Podcasts about Ephesians 3

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Pastor Michael Torres - Ephesians 3:1-13. Sunday, Nov 30, 2025Click To View Slideshttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_YtcRmZ4gTzPJGtLIx70QO5eyzFrpHd_/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=109643752056010674706&rtpof=true&sd=trueOur Location : https://goo.gl/maps/2tAhVnZGbEavLP2C9Website: https://calvaryitl.orgGive: https://calvaryitl.org/giveYou can also donate via your phone directly by texting “itlGive" to 888-364-4483Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1U1Y6LJUioUoayFRwmzgfyFollow on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/calvary-chapel-into-the-light-podcast/id1374484093 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalvaryITLFollow on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CalvaryITLFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calvarychapel_itl/ 

2024-12-16 - Depth in God's Love & Wisdom： Ephesians 3 [xsURqVJuM8E] by Salvador Flores III

This Christian Scripture meditation is the final episode in our 12-Step meditation journey. While the first 12 meditations followed the steps directly, this last one serves as a benediction—a blessing and prayer to carry with you as you continue your journey of transformation with God. Paul prayed Ephesians 3:16–21 over the church in Ephesus, and today we pray them for ourselves. They remind us that we are strengthened by the Spirit, rooted and grounded in love, and carried forward by God’s power to do more than we could ever ask or imagine. In this guided Lectio Divina meditation, you’ll be invited to: Trust God more deeply Thank Him for how He’s revealed His love to you Ask Him boldly for what you need Rest in the truth that He can do more than you could ask or think As you listen, may you be reminded that God’s love is your foundation, His Spirit is your strength, and His power is more than enough for whatever lies ahead. If this series has blessed you, would you take a moment to pass it on to someone else who might benefit? Helpful Links:Download your FREE companion journal for Rooted and Grounded: Scripture Meditations for Every Step of the Journey here.This journal includes:• All the Scriptures for this series• Weekly reflection prompts• Space to record what God is revealing to you Additional links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @jodieniznik Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Guided Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com. Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here. Meditation Passage: Ephesians 3:16–21, NLTI pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How was Paul expanding?

Preacher: Benny Prince Gracenet Community Church

The book of Ephesians is a powerful book in the Bible. This book, written by the Apostle Paul to the church, gives us an understanding of spiritual gifts and how to walk in love and unity. Grab your Bible and join Jerry as he dives into this life-changing book, the book of Ephesians.  -------  Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below:  « FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » To listen to or download more teachings from Jerry and others from Solid Lives ministries, visit our new media library at: https://app.jesusdisciple.com/jesus-way/media-library « THE NEW TESTAMENT DAILY PODCAST » https://thenewtestamentdailywithjerrydirmann.buzzsprout.com « SOLID LIVES » Find out more about the ministries of Jerry Dirmann and Solid Lives at https://www.solidlives.com/  « SUPPORT » You can help us get free resources like this out to more people. Visit https://pushpay.com/g/jdglobal  Thank you for joining us today! For more resources like this, or to support the ministry of Solid Lives, visit one of the links below: FREE MEDIA LIBRARY » Download or listen at https://SolidLivesMedia.com/ ABOUT SOLID LIVES » Find out more at https://www.solidlives.com/ SUPPORT » Help us get the word out at https://solidlives.com/give/

❖ Follow along with today's reading: www.esv.org/Ephesians3-5 ❖ The English Standard Version (ESV) is an 'essentially literal' translation of the Bible in contemporary English. Created by a team of more than 100 leading evangelical scholars and pastors, the ESV Bible emphasizes 'word-for-word' accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning. ❖ To learn more about the ESV and other audio resources, please visit www.ESV.org

Todaywe're looking at the last two verses in Ephesians chapter 3. Along withPhilippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, theseare two of the most quoted verses in the Bible that we hear when people finishtheir prayer. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above allthat we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be gloryin the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen”. Whata powerful ending to this chapter!Paulseems to want to use every word possible to convey to us the vastness of God'spower as found in Jesus Christ. He has ended each of the two previous chapterswith praise to God for His great victory in Christ. He tells us that Christ'spower is so great He arose from the dead and ascended far above all (1:19-23).He teaches us that His power is so great He has reconciled Jews and Gentiles toeach other, and to God; and that He is now building a temple to the eternalglory of God (2:19-22). But in the paragraph before us, Paul shares theexciting truth that this, far “above all power”, is available to us! Itis even "above all that we ask or think." In other words, thepower of Christ, like the love of Christ, is beyond human understanding ormeasurement. And this is just the kind of power you and I need if we are towalk and war in victory. Theword "power" is again dunamis, which we met back in Ephesians 3:7;and "working" is energeia (energy) found in Ephesians 1:11, 19; 2:2;3:7; and 4:16. Some power is dormant; it is available, but not being used, suchas the power stored in a battery. But God's energy is effectual power—power atwork in our lives. This power works in us, in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16). RememberPhilippians 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to doof his good pleasure”. We can't even begin to imagine what it means that theeternal, creator God of the universe, through His Holy Spirit, is working inus!!!!! I'llnever forget I had a car for years that when it got cold below 30° the crazycar wouldn't start. Somehow or another, a disconnection took place between thebattery and the starter as I tried to start the car. I'm telling you, myfriend, in Christ Jesus, all the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ, allthe power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us, all the power that God wants usto have to live and do what He wants us to do, to be what He wants us to be, toaccomplish what He wants us to accomplish, is available in us. Ifwe could only understand and believe this and comprehend this! But our lack of experiencingthis power being released in our lives is because a disconnection has takenplace. Maybe, like my car, we get cold in our Christian experience. We're notreading our Bible. We're not praying as we should. We've lost fellowship withthe Lord. We've allowed some sin or corruption to get in our lives and heartslike the corrosion on the battery cables. I'm telling you my friend, when thattakes place we lose that connection. The power is still there, but we have lostthe connection because of unbelief, unconfessed sin, careless living and becauseof lack of love or grace that we need in our lives. Myfriend, oh my friend, today realize the available power, the resurrectionpower, the power that raised Jesus from the dead. God Himself is at work in usif we'd only allow Him to flow through us for His glory. Note in verse 20 “ToHim be glory in the church by Christ Jesus”. This power is not given to usso we can build bigger churches, live better lives, or even to do a greater workfor Christ. No, it's all to the glory of Jesus Christ. That power is available butwhen we want to use it selfishly, God doesn't give it to us. He doesn't releaseit within us. But when we live for the glory of God, oh, awesome and wonderfuland powerful things take place for His kingdom's sake.  

