Communication matters. Studies suggest that in communication 7% is in the words we speak, 38% is in the tone we use, and 55% is in our body language. Good communication includes listening and speaking and has two dimensions: vertical and horizontal. Our vertical communication is directed toward God, and our horizontal communication is directed toward people. Both matter greatly in the Christian life, and God has revealed how we can be effective in communicating with Him and others.

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Self-help, self-promotion, and self-preservation are dominating themes in our culture today that have affected the church and its witness in the world. As it was true in the early church, it remains true today that self-centered philosophies diminish the gospel of Jesus Christ. The book of Colossians serves to confront false teaching and deceitful philosophies by leading us to a proper understanding of what it means to live in Christ unblemished by the world.