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Christ canceled the record of charges against us. Don’t let anyone condemn you

Colossians 2:11-23

  • Session: 4
  • Week: 1
  • Day: 4
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Introduction

In this session, Colossians chapter 2: 11-23, we focus on understanding Christ’s role as our chief Shepherd for believers to inherit the Kingdom of God. The session will also focus on the individual’s appropriate response and role to Christ’s kindness (love in action and practical terms). We focus on things to allow and things to disallow to inherit the kingdom of God. We wish to know how the individual believers should contend for their own freedom in Christ and from negative cultural rules. (Contending for the kingdom of God, rule of God over the influences of the dark world).

Objectives

By the end of this session, the learner will have:

  • Understood the stakeholders’ ROLES and responsibilities for a believer to experience God’s Rule or Kingdom over the rules of men. (Caregiver roles, individual roles, and Christ’s roles)
  • Appreciated that there are things to allow and disallow to inherit the Kingdom of God over darkness.

Outline

  • Paul’s role in the Colossians’ victory
  • Believer’s role for their victory
  • Christ’s role in the Colossians’ victory

Group Study Time

Colossians 2:11-23

Connecting

  • Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
  • Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
  • Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
  • Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.

Comprehending

Christ’s role and part for inheriting believers in the Rule of God over darkness

  • Identify 5 things God in Christ did to help believers experience His rule, His kingdom over the powers of darkness? Colossians 2: 9-10, 11-15

Individual Believer’s role, or part, in inheriting God’s rule over darkness

Read Colossians 2: 16-23. Identify what you should not let (Disallow) to experience the Rule of God over evil and human rules and schemes

Committing

  • Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
  • List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
  • Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
  • Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
    • Sin to confess
    • Promise to claim
    • Attitude to change
    • Command to keep
    • Error to change
    • Prayer to make
    • Example to copy
    • Truth to obey and
    • Something praiseworthy

Communicating

  • Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
  • Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
  • Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.

Post Lesson Teaching Summary

Great job completing the study! Take a moment to listen to this summary to reinforce your group’s understanding of the text and ensure you’re all on the same page. We’re here to support your learning journey!

Christ canceled the record of charges against us. Don’t let anyone condemn you

Colossians 2:11-23

Colossians 2:7-23

Context

  • The focus is on the law of Christ in believers’ lives to access the power of God’s kingdom and exercise authority there for help.
  • Believers have a responsibility to contend, allow, and disallow certain things, building on previous sessions about Paul’s contending against forces from the kingdom of darkness.
  • Christ contends with the penalty of sin, the Holy Spirit provides power over the power of sin, and believers must contend with the presence of sin.
  • False teachings include self-help, human philosophy, and demonic worship, which are elemental spiritual forces of the world.
  • Believers are to remain rooted in Christ to avoid being taken captive by deceptive philosophies.

The Law of Christ (Colossians 2:7-23)

  • Role of Christ: In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ believers have been brought to fullness; He is the head over every power and authority.
  • Circumcision in Christ: Believers were circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands, putting off the sinful nature through circumcision done by Christ.
  • Baptism and Resurrection: Having been buried with Christ in baptism and raised with Him through faith in God’s working who raised Him from the dead.
  • Alive with Christ: When dead in sins and uncircumcision of flesh, God made believers alive with Christ, forgiving all sins.
  • Canceling the Debt: God canceled the charge of legal indebtedness standing against believers, nailing it to the cross.
  • Disarming Powers: God disarmed powers and authorities, making a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
  • Warnings Against Judgment: Do not let anyone judge believers by what they eat or drink, or regarding religious festivals, New Moon celebrations, or Sabbath days.
  • Shadows of Things to Come: These are shadows of things to come, with the reality found in Christ.
  • Avoid False Humility: Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and worship of angels disqualify believers for the prize; such persons detail visions, with unspiritual minds puffed up without reason.
  • Headship of Christ: Such persons do not hold to the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
  • Died with Christ: Since believers died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of the world, why submit to its rules like “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”?
  • Human Commands: Such regulations pertain to things that perish with use, based on merely human commands and teachings.
  • Appearance of Wisdom: These have an appearance of wisdom with self-imposed worship, false humility, and harsh body treatment, but lack value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Application

  • Remain in Christ, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in faith, and overflowing with thankfulness to avoid captivity by deceptive philosophies.
  • Contend with the presence of sin in lives, as Christ has contended with its penalty and the Holy Spirit provides power over its power.
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How to use these studies

These lessons are designed as short, 25-minute studies based on Bible truths, and meant for self-learning or small group study. The study sets systematically cover different books of the Bible. 

