Welcome to Walking With Christ. I'm Jeremy, and I really appreciate you downloading this devotional. These devotionals are just a short time we set aside to reflect on a portion of Scripture contextually, thoughtfully, and prayerfully. And our goal is not only to understand God's Word a little bit more, but also to apply it and to let it shape how we live, think, and walk with Christ each and every day. Today, we are studying Colossians 1, verses 7-8, and looking at an example of a true servant leader, and that would be Epaphras. We'll be reading from the ESV, and if you have your Bible, again, Colossians 1, verses 7-8. Just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, he is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit. In our last devotional, we saw the importance of bearing fruit for Christ. That was from Colossians 1, verses 5 to 6, and how it is evidence of a true saving faith to both us and to everyone around us. And in today's passage, we get even more into the practical side of that fruit as we learn a little bit more about the work of Epaphras. While Epaphras is only mentioned a couple of times in the New Testament, twice here in Colossians and then once again in the letter to Philemon, it is widely accepted that he was either the founder or the primary overseer of the church in Colossae. As churches still met in homes during that time, leaders were established to ensure that truth was being taught and that sound doctrine was being adhered to. You might think of this like small groups we have today. These churches may have met independently during the week, but were still under the spiritual authority of local overseers and elders. As we touched on in our introduction to this letter, it's unlikely that Paul ever visited the church in Colossae, and he is not credited with founding the church. In fact, Paul told the Romans, I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation. That's Romans 15 verse 20. So the fact that he wrote this letter in the first place tells us that Epaphras likely requested it. Epaphras came to Paul for help dealing with the heresies and false doctrines impacting his local church body. Paul reminded the Colossians in his letter of the truth that they had heard in the gospel, which had been learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. This statement likely helped reinforce the authority and anointing of a papyrus as both a leader and as one who taught them well. It also reminds us that any leader, especially in the church, must first and foremost be a servant. While there has been much talk of servant leadership in the business world, it really ought to be status quo inside the church. Everyone ought to be willing to serve everyone. And as a leader, especially someone in senior leadership, our hearts must be right with God. If we're basking in the high position we have, or the fame, or the doting over every word that we speak, or even the handshakes and the praise after a good sermon, we ought to do a serious heart check and ask ourselves and God, why are we in that position in the first place? If it's not to serve the local body of believers by pouring into them the truth of Scripture and leading the flock to seek a deeper relationship with Christ, it's probably time to step aside and get things straightened out with the Lord. The fruit Epaphras bore and his genuine servant's heart was evident, as Paul said, he was a faithful minister of Christ on their behalf. Paul clearly did not blame Epaphras for the doctrinal issues the church was wrestling with, but instead pointed out his hard work and his faithfulness to the gospel and truth, which was for their benefit. The Colossians were truly blessed to have Epaphras pastoring them. Paul then said that Epaphras has made known to us your love in the Spirit. Even though the Colossians were struggling with some issues, for the most part, their hearts were in the right place, and Epaphras made that known to Paul and his team in Rome. We see this throughout this letter. Paul's gentle approach compared to his other correctional letters, like Galatians and 1 Corinthians, showed that he accepted Epaphras' account of their spiritual condition and simply wanted to help them get back on track. Each one of us goes through seasons in our walk with Christ. Sometimes we can be so strong and well-rooted that it seems nothing can interfere with our love of the Lord and His saints. But other times, the ground seems pretty soggy and the path is very unclear. And while we may have not wandered away from our faith, we may be tempted to believe things that aren't truly scriptural or to accept beliefs that are contrary to the true gospel. Even though our hearts might not condemn us, this is where our spiritual armor really comes into play, and we need to put it on every single day. For more on that, see Ephesians 6 verses 10-20. It's also important to remember our pastor and our church leaders who give of themselves to teach us the truth and to keep us on the straight and narrow path in both good times and bad times. Thank the Lord for their service and their faithfulness in ministering the true gospel of Christ. Like the Colossians, your pastor is ministering on your behalf to help you grow stronger and more fruitful in your relationship with Jesus Christ the Savior. Well, thank you so much for spending these few minutes with me in God's Word. As you go about the rest of your day, remember what Paul wrote in Colossians 2, verse 6. Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. I pray the Lord strengthen you as you walk faithfully with Him, day by day, hour by hour, and second by second. Until next time, keep walking with Christ.