From Casual to Committed

From Casual to Committed

You’ll learn pretty quickly that I enjoy a few things. Three in particular: coffee, baseball, and pickleball.

Pickleball is fascinating to watch when someone first discovers it. They go all in. New paddle. New shoes. Matching outfits. Sometimes all in the same week. Anyone can start strong when something is exciting.

That’s true for pickleball. It’s true for a business startup. And it’s true for following Jesus. The real question is this: are you still on the court when the enthusiasm fades and your knees are sore?

In Colossians 2, the apostle Paul talks about how to move from being a casual Christian to a committed follower of Jesus. And his message is simple but challenging.

The Christian life is not a one-time event. It is a daily walk with Jesus.

Jesus Is Enough

Paul wrote Colossians from prison to a group of new Christians he had never met. They were surrounded by voices saying, “Jesus is good, but you need something more.”

Paul could not disagree more.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him.” (Colossians 2:6)

At Calvary, our mission is to raise up followers of Jesus who continue to live their lives in him, day by day.

The word “continue” means to walk. It describes how you conduct your life. Notice what Paul does not say. He does not say, “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue doing what you’ve been doing.”

That small difference matters.

Paul says the same Jesus you received as Lord is the one you continue to live in. Jesus is not the starting line. He is the entire course.

Beware of the “Jesus Plus One”

The Colossian church was being tempted to add a plus one to their faith. Jesus plus food laws. Jesus plus festivals. Jesus plus spiritual rituals.

Paul says no.

Jesus is not part of the solution. He is the solution.

That raises a question for us: what is your Jesus plus one?

• Jesus plus the right politics?
• Jesus plus good behavior?
• Jesus plus your kids getting into the right school?

The moment we add anything to Jesus, we begin to take away from him. We cannot improve upon Jesus. That’s why Paul tells us to continue in him.

A single decision can change your eternal destiny. But maturity is developed through a moment-by-moment relationship with Christ.

Paul says it again and again in Colossians:

• In him all things hold together.
• In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
• In Christ you have been brought to fullness.

Jesus is not one ingredient. He is the source.

How Does This Actually Work?

British pastor Major Ian Thomas once described the Christian life like a glove. On its own, a glove cannot do anything. You can shake it, command it, or guilt-trip it, but it will remain powerless.

The moment a hand fills the glove, everything changes. Now it moves with purpose and strength.

That’s what happens when Christ lives in you.

Paul describes his own experience this way: “I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” (Colossians 1:29)

Some of us are living like empty gloves. Floppy. Frustrated. Trying harder instead of living fuller.

To continue in Christ is to live from his strength, not your own.

Where Are You Today?

If you’re a searcher, you’re here because you sense there is something more. Christianity is not a quick fix. Following Jesus will not remove all your problems. But he will give you a new perspective on them. If you give Jesus a chance, you may discover he is more than you were looking for. Keep searching.

If you’re just getting started with Jesus, you’ve crossed the starting line. The adventure is just beginning. Get into community. Develop healthy rhythms of being with Jesus. Look for ways to serve. Continue to live in him.

If you’ve been following Jesus for a long time, resist the temptation to coast. There is still more ground to cover. More prayers to pray. And there are searchers and new believers who need you. Ask God to show you who that person might be.

A Church Built to Last

A church built to last is made up of people who continue in Christ.

So let’s be that church.

Not casual.
Not coasting.
But walking with Jesus, day by day.

And trusting that he is enough.