Podcasts about see eph

Still labeling yourself by past mistakes or family baggage? In Christ, “the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). You are not “just that way” anymore—God rewrote your story the moment you trusted Him. Key Reflections New Creation, New Identity – Gal 2:20 says your old self was crucified; Christ now lives in you. Let God Define You – Scripture, not your past, assigns your worth. (See Eph 1.) Capture Toxic Thoughts – Take every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5) and replace lies with truth. Progress Requires Renewal – Daily renew your mind (Rom 12:2) to walk in who you already are. Join the Conversation What negative label do you need to lock up today? How are you choosing to see yourself through God’s Word instead of past mistakes? Share your thoughts with us on Instagram using #LifeaudioNetwork—let’s encourage one another to live as new creations!

We are looking at this wonderful chapter in Luke 11 on thesubject of prayer. The Lord Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray, andwhat to pray, in answer to their request to teach them to pray. As He is teachingthem, we are also learning many aspects about prayer that we should rememberevery day. First, Jesus gives us the pattern of prayer (vv. 1-4). Secondly,He tells a story of some friends and gives a great lesson on the persistenceof prayer (vv. 5-8). Third, Jesus teaches us about the great promise ofprayer (vv. 9-13).  Now in verses Luke 11:14-23, Jesus is going to give us alesson on the power of prayer, along with a live illustration as He castsa demon out of man. Jesus said that He is able to casts out demons with “thefinger of God”. Maybe the Apostle Paul was remembering this passage in Lukewhen he wrote 1 Corinthians 1:22-25: “For Jews request a sign, and Greeksseek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumblingblock and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews andGreeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishnessof God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (Alsoremember Luke was Paul's traveling companion on his second missionary journey.Who knows all that they might have discussed as they were walking those longmiles.) We must always remember as believers that we are facing anddealing with demonic forces and the kingdom of darkness as we on mission withJesus in this present world. Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle againstflesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulersof the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in theheavenly places.”  To stand against anddefeat them we must believe in the might power of prayer and use it as a weaponto pull down demonic strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). After Jesus cast the demon out of the mute man, thereligious leaders were there and instead of rejoicing that God had sent aRedeemer, they were rebelling against the truth of God's Word and seeking todiscredit Christ's work and character. They claimed Jesus did this in the powerof Satan. Imagine people being so blind that they could not distinguish a workof God from a work of Satan! "Beelzebub" was one of the names of thePhilistine god Baal (2 Kings 1:1-3); it means "lord of flies." TheJews often used this name when referring to Satan. In verse 16 they “tested” Jesus by basically saying,"If you are really working for God, prove it by giving us a sign fromheaven, not just a miracle on earth." They were tempting God, which is adangerous thing to do.Refutation (vv. 17-22). Jesus answered their charges withthree arguments. First, their accusation was illogical. Why would Satan fightagainst himself and divide his own kingdom? (Note that Jesus believed in a realdevil who has a kingdom that is strong and united. See Eph. 2:1-3; 6:10ff.)Second, their charges were self-incriminating: by what power were the Jewscasting out demons? How do their works differ from Christ's works? On thecontrary, Christ's miracles show that the kingdom of God is present, not thekingdom of Satan! Finally, their accusation was really an admission of Hispower, for He could not defeat Satan unless He were stronger than Satan. Jesuspictured Satan as a strong man in armor, guarding his palace and his goods. ButJesus invaded Satan's territory, destroyed his armor and weapons, and claimedhis spoils! (see John 12:31-33; Colossians 2:15; 1 John 3:8). Though he ispermitted limited authority, Satan is a defeated enemy. My friend, we should alwaysremember, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, becauseHe who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).  Today, we should be exercising the mighty power of prayer! God bless!

Ephesians 5:1-22 Sermon Notes:We're called to imitate God in the world because…1) God's people are children of love, not lust | 1-42) Unholy people will not enter His Kingdom | 5-73) God's people are children of light, not shameful secrets | 8-144) God's people live in evil days | 15-175) God's people exude godliness when they're filled with the Spirit | 18-22Reflection questions:1. Read vv. 3-7, is your speech “fitting” for a Christian? Are there any types of jokes that you need to eliminate from your vocabulary?2. Read vv. 7-14 – Are there ways that you need to discern what is pleasing to the Lord in your life? Are there patterns of living that conform too closely to the world around you and do not exhibit a clear expression of goodness, righteousness, and truth?3. Are you consciously trying to make the best use of your time, v16, in all areas of life? What's one way you can better “redeem” the time? 4. What is the ultimate reason to walk in love? The ultimate reason to forgive others? See Eph 4:32-5:1.

