Doug Schorle

Who are you, really? The world tells you to look inward or backward to define yourself—your past, your preferences, your performance. But Scripture calls us to look upward.
 
In Colossians 3:1–17, Paul reminds believers that their identity is no longer rooted in the old self, but in Christ who is seated at the right hand of God. In this message, Doug Schorle unpacks what it means to “set your mind on things above” and live in the reality that your life is hidden with Christ in God.
 
You’ll hear what it means to put off sin, put on Christlike virtues, and let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. This sermon challenges listeners to stop striving for significance in the world and start walking in the new self—one that reflects Christ in everyday speech, relationships, and purpose.
 
If you’re weary from trying to “find yourself,” this message will anchor you in the identity that never shifts: who you are in Jesus.

Have you ever felt distant from God, unsure if you truly belong to Him? In Colossians 1:21–2:3, the apostle Paul reminds us that though we were once alienated and hostile in mind, Christ has now reconciled us through His death and resurrection. In this sermon, Doug Schorle unpacks what it means to be made alive in Christ, firmly rooted in the gospel, and encouraged in heart as part of His body, the church.
This message will challenge you to examine where you place your confidence—whether in your own strength, in traditions, or in Christ alone. You’ll discover the assurance of being presented holy and blameless before God, the joy of understanding the “mystery hidden for ages” now revealed, and the strength that comes from being knit together in love. If you long for deeper assurance in your walk with Christ, this passage offers hope, stability, and encouragement for your faith.

In his letter to the church in Colossae, Paul is writing to a church that is worthy of much praise.  In the opening verses of his letter, he praises God for their faith and love toward the saints.  He then offers prayers for them that they would continue to grow and to be strengthened.
But he also writes to a church which has been infected with various false teachings including Gnosticism and legalism.  And as he moves on from his prayer for this church, he presents what is ultimately the solution to these issues confronting this church; the person and work of the Lord Jesus.
In our passage today, we encounter some of the highest Christological praise in all of Scripture as Paul presents the work and the person of Jesus Christ to this church.
As we examine our passage this morning, we will draw out three aspects of our Redeemer:
The Redeemer's Work
The Redeemer's Person
The Redeemer's Qualifications
Thank you for listening to today's teaching.  We pray that as we focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ, like Paul, you will be drawn with us to offer up praise and adoration for the beauty of who Jesus is, and for His wonderful work of redemption.

As Paul opens his letter to the church in Colossae, he begins by offering praise and thanksgiving for this local body of believers.  He writes, "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven..." (Colossians 1:3-5a, LSB).  Their faith and love for the saints flow from the hope laid up for them in heaven.
What does hope mean to the Christian?  Do we understand hope in the wishful sense, as in, "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow"?  Or is there something deeper?
As we consider our passage today, we will discover that the hope of which the Scriptures speak is at the very core of our being as believers in Jesus Christ.
Thank you for listening to today's teaching.  We pray you will be blessed and encouraged through the teaching of God's Holy Word.

Throughout Paul's second letter to the church in Thessalonica, we have drawn lessons regarding God's righteous judgment.  We considered His righteous judgment toward those who believe in Jesus Christ and toward those who reject Jesus as savior.  We considered His righteous judgment regarding the end times in the final condemnation of Satan and those who deny Jesus, as well as in the final consummation of the believer into eternal rest with the Lord.
Now, in 2 Thessalonians 3, we consider God's righteous judgment within the body of believers.  From this study, we will draw three lessons:
The Lord's attitude toward the body
The believer's attitude toward the body
God’s righteous judgment toward the believer who disregards the body
We thank you for listening to today's lesson and pray you will be blessed and encouraged through the teaching of God's Holy Word.

When Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, he was writing at a time roughly 25 years from the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.  These first century believers were certain the Lord would return in their lifetime.
But to a church facing intense persecution, when some proclaimed that the day of the Lord had already come, this led to confusion and concern.  Had they missed the return of the Lord?  Why were they not then in the Lord's presence?  And what about all the evil and suffering still going on in the world.
In today's lesson, we continue our examination of Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians; continuing the theme of God's righteous judgment, this time as it pertains to the end times.  In doing so, we will draw out three lessons:
How we view the timing of the Lord's return
Future judgment of the lawless on the day of the Lord’s return
The future hope of the believer at the Lord’s return
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  We pray you will be blessed and encouraged through the teaching of God's Word.

When Paul arrived in Thessalonica on his second missionary journey, he spent three Sabbaths in the synagogue, reasoning with the Jews and God-fearers from the Scriptures, "explaining and setting before them that the Chris had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is that Christ.'" (Acts 17:3).  The response from the Jewish authorities in the city was to start a riot, ultimately resulting in Paul and his companions being driven from the city, leaving a young church vulnerable to intense persecutions from both Jew and Gentile sources.
But despite these circumstances, the church flourished and grew in their faith, living out the Gospel to the extent that the churches in Greece boasted of their love for the saints.  And so it is that Paul wrote his second letter to this young church to encourage them in the face of continuing persecution by drawing their attention to God's righteous judgment:
For the persecuted believer
Toward the persecutor
The basis for this judgment
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  We pray you will be blessed and encouraged by the Word of God.

In today's message, we continue through the Atlantic Gospel Chapel Statement of Faith.  "We Believe – there is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14."  Today we examine the doctrine of the Trinity and consider the implications for the believer today.
Thank you for listening to today's message.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Holy Word.
We invite you to examine our Statement of Faith by visiting our website at https://atlanticgospelchapel.com/statement-of-faith/.

As we enter into the Christmas season, our thoughts often go to all things Christmas.  The trees and decorations, the lights and presents.  Sunday School programs rehearse the Christmas story, and we return to passages such as Matthew 1, or Luke 2.  But what we don't often associate with Christmas is the story of creation.
When John opened his Gospel in John 1, he wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”  Later in John 1:14, he wrote, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us..."  The Second Person of the Trinity, the One who created the universe, became a man.  This is the story of Christmas.
So, as we look back to Genesis 1 at the story of creation, may we get a glimpse at eternal character and nature of God.  And may this cause us to stop and wonder, as David did, “When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established; What is man that You remember him, and the son of man that You care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4 NASB)
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed as we consider who God is and what He has done for us through His Son.

As Paul closes out his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, he does so by encouraging to live lives in light of the Gospel and in the hope of the soon return of the Lord Jesus.  This hope is the certain expectation based upon the faithfulness of who God is and what He has done for us in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Join us for today's lesson as we explore living life in light of the Gospel, drawing four lessons from today's passage.
The Corporate Life of the Believer
The Individual Life of the Believer
The Dynamic Life of the Believer
The Power to live the Life of a Believer
Thank you for listening to today's message.  May the Word of God richly bless you.