“Through the cross, we learn not only of Christ’s love for us, but of the power of that love to transform the world.”
Paul says something has already happened to these people, and he says it in the past tense.
Read the first two verses and find the verb.
Then read how far he says the same thing reaches.
Colossians 1:13-20 · NIV
Tap a tool, then tap words. Highlight what gets your attention · underline what God is doing or saying · circle a repeated or unfamiliar word.
Read it aloud, then give everyone two minutes to mark it in silence.
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NIV The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. www.biblica.com
What stood out?
Go around the room. Each person reads one thing they marked. If you know why it stood out, say so. If you don’t, “it just stood out” is a complete answer. Nobody explains, nobody corrects.
Your markings are saved on this device and will be here when you come back.
The Kingdom and the Cross
Jesus’ death on the cross was not just about personal forgiveness but about defeating the powers of darkness and establishing His rule over all creation. Jesus redefined victory through the cross, contrasting cultural symbols of success with the self-giving love of Christ.
- The cross isn’t just about forgiveness; it’s about victory, reconciliation, and transformation.
- True victory in Christ often looks different from worldly success.
- Saying “yes” to the cross means embracing both surrender and new life in Jesus.
- We embody the Good News by living out Christ’s reconciling love in our relationships.
Read this one out loud.
Discussion questions
- Can you think of a time when forgiveness, given or received, made a difference in your life?
- Are there areas where you need to embrace the victory of the cross more fully?
- How do you think showing grace to others could change your relationships?
Write it out.
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Let’s pray together
- Where in your life do you need God’s peace and reconciliation? How can we pray for each other to take steps toward healing?
Leave space for silence, listening, and Spirit-led prayer. If someone senses a word, a Scripture, or a picture for another, offer it gently and pray into it.
Let’s pray
Breakthrough is when God's Kingdom breaks into your reality: His healing where there is pain, His freedom where there is bondage, His presence where there is loneliness. Jesus is King; His freedom, peace and purpose are available now. Pray from that Kingdom, not toward it.
Be still for a moment. Open your hands and simply pray: “Come, Holy Spirit.”
Ask: “What do You want me to know right now? What were You highlighting when I marked the passage?” Stay open to a word, a Scripture, a picture, or a prompting.
Pray boldly into what He shows you. Ask for His Kingdom in the specific places this session touched:
- Name where in your life you need God’s peace and reconciliation. Then pray for one step toward healing, and name the person you would have to take it with.
You can pray more than once. Stay present, and trust that God is at work. Take your time; there is no hurry.
Choose one. Say it out loud so someone else hears it.
Next time you gather, share what you practiced and how God used it, not for pressure but for encouragement.
The reminder downloads as a calendar event. Open it and it lands on your calendar for tomorrow morning.
Done.
The cross establishes Jesus’ victory and invites us to join His work of reconciliation.