Send me a text – I always love hearing from you! ✨Have you ever wondered if God could really do the impossible in your life? Paul's prayer to the Ephesians offers a breathtaking promise that continues to transform lives two thousand years later.Tucked away in Ephesians 3:16-21, this powerful prayer was written from a prison cell to a church Paul deeply loved. As we explore this ancient text, we uncover truths that feel surprisingly relevant to our modern struggles. The prayer reveals several profound insights we desperately need today. What parts of your heart do you need Jesus to transform today? Where do you need to pray boldly and expect God to exceed your expectations? Join us as we discover how this ancient prayer can revolutionize your faith journey.Text a friend to share this episode, and remember—there's always something to be grateful for!Support the showFollow on Instagram & Facebook Support this PodcastVisit the WebsiteContact Dez for Coaching to Live your Best Life… EVER!

Ephesians 3:14-21 with Pastor Greg Denham

Todaywe're continuing to look at the prayer, the petition that the Apostle Paul madefor the church at Ephesus here in Ephesians 3:14-19. It's very important thatwe remember that as Paul prayed this prayer, these four petitions have to dowith Christian growth, Christian maturity. Paul was concerned that every mancould be made perfect, mature in Jesus Christ. That was his goal. Not just towin people to Christ and say, "Oh, another one's going to heaven."But that he could present these dear believers before Christ as mature peoplewho have learned to live for the Lord, love the Lord, and let the Lord live Hislife through their lives. (Colossians 1:27-29). Myfriend, this is what Paul toiled, struggled, and prayed for. This is what weneed, to “be filled with all the fullness of God”. This is whatwe need to pray for other believers. In verse 14, Paul said, "For thisreason I bow my knees." He had a purpose when he prayed. I mean, when Ipray, I want something to happen. I want God to make a difference in the livesof people. I pray for a reason, not just to say some words with my head bowedand my eyes closed, but praying with purpose.  It'sso important we understand that when we are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ, andwe are obedient to the Holy Spirit when He speaks to us and gives us an assignment,that there is an energy that begins at that moment of obedience. It's anemotional energy. It's a physical energy. It's a mental energy. Most of all,it's a spiritual energy that energizes us to do the will of God. So, with ourmind, we say, "I want to do the will of God. I will do the will ofGod." But then when we're obedient to put our foot forward, to raise ourhand to say, "Here I am, Lord, send me." Or then we go forward in theservice, go to Bible college, or volunteer to take that Sunday school class, orwhatever it is, at that moment of obedience, we have a new energy and power todo God's will.  Toget out of bed in obedience and spend another 10 minutes before we leave forwork, reading our Bibles, and spending some time in prayer with the Lord,asking for grace for the day, dealing with the issues of the day in prayerbefore we begin the day. That energy that comes when we're obedient to read HisWord, obedient to pray, obedient to go to church, obedient to share our faithwith others around us. That's when we experience the energizing strength andpower of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Paulsays, "That's what I'm praying for, that Christ may dwell in your heartsthrough faith." It's by faith we live. We do not walk by sight. We do notlook at the things that are seen, but the things that are unseen, the thingsthat are eternal. We see God at work around us. We join Him in that work. Webecome a part of what He's doing. We're co-laborers with God and with others asthe Gospel is being shared. We then experience God in a new and a fresh wayevery day. ThenPaul prays that, "you may be able tocomprehend with all the saints ... and be filled with all the fullness of God”. We both comprehend and apprehend.Comprehend means that we mentally know this is what God's truth is. Toapprehend means that we make it our own. We grab hold of it. We lay hold on GodHimself and know it's God, Christ, the Holy Spirit working in us to do the willof God.  Oh,my friend, what a wonderful life this is. It is then that we experience the “widthand length and depth and height of God's love. It is immeasurable. It's allabout the love of Christ that's found in the redemptive work of Christ on thecross of Calvary. We experience that love and we are filled with thefullness of God. We express God's life through our life. People see God in us. Because you'refilled with the fullness of God, which is being filled with the Holy Spirit. Godbless you as you meditate on these truths today for the glory of God.

