Posts from 2021 (Page 13)

Ephesians THE WALK, PART 2 | Ephesians 4:7 – 32 Walking the Christian walk and living the Christian life are both difficult and challenging. It is not a fuzzy feeling that you will have all over. You will instead experience many tribulations of prejudice for your conviction, as Christ warned: “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). In Acts 14: 22, Paul is exhorting the disciples to continue in the faith, and that we must…

Ephesians, Day 4 The Walk — Part 1 (Ephesians 4:1 – 16) “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1 – 3). The term “Christian” means “little Christ,” and it was originally used to make fun…

Ephesians, Day 3 Our Position – Part 2 |THE CHRISTIAN’S WEALTH and WALK Ephesians Chapters 2 – 3 Definition of ‘”GRACE” God gave us something that we did not deserve. Definition of “MERCY” God held back something from us that we did deserve. As Paul concludes Ephesians Chapter 1, he talks about the power God the Father exerted into Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms. God placed…

Ephesians, Day 2 Our Position in Christ, Part 1 | Ephesians 1:3 – 23 Knowing where you stand with a person is so reassuring. When I think about some of the encouraging relationships throughout my life, I see a pattern of affirmation, brutal honesty at moments, a listening ear, grace in tough situations, and mutual love and respect. In our life together, I also see the prevalence of God’s hand that guides us to a deeper understanding of Who He…

Ephesians, Day 1 The First Mass Mailing Over the years of being on staff at a church, I’ve been on the receiving end of quite a number of mass mailings. The contents ranged anywhere from “Check out our great product” to “Please consider donating to our cause.” The oddest one I ever received was when, in 2019, a number of churches received a fax with a promotion for a Valentine’s Day fundraiser. There was a flyer with a stuffed bear…

Galatians Day 5 Galatians 6:11 – 18 | Paul Sums Up His Case January 8, 2021 Paul is serious about the Gospel. In this epistle, Paul has been warning the Galatian gentiles to not mix works with faith — even God-ordained rituals — to obtain God’s favor and salvation. This reminds me of what the writer to the Hebrews wrote: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that…

Galatians Day 4 FREEDOM Galatians Chapter 5 FREEDOM: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another: INDEPENDENCE (Merriam-Webster) I love the saying “Freedom isn’t free!” To obtain freedom, something or someone has to give up something. Addictions plague many people, robbing them of freedom: alcohol, pornography, cigarettes, covetousness, greed, wealth. These are just a few areas of our life that will keep you from experiencing freedom. Where are you at? What is keeping you from freedom? Christ…

Galatians, Day 3 Freedom from the Law (Galatians Chapters 3, 4) “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” (Galatians 4:8 – 9). In this section of Galatians, Paul…

Galatians Day 1 Galatians 1:1 – 5 “Greetings! Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—and all the brothers who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be…