We all love a good rivalry in sports, like Georgia vs. Florida or Ali vs. Frazier or Simone Biles vs. the world. It’s fun to watch top level athletes and teams square off against each other when the stakes are the highest.

But, personally experiencing a rivalry in everyday life is not nearly as fun. It can be hard to confidently decide who or what wins in the competition for our attention, our allegiance, and our affection. Work vs. family; God vs. country; right vs. wrong are hard tensions to navigate.

This Sunday morning, we are starting a new series, Unrivaled, a study of the book of Colossians. The Colossians were not strangers to rivalry. In fact, when Paul writes this letter to them, they are under some serious pressure to conform to particular social, cultural, and political exceptions. There is the pull to put all of their confidence in the power and promises of the Roman Empire. There is the pull to adopt a variety of mystical, cultural practices if they want to truly know God. While some of the specifics are different, the heart of this issues are similar to what we experience on a daily basis.