On 23 May 2026, B1G met at SMX Clark for a session called Family Feud or Family is Good? It was about showing love and forgiveness in the family, based on God's Word, the Bible. The core passage was Colossians 3:1-15.
Many of us still live with our parents or siblings. They're the people who love us most, and often the first ones we snap at.
Colossians is a letter from Paul, one of the first Christian leaders, to a church in Colossae. Chapter 3 starts with who Christians are now that they belong to Jesus, then moves to how they treat each other. We talked through six ways the passage shapes how we respond when things get tense at home.
What we talked about
Know who you are in Christ. Being in Christ is Paul's way of saying a person belongs to Jesus. Before he asks anything of his readers, he reminds them that they've been raised with Christ and their life is held safe with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-4). At home, you might still be the youngest, or the one who hasn't settled down yet. For people who follow Jesus, the final word on who they are belongs to him, and that's solid ground when a conversation turns sharp.
Rise above your triggers. Paul tells his readers to set their minds on things above, on what lasts (verse 2). Then he gives a list of things to put away that starts with anger and ends with what comes out of your mouth (verse 8). You probably know what sets you off at home, maybe a question about your salary or about when you're getting married. Rising above it starts before the moment comes, when you decide what you won't say.
Respond in your God-given role. Paul reminds his readers that God chose them and loves them, then asks them to put on compassion and patience like clothes (verse 12). A few verses later, he speaks to each person in a household by their role (Colossians 3:18-21). For a single adult at home, that role is son or daughter, brother or sister. Honoring your father and mother (Exodus 20:12) looks different once you're an adult, and it still counts. It might mean speaking with respect when you disagree about money, or being the first to calm things down with a sibling.
Rely on the Holy Spirit. Patience is hard to fake when you're tired and someone says the one thing that gets to you. Paul says the new self (a Christian's new life) is being renewed (verse 10), and Christians believe the Holy Spirit, God's own Spirit living in them, does that work. Patience and kindness are part of what the Spirit grows in a person (Galatians 5:22-23), so pray before you walk into a hard conversation, as well as after.
Listen to understand. The letter of James says to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19). A sharp comment from a parent about your spending might have worry about money underneath it. Ask what they meant, and say it back to them before you answer.
Forgive generously. Verse 13 is direct about this.
Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Colossians 3:13 (ESV)
The model is the way God forgives us, fully and before we've earned it. Forgiving generously means you stop keeping score, even when it's the same issue again. It also leaves room to protect yourself. If home isn't safe, talk to someone you trust.
Where to take it next
Paul wraps up this part of the letter with love, which binds everything together (verse 14). Colossians 3:15 (ESV) then ends with a short line: "And be thankful."
All six are easier to practice with people who'll ask how it's going at home. A DGroup, short for discipleship group, is a small group that meets regularly to study the Bible and share life. If you're not in one yet, you can ask to join on the Small Groups page.
