Air1's Verse of the Day for Feb 13, 2023

Christ Is First in Everything

Read the transcript from today's video devotional.

Are you a Christian? If you are a Christian, then you are a member of the church. The word "church" in the New Testament is the Greek word "ekklesia." It literally means "the called out ones." As a Christian, you are somebody who has been called out of the world and you've been called into the family of God. As a member of the church, what we're told here and elsewhere is that we have a leader. There is a leader of the church. There is a head of the church.

It is not the Pope. It is not your pastor. The head of the church is Jesus Christ, which means that Jesus is the ultimate authority over your life. Lest we ever think that we can just do whatever we want to do and not submit our lives to Jesus Christ, we have verses like this and passages to remind us.

The Authority of Jesus

Let me read you the few verses before this—verses 15 through 17. Listen to how loaded this is with the authority of Jesus:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Just a couple of things to notice in those verses. First, Christ is eternal. Think about that. Christ is eternal. The Son of God has no beginning, and the Son of God has no end. The second thing that we're told in these verses is that everything that was created—everything—was created by Him and for Him.

Think of the entire universe. It has all been created by Jesus for Him. That means that He is the agent of creation. It also means that He is the goal of creation. In verse 18: "Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So He is first in everything."

Is Christ First in Your Life?

Is Christ first in your life? I know we know what the right answer is. I know we all think we should say yes, but is it actually true? Is Christ—is He first in your life? Is He everything?

I have a lot of things that compete for priorities in my life. I think about my identity and my relationships. There's a lot there. I'm a husband. I have a wife. I'm a father. I have children. I'm a teacher. I'm a preacher. I'm an outdoorsman. I love to be outdoors. I'm a builder. I love to build things. But of all those things that I am and have, all those things that I do, this has to be the answer: The most important thing I am is a Christian.

Before I am any of those other things, I belong to Christ, which means that He must be first in everything. For you, Christian, Christ must be first in everything. Why not acknowledge that right now? Right now, why not acknowledge and say to Christ, "You are the head of the church, and so You are the head of me. Your will, not mine, but Jesus—Your will be done in my life."

Because Colossians chapter 1, verse 18: "Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So He is first in everything."

Verse of the Day

Christ Is First in Everything

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Previous Verses

God will do this, for He is faithful to do what He says, and He has invited you into partnership with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again— my Savior and my God!

I will praise You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things You have done.

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

“Everyone who acknowledges Me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven.

For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation.

For He will conceal me there when troubles come; He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

O God, we give glory to You all day long and constantly praise Your name.

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

Sing to the LORD; praise His name. Each day proclaim the good news that He saves.

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How kind the LORD is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours!

From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."

I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles.

All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; He alone is God. Amen.

But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore— the LORD above is mightier than these!

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.

O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.

Give to the LORD the glory He deserves! Bring your offering and come into His presence. Worship the LORD in all His holy splendor.

And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows.

For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like You, who works for those who wait for Him!

I cling to You; Your strong right hand holds me securely.

But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread Your protection over them, that all who love Your name may be filled with joy.

And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty. ”

Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heaven!

Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout His praise!

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Praise Him for His mighty works; praise His unequaled greatness!

But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way.

For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

“But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

Love means doing what God has commanded us, and He has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.”

Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.

Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.

They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them.

So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man.

For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

But the LORD ’s plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken.

The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!

Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

Let the whole earth sing to the LORD! Each day proclaim the good news that He saves.

You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.

Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself.

I said to the LORD, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from You.”

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need.

I will tell everyone about Your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim Your saving power, though I am not skilled with words.

He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.