Colossians

Have you ever spent long periods of time in the first couple chapters of this book? I've read it several times, even did a Bible study on it, but it's never come alive to me like it is right now. We're going through it as a house, and I prepare ahead of time by reading it, taking each phrase and thinking about what it's saying, and writing up things that come to mind... all this before I even start thinking of things to talk about as a house.
I'm actually taking time to think about what Jesus really did to buy us back from sin and death. Have you ever stopped to consider synonymous meanings to words like "death", "trespass", "alive", wiped out what was written against us", disarmed", "forgive", and "triumph"? It's exciting to re-phrase the verses - to think of ways to re-tell it. Kinda like when you try to explain something to another person you have to stop and actually think of ways to make it understandable.
Just an example: Col 2:14 says, "Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."
I wrote down: "He has erased the record of sin/law breaking I have done. It was standing in the way of me and God, my fault was opposing me. Jesus has removed it, and stuck it to His instrument of death." It's cool to have to "paraphrase" things because it forces me to really think about what it says.
Try it sometime....