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Discover the profound connection between Christian marriage and the unchanging love of Christ. Explore Ephesians 5 and learn how to nurture relationships based on respect, care, and God's kindness. Dive into the sacred bond of matrimony in this insightful article.
Bruce and Troy embark on a discussion about, what is commonly referred to as, the five-fold ministry as explained in Ephesians chapter 4.
On todays episode, Pastor Jesse answers a question about walking in the Spirit. How do we walk in the Spirit? Explore Ephesians 4:17-32 on this question and answer series of Bibleline Broadcast Network! Support the show and the ministry of Bibleline at www.calvaryoftampa.org/donate/ and select Internet Outreach. Bibleline Broadcast Network is a ministry of Calvary Community Church.
Paul had plans and time and time again they were changed to fit what God had planned. How can we plan like Paul to listen to what God is saying? Explore Ephesians 3:10 and see how God's plan for the church rattles the heavenly realms!
Paul had plans and time and time again they were changed to fit what God had planned. How can we plan like Paul to listen to what God is saying? Explore Ephesians 3:10 and see how God's plan for the church rattles the heavenly realms!
Chad Mullinix continues to share how his church does evangelism. Explore the good news of hospitality. Benjamin L. Corey states that, "People leave the church when they can't find community." He also states that, "People leave the church because they get turned off by social climbing, cliques, and nepotism" and "People leave church because they feel lonely." A Barna study found people responded that, "The church feels unfriendly to those who doubt." Lifeway Research reported that people thought the church is unloving. A Twitter poll reported that the church is full of unfriendly church members. For Karen Mains, "Evangelism without a functioning household of God will result in a high mortality rate." What is hospitality? The term philoxenia (φιλοξενία) means “a love for strangers.” We read in Hebrews 13:2, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” The good news of hospitality is receiving condescending love. Explore the Westminster Confession of Faith 7.1. Genesis 1:28-29 tells us, “And God blessed them... And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food." We read also in Genesis 2:10, “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.” Consider God’s gracious love. Consider the Westminster Confession of Faith 7.3. Consider Israel in bondage in Egypt as an example. In Romans 5:8,10 we read, “...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us... For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son…” Consider that we also need to demonstrate hospitality. Explore Ephesians 5:1-2, 1 John 4:19, and Romans 15:7. Mains states, "Why are our efforts at evangelism often abortive? Because the church has lost the awareness that it is a household of God into which we are to invite the weary and downtrodden in spirit as well as in body." Reflect on 1 John 3:16-18. We also need to support those going out with the good news. Matthew 10:9-11 tells us, “Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart.” Consider that part of the way whether a person receives the gospel or not is whether they receive you. Explore 3 John 2-5,8.
More Than a Song - Discovering the Truth of Scripture Hidden in Today's Popular Christian Music
In South Louisiana, where I live, there is a quirky question people often ask, "Who's your mama, and can she cook a roux?" This question will ultimately lead you to a family name determining who is related to who, and whether or not you are a Cajun. (Roux, pronounced "roo", is the base for a common Cajun dish called gumbo.) This question leads to the family heritage of a person and ultimately their identity. (For the record, my mama was a Duplecion and she can cook a roux...I'm a proud Cajun!) Our song this week, "Grace Alone" as sung by Kings Kaleidoscope, leads us to Ephesians where we see our place in the family of God and clarifies what it took to get there. Just like it was nothing I did that gave me a Cajun heritage, it is not in my power to be called a child of God. Explore Ephesians with me this week! On this episode I discuss: king a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Context Use a commentary or outside resource Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem Bible.org Meditate The Scripture behind the song - Ephesians 1:3-10 All that God has done for us is done in love - Ephesians 1:4 His decision to adopt us did not just come up...it was decided long ago - Ephesians 1:4 God has adopted us into His family - Ephesians 1:5 Salvation by grace and grace alone Using other Scripture references in the song to dig in further - Dustin Kensrue Blog Additional Resources Lyrics and chords for "Grace Alone" by Kings Kaleidoscope - PDF This Week's Challenge Read Ephesians for yourself. Consider your adoption into the family of God -- also ponder that it was because of love and was decided before the beginning. Thank God for the high station He has raised us to through the sacrifice of His Son. Ask yourself this question: How does being saved by grace and grace alone change the way I think and relate to others?
