How I’m Teaching Colossians in Youth Group
This is the first installment of a new series about “What I’m teaching at Youth Group.” The first two articles demonstrate two ways youth workers are teaching expository series in their ministries. Part 3 and part 4 are designed to instruct readers how to develop a book-of-the-Bible or an expository-topical series.
This fall semester, I am taking our middle and high school students through the book of Colossians, where we will have teaching on the given text and then break into small groups. I believe my students need to grow in Christian maturity, which is what Paul seeks to encourage within the church of Colossae. Colossians 1:28 says the purpose of proclaiming Jesus is to present students mature in Christ. Mature students then demonstrate themselves to be deeply “established in the faith” (2:7).
Students are enticed to establish themselves in anything other than Jesus. Whether that is school, sports, drama, work, friendships – you name it. My hope through this series is to see our students make their faith in Christ their greatest priority.
Below, you will see how I structured the series. The aim was to break down the text within the major emphases of the book. Though most Bibles have divisions, such as subject headings & chapters/verses, these are not always the best ways to develop a series outline. It is my prayer that this will be a helpful resource to you if you ever find yourself teaching this wonderful book of God’s word.
Colossians 1:1–8
Big Idea: The Gospel causes us to be thankful for God at work.
Summary: Though Paul’s opening greeting (1:1-14) is one thought, there is a lot in here to unpack for students concerning his prayer of thanksgiving and supplication. This prayer teaches us what Paul prioritizes and how we should, too. Within his prayer of thanksgiving Paul teaches us how we should be thankful for God’s work in local and global places (v. 3-6) and for his servants who teach us the gospel (7-8).
Application: With Paul’s prayer in mind, I believe it is good for us to challenge our students to consider what they are praying for. Is it asking God to bless you, your family, or your friends? Is it thanking God for the day you had or the food you are about to eat? These prayers are fine to pray, but if our prayers are solely centered around ourselves and not God, then there is a big issue. It is good to read these words and be encouraged to pray outside of ourselves and be thankful for how God is at work in someone else’s life within our youth group, church, and around the world. At the same time, we should have a sense of gratitude for those God would place in our lives to teach us His word.
Colossians 1:9-14
Big Idea: Through the gospel, God has qualified us to walk in his will.
Summary: Knowing the will of God can be a complex subject that is intimidating for students; however, Paul makes his will pretty simple for us to understand and walk in. When teaching this lesson, I aim to break it down into three questions and answers to simplify it for students:
What is the will of God? To know Christ (v.9). For in chapter 2:2-3, Paul clarifies that his will “is Christ.” Richard Chin says it best in Captivated by Christ, “If you want knowledge of what pleases God, and if you want spiritual wisdom and understanding, look to Jesus. As we come to see Jesus more clearly, so we will grow in knowledge, wisdom and understanding of God’s will. As we see Jesus more clearly, the gospel gets bigger and bigger in our hearts.”
How can I walk in the will of God? Live to please Christ (v. 10). Understanding what God says about matters of righteousness, wisdom, and triviality trains students to discern how to live a life that pleases Christ (for more info on this, read Guidance and the Voice of God, by Tony Payne).
What if I mess up? Rest in knowing that God will strengthen you and has qualified you (v. 11-14). In our decision-making, God strengthens us with his power and gives endurance, joyful patience, and thanksgiving.
Application: The first application for students is to not get overwhelmed by every decision that comes before them, but to prioritize knowing Christ, trusting he will inform their decisions. Second, students should consider the helpful framework above when faced with a decision. For example, is going to a Christian or secular college a matter of wisdom or righteousness? In all things, let Scripture inform each answer. Lastly, students need to rest in the gospel truth that Christ has qualified us to walk in his will.
Colossians 1:15–20
Big Idea: Revere and follow Jesus.
Summary: These verses are Paul’s second set of “Christ Hymns” (the first is found in Philippians 2:1-11). Paul lays out for us that Jesus should be revered because he is God (v. 15, 18, 19), he is the agent and goal of all things (v. 16-17), and he is our peacemaker (v. 20). Then, our reverence should spur us on to follow him by appreciating what he did for us (v. 21-22) and continuing in the faith (v. 23).
Application: If you were to ask students in your church why they came to believe in Jesus I doubt “Reverence” would be at the top of the list. However, Paul teaches us that Jesus is more than a friend to be believed in – he is God. The God of all creation brings peace to his creation in rebellion. The question is which side of his peace will they be on? This means that we call students to follow him without compromise.
Colossians 1:21–2:5
Big Idea: The work of God is a struggle with great reward.
Summary: Not only are students to know Jesus, but they are supposed to imitate Paul in working to make Christ known in their spheres of influence: their work, school, friends, and family. Here, we should join in his suffering for the gospel (1:24–25), proclaim Christ in order to present others mature in Christ (1:28–29) and be thankful for those who have struggled for the gospel (2:1–5). This also helps students know our priorities as a youth ministry.
