Welcome back to the podcast on this holiday week for us in the States. July 4th, Independence

Day is tomorrow. It's always good to invest some time in these slower months, to step back

from life and to think about the big questions like, what is the purpose of my life on this planet?

Why do I exist? What am I here to do? What does it mean to be

productive? How do I respond when my days are not productive? How do I fight that lazy

tendency in me that impedes my own productivity? All of those are super important questions

on your minds over the years, as you can see in the APJ book on pages 84 to 94.

Today, we return to purpose and productivity as we enter July, and as we begin to read Paul's

Epistle to the Colossians, a book that brings all of this together for a college student

who writes in today. Pastor John, I'm a 20-year-old female college student trying to figure

out what it means to follow Christ in all areas of life. I know I'm saved by grace, but I constantly

feel the pressure of worldly expectations. In Colossians 220, Paul interrogates me with a question

that often resonates in my mind. Why do you live as if you were still alive in the world? This question hits me especially

hard right now in a season where I feel so entangled in the world's values. Everything in my life

seems focused on success, dating relationships, and career ambitions. As a college student, I'm bombarded

with messages about what it means to

succeed, landing the right job, climbing the social ladder, achieving goals. But when I read this

passage, I wonder, should I even care about these things? What does it mean to be alive in the

world but dead to the world? Does it mean I should ignore my future, my friendships, or even career aspirations?

How do I live in the world without getting caught up in its temporary distractions,

especially when everything around me urges me to chase after them?

Pastor John, what would you say to this college student?

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