2025 Memory Verses

March 2, 2025 - As one who has placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ's work on the cross for salvation and asking for forgiveness, the believer is born again (See John 3:3; Romans 10:9-13; and 2 Corinthians 5:17). This new man involves Christlikeness. It is the new man in you (the believer) that now ought to be what we are influenced by the most. It is God's plan for every believer to reflect Christlikeness. The new man was put on at the moment of salvation, and yet this renewal is a current process in which you grow to reflect Christ by applying God's Word and walking faithfully with Him. Jesus was not created. We, on the other hand, are a wondrous new creation.

Colossians 3:10 - And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

March 9, 2025 - This new man created in Christ, has no bigoted barriers. Every saved person is on equal footing. The ground is level at the foot of the cross! It is all about Christ.

Colossians 3:11 - Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

March 16, 2025 - Since we (as born-again believers) have put on the new man which was created in Christ, it stands to reason that the believer put the virtues which characterize Him. The command to "put on" is followed by some descriptive names for the believer - the chosen, holy and beloved people of God. Because this is who we are, we must put on a heart of compassion. This involves a sensitivity to the needs of others and a readiness to meet such needs. This virtue heads the list for good reason, as it affects the disposition of the heart from self toward others. Being kind is the opposite of being severe. Humbleness of mind involves humility, which looks up toward others, rather down at them, and is concerned for their needs. You could say that meekness flows out of humility. This meekness shows up in being gentle toward others and being willing to give up their own rights and being willing to see another's point of view rather than being resentful. Longsuffering involves forbearance which can be described as remaining tranquil/calm in the face of provocation or (more clearly) to bear up under provocation.

Colossians 3:12 - Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

March 23, 2025 - Forbearance carries the idea of putting up with another rather than allowing him or her to provoke irritation, anger or resent in you. This forbearance is something that should mark you as a believer as you deal with others that are not so easy to deal with. Wait on the Lord to deal with them and be forbearing. Forgiveness is crucial toward bearing up. This forgiveness involves a mindset or attitude. It is having a forgiving spirit rather than a critical spirit. No believer has a right to hold on to unforgiveness, and it is an affront to our Lord. Christlikeness without a forgiving spirit is impossible.

Colossians 3:13 - Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

March 30, 2025 - The virtues or characteristics mentioned in verses 12 and 13 are somewhat encapsulated in putting on love. This Christlike love is placed above all else. When you are loving folk rightly, the aforementioned items will be there in some way. It is the bond (that which unites) bringing perfectness which has to do with completeness and/or maturity.

Colossians 3:14 - And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

February 2, 2025 - Having exhorted the believers to mortify their members, or rather, render inoperative, not giving way to such things, verse 6 serves to tell us something additional about the list in verse five. The stark reality is that these things are the very reason God's wrath is coming upon those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Savior. God did not save us so that we can go on cheerfully living like those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. The “children of disobedience" carries the idea of someone opposed to God, and that should never be those who know Him.

Colossians 3:6 - For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

February 9, 2025 - Moving from a focal-point on the wrath that will come upon the unsaved (i.e., those who have not received God's forgiveness through Jesus Christ), the Apostle Paul expands the idea of a list of sins in order to shed light on the fact it was really a sphere of sin, or rather, a way of life in which we all once walked. This was no mere list, but a direction, a way of thinking, the dark citizenship of the man given over to sin with no hope nor ability on his own to escape God's wrath to come.

Colossians 3:7 - In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

February 16, 2025 - While verses 6 & 7 give further information about verse 5, verse 8 stands as an additional command to mortifying one's members. Being children of the kingdom God comes with responsibilities, but more than some mere list of duties, it is actually a new way of thinking and living. Consider the list in verse 8. In both Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:45, Jesus taught that one speaks out the abundance of his or her heart. Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy communication are something we must deal with in our hearts before we let it fly out of our mouths, or even work with our hands. When we walk in love for our Savior as his redeemed child, we can have victory through Him.

Colossians 3:8 - But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

February 23, 2025 - Telling lies today has become much easier under the guise of ambiguity in texts or social media posts. A number of studies have been done on how many lies people tell in a day, but the data is not concrete and often open to being skewed. However, a recent study on teen use of social media found that there are those who had no problem lying on their social media accounts. Whether it was exaggeration or minimization, it did not matter. Verse 9 clearly points to a present day responsibility that believers have toward one another, and this is to be truthful with each other. At the very core of building meaningful relationships springs the need for trustworthiness. We can trust God and so we should be able to trust the children of His kingdom.

Colossians 3:9 - Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Jan 1, 2025 - As we begin a new year, we often set our sights on projects, plans, and expectations for what is ahead. Over the next four months, we invite you to join in the Colossal Colossian Challenge. Beginning January 1st, one verse from Colossians 3:1-17 will be given each week to commit to memory. The hope is that you will be able to quote Colossians 3:1-17 by the end of April. More than merely quoting it, the hope is that it will help give you heavenly insight - an eternal perspective with a view on Christlike living in this life. Colossians 3:1 sets that very stage wherein we are to seek those things which are above because we belong to Christ.

Colossians 3:1 - If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Jan 5, 2025 - Setting our affections on things above refers to giving careful consideration or setting one's mind on something. The phrase "You are what you eat" holds a lot of truth. Likewise, "You reflect what you dwell on most" holds a lot of truth.

Colossians 3:2 - Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Jan 12, 2025 - Recognizing that you, as a born again believer, have a new citizenship in Heaven, goes along with recognizing that your life prior to Christ is no longer the same.

Colossians 3:3 - For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Jan 19, 2025 - The fact is that, while we surely do not fully understand what it will be like when Christ appears, you will meet Him because you now belong to Him as a citizen of His eternal kingdom. What an awesome day that will be!

Colossians 3:4 - When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Jan 26, 2025 - Being citizens of the eternal kingdom, we are given instructions/commands for living as ambassadors in this life. In other words, our citizenship comes with certain responsibilities. These responsibilities do not save us, for Salvation has already been given. To mortify (from the Greek word that means put to death) carries the idea rendering inoperable. In other words, we are to reject sinful thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that want to either lead us into such sinful things or grab such a hold on us. Remember, you are a new creature that has been made Spiritually alive, and you have the Word of God and His Divine enablement to help you.

Colossians 3:5 - Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: