the image of the invisible God. In other words, if you want to see what the Father's heart looks like, his personality and motives, look to Jesus because they are identical. As two-thirds of the Holy Trinity, the Father and Son have a shared nature. Jesus reveals the Father to us. Paul also says Jesus is the firstborn of all creation, but that doesn't mean He was created. Jesus has always existed! In ancient Hebrew culture, calling Him the firstborn was a nod to His ranking. He has authority and prominence over all created things and I'm so glad because He's where the joy is!

The God Shot: Colossians 1:13-14

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14)Did you know that you used to be in the domain of darkness? It sounds harsh, but Scripture says we were born as enemies of God. Children of wrath by our nature living in darkness. Because our hearts were selfishly turned inward, there was no way we could find our way to God in the darkness. But God knew our need and his heart was set on rescue. He sent His Son Jesus to pay our enormous sin debt. He forgave us, redeemed us, and granted us a new heart that was turned toward Him. God crossed enemy lines to adopt His enemies into His eternal kingdom family. What a good father! He's where the joy is!