Application: The primary application for students is to encourage them to be on mission for Christ in making him known. Though this will look different for each student, they need to recognize that the struggle is worth rejoicing in because of the fruit that comes from it in others’ lives.
Colossians 2:6–23
Big Idea: Be established in the faith by being on guard against false teaching.
Summary: In the rest of chapter 2, Paul articulates certain threats that seek to uproot their establishment in Christ. These threats are human wisdom (2:8) and the law (2:16).
Application: Although human wisdom, such as ‘love is love', has the appearance of being good because it is widely accepted, it does not have true authority. True authority is found in Jesus, who is God (2:9–10). Even efforts like ‘purity culture’ have the appearance of godliness as a means toward maturity, it has the “appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion” (2:23). Instead, we should say no to ungodliness and rely on the sufficiency of Jesus with whom we have died through faith (2:20).
Colossians 3:1–17
Big Idea: Die to sin, live for Christ.
Summary: This section is one of my favorite chapters, especially when counseling students regarding overcoming sin. Paul is helping the Colossians rightly prioritize Jesus in their personal walk, not just with matters of false belief that we saw earlier. These verses teach us to actively believe in our identity with Christ, ‘who is our life.’ Although each of us struggles with sin, overcoming it is not a legal task of “do not handle, do not taste, do not touch” (2:21), but a matter of faith. To ‘put sin to death’, we must have truly “died” with Jesus to sin (3:3) through faith. To ‘put on’ or walk in newness of life is to believe that we have been truly ‘raised with Christ’ (3:1). This union with Christ then works itself out to prioritize the Word of Christ to richly dwell in us to help us seek the right things of God (3:1,16).
Application: The first application that is important to note is how believing in the Gospel has implications for our lives by ‘putting to death’ and ‘seeking.’ The second application invites students to grapple with how serious God is with sin. Again, this should bring about a sense of reverence towards him and repentance from sin. Lastly, the ability to ‘put on’ or ‘seek the things above’ is by making Christ the priority of our lives (v. 4; 17).
Colossians 3:18–4:1
Big Idea: Serve Christ by submitting to those he has placed over you.
Summary: Paul then moves on to practical matters, showcasing how being established in Christ means having proper family, slave, and work dynamics (3:18–4:1). The culture around us seeks to change these dynamics by eliminating the word ‘submission’ altogether. But the Word of Christ teaches us what healthy submission looks like because our submission to those God appointed can bring service to Christ. Though people have abused these verses, God does give us a warning (3:25) that does not compromise the dynamics he has laid out for us.
Application: As with a lot of verses in scripture, these verses have a particular weight to them. Some students come from hard family dynamics, others don’t like the idea of wives submitting to husbands, and students may think that God's word condones slavery. One of the major applications from this passage is to correct some wrong assumptions regarding what God’s Word says about submission. After addressing those issues, it is good to help students see the value of submission within the different spheres of life.
Colossians 4:2–6
Big Idea: Being established in Christ brings us to partake in evangelism.
Summary: Paul briefly encourages them to pray. Specifically, he encourages prayers that are centered around evangelism (v. 2-4). He then speaks to how the Colossians can be active in evangelism (v. 5-6). Evangelism is something we should both pray about and do.
Application: This encouragement to the Colossians from Paul teaches students what we saw in chapter 1, which is to pray for others and to join in imitating Paul’s ministry within our own spheres of influence.
Colossians 4:7–18
Big Idea: Appreciate those who are established in Christ and follow in their example.
Summary: Finally, Paul closes his letter by not only giving personal updates, he also writes of others who are sharing in his faithful ministry. For this section, I believe it is good to join Paul by highlighting both our leaders in the youth ministry and our leaders in the church who are “faithful ministers and fellow servants” (4:7). Testimonials are powerful encouragements that God uses to spur people on in their walk with Christ.
Application: Oftentimes when we talk about students needing to join in the work of ministry they may think that it means becoming a vocational pastor, minister, or missionary. However, Paul teaches that it means to proclaim Christ in various ways as we have opportunity. It is my hope that when students hear Paul’s personal report that it would similarly motivate them to share Christ in their workplace, school, home, and friendships.
I am already a couple of weeks into this sermon series and I cannot wait to see how God will work in and through the proclamation of His Word over the semester. If you are considering Colossians as a series for your student ministry, I’d like to encourage two resources that have been helpful in my preparation: Captived by Christ: Seeing Jesus clearly in the book of Colossians, by Richard Chin and Christ-Centered Exposition: Colossians and Philemon, by R. Scott Pace and Daniel L. Akin.
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