Losing My Religion

  • Matt Payne
  • Mar 23, 2008
  • Series: Losing My Religion

Losing ReligionStarting Sunday March 23rd we begin a new series entitled, "Losing My Religion."  We are going to spend 4 weeks studying the book of Colossians. Being a Christ-follower isn't about religion, it's about a person who becomes the center of your life.

 

March 23rd: (Easter)  Finding Jesus

We all have a religion of some kind, even if we're atheists.  And we want people to lose whatever their religion is, not because religion is bad and not because religion never does any good, but because religions are all the same: what do I have to do to shift the cosmic balance of power in my favor when it comes to my own pleasure and pain in life (and the next if your religion has an afterlife).  All religions boil down to what do I have to do to get the “karmic edge” I need to get what I want out of life.

This message will center on Colossians 1 where the focus is not on religion but on a person who is reconciling all things to himself and what it means for Him to be “in you, the hope of glory”  We will challenge you to lose your religion so you can find Jesus.

March 30th: Finding Freedom

The Colossians were being told how to deal with the demands of deity: be spiritual, do this, don't do that, don't eat this, don't touch that, be this kind of person, follow the rules.

One thing religion does is try to offer a way to get free of the things that bring us guilt and shame for the things we did or shouldn't have done or things we didn't do that we should have, or things that were done to us that make us feel fearful and inferior and ashamed. 

Religion is about rules to follow, or ways to get on God's good side or to feel good about yourself as a person.  Some religions  tell you that you have nothing really to feel guilty or ashamed of because God is such a nice guy and always just understands that boys will be boys and girls will be girls.  Religion almost always involves guilt and shame management.

In this message from Colossians 2 we will show you that Jesus can free you from guilt and shame from the things in your past. 

April 6th:  Finding Life

Going through an old yearbook or photo album is always fun.  It takes us back in time and reminds us of clothes and hairstyles that once looked good on us.  We were stylish then.  But what once was fashionable doesn’t look so good anymore.  It fell out of style.  So we laugh at our big hair, funny glasses, strange shirts, and silly shoes.  “Why did I wear that?” we may ask.  Life in general is the same way. 

There are attitudes and behaviors from the past that once seemed like a good way of doing things, but not so much anymore.  Ways of thinking often change in culture as time goes on.  And even our own personal ways of thinking change as we grow older.  Sometimes we may find ourselves asking, “Why did I ever do that?”

In this message from Colossians 3 we will discover that Jesus offers us a NEW lifestyle.

April 13th:  Finding People

 When you watch a movie, do you ever pay attention to the people in the background?  Or have you ever wondered about all those guys who were killed by the Terminator and how their families felt?  Probably not. But think about this question.  When you are out in public, do you pay attention to the people in the “background?” 

Admittedly, it is easy for us to think of ourselves as the stars of our own dramas, and all others are supporting cast or extras.  That makes it tough for us to notice those around us.  Besides friends and family, we interact with lots of people each day: cashiers, bus drivers, servers, bank tellers, traffic commuters, neighbors, etc.  Often we interact with these people without ever exchanging a word or looking them in the eye.

In this message from Colossians 4 we will learn to see other people through God's eyes.