Today’s Bible Verse:“…that you may have power, to comprehend with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” — Ephesians 3:18 Ephesians 3:18 invites us into a love that can’t be measured, mapped, or outgrown. Paul prays that we would grasp—not just know—the vastness of Christ’s love, a love that reaches into every corner of our lives. When doubts creep in or weariness settles heavy, this verse reminds us we’re surrounded by a love stronger, deeper, and steadier than anything we face. It’s a love that holds, heals, and anchors us in ways we’re still learning to comprehend. MEET YOUR HOST: Dr. Kyle Norman at https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada. He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others. Rev. Norman has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement.Find more from Rev. Norman at revkylenorman.ca Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our former Pastor, Chad Harms returns to give an encouraging message and call for Creekside to always make Christ the center of its mission and vision. Impacted? Let us know: Creekside.Me/Respond Want to see more like this? Watch all our sermons at Creekside.me/sermons

Todaywe're continuing to look at the prayer, the petition, that the Apostle Paulprayed for the saints there at the church of Ephesus. The first thing he prayedfor in verse 16 is that they would “be strengthened with might through HisSpirit in the inner man”. They'd have spiritual energy to live for the LordJesus Christ and to do the will of God. Secondly, Paul prayed, “that Christmay dwell in your hearts through faith that you being rooted and groundedin love”. So, the second thing now Paul is praying for is the depth oftheir spiritual experience in Christ. How deep is your spiritual life? Youknow, so many Christians are like a mile wide and an inch deep. They display alot of Christianity until they end up in a different situation, a crisis, thenit's revealed they have no depth to their Christian life. That's what Paul ispraying for, that there would be depth in their spiritual walk with God. Heuses three words in verse 17 to speak of this depth. The first word is “dwell”.Then the second is “rooted”. The third word is “grounded”.  Theword “dwell” is a word that speaks of Christ being at home in our hearts. WhatPaul is praying for is a deeper experience between Christ and His people. Heyearns for Christ to settle down and feel at home in their hearts—not a surfacerelationship, but an ever-deepening fellowship. Not only are we at home inChrist, He's at home in our hearts. Abraham is a good illustration of this.When God and the two angels came to see Abraham after He has promised him ason, God felt at home with Abraham. He sat down to have a meal with him. Heconversed with him. He talked with him. But then, God had another thing on Hisagenda, that was the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He didn't go to Lot'shouse. He sent the two angels because He didn't feel at home in Lot's heart.So, my friend, to dwell in our hearts means Christ is at home. He has a placewhere He can commune and fellowship with us. Jesus is always a welcome guest. Now,already we are saints. That's what Paul addressed these Christians at Ephesuswith in the very first verse of the book: “To the saints at Ephesus”. So,they're saints already. They are already in Christ. Christ is already in them.But the question is, does Christ dwell in your hearts? Is He abiding in yourheart? (John 15:7-8).  Thesecond word that we see here is the word “rooted”. The verb rootedmoves us into the plant world. The tree must get its roots deep into the soilif it is to have both nourishment and stability; and the Christian must havehis spiritual roots deep into the love of God. Psalm 1:2-3 is a perfectdescription of this word. Jeremiah 17:5-8 is agood commentary on it. One of the most important questions a Christian can askhimself is, "From what do I draw my nourishment and my stability?" Ifthere is to be power in the Christian life, then there must be depth. The rootsmust go deeper and deeper into the love of Christ. Thirdly,we see the word “grounded”. Grounded is an architectural term; it refersto the foundations on which we build. There's only one foundation that can bein our lives and that's the foundation of Jesus Christ. We know that theexperiences of life, the trials of life will expose if we're building on thefirm foundation of Jesus Christ. Which means we have depth. Jesus said it thisway in Luke 6:47-48, He is like a man building a house, whodug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  We'redwelling in Christ. Christ is dwelling in us. We have deep roots into thefoundation, Christ Himself. “Christ is our life” (Colossians 3:4). “Forto me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).  That is then the story of our life. It's aChrist-like life. It's exchanged life, as Hudson Taylor put it.  Myfriend, that's what we need to have. That's why Paul prayed for the depth, thedepth of our love in Christ. We should pray for that not only for ourselves,but for others.  Godbless!

Ephesians 3 - God is for you 16.11.25 by Mick Pope

Steve Lamason, Ephesians 3 by Terrill Road Bible Chapel

Todaywe're specifically looking at Ephesians 3:16. Two things we're going to talkabout and that's, “the riches of His glory” and “in the inner man”.As we look at this passage of scripture, we realize that the power of the HolySpirit is given to us “according to the riches of His glory”. Christreturned to glory. But remember He said, "If I don't go away, I can'tsend the Holy Spirit. But if I go away, I will send the Comforter, the HolySpirit." (John 14; John 16:7). Christ returned to glory and sent theHoly Spirit from heaven to indwell and to empower His people.  So,it's not necessary for us to work something up. The power of God has been sentdown. Jesus said, "Tarry at Jerusalem till the power of the Holy Spiritis come upon you." (Acts 1:4-8). They did tarry and the HolySpirit, 10 days later, on the day of Pentecost, came down upon them. The HolySpirit was sent down. The Holy Spirit is the “gift of God” according tothose first passages of Scripture in the book of Acts (Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45;11:17). Now the Holy Spirit dwells in us and empowers us.  Goddoesn't give us the Holy Spirit's power out of His riches, but “according toHis riches” and that is a far greater thing. If I'm a billionaire and Igive you $10, I've given you out of my riches. But if I give you a milliondollars, I have given you according to my riches. The first is a portion, butmy friend, the second is a proportion. Oh, God has His riches in heaven thatare immeasurable, unfathomable, endless, eternal. He gives you not out of Hisriches but “according to the riches of His glory”. Nowvery interesting this power is available for “the inner man”.This means the spiritual part of man where God dwells and God lives in us. Weread in Romans 8:16; “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit thatwe are the children of God”. The inner man of the lost sinner is dead (Ephesians2:1), but that inner spirit becomes alive when the Holy Spirit of Christ,Christ Himself comes to indwell us. We find that the inner mancan see in Psalm 119:18, "Open mine eyes that I may see wondrous thingsout of your law." The inner man can hear Matthew13:9, Jesus said, "He who has ears, let him hear."  “Theinner man”has taste in Psalm 34:8; “Taste and see that the Lord is good”. We findwe can feel with the inner man (Acts 17:27). According to 1 Timothy 4:7-8,we find that bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness exercises greatprofit for those who trust and believe in Him. The outward man is perishing.But the inner man, the inner man can be renewed day by day in spite of thephysical outward decay that takes place. I love that passage in 2 Corinthians4:16-18: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man isperishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our lightaffliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceedingand eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen,but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen aretemporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal”.  Whatdoes it mean to have the Holy Spirit empower “the inner man”? Itmeans that our spiritual faculties are controlled by God, and we are exercisingthem and growing in the Word (Hebrews 5:12-14). It is only when we yield to theSpirit and let Him control the inner man that we succeed in living to the gloryof God. This means we are feeding the inner man the Word of God, praying andworshiping, keeping clean, and exercising the senses by loving obedience. MayGod help us to trust Him today to have that strength that only He can give forHis glory and for His ministry of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ withthe world around us.  Godbless!

We concluded our WITH series by looking at a prayer that Paul prays for the church in Ephesus. As we will see, God's love for you and I is foundational to our growth and stability.For more information visit ChristCommunity.Life

In this episode of Pray the Word on Ephesians 3:14–21, David Platt invites us to know God's love more deeply.Explore more content from Radical.

26 Ezekiel 17-19; 19 Psalms 101-102; 49 Ephesians 3-4

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we're looking at Ephesians 3:14-19. These are powerfulverses reminding us of the Apostle Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus. Inthis prayer, there are four request, but they're not to be looked at asinsulated individual petitions because these four requests are like four partsto a telescope. One request leads into the next one and so on. He prays thatthe inner man might have spiritual strength, which will, in turn, lead to adeeper experience with Christ. This deeper experience will enable him to “apprehend”(to get a hold) of God's great love, which will result in being “filled untothe fullness of God”. So, then, Paul is praying for strength, for depth inour spiritual life, for apprehension, and for fullness.  That'swhat we'll be talking about these next couple days because this prayer, thispetition is so vitally important to our spiritual growth and our spiritualwell-being and our spiritual standing as we fight and stand against the wilesof the evil one (Ephesians 6). Please read the petition in these six versescarefully. Oh my friend, it's almost unimaginable that we have a prayer herethat tells us that on earth we can be filled with the fullness of God. JesusChrist himself was the exact image of God (Hebrews 1:3). He was the fullness ofGod manifest on earth (Colossians 1:19). Now we as His believers, as His light,as His witnesses, can be filled with the same fullness of God to make a bigdifference in the world in which we live.  Oh,if only we as believers would learn this truth and pray for this greatanointing, this great strengthening of the Holy Spirit to make us all that weshould be for the glory of God. The lack of power and weakness of the churchestoday is that we have no idea as far as most believers are concerned what wehave in Christ Jesus and the fullness of God and the riches of His glory that'savailable to us. And that through this prayer that we read about here we can experiencethis power and strength in our lives Thefirst thing Paul prays for is “to be strengthened with might throughHis Spirit in the inner man”. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lifeis evidence of our salvation. Romans 8:9 says: “But you are not in the fleshbut in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyonedoes not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His”. Scripture is very clearthat at the moment of our salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us. But thepower of the Holy Spirit is enablement for Christian living. It's this powerthat Paul desires for these believers here at Ephesus.  InActs 1:8, Jesus had said to the disciples, you shall receive power after thatthe Holy Spirit is come upon you. We are told in Luke 4:1, 14, that Jesusperformed His ministry on earth in the power of the Holy Spirit. This power ofthe Holy Spirit is the only resource that we have for Christian living today.When you read through the book of Acts, over and again you see the importanceof the Holy Spirit in the life of the church. There are at least some fifty-ninereferences to the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. This is one fourth of allthe references found in the New Testament on the Holy Spirit. Someonesaid, that if God took the Holy Spirit out of the church today, He wouldn'teven be missed because we would just go on working as usual. How sad that thisis so true. We can't imagine the wisdom that we would have, the strength thatwe would, the witness that we would in the world, if we would receive this greattruth and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us. living and working in us, andthrough us.  Today,how real is the Holy Spirit to you? Are you praying to “be strengthened withmight through His Spirit” to face the challenges of living theChristian life in today's godless culture? Are you praying this for others too? Godbless!

