1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
26 “He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.’ 27 I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. 28 I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. 29 I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.”
13 See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-- 15 so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
“It is important to understand that fruitfulness and growth are the results of focusing on Christ and desiring to honor Him. When growth and change are our primary goals, we tend to be preoccupied with ourselves instead of with Christ. ‘Am I growing? Am I getting any better? Am I more like Christ today? What am I learning?’ This inordinate preoccupation with self-improvement parallels our culture’s self-help and personal enhancement movement in many ways. Personal development is certainly not wrong, but it is misleading—and it can be very disappointing—to make it our preeminent goal. If it is our goal at all, it should be secondary. As we grasp the unconditional love, grace, and power of God, then honoring Christ will increasingly be our consuming passion… The only One worthy of our preoccupation is Christ, our sovereign Lord, who told Paul, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness’." Robert McGee, The Search for Significance
“Weary? Worn down? Discouraged? Stop moving. Start waiting. Fall at the feet of Jesus, and if you’re too busy to do that, you’re too busy. Knock some things off your agenda and make spending time with Jesus your main priority. Swap your plans for His. It’s an unfair trade—we get much more than we deserve. And in the process, we will become more like Him. What a gracious Father.” Cathe Laurie
“Everything that attacks Jesus ends up serving Him instead. Crucify Him, and He will make the cross His throne (John 12:23). Exhaust your ammo on him, and He will disarm you in the process (Colossians 2:15). Bury Him in a tomb and set your guards against it, and He will rise and send you running (Matthew 28:4). You would sooner snuff out the sun than rob the Lord Jesus of his preeminence. The living Christ reigns preeminent over closed countries, crazed dictators, demonic spirits, post-Christian wastelands, and all the enemies so familiar to our own souls. Whether willingly or not, every tongue will soon confess the truth, ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’ (Philippians 2:11). The nations may still rage, and the rulers of earth and hell may still set themselves against God’s anointed (Psalms 2:1-3), but the empty tomb already tells the end of the story: He must be preeminent.” Scott Hubbard
“What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone. What is our only confidence? That our souls to him belong. Who holds our days within His hand? What comes, apart from His command? And what will keep us to the end? The love of Christ, in which we stand. O sing hallelujah! Our hope springs eternal; O sing hallelujah! Now and ever we confess Christ our hope in life and death.” Getty Music Team
“If you will put Jesus first—make the time, make Him a priority—He will take care of all of the details of your life. You don’t have to run around aimlessly, searching for purpose or meaning. Those things are only found at the feet of Jesus, and until you’re willing to slow down and stoop down, you will search for meaning the rest of your life.” Cathe Laurie
“The moment is coming, as surely as the day follows the dawn, when every knee will bow before the Firstborn from the dead (Philippians 2:9-11). In all things, he must get the glory. He must have the first place. He must be preeminent.” Scott Hubbard
“Jesus Christ knows our circumstances better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever there are competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to God first.” Oswald Chambers
“When Jesus is the axle around whom all the spokes of your priorities revolve, when He is the very center of your life, all other priorities will fall into place as everything begins to revolve around Him. When Jesus is at the center of the priority wheel, we will give Him the first fruit of the day—not the rotten, leftover fruit of our time and energy. We will make decisions with His will in mind rather than our own.” Michael Youssef
“I make it my priority to persevere in His holy presence, wherein I maintain a simple attention and a fond regard for God.” Brother Lawrence
“When we gladly give him the first place, we find our sin forgiven and our humanity restored. Jesus will be utterly preeminent in just a little while, without rebel or rival pretending otherwise. And it is not only our best wisdom, but also our highest happiness, to say today and every day, ‘In my life, he must be preeminent.’” Scott Hubbard