Ephesians 2:26-27 Sermon Notes: 1) Put On Holy Anger, and Make Sure It's Holy | 26a 2) Put Off Cancerous Anger Quickly | 26b 3) Beware the Enemy, who Seeks an Opportunity for Destruction in Our Anger | 27 Reflection questions: 1) Does God's word ever endorse hatred or anger? See Eph 4:26; Psalm 4:4; and Ps 119:53. Regarding Ps 119 – Does the Psalmist hate people, or their actions? 2) Does this passage warn against the dangers of anger? Can you name all three qualifications or guardrails for our anger? Which is easier – putting on holy anger for the right reasons, or avoiding the sinful excesses of anger? What are three steps you can take to avoid the three common errors of anger? 3) What kind of “opportunity” for the Devil is God (speaking through Paul) urging the church to avoid? Why should we be eager to avoid an opportunity for Satan, and what should we be eager to maintain as a Church? See Ephesians 4:1-6, 27.

Ephesians 4:11-16 Sermon Notes:1) God's blood-bought gifts empower us to attain unity and maturity | 11-132) God's blood-bought gifts empower us to clarify our essential doctrines | 143) God's blood-bought gifts require us to grow together by truth and love | 15-16Reflection questions:1) Is Christian unity something you are thankful for, something you're eager to maintain, or is it something you are striving to attain in its fullness? Which one(s) should it be for you? See Eph 4:1-6 and 11-13.2) What does the Bible say about teaching, doctrine? It is something that can cause division and therefore should be avoided? Is it something we should learn more about, something that helps us grow together? (See Eph 4:13-15)3) Are you more characterized by truth or love (v.15) in your interactions with others? Does God give us a choice, or does He call us to embrace both, speaking the truth in love? Is there one area (truth or love or both) that you need to grow in, for your own sake and for the sake of the body of Christ?

Sermon Notes How do you know if you found "the one"? One of the beauties of early relationships is the pursuit of the other person. Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ I liken you, my darling, to a mare among Pharaoh's chariot horses. Song of Songs‬ ‭1:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings, your neck with strings of jewels. Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ We will make you earrings of gold, studded with silver. Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance. Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts. Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi. Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves. All of this intense pursuit and conversation back and forth creates the perfect scenario for explosive passion! Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant. Song of Songs‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs. Song of Songs‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. Song of Songs‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the young women. Song of Songs‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. "The woman felt completely safe in Solomon's presence: "I sat down in his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste" (Song 2: 3). She was entirely at ease with Solomon. She experienced no threatening or unsettling moments in his presence. The apostle Paul told us that a man should nourish and cherish his wife. (See Eph. 5: 29.) The woman experienced that in their premarital relationship. In his "shade," she was cherished. By his "fruit," she was nourished. And note: this must start before marriage. Never trust a future mate to do a turnaround after marriage." - Tommy Nelson, The Book of Romance: What Solomon Says About Love, Sex, and Intimacy What would happen in your relationship today if you were to use your words to make the other feel totally safe? Song of Songs‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Let him lead me to the banquet hall and let his banner over me be love. Song of Songs‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love. His left arm is under my head, and his right arm embraces me. Song of Songs‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬ Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. The same God who created a passion for marriage also created the power for restraint until it's time. 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. James‬ ‭4‬:‭4b-5 ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? James‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." James‬ ‭4‬:‭ 7‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James‬ ‭4‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Grieve, mourn, and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Father in Heaven, I know you are here with me. I know you love me. I know you want what is best for me, and I believe that all your ways are good. I have not always resisted temptation when I knew I should. I have sinned against you, and I confess this to you. I ask you to forgive me, heal me, and take away my sin in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen

Do not be drunk with wine.. but be filled with the Spirit." Eph 5:18 NKJVThe Christian life isn't only a changed life but an exchanged life. At the moment of conversion, we give our old life to God and He gives us a new life in its place. But He does more; He comes to live within us by the power of the Holv Spirit. Paul made the contrast between being drunk with wine and being filled with the Spirit. One causes you to be out of control, while the other enables you to be in control.One is counterproductive, while the other is productive. One makes you powerless, while the other empowers you. One brings you sorrow, while the other brings you joy. This Scripture is not a promise or even an option, it's a command: "Be filled with the Spirit." And Paul gives us three evidences of a Spirit-filled life: (1) "Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (v. 19 NKJV). This song isn't induced by circumstances but despite them. "At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God...and immediately all the doors were opened and evervone's chains were loosed" (Ac 16:25-26 NKJV). Praising God can open doors and break chains. (2) "Giving thanks always for all things to God" (Eph 5:20 NKJV). Spirit-filled people have troubles like everyone else. But they don't focus on their troubles; they count their blessings and stay positive, upbeat, and grateful. (3) "Submitting to one another in the fear of God" (v. 21 NKJV). Spirit-filled people are "others focused." They know that what you make happen for someone else, God will make happen for you (See Eph 6:8).Support the showChanging Lives | Building Strong Family | Impacting Our Community For Jesus Christ!