11-14-25 Shelly has served the body of Christ as a Pastor for over 35 years. He is a bible teacher and conference speaker on the subjects of The Kingdom of God, The Mystery of Israel & The Church and for God’s people to be prepared in their hearts for the end of this age. https://shellyandjunevolk.com/Support the show: https://shellyandjunevolk.com/product/partner-with-us-psalm-127-fund/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ephesians 3:14-15Forthis reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whomthe whole family in heaven and earth is named. Todaywe're looking at Ephesians 3.  It is interestingto note that this chapter begins with these words; “For this reason” (v.1). Paul is basically saying, “For this reason…”, I'm writingthese things concerning the mystery of the church in the first verses of thischapter because he's trying to convey to his readers there at the church ofEphesus that they are rich in Christ, they are wealthy in Christ, they have aninheritance in Christ. We need to be able to claim our wealth that we have inChrist.  “Forthis reason”, I'mwriting to you because this was a mystery and was hidden in ages past, but nowit's being revealed. That is, the unity of the church which gives us the gloryof God in our midst, and gives witness to the world that Jesus Christ is Kingand Lord. He can transform lives. People that hate each other can love eachother. My friend, what a wonderful message we have that we can have peace withGod through our Lord Jesus Christ and peace with one another and unity onlythrough Jesus Christ. The church is that institution God's planted on planetearth. Jesus said, "I'll build my church that we can enjoy theseblessings."  Nowgo down to verse 14, Paul again writes: “For this reason I bow my knees tothe Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven andearth is named”.  In verse 1, “Forthis reason”, I write.  So for thisreason, I'm writing to you about the mystery of the church. Now as he closesthe chapter in verse 14, Paul writes “For this reason”, I'm praying foryou. I'm praying that you would know what you have in Jesus Christ.  Thisis a petition and a prayer you and I ought to study and learn to pray for ourfriends, our family, and others, and also the leaders of the church. For thisreason, we bow our knees and pray. When's the last time you bowed your kneesand prayed to the Father?  Paul'sprayer was addressed to "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."In the Bible, prayer is addressed to the Father, through the Son, and in theSpirit. This is the usual pattern, though you do find petitions addressed tothe Son, and possibly to the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13). In Ephesians1:3, Paul calls the Father "the God and Father of our Lord JesusChrist." He was the "God... of our Lord JesusChrist" when Jesus was here on earth, for as man, Jesus lived in totaldependence on God. This title reminds us of Christ's humanity. But God is the "Fatherof our Lord Jesus Christ", because Jesus Christ is eternal God; sothis title reminds us of His deity. Thereis a sense, however, in which all men in general, and Christians in particular,share in the fatherhood of God. Paul states that "the whole family inheaven and earth is named" after the divine Father. That word familycan be translated "fatherhood." Every fatherhood in heaven and onearth gets its origin and name from the Father. He is the great Original; everyother fatherhood is but a copy. Adam is called "the son of God"(Luke 3:38), referring to his creation.  Butbelievers are the "sons of God" by rebirth (John 1:11-13; 1 John3:1-2). All men are not children of God by nature. Instead, they are childrenof disobedience and children of wrath (Ephesians 2:2-3). As Creator, God is theFather of each man; but as Savior, He is only the Father of those who believe.There is no such thing in Scripture as the universal fatherhood of God thatsaves all men. Jesus said, "Ye must be born again" (John 3:7). Thenin verses 16-19, Paul shares four requests in his prayer that we will belooking at for the next several days. Today,can you truly say that God is your Father in heaven because you have been bornagain into His family?Areyou praying with a “reason in mind”? With a divine purpose and motivation tointercede for others? Godbless!

11-13-25 Shelly has served the body of Christ as a Pastor for over 35 years. He is a bible teacher and conference speaker on the subjects of The Kingdom of God, The Mystery of Israel & The Church and for God’s people to be prepared in their hearts for the end of this age. https://shellyandjunevolk.com/Support the show: https://shellyandjunevolk.com/product/partner-with-us-psalm-127-fund/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Todaywe're looking at Ephesians 3:14-15. In the last verses of this chapter, we willbe looking at the prayer  that Paul givesus that could even for you and me today be a model prayer. Paul is teaching us another lesson on prayer.  Thisprayer in verses 14-21 is the second of two prayers that are recorded inEphesians. The first one is in Ephesians 1:15-23. In the first prayer, theemphasis was on enlightenment, but in this prayer, the emphasis is onenablement. It's not so much a matter of knowing as it is on being. It is aboutlaying our hands on what God has for us by faith, making God's riches and Hislove a vital part of our lives. Paul is basically saying here, I want you toget your hands on your wealth in Christ. I want you to realize how vast it is, andstart to use it on a regular daily, moment-by-moment basis in your life. It'sworth noting also that both of these prayers, as well as the other prisonprayers of Paul, (Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-12), are awesome prayersthat you and I can use faithfully and regularly in our own lives, praying forour spiritual well-being and the spiritual well-being of our family and friendsand others in the body of Christ. These prayers deal with the inner spiritualcondition of the man, not the material needs of the body. Remember Paul is inprison. He could be saying, "Oh, I'm hurting. Pray for me. I'm chained up.My wrists are all bloody." No, he didn't ask for those kinds of prayers orteach us to pray those kinds of prayers. Certainly, it's not wrong to pray forphysical and material needs. But the emphasis in these petitions is on thespiritual.  Paulknew that if the inner man is what he ought to be, the outer man will be takencare of in due time. So many of our prayers focus solely on our physical andmaterial needs. They fail to lay hold of the deeper inner needs of our hearts.It would do us good to use these prison prayers as our own, asking God to helpus as we grow in the inner man, believing and receiving the riches of Christ inus, and living on those riches. This is where our great need is. Inverse 14, the first thing that strikes us is Paul's posture: “For thisreason I bow my knees”. (This must have been quite an experience for theRoman soldier that was chained to Paul!). You'll notice in the Bible, nowhereare we commanded any special posture for prayer. It says in Genesis 18:22, thatAbraham “stood before the Lord” when he prayed for Sodom. In first Kings8:22, Solomon “stood” when he prayed to dedicate the temple. David “satbefore the Lord” when he prayed about the future of the kingdom in 1Chronicles 17:16. Jesus “fell on His face” and prayed in the garden ofGethsemane in Matthew 26:39. The emphasis is on the spiritual posture here inthe book of Ephesians.  Aslost sinners, we were buried in the graveyard of sin (Ephesians 2:1). But whenwe trusted Christ, He raised us from the dead, seated us with Christ in theheavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-6). Because we are seated with Christ, wecan walk so as to please Him (Ephesians 4:1, 17; 5:2, 8, 15). Now we canstand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:10-13). But theposture that links “sitting” with “walking” and “standing” is “bowing the knee”. Oh,my friend, it is through prayer that we lay hold of God's riches that enable usto behave like Christians, and battle like Christians, as true believers ofJesus Christ. Whether we actually bow our knees, that's not the important thing;but that we bow our hearts and our will to the Lord and ask Him for grace and whatwe need in the real vital matters of our lives. Today,will you take the time to bow your heart before the Lord? Godbless!

