What a wonderful joy it is just to be able to gather in the wonderful name of Jesus

and to have him to be such an integral part of who we are and all that we do every day of our lives.

Our scriptural text today comes from the book of Colossians.

The Apostle Paul is writing to the church at Colossi, chapter 2, verse 5, and 6.

Notice there these words in the New Living Translation of the Scriptures.

For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you.

And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ

is strong. This is the desire of every parent when they're away and their children are not with

them or they're not with their children. It is that they want them to be living as they should

and that their faith in Christ is strong.

And then verse 6, and now just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.

Let your roots grow down into him and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the

truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness. I'm talking today from the subject

simply the gratitude perspective. The gratitude perspective. The Apostle Paul here was so proud

of the church at Colossi because they were growing in their faith in Jesus Christ, even in

Paul's absence. That's a real sign of maturity when you don't have to be a helicopter parent

hovering over them all the time, trying to make sure that they're doing what they're doing.

But when in your absence you can trust them to do what's right, that is a sign of Christian

maturity. Maturity does not come with age.

It comes with the acceptance of responsibility.

It is to be responsible when nobody is standing over you with a bat making you do what's

right at that moment.

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