Table of Contents
PRAYER
Our main goal in this time together is to build relationships and learn to walk alongside one another in all that God has called us to be and do. Let’s start by praying for each other.
Does anyone have prayer requests or personal stories about how God has been moving in your life that we can share and celebrate together?
OVER EVERY POWER TOPICS
Maturing Power :: Life-Shaping Power :: World-Changing Power
THIS WEEK
We’re in a series called Over Every Power: The Book of Colossians and The Supremacy of Christ. Over four weeks, we’re following Paul’s writings to show that life’s fullest purpose isn’t found in possessions, travel, or self-focus, but in the supremacy of Christ.
In The Power to Submit, Pastor Alvin walks through Colossians 3:17–4:1 to see how Christ’s supremacy reshapes everyday life, showing submission not as weakness but as divine alignment.
To begin, let’s reflect on these questions:
When you hear the word submit, what’s the very first thing that comes to mind, and is it positive or negative?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
SCRIPTURE
Have someone read Colossians 3:17-4:1 aloud. As you listen, notice any words or phrases that stand out, and ask the Holy Spirit to highlight something for you.
Colossians 2:8-15
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
4:1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
What world-changing wardrobe are you consistently submitting to wearing daily?
Submitting All to Christ
Paul writes in Colossians 3:17 that believers and followers of Jesus are called to submit every part of life—our words, actions, and choices—to Jesus’ Lordship.
Paul says submission begins in the heart. True submission isn’t about following rules or behavior modification but surrendering our hearts and having our hearts transformed by Jesus so that His supremacy shapes how we live unto God and with others.
When our lives are tuned to Him, like instruments being tuned to a tuning fork, everything flows in harmony with His will. Nothing is off-limits, and every moment, where we live, work, and play, becomes an opportunity to honor Christ.
Which “wardrobe” do you find yourself wearing more often: the old self (approval, status, selfishness) or Christ’s virtues (compassion, kindness, forgiveness)? Why?
When you think about your daily habits—work, conversations, relationships—what’s one area that feels hardest to submit to Christ’s Lordship?
How would your everyday life look different if you saw Jesus not as part of your life, but as the center of it all?
Submitting In The Home
In Colossians 3:18-21, Paul says that when submission to Jesus has transformed our hearts, then submission to His supremacy gets practical by bringing it into and transforming the home and those in the home to a divine household code for kingdom marriage and family.
In marriage, wives are called to yield their hearts in trust to Christ by submitting, while husbands are called to reflect Christ’s love through sacrificial service. A submissive love and service that’s not about power or control, but about mirroring Jesus’ life-giving relationship with the church.
And from a marriage submitted the the supremacy of Christ Jesus, Paul also speaks to children and parents: children honor the Lord through obedience, and parents, especially fathers, are warned not to provoke or discourage but to nurture with grace.
In every relationship, Christ’s supremacy reshapes how we love, serve, and submit at home, making our families a living picture of His kingdom.
How does seeing marriage as a picture of Christ and the church change the way we think about love and submission, and your love and submission toward Him?
What are some practical ways parents can nurture with grace instead of provoking or discouraging their children?
In your home or family life, what would it look like for Christ’s supremacy to reshape the way you love, serve, or submit?
Submitting In The World
Paul reminds us that submission to Christ isn’t just for our hearts and homes, but it also shapes how we live and work in the world.
Even the most ordinary or difficult tasks become worship when done for the Lord, because Christ is our true Master and reward.
And just as workers are called to serve with integrity, leaders are called to lead with justice, remembering they too answer to a Master in heaven.
Submission to Jesus dignifies our work, reframes our perspective, and turns everyday living into kingdom living.
How does viewing your work, whether at home, school, or a job, as service to the Lord change your attitude toward it?
What are some ways we can reflect Christ’s justice and fairness when we’re in positions of influence or leadership?
In what area of where you live, work, and play do you most need the reminder that you’re ultimately serving Christ and not people?
CLOSING THOUGHT
At the end of the day, Paul shows us that submission to Jesus isn’t weakness, but it’s the only way to live in the fullness of His supremacy. It begins in the heart, then extends into our homes, and ultimately into the world where we work and live.
Every word, every action, every relationship is an opportunity to reflect His Lordship. That’s not easy because it cuts against our culture of self and control, yet it’s also the path to freedom, joy, and real purpose.
So, the question isn’t whether we’ll submit, but to whom we’ll submit. And Colossians reminds us: when we yield to Christ, everything—our hearts, our families, and even our work—becomes a living picture of His kingdom.
Let’s close in prayer: Lord Jesus, where we live, work, and play, lead us to submit all our lives to You. Teach us to honor You in our hearts, in our homes, and in the places we live and work. Where we’ve held back, give us courage to surrender. Where we’ve tried to control, give us grace to trust. May our words, our actions, and our relationships reflect Your love and Your Lordship. Amen.
Alvin Brown, the Lead Pastor of Mosaic Church Fort Worth, brings over a decade of pastoral ministry experience and more than 20 years of operational and technical leadership expertise. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications Management from DeVry University and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. He enjoys spending quality time with his wife, Mallary, and their three children and contributing as a writer to various media outlets.