11-12-25 Shelly has served the body of Christ as a Pastor for over 35 years. He is a bible teacher and conference speaker on the subjects of The Kingdom of God, The Mystery of Israel & The Church and for God’s people to be prepared in their hearts for the end of this age. https://shellyandjunevolk.com/Support the show: https://shellyandjunevolk.com/product/partner-with-us-psalm-127-fund/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Todayin Ephesians 3, we're talking about the mystery of the church. The word mysteryis used at least six times in the New Testament to refer to the church that wasborn on the day of Pentecost. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would comeupon people and anoint them to do special deeds, great works such as Samsondid. But in the New Testament, something new takes place. Something that washidden in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit would not only come down upon thepeople and upon the church (Acts 2:1-4), but He would enter the hearts of thebelievers and dwell there and never leave.  TheHoly Spirit might be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and He might be quenched (1Thessalonians 5:19), but the Holy Spirit will still be there. Our body is thetemple of the Holy Spirit, the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19:20. My friend,we need to believe and understand this truth, this truth of the mystery of thechurch, being born on the day of Pentecost, is now God's agency, God'sinstitution that He is using to spread the Good News, the Gospel to let theworld know that by faith you can have a relationship with God through JesusChrist. The church is “according to theeternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord”.  Thisgreat mystery and truth was important to Paul (vv. 1-5). It was important tothe Gentiles that now they could be one with the Jews and be one in Christtogether (vv. 6-8). It was important to the angels (vv. 9-10).  And as we've been seeing through this chapter,it is also very important to the believers that today we should understand thisgreat truth. When God saved Paul, He deposited with him the precious treasuresof the Gospel truth (1 Timothy 1:11). Paul in turn committed these truths to othersand exhorted them to commit the truths to faithful men who would guard and sharethem (2 Timothy 2:2).  And in those apostolicdays, the truth of the church was being made manifest in such a way thateverywhere everyone went and they knew as they became a part of that local bodyof believers, the body of Christ, that they were a part of something specialand they had a plan and program. They had a mission to be on with God, and theyturned the world upside down for Jesus Christ (Acts 17:6). And in a very wicked,evil, cruel world, things changed because of the church.  Today,I believe that the same thing is happening again. I really believe in theselast days before Jesus Christ comes again. This great truth, the mystery of thechurch should be important to us today as we study through the Scriptures. Weknow that this “mystery” is the key to what God promised in the Old Testament.What Christ did in the gospels, what the early church did in the book of Acts, whatPaul and the other writers teach in the epistles, and what God will do asrecorded in the book of Revelation. God's program today is not the headship ofIsrael, Deuteronomy 28:1-13, but the headship of Christ over the church. Wetoday are under a different leadership, dispensation, if you want to call itthat, from that of Moses and the prophets. We must be careful not to confusewhat God has clarified.  Thereason so many churches are weak and ineffective because they do not understandwhat we have and what they have in Jesus Christ. This great truth concerning the church is not a divine afterthought. Itis part of God's eternal purpose in Christ (Ephesians 3:11). When we know this truth, we will have boldness and access with great confidenceinto the Holy of Holies, into the presence of God, and to go forward againstthe gates of hell with the message of Jesus Christ.  Oh,my friend, today, like Paul, we ask that you don't lose heart over what ourspiritual leaders and the people of God might suffer on behalf of sharing thisgood news with the others in the world. This passage of scripture shouldencourage us today to give our all to Christ, live for Him, and let His Gospelbe known to the world around us.