Each lesson follows a simple structure:

  • Introduction (Including the outline and objectives)
  • Step 1: Connecting
  • Step 2: Comprehending
  • Step 3: Committing
  • Step 4: Communicating

These sections include questions to help you reflect on the bible passage and how it applies to your life. 

Use these lessons to disciple others by journeying together over time and allowing God’s word to penetrate your heart and bring transforming change to your life. As a leader, pray for wisdom in leading and for modelling the truths in your own life.

Sharing offline

  • Mobile Friendly PDF
  • Print Friendly PDF
  • Full Study PDF

Each lesson has three buttons allowing you to download a easily saveable and shareable PDF version of the study. You can choose either a Mobile-friendly PDF version, and Print-friendly PDF version, or a print version of the Full Study PDF (for example all the lessons in the current book of the Bible).

These are free and can be easily copied and shared from one person to another!

Gathering a Small Group

Start small to build a safe space for sharing and growth.

  • Pray first: Ask God to show you 3-6 people who need encouragement in faith, like family, neighbors, or fellow believers facing hardship.
  • Invite personally: Meet one-on-one, explain how the lessons are designed to help people grow in their faith and knowledge of God and his Word.
  • Keep it simple: Meet in a home or quiet spot; no need for fancy setup – just willing hearts.
  • Aim for consistency: Suggest weekly meetings, but be flexible for busy lives or safety concerns in persecuted areas.

Trust helps everyone open up, reflect, and apply truths without fear.

  • Start with sharing: In the first meeting, share simple stories of your own faith struggles to show vulnerability.
  • Set ground rules: Agree to listen without judging, keep stories private, and focus on encouraging each other.
  • Build bonds: Begin each session with a short prayer or song inviting God to be present with you.
  • Be patient: Trust grows over time – encourage quiet members gently, and celebrate small steps of honesty.

Good preparation makes the lesson flow and helps discipleship.

  • Read ahead: Study the lesson before; pray over the Bible passage and think how it fits your group’s challenges.
  • Adapt for the group: Use simple words; if literacy is low, read aloud slowly and explain questions or stories.
  • Gather basics: Have a Bible (in your language) and paper for notes.
  • Reflect personally: Ask yourself the study questions first – lead from your own growth and experience.
  • Pray: Pray for your group members.

Guide the group through the lesson structure to encourage discovery and commitment.

  • Step 1 – Connecting: Start the group meeting by praying together. Thank God for his Word and ask for open hearts to receive it. Read the Bible passage together (Read it aloud twice; ask someone to repeat in their words.)
  • Step 2: Comprehending: Use the provided questions to help you grapple with the truth of the Bible passage.
  • Step 3 – Committing: Consider how the passage might apply to your lives and what simple steps of obedience you can commit to. The goal of these studies if life-change! Not just knowledge!
  • Step 4 – Communicating:  Think of who you can share the truths you have learned with.
  • Close with Prayer: Let group members pray short prayers of thanks or commitment. Pray for one another.

For many of the lessons, there is a short summary teaching voice-note at the end of the lesson (together with a text summary). This is designed to be a recap and reminder of the key lessons you should have learned through the lesson. 

As a leader, you might like to use these summary teaching resources to help you in preparation for leading your group, though ideally not before you have spent time prayerfully reflecting on the passage.

This is an ongoing discipleship journey aiming to transform lives and help people to live victorious Christian lives. Focus on growth, not just finishing lessons.

  • Meet regularly: Join together at least once a week. Review past actions at each start to build accountability.
  • Encourage reflection: Between meetings, urge personal time with the lesson – read, pray, and try complete commitments made.
  • Support one another: If your group members are facing challenges, use lessons to pray together and share burdens; become “agents of change” by helping others in your community.
  • Multiply groups: As trust grows, encourage members to start their own small groups with family or friends.
  • Keep it short: Stick to 15 – 25 minutes per lesson to fit busy, challenging lives.
  • Handle challenges: If fear or hardship arise, encourage members by always pointing back to God’s love. 
  • Stay safe: In persecuted areas, meet discreetly; focus on heart change over big displays.
  • Celebrate progress: Note how people have grown in faith; allow time for sharing testimonies of what God has done. Take note of what you pray for, and give thanks when God answers prayer.

Final encouragement

Leading these lessons is serving like Jesus – humble, loving, and truthful. As you journey together, God will build growing faith into each person’s life. Pray often, and watch lives transform!

If you would like to share stories of faith from your own communities, please get in touch with us!