Cast a Vision: Week 1
Instructions
There are several things you can do this week to take the ideas home with you. You can do them in order or not. You can do all of them or some of them. If you already have a devotional or quiet time you could use these as part of that time, or not. It is your choice. The important thing is to make choices with the leading of the Holy Spirit towards the ideals, values and future relationship that you really want.
Below are daily ideas to focus on that carry the ideas from the small group home with you. It is in your daily life, at home, with people you spend time with where your life is shaped into the life you want it to be. See if these fit into the values and ideals of the spouse, neighbor, church member, parent, family member, co-worker... that you are meant to be. This applies to any relationship but we invite you to focus especially on applying these ideas in your marriage.
You do not need to do these together- some couples may want to do them together and if you both want to do that, its OK. The most important thing is that you spend time regularly focused on things that really matter to you, whether or not you do it together.
What is most important is that it fits you and God's working plan for your life and marriage.
Enjoy!
FIRST FOCUS:
Poetry on Colossians 3
What is the effect and impact on being “raised with Christ”? What does it mean and how is it a real thing…not just “religious words”?
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,
set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3: 1-3
Reflect or journal about these questions:
1) “Since” means to affirm your union with Christ by faith—What is the role of FAITH in Marriage?
2) “Since” means you let your union with Christ shape your relationship with God. In what ways might you act differently than if the “since” never occurred?
3) “Since” suggests that your union with Christ change the very atmosphere around your lives. How can the tone/tenor/and attitude in your home be affected by “since?" Watch this brief video (3 minutes; 41 seconds):
Paul will teach us that the “since” is followed by qualities. These qualities changed the world…and it can change our marriages. Listen to this artist describe the “big idea."
SECOND FOCUS:
Christ's Resurrection
Let’s take this “since” a little bit deeper… Read the article linked below.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,
set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3: 1-3
Reflect or journal about these questions:
1) “Since” relates to being ‘raised with Christ’. What is the meaning of the metaphorical language? What does a raised “since” person do that a non-raised person doesn’t do?
2) “Since” resets our identity. What are the competing identities in most marriages?
3) “Since” is to shape your priorities and preoccupations. What is the difference in priorities between some one who “has ‘Since’” and someone without “Since”?
THIRD FOCUS:
The Unnatural
Now let’s consider “setting”—where we are told to “set our hearts” and “set our minds”
It is not natural, normal or expected that our hearts and minds are “set” on things above… if it were we would not be told to do something that we already were doing. (There is no command/expectation in the Bible that we are to “drink lots of water." We do that naturally—every time we are thirsty!) So…
In the song attached (3 minutes), Andrew Peterson sings of a very “unnatural” heart. But you can see a different direction he is intending in his letter to his lover-friend…In what direction is his heart set?
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,
set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3: 1-3
Reflect or journal about this question:
1) If setting our hearts and minds on things above not natural—describe your and my natural state. In marriage, what is our default “setting?"
FOURTH FOCUS:
Set your affection on Things Above
Now let’s consider “setting”—where we are told to “set our hearts on things above… . Read the devotional ideas in the link to the right.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,
set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3: 1-3
Reflect or journal about these questions:
1)To set our mind refers to our intentional and thoughtful plan.
2)It is to act by design rather than by happenstance. (Think here of Hannibal Smith who was made famous by the statement, “I love it when___________________________” )
3) Select one thing you will seek with “intention”-a set mind that you can do today. It is to be small, reachable, inexpensive and recognizable by your spouse as an unexpected surprise…Just 1 and just small.
© Copyright Grace Together