11-11-25 Shelly has served the body of Christ as a Pastor for over 35 years. He is a bible teacher and conference speaker on the subjects of The Kingdom of God, The Mystery of Israel & The Church and for God’s people to be prepared in their hearts for the end of this age. https://shellyandjunevolk.com/Support the show: https://shellyandjunevolk.com/product/partner-with-us-psalm-127-fund/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11-10-25 Shelly has served the body of Christ as a Pastor for over 35 years. He is a bible teacher and conference speaker on the subjects of The Kingdom of God, The Mystery of Israel & The Church and for God’s people to be prepared in their hearts for the end of this age. https://shellyandjunevolk.com/Support the show: https://shellyandjunevolk.com/product/partner-with-us-psalm-127-fund/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Todaywe're looking at Ephesians 3:8-13. Early in my ministry at Shenandoah Valley BaptistChurch, on Sunday mornings, I was impressed by the Holy Spirit to prayer walk aroundthe church facilities at least seven times. I continued to do this at all thechurches I was privileged to pastor. The verses we are studying today are reallyspecial to me because for the last 15 or so years, every Sunday morning, as Iwould take this prayer walk, I would quote these verses in Ephesians 3,reminding me of the wonderful responsibility and also the privilege and honor Ihave of proclaiming the mystery of the church. I was also praying these verses outloud knowing that the evil angels, “the principalities and powers in theheavenly place”, and Satan himself must tremble at the Word of God as weproclaim the mystery of the fellowship of the church. Verse8: “To me who am less than the least of all the saints. This grace was giventhat I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”As I would quote that verse, I'd remind myself, I'm the less of the least. Ihave been so privileged to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ that was longhidden in the Old Testament, called the mystery. Some people might ask, why didGod keep this mystery hidden for so long? Remember the mystery of salvationwasn't hidden because as far back as Genesis 12 God had promised throughAbraham and his seed that all the nations of the earth would be blessed. Jesushad said in John 4 that “we know salvation is of the Jews”. It wasobvious that God's great salvation, His plan of salvation, that would bringredemption to mankind, would come through the Jewish nation, through the Jewishpeople.  Abraham'sseed would give us the Bible, give us the Messiah, give us the Old Testamentexample of a Creator and Holy God working in their midst. And how only by faithcan we experience and know Him. Yes, salvation is of the Jews. But the churchwas a mystery. How is that? That's what these verses are about. Because this ishow that believers can come together as one! Both Jew and Gentile, no matterhow rich or poor, no matter your background, your racial background, or anythingelse. No matter what differences, we can come together in the fellowship of thechurch through the blood of Jesus Christ. We can find grace to forgive eachother. To forgive each other for former offences despite the hurt and pain it mighthave brought us. And we can be one in Christ.  That'sa great mystery in the Old Testament. It's now possible through the blood ofChrist and the creation of the church. I believe the church was born on the dayof Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down upon the believers in the upperroom. The disciples were told to wait for the promise of the Father. On thatday, when the Holy Spirit came down, something new that took place. The churchwas born. Now the church has the opportunity on earth to make known not only tothe people of the world but even to the principalities and powers in theheavenly places.   That'swhy Paul goes on to say, "And to make all see what is the fellowship ofthe mystery”. The word fellowship could be translated, “thestewardship of the mystery..." Myfriend, what a wonderful mystery that has now been made manifest that we havethe privilege of being a part of. Even Satan trembles when he sees how thatpeople can forgive one another. How they can come together in unity and onenessand fellowship of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What a great witness to theworld. People that hated each other now love each other. That is the Gospel ofJesus Christ. This Gospel, that to the lost world is foolishness, but unto uswhich are saved, it is the power of God.  Ohhow wonderful it is my friend, to be a part of His church. This great mysteryhidden in ages past but now made known to us. Today, we have the responsibilityand privilege to share this great news with the world around us.

Providential People | Covenant Household | Ephesians 3:14-21 | Kort Marley by Providence Community Church

People talk about the dead church. My friend, the church is not dead. Thechurch is the body of Christ. Christ would have to die for the church to die.But Christ will not die. He is resurrected. The church is alive and well. Theproblem is a bunch of us believers who do not know what our position and power isin Jesus Christ, and we're living as though we are dead. Oh my God, help us towake up to the riches that we have in Christ Jesus that Paul's talking abouthere to the church at Ephesus. AsPaul has already stated, he's been given a ministry because it's been revealedto him and the apostles the power and the ministry of the church. The mysteryof the church, the body of Christ that brings us together and makes us one. Thismystery and ministry is not only important to Paul as an apostle, which hemakes it really clear in verse 8, but it is also important to the Gentiles: "Tome who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given that Ishould preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." Paulknows he has a ministry and he has a new power, the power of the Holy Spirit,the resurrected Christ working through him to fulfill the ministry that God hasgiven him.  Heis also making it clear that we as Gentiles, are members of His church, and bothJews and Gentiles, have the same power, have the same opportunity to ministerand serve. We not only have a new position, we have a new power. I love what Paulwrites in verse 7, "Of which I became a minister according to the giftof the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power."Paul is saying that the only way we can fulfill the ministry that God has givenus and exercise the gift that God's given us, is by His grace. Paul wrote in 1Corinthians 15:10, “Only by His grace, I am what I am." We need toremember that God's marvelous and wonderful grace is given to us when we humbleourselves. “God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble” (James4:6). As we've already stated in previous chats, grace is everything we need,to be all that we should be for the glory of God, and to be energized by HisHoly Spirit to do His will!  Paulcalled it “the effective working of His power”.  The word "working" here is energeiafrom which we get our word "energy." People often say to me,"Pastor Mike, how do you get all that energy?" Well the truth is, Idon't feel like I have any energy. I'm physically worn out, especially with myage and my health at this point in my life. But I know that I get energy as Irely upon the Holy Spirit of the living God to work through me. At the momentof my obedience to His calling and leading and to His ministry He's given us,there's an energy that comes into me that's unexplainable.  Thatresurrection energy is the power of God. The word "power" is dunamiswhich gives us our words "dynamic" and "dynamite." Paul hasalready told us about this mighty power in Ephesians 1:19-23, and he willmention it again in Ephesians 3:20 and Ephesians 4:16. The mighty resurrectionpower of Christ is available to us for daily life and service. It is found in in“the unsearchable riches of Christ”, that Paul says he'spreaching among the Gentiles. And this is also what we should be sharing withthe world around us. The unfathomable riches of Jesus Christ.  Oh,we're so wealthy in Jesus. If only we would open our hearts, our minds, and ourlives to this great truth and reality, we would not be dead Christians. We'd beliving Christians sharing the light of the Gospel with everyone around us.  Godhelp us today. The world needs Jesus. He is the only answer to their problemsand difficulties and challenges. And they can only find Jesus through us as weshare Jesus with them. Godbless!

