Is work a curse you simply have to survive until Friday? This message turns to the second half of Colossians 3, where Paul devotes the most space to the relationship between servants and masters, what we would today call the workplace. It makes a surprising claim: everyday duties can be an act of worship, and your desk or workshop is a platform for serving people who matter to God. Listen in and see what changes when you work from the heart, as for the Lord rather than for people.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Colossians 3:22-4:1 Paul devotes several verses to the relationship between slaves and masters, but only one verse to each of the other household relationships. What might it have meant for the first readers that the household was also the workplace?
- Paul calls people to serve "not only when their eye is on you" but with sincerity of heart, and he reminds masters that they too have a Master in heaven. What do these words say about who we are ultimately accountable to at work?
- The speaker challenges the belief that work is a curse and says that work is worship. What helps you, and what gets in the way, when it comes to seeing your daily tasks as an act of worship?
- The sermon calls the workplace a platform for ministry and recalls Jesus' words about a lamp on a stand. How can the people you work with see God through the way you do your work?
- Jesus talks about going the second mile with a soldier who forces you to carry his load. What could that kind of "extra mile" look like at your workplace or at home?
- The speaker invited us to name one, two or three things God has given us as potential. What are those gifts for you, and how can you use them this week to serve God with joy and enthusiasm?
