Notes

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Big Idea: Jesus is King—and His letters still speak to us today.

Puzzle Piece Setup

• Indiana Jones & Raiders of the Lost Ark: beware of digging in the wrong place because of missing information.
• You need the full picture to solve the puzzle.
• Same is true for Scripture: context matters.

Why This Series

• We’ve been “reading other people’s mail”—the New Testament letters.
• Goal: read carefully, contextually, and completely.
• These letters weren’t written for us, but they are still deeply useful to us.

Series Recap

• Colossae: The transforming work of King Jesus should rule every part of our lives.
• Galatia: We follow King Jesus, not other rules or expectations.
• Macedonia: walk in truth
• Thessalonica: Jesus’ return matters—deal with anxiety about evil because God will deal with evil.
• Ephesus: The Gospel is for all of life—walk His Way, not just lip service.
• Asia Minor: sit, walk, and stand as you follow Jesus
• Philippi: Life and faith should look different in the Son light.
• Romans: God’s rescue story through Jesus brings meaningful unity in the Church.
• Israel: True wisdom is living like Jesus, not just knowing facts about Him.
• Corinth: Messy family means no one gets left behind; Jesus is King, even in chaos.
• By the Black Sea: Jesus brings hope in the midst of suffering.
• Crete: Jesus saves us not just from evil, but for good.
• Colossians/Laodicea: We are made for koinonia—partnership in faith and life.

Q&A Sunday

Closing Thoughts

• The letters show us early Christians wrestling with the reality of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and kingship.
• This is reality-altering news: it transforms darkness to light, despair to hope, brokenness to restoration.
• Following Jesus is a process: imperfect, ongoing, sometimes uncomfortable.
• But the invitation remains: Give your allegiance to King Jesus.

Suggested Resources for Series

• The New Testament in Its World, Wright and Bird (book)
  
• New Testament Guides, The Bible Project (videos and text)
• The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, ed. Keener (book)
• The Moral Vision of the New Testament, Hays (book)
• Kingdom Roots with Scot McKnight (podcast)

For Reflection

• How does today’s message resonate with you?
• What questions does this message raise for you?
• What actions does this message encourage you to take?
• How can you dig deeper into today’s message?

Remember: Jesus loves you right where you are, but He loves you too much to leave you there.