Sun, Nov 01, 2020
Evil exists in our world. If we're not careful, we'll feed it or fall into its trap. Fortunately, the apostle Paul describes a posture, perspective, and protection available to us as we battle spiritual powers. And, when in doubt, we can pray: it is the bottom line weapon in apprehending God's protection over us.
Sun, Oct 18, 2020
Duration: 50 mins 18 secs
Sometimes we can buy knock off brands and generic products. They're close enough to the real thing that we'll gladly accept them. But no one likes a cheap imitation. RC Cola can't rival Coke. Rose Art can't copy Crayola. In Ephesians, the apostle Paul calls us to imitate Jesus. He's the real thing. We can imitate him by living a life of purity, mission, and wisdom. Without these attributes or the aid of His Spirit, our lives are a cheap imitation.
Sun, Oct 11, 2020
Duration: 37 mins 33 secs
We are all called to gospel. We preach the good news to ourselves, other believers, and lost people. We have reasons we don't follow through: fear, lack of clarity, unseen opportunities. This message will help us see the gospel working from the inside out, so that even at a Walmart checkout line we might find ourselves sharing the love of Jesus.
Sun, Sep 27, 2020
Duration: 45 mins 17 secs
Too often we view spiritual growth as an individual exercise. We do personal devotions. We make personal commitments. We mark personal progress in our individual battle against sin. We call these achievements "spiritual growth." Unfortunately, we miss a key component to God's plan for spiritual growth: the body. Ephesians 4:1-16 makes it clear, spiritual growth is a group effort. Paul urges believers to go in the same direction (character), agree to the core doctrine, and get to the final destination (Christlikeness).
Sun, Sep 20, 2020
Duration: 45 mins 33 secs
God can do amazing things. Prayer attunes our eyes to his wonders. When we pray, we sense Him building our core, flooding our hearts, and blowing our minds. This prayer from Ephesians 3:14-21 teaches us three audacious ways to talk to God. In the end, we say, "Father, wow!"
Sun, Sep 13, 2020
Duration: 47 mins 39 secs
God has given us, the church, a crucial role in His grand plan. He calls us to minister and serve, like the apostle Paul did. Our ministries are diverse and adversity may come, but Jesus wants us to join him in witnessing to the world. This is his Great Reveal.
Sun, Sep 06, 2020
Duration: 49 mins 33 secs
God calls us to be peacemakers not gatekeepers. In our politically, racially, ideologically divided age, this is a crucial task. Making peace not only requires courage but a deep sense of Jesus's saving work. He moved us from isolation into his family. He reconciled us from a place of hostility toward God and others. His Spirit lives within us, making us a new kind of person as a witness to the world. This passage looks at the horizontal element of salvation. Peacemaking is one of the good works God has laid out before us.
Sun, Aug 30, 2020
Duration: 39 mins 37 secs
Followers of Jesus have all experienced a miracle: God raised them from the dead. Paul comments on this dynamic act of salvation in Ephesians 2:1-10. This new life includes a secure place in God's presence, as well as good works to live out today. Our new life in Christ matters, Paul writes, compelling people to receive God's gift of grace and become fully alive.
Sun, Aug 23, 2020
Duration: 40 mins 21 secs
Paul prays for his readers. He does not them to walk in the dark, but to live with clarity, hope, and strength. His prayer not only thanks God for his ongoing work in them, but also outlines several requests. Knowing they are in a spiritual battle, he uses prayer to bolster them. Prayer does this. Ultimately, his intercession centers on the idea of clarity. They needed it. We need it. Clarity about our identity, destiny, capacity, and Jesus's victory are essential to walking in the light.
Sun, Aug 16, 2020
Duration: 33 mins 30 secs
Paul opens his letter with a profound blessing. It is theological rich and verbally effusive. He recounts the blessings from the Father, Son, and Spirit in the lives of the saints in Ephesus. These blessings apply to any follower of Jesus. God chose us, has a plan for us, and made a promise to us. Our most natural response is worship. We live to the praise of his glory.