Explore Ephesians 3:14-21, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” How did the average Jew in Jerusalem pray? The focus of this prayer is Christ would: 1.) Dwell in your hearts; 2.) Rooted in love; and 3.) Filled. Consider that love is the greatest motivator of all.
Explore Ephesians 4:1-6. “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” We also read in Ephesians 2:1-4, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy . . .” Explore Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” The preacher's task, discipler’s task, and the teacher's task is to help connect the work of the gospel into the real everyday life of the follower of Christ. Consider that the gospel without application is a recitation of history. Discipleship is long-term.
Explore Ephesians 1:1-10. Consider Irenaeus’ understanding on the plan of salvation. Various stages are the economy or good ordering of a “household”. God has a plan- He is not a God of chaos. The hypothesis is the narrative of the story of redemption. Explore the major distinction between humanity and God. It is between God who is, and humanity and creation that becomes. That which is not created is and is perfect. That which is created is becoming and is not perfect. The ultimate destination for humanity is Christ. We are either moving toward Christ or away from Christ. In “Against Heresies”(2.34.2) “But if any persons at this point maintain that those souls, which only began a little while ago to exist, cannot endure for any length of time; but that they must, on the one hand, either be unborn, in order that they may be immortal, or if they have had a beginning in the way of generation, that they should die with the body itself— let them learn that God alone, who is Lord of all, is without beginning and without end, being truly and for ever the same, and always remaining the same unchangeable Being. But all things which proceed from Him, whatsoever have been made, and are made, do indeed receive their own beginning of generation, and on this account are inferior to Him who formed them, inasmuch as they are not unbegotten. Nevertheless they endure, and extend their existence into a long series of ages in accordance with the will of God their Creator; so that He grants them that they should be thus formed at the beginning, and that they should so exist afterwards.” We are here because it brings God pleasure. There are three major stages in humanity’s development in Christ: Creation to the Incarnation; the Incarnation to the second coming; and the second coming into eternity. Consider Augustine’s view of the Fall. Consider the order of Creation, Fall, and Redemption, (Restoration).
Explore the life of the Early Church. What did initiation into the Christian faith mean? It was a change in lifestyle and loyalty. Consider the Christian confession of early belief. Kyrios is the word for “Lord”, the substitute for the Tetragrammaton. The rite of Baptism is a public initiation into the faith. Everett Ferguson gives a giant overview of baptism in the early church in his text, “Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries”. What was the Church and what was it like? The Greek word Ekklesia means “gathering” and Didache is the Church universal. The earliest churches met in private homes. Not all churches were led by men – consider Lydia, Chloe, and Priscilla. Women played a huge role of importance in the early church. Consider 1 Timothy 2:11-15. View a picture of Dura Europos (ca.256 AD), a city in ancient Rome in which the people abandoned the town and as a result the city got buried and preserved. It is a great example of an early Christian meeting place. The picture contains the baptistery including frescoes that portray the Good Shepherd, Healing of the Paralytic, the Woman at the well, Christ and Peter walking on the water, and women at the tomb. View the Dura Europos structure and layout that includes the house before modification to make room for a sanctuary and the large sanctuary room for Christian worship. Other characteristics of the early church were that Christians saw each other as “family”. Sunday was the day of worship. Justin Martyr, in 1 Apology 1.67, gives an example of Christian worship. Consider that the early Christian liturgy was “semi-rigid”. Consider what the Didache states concerning the Eucharist. Jewish Christians would pray three times a day and sing. Explore Ephesians 5:18-19. They would also speak in tongues with an interpreter but it could have been more a word of exhortation and encouragement rather than prophecy. There was also Baptism but we do not know what the certain initiatory rites were. Baptism, the affirmation of faith, is very important. What was the Trinitarian perspective at this point?