LWC SERMON GUIDE
Raised with Christ
Scriptures to Read and Ponder
Colossians 3:1–4 — Our new identity and life in Christ.
Romans 6:1–11 — United with Christ in His death and resurrection.
Sermon Recap
1. Discovery Changes Everything
The sermon opened with the true story of farmers during the Texas oil boom.
For years they struggled to survive.
Unknown to them, extraordinary wealth lay beneath their feet.
Nothing changed beneath the ground.
What changed was their discovery.
The challenge was clear:
Many Christians are living beneath their inheritance.
Saved...
yet still living as though they must earn what Christ has already secured.
2. "Since..."
Paul begins with a declaration—not a command.
"Since you have been raised with Christ..."
Christianity always begins with what God has done before speaking about what we must do.
The order of the Kingdom is:
Grace before obedience.
Identity before activity.
Belonging before behaving.
Every command in Colossians 3 grows out of God's finished work—not our effort.
3. Raised with Christ
Paul speaks about resurrection in the past tense.
Believers are not simply waiting for resurrection one day.
We already participate in resurrection life today.
The resurrection is:
not only a future hope,
but a present reality.
The illustration of dawn captured this beautifully.
The first light announces that the day has begun.
Darkness has not disappeared completely.
But it has already lost.
As believers we live:
between resurrection and glory,
between the dawn and the full day,
in God's new creation breaking into the present.
4. Raised With Christ
Paul doesn't merely say we have been raised.
He says we have been raised with Christ.
This is the miracle of union with Christ.
Because we are united to Him:
His victory becomes our victory.
His righteousness becomes our righteousness.
His inheritance becomes our inheritance.
His Father becomes our Father.
His Kingdom becomes our Kingdom.
The mountain climber illustration reminded us that the novice reaches the summit because he is securely joined to the guide.
Likewise, Christ has taken us where we could never have gone ourselves.
5. Set Your Hearts
Only after establishing our identity does Paul give his first command.
Set your hearts on things above.
This is not about escaping earth.
It is about orienting our deepest love toward Christ.
The world constantly competes for our affections:
success
comfort
approval
possessions
status
Paul calls us instead to treasure Christ above everything else.
The Christian life is not about loving the world less as much as it is about loving Christ more.
6. Set Your Minds
Paul then moves from affection to attention.
Whatever consistently captures our attention eventually shapes our lives.
Today's world fights relentlessly for our minds through:
news
advertising
social media
algorithms
fear
comparison
consumerism
The challenge was simple:
Choose what shapes you.
If we spend thousands of minutes awake each week, how much of that attention is intentionally fixed on Christ?
Spiritual formation follows spiritual focus.
7. You Died — Your Life Is Hidden
Paul reminds believers that the old identity has already died.
Too often we keep trying to kill what Christ has already crucified.
Our old story no longer defines us.
Our true life is now:
hidden with Christ in God.
Hidden does not mean invisible.
It means secure.
Like priceless treasures locked safely away, our lives are protected because they belong to Christ.
Our security is no longer found in:
careers
finances
reputation
health
circumstances
Our security rests in Christ Himself.
8. Christ Is Your Life
Perhaps the most profound statement of the passage.
Paul does not say Christ improves life.
He says:
Christ is your life.
Jesus is not an accessory.
He is not one priority among many.
He is the centre around which everything else revolves.
Rather than inviting Jesus into our plans, we discover that our lives have been brought into His.
Christ becomes:
our purpose
our ambition
our meaning
our life
9. Living From the Resurrection
The sermon closed by returning to the Texas oil illustration.
Discovery changes everything.
Paul invites believers to look again.
Stop waking up trying to become what Christ has already made you.
Instead wake up:
raised with Christ
accepted in the Beloved
secure in Him
living from the resurrection
The resurrection is not merely a doctrine to believe.
It is the place from which we now live.
Memorable Quotes
Christianity always begins with what God has done—not what we must do.
Grace comes before obedience.
Identity comes before activity.
Belonging comes before behaving.
Stop striving for what Christ has already freely given.
The resurrection is not only your future hope—it is your present reality.
The resurrection is not merely a doctrine to believe. It is a place from which to live.
God's future has broken into the present.
Discovery changes everything.
Some of us are still working for what God says we already have.
You are not simply forgiven—you have been united with Christ.
Your greatest affection shapes your life.
Whatever captures your attention eventually shapes your affection.
Your security is not found in your circumstances but in Christ.
Christ is not part of your life. Christ is your life.
Questions for Discussion & Reflection
What stood out to you most from Sunday's message?
Which part of Colossians 3:1–4 challenged you personally?
Why do you think Paul begins with "Since..." before giving any commands?
In what ways do Christians still live beneath their inheritance today?
What does it practically mean to be "raised with Christ"?
How does union with Christ change the way you see yourself?
What currently competes most strongly for your heart?
What most consistently captures your attention each day?
How might fixing your mind more intentionally on Christ change your week?
Are there old identities or past failures you still allow to define you?
How does knowing your life is "hidden with Christ in God" affect your sense of security?
What does it look like for Christ to become your life rather than simply part of your life?
Where is God inviting you to stop striving and start living from His finished work?
How can our church better reflect the reality of living as people already raised with Christ?
Further Reading
Bible Passages
Ephesians 2:4–7 — Raised up and seated with Christ by grace.
2 Corinthians 5:17 — The reality of the new creation.
Philippians 3:20–21 — Living as citizens of heaven while awaiting Christ's return.
Hebrews 12:1–2 — Fixing our eyes on Jesus.
Matthew 6:19–21, 33 — Seeking first God's Kingdom.
John 15:1–11 — Remaining in Christ as the source of life.
Romans 5–8
Ephesians 1–2
Philippians 3
Recommended Books
Surprised by Hope — N. T. Wright
The Divine Conspiracy — Dallas Willard
Practicing the Way — John Mark Comer
Union with Christ — Rankin Wilbourne
The Gospel Comes with a House Key — Rosaria Butterfield
Prayer Points
Thank Jesus that His finished work is the foundation of our lives.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live from your new identity rather than striving for acceptance.
Pray for a greater revelation of what it means to be united with Christ.
Ask God to turn your heart increasingly toward Christ above every competing affection.
Pray for renewed minds that are shaped more by Scripture than by the culture around us.
Thank God that your life is hidden securely with Christ and ask Him to replace fear with confidence.
Pray for freedom from old identities, shame, guilt, and condemnation.
Ask the Lord to help you live each day from the reality of the resurrection.
Pray that Living Waters Church would increasingly become a community that lives from grace, reflects the Kingdom, and points people to Jesus alone.
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." — Colossians 3:1