Paul’s (Second) Prayer for the Church in Ephesus

God’s Plan for Unity, Part 2

God’s Plan for Unity, Part 1

The Link between Grace and a Gratitude Attitude

What does it mean for Christ to be the church's cornerstone? Part 2

What does it mean for Christ to be the church's cornerstone?

It is important to understand the nature of what Paul writes that we were dead in our sins and made alive in Jesus Christ, that we were formally Gentiles, not able to comprehend God and without hope.

By God’s grace and love through Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection, we are united with all believing Jews into one body. In Ephesians 2:20-21, Paul wants us to understand the glory of the church and what it means for Christ to be the church’s cornerstone, the same cornerstone as the one in Isaiah 28:16-17.

Jesus Christ is that costly cornerstone by which everything else is measured.

The Power of God’s Grace to the Gentiles, Part 2

The Power of God’s Grace to the Gentiles, Part 1

The Power of God’s Grace at Work (Ephesians 2:8-10)

God often uses the weak, insignificant, and the unworthy. We can think about Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Gideon, and more. God delights in using underdogs to achieve great victories and to display His power and glory. God does this through His grace. Today we will look at how God’s grace is applied and His work is accomplished.

The Power of God’s Grace through Christ. (Ephesians 2:4-7)

Some people spend their lives trying to do more good deeds than bad, hoping to close the gap of sin that separates us from God. Saying a prayer and doing good deeds cannot save us; God must make us spiritually alive. He does this through Christ by His grace.

The Power of God’s Grace in You

Just as Paul was changed from a persecutor of Christians to a called apostle of Jesus Christ, Ephesians 2 contrasts what we once were as sinners to the new creations we are in Christ by the power of God’s grace.

What All Christians Need to Know

The church declares the glory of God (Ephesians 3:20-21)!

God the Father has chosen and predestined us according to His sovereign plan. We are redeemed and claimed according to Christ and His sacrifice for us. Those in Christ are part of His bride. By the Spirit’s work, we are sealed until the day of redemption. All of this is to the praise of His glorious grace.

While in this age of distractions, busy, preoccupied, and often interrupted, Ephesians 1:15-23 teaches us how believers need to think. Paul prays for the Ephesian Christians to be thinking about what they should know.

Praise God for Our Salvation, Part 3: Praise to the Spirit.

Ephesians teaches that every spiritual blessing is from God, and the blessing of security comes by way of the Holy Spirit.

Every believer has been sealed in Christ by the Holy Spirit of promise (2 Cor. 1:22). This is experienced permanently at the moment of salvation. Christians are warned not to grieve the Holy Spirit by whom they were sealed until the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).

The sealing of the Holy Spirit secures our salvation, future, and ownership to the praise of God’s glory and grace.

Praise God for Our Salvation, Part 2: Praise to the Son.

In Christ, we are chosen by God and predestined to adoption as sons and daughters. These spiritual blessings are from the Father (Eph. 1:3-6).

Ephesians 1:7-12 explains the role of the Son of God in our salvation and how the church can praise God for His glorious grace.

Praise God for Our Salvation, Part 1: Praise to the Father

Today’s theme mimics a parable that Jesus tells in Matthew 20:1-16 about a landowner going out and hiring workers. Although some workers started early in the day and others much later, the landowners gives all the workers the same wage, exactly what he promised to give them. The workers who started early in the day complained, but Jesus said "am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you angry because I'm generous?"

We'll see in Ephesians 1:1-6 that some get more than they deserve, but no one gets less than they deserve. Ephesians 1:3 tells believers that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. The blessings we receive are sourced in Heaven. This means the purpose of these blessings is from God, originate in Heaven, and are given to us.

In this first chapter of his letter, Paul praises the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Today we will talk about the Father.

Introducing the Book of Ephesians.

The church in Ephesus wasn’t having issues or spiritual concerns that Paul needed to address. Paul wrote the letter of Ephesians under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to a church that is similar to ours. Today we'll do an overview of the book and see its theme of how the Church declares the glory of God.

The Progress of the Church and our Personal Responsibility.

Why does the church do what it does? Why do we gather? Why don't we do certain things? We must answer not in terms of resources or building but instead of the mission. We will look at the progress of the church and see the direct connection we have today with the first church commissioned by Jesus Christ.

What Does it Mean to Bring up a Child in the Admonition of the Lord?

The Bible makes it crystal clear that fatherhood is the sole property of biological males, starting in Genesis chapter 1-4. God wants men to flourish and grow up into the idea of fatherhood.

In fatherhood, we learn from our errors. When you make a mistake as a father, all that’s left to do is to learn from it and say, “I’m not going to do that again.” Don’t marinate in the emotion of your failure.

The Beauty of the Body of Christ.

God places us in each of our specific contexts for an eternal purpose (1 Corinthians 12:18, Matthew 28:19-20).

Understanding the Nature and Practice of Spiritual Togetherness.

Ephesians 4 begins the practical section of the book in which Paul lays out the spiritual maturity necessary to produce godly character. Maturing Christians have the attitude that they have never arrived.