Protection Against Satan's Schemes After service study: Hebrews 3:13 says “Exhort one another daily… lest any of you be hardened by sin's deceitfulness”. We see two things that sin does here. It deceives, and it hardens hearts. But exhortation (encouragement) from one another helps break that power off of our minds! So today as we think through these questions, let's expose the lies and deception of sin, and encourage one another to live boldly for Christ in all things! DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Have you ever done something that you knew was not God's will, and later you said “I knew I shouldn't have done that”? Would you mind sharing why you think you still did that? How did things work out? How should you have responded instead? No sincere believer wants to fall into sexual sin, but sexual temptation is some of the strongest temptation we can face. The bible says we should flee from it! What are some practical things we can do to flee from… stay far away from... sexual sin and temptation? Consider for example: Dating relationships What kinds of boundaries should we have? Places not to go to? Being alone in homes? How do we dress (modestly)? How we touch/don't touch? What we shouldn't say? In the workplace: When do we have to work “closely” with people of the opposite sex? In developing friendships or business relationships with the opposite sex? When you sense “vibes” from someone, or between you and someone? Men are often ensnared by their eyes. They look, they lust, and then they become in bondage to lust. Matt 5:8 says “Whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her in his heart.” All men need to learn how to overcome this temptation. What are some things men can do to keep their imagination free from lust? Anyone want to comment on the power of PORN to bring men (and women) into bondage and addiction? Porn destroys lives! Bathsheba most likely had no intention of seducing David, but do women ever use their bodies to intentionally make men lust after them or to think of them in a sexual way? (Tell me it isn't so!) What makes a woman want to do that, and how can she be free from that? What are practical things we need to do to be “strong in the Lord”, so that we can stand against the devil's schemes against us? (See Eph 6:10-20 if you need a reference) For Home Study Satan tried to confuse Eve by getting her to doubt what God said: “Did God really say that” And today, Satan is still trying to confuse people about what God's word says! So what does God actually say about sex outside of marriage? Did he really say not to do that? (For reference, see Ephesians 5:3 and a Cor. 6:9-11 below) What if we love the person, does that make it OK? Homosexuality is a big topic today. Does the Word of God say anything about that? What if they get married, will that make it OK? Then Satan convinced Eve that there would be no consequences for disobedience “You will surely not die.” Today, Satan tries to convince everyone everywhere that there are no consequences for our sinful behavior and actions! Are there indeed any negative consequences to sexual sins? If so, what are some? (For reference, see Hebrews 13:4 below) Reference verses for “For Home Study” Eph. 5:3 “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality…” The standard = To have NO sexual immorality in the church! Heb. 13:4 “God will judge the adulterer, and the sexually immoral!” Point? People may hide their sins from man, but you can't hide them from God! No one gets away with it. (The adulterer and sexually immoral here = Those living in sin, not simply those who fell!) 1 Cor. 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (Note, 4 areas of sexual sins are listed there!) V11 And that is what you were, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of God” We have all sinned! But if we have turned from our sin to Christ, we are now new creatures in Christ! We have been forgiven! We have been cleansed!

"In Your presence is fullness of jov." Ps 16:11 NKJVIf you were miserable before you met Jesus, it's easy to make the mistake of thinking that the only place His presence can be enjoyed is in church. No, you can enjoy His presence everywhere. At home, at work, at school, in business, and even in times of suffering and adversity. Brother Lawrence, a Carmelite monk in a French monastery, wrote the best-selling book, The Practice of the Presence of God. He resented his daily routine in the kitchen.Then God showed him that everything he did each day could be done for God and with God. That truth transformed his life. You can cultivate your mind to be more productive, and you can also cultivate your spirit to be more sensitive to God. You can reach the place where you sense His presence and His pleasure in all that you do. Believing God is present with you won't help you much if you think He is always upset with you. But when you see yourself as accepted in Christ, you realize that He is not only present with you at all times but pleased with you (See Eph 1:6). That will radically change your thinking about God. There are dozens of things pertaining to everyday life, and you can enjoy them all if you just make the decision to do it- getting dressed, going to work, organizing things, running errands, grocery shopping, etc. After all, these are the things life is made up of. Joy comes not merely from being entertained, but from a decision to be grateful for each moment you are given as a rare and valuable gift from God.I You can enjoy His presence everywhere.Support the show