Whenyou read the Old Testament, it mainly is about the covenant promises and thework of God amongst the Jewish nation. The Jewish nation was called of God, setapart for Him and by Him for a specific purpose. That purpose was to make knownto the world that you can know God, the true and the living God, the creatorGod, the only God. And the only way you can know and experience Him is byfaith. That's what the life of Abraham teaches us as you study both the Old andthe New Testament. He not only is the father of the Jewish nation he is thefather of the faithful. This includes both Jew and Gentile who come toexperience God by faith. (Read Romans 4 and Galatians 3).   Theonly way we can learn about God, that we can know God, that we can begin tounderstand and comprehend God, is by faith. The writer of Hebrews made thisclear in Hebrews 11.TheJewish nation was chosen to be an example, to be an illustration, to be atestimony to the world that there is a creator God that wants us to know Him.God revealed Himself to Abraham and the Jews in various ways. As the people ofGod they gave us His written revelation, the Word of God, the Bible, God's holyinspired word and they also give us the Savior, Jesus Christ the Messiah. Godhad this specific purpose for them. But as you know, as you study both the Old  and New Testament and Jewish history, they failmiserably and rejected Jesus. But God already in eternity past had anotherplan. That plan was the church, the called out assembly, the body of JesusChrist. Inthe Old Testament, the church was a mystery, a sacred mystery. It was not knownbefore. That's why Paul was writing here in these verses. In verse 5 he writes:"Which in other ages, was not made known to the sons of men, as it has nowbeen revealed by the spirit to His holy apostles and prophets." Now, myfriend, we've got to understand something. You know, it's been 2,000 yearssince the Apostle Paul was writing to this church at Ephesus and explaining tothem how as Gentiles, they are now in the body of Christ. They now can bereconciled to the Jewish people and be partaker of the promises with them. Thatwas a new thing, a brand new thing. Nowtoday, after 2,000 years of history, we have churches on every corner inAmerica, churches all over the world, a church everywhere. And I'm afraid thatwe take the church for granted. You can go down any Sunday morning in Americaand walk into a church building and become a member of that church by goingforward professing Christ as your Savior, following the Lord in believer'sbaptism and you're part of that church. We take it for granted that we can be apart of the body of Christ.  NowPaul is telling the folks there at Ephesus, this is a mystery. It's now beingrevealed. So it was important to Paul because he knew he was a steward of thismystery. That was the dispensationgiven to him, the stewardship given to him to make sure that the body ofbelievers, the Gentiles and the Jews alike knew that anyone could be a part ofthe body of Jesus Christ by faith through the cross, by faith in Hisresurrection, by faith. Todayyou and I become a part of the body of Christ, and we can now exercisestewardship and ministry and have the hope and the peace and the joy that comesfrom belonging to the body of Christ and being a part of that fellowship ofbelievers. How wonderful is that? I'm telling you, it's awesome. It is importantthat you also understand that the church, the body of Christ is so very special,just like His body was special on earth physically when He was here. Jesus wentto heaven in that body, but today He gave us the opportunity to be a member ofHis body the church. He is the head we're the members, and we're members one ofanother. We have different functions and activities and gifts in the church,but we belong to His church.  Myfriend, what a great privilege! Don't take it for granted!!!!

Todaywe're going to be looking at “the sacred secret” in Ephesians 3. It is what theScripture calls the mystery. The mystery of the church. A plan that God had inages past that was hidden in the Old Testament but is now being revealed in theNew Testament. How that Gentiles can be a part of the family of God. How thatthe church can have unity with both Jews, Gentiles, and anyone and everyone whoby faith receives Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A sacred secret thatwas before hidden but now made known to believers to enjoy and to look forwardto. Which is the fellowship that we can have in Christ Jesus with anyone andeveryone who receives Jesus as Christ and Lord of their lives. Nowwith that in mind, I believe as you read this passage and think about it, theseverses will pop out to you. In these first 13 verses, Paul is trying to answerthe question of why he's a prisoner in Rome. He begins by actually saying, “Forthis reason I” and then it seems like he has a parenthesis here because inverse 14 He seems to pick up where he left off and again repeats, “For thisreason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So, itappears He was going to say, "I'm going to pray for you to know the loveof Jesus Christ." But then He says, "I need to explain first why I'min prison and what my ministry is and this wonderful sacred secret that you asGentiles and Jews can have unity in your church." Remember chapter 2 endedon the subject of the unity that we should have in the church. Pleaseread again these first nine verses. “For this reason, I Paul the prisoner ofChrist Jesus for you Gentiles. If indeed you have heard of the dispensation ofthe grace of God which was given to me for you”. A dispensation was aspecial period of time where God did a special work amongst people. There aredifferent dispensations of times where God works and uses different methods.But His truth never changes. His principles never change. But His methods, theydo change from time to time. Hesays, "Was given to me for you, how? That by revelation He made knownto me the mystery as I have briefly written already. By which when you read youmay understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages wasnot made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit toHis holy apostles and prophets." What was that mystery? “That theGentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of His promisein Christ through the gospel of which I became a minister according to the giftof the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. To me,though I'm the least of all the saints, this grace was given that I shouldpreach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make allsee what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ageshas been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.” Itwas important to Paul for people to understand and know that God had given hima special ministry, a special calling at his salvation. Remember in Acts 9, hewas told that he would be a light to the Gentiles. He'd bring the gospel to theGentiles. The Jews did not understand this initially. Paul had this calling,and he knew that he was going to be used of God for this specific purpose.Everywhere he went as he founded churches, those churches were made up of bothJews and Gentiles. The mystery was they could have fellowship in Christ. Theycould be joined together in unity because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Myfriend, this “sacred secret” was something hidden in the Old Testament,revealed in the New Testament, and today has great implications for us in ourmodern churches teaching us that we can have unity despite so many preferencesand differences. Our unity is in the fellowship of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Godbless!

In this message concluding Missions Month, Pastor Steven explores Paul's lifelong calling to proclaim the gospel to all nations and how that same mission continues through the church today. Drawing from Ephesians 3, he shows that global missions flow from three gospel-shaped motivations—our duty to obey Christ, our obligation to share what we've received, and our compassion for those who have not yet heard.