Somehow the word "minister" has become a word that means "professional Christian," or something reserved for clergy and academics. But when the New Testament was written, everyone in the church was a minister - from the stage to the back row.

We pause our Colossians collection for an important conversation in our still-forming church. Who is leading us (humanly speaking)? What makes someone a leader? What should we expect from our leaders? There's never been a leader or lover of people like Jesus, and local church leaders always take their cues from him.

"Where have I been? Where am I going? How will I get there?" We often strategize about our careers, relationships, finances, and other areas of life without realizing we're doing it. But for a Christian, one ultimate strategy shapes all our immediate ones.

Two thousand years is a long time to go without seeing someone. Yet Christians constantly refer to things like our "love for Jesus," our "walk with Jesus," and more. But who, exactly, is this man we say we know so well?

This is not the January of usual optimism, to say the least. In this message from Colossians 1:1-14, we discover what it takes to simply endure and thrive in faith.