Isaiah 58 Sermon Notes:1) How Hypocrisy Hinders Divine Hearing | 1-3 2) How to be Selfish on the Sabbath | 3-5, 9, 13 3) How to be Selfless on the Sabbath | 5-14 4) How God Satisfies the Selfless | 6-14 Reflection questions:1. Based on Isaiah 58, which of the following best reflects the attitude God desires on the Sabbath: a day for “me time,” a day to rest in God's goodness, a day to bless others in light of His goodness? 2. Is God simply promising to bless us if we do the right things? Do the promises God offers negate the fact that salvation is by grace alone? See Eph 2:1-9, but also read v.10, and Eph 6:1-3. 3. Read the promises of God (in vv8-14) to those who keep His Sabbaths and fast days in the way He desires. Are any of these blessings that you need right now?

SORROWFUL MYSTERIES today.  May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call. (See Eph 1:17-18)

These five verses (vv. 7-11) in Psalm 19, put together one of the best descriptions of the various aspects of God's Word and how it can and will impact our daily living if take the time to expose our minds and hearts to it and if we will humbly obey it! Today, we will pick up in verse 8 from where we left off yesterday. “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart” (v. 8). These are the God's detailed instructions concerning the practical matters of everyday life. For the Old Testament Jew, the statutes related to what they ate, how they dressed, how they kept clean, and so forth. God laid down certain basic laws and commandments, and the statutes applied them to specific situations. The New Testament epistles repeat nine of the Ten Commandments for believers today, omitting the Fourth Commandment, and then give applications of these principles. (See Eph. 4:20-32.) Some of the statutes that legislators are passing today are not right and they are bringing grief, but the statutes of the Lord bring joy. “The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes” (v. 8). The word means "that which is appointed." Because the Lord loves us, He commands us what to do and warns us what not to do, and how we respond is a matter of life or death (Deut. 30:15-20). God's commands are pure and lead to a pure life, if we obey from the heart. The Bible is the Holy Scriptures (Rom. 1:2; 7:12; 2 Tim. 3:15), and therefore His Word is "very pure" (119:140; Prov. 30:5). We are enlightened and learn God's truth when we obey what He says (John 7:17) and not just when we read it or study it (James 1:22-25). We are strangers on this earth, and the Word of God is the road map to guide us (119:19). Psalm 119:105 tells us, “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever” (v. 9). This is an unusual name for the Scriptures, but it reminds us that we cannot learn the Word of God unless we show reverence and respect for the God of the Word. To teach the Bible is to teach the fear of the Lord (34:11; Deut. 4:9-10), and the mark of a true Bible student is a burning heart, not a big head (Luke 24:32; 1 Cor. 8:1). While some of the fears people have might be distressing and even defiling, the fear of God is clean and maturing. We do not decay or deteriorate as we walk in the fear of the Lord (2 Cor. 4:16-18). “The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether” (v. 9). This can be translated "ordinances" or even "verdicts." It refers to the decisions of a judge. Throughout the Bible we see the Lord passing judgment on what people and nations do, and His rewards, rebukes, and punishments help us understand what pleases Him. In the nation of Israel, the ordinances instructed the officers and judges in settling problems between individuals and in meting out punishments to guilty offenders. Believers today are not under the Old Testament law, but how those laws were applied helps us understand the righteousness of God and our need for His grace. “More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward” (v. 10-11). The way we treat the Bible is the way we treat the Lord, so it isn't difficult to determine if we are rightly related to God. We should desire God's Word more than wealth and more than tasty food (v. 10). We should accept the warnings of the Word and act upon them (v. 11). To have an appetite for God's Word is a mark of a healthy Christian whose priorities are straight. The Lord has sent the Holy Spirit to teach us His Word, and if we walk in the Spirit, we will learn and live the truth (John 14:26; 16:12-15; 1 Cor. 2:9-10; 1 John 2:20-29). God bless!

Verses: Ephesians 4:7-10 Main Point: Jesus' victory is the source of change. Questions: What impacted you from the message this weekend? What challenged you or encouraged you? Did you learn anything new about God or about yourself? What is the major thing that gets in the way of making changes in our lives? What is necessary to make true and lasting change?  Read Ephesians 4:7. Paul's use of the word “but” demonstrates a contrast between the previous verses and what he is now saying. What is the contrast? (See Eph 4:1-6 for reference.) What kind of grace is Paul referring to in this verse? How does it compliment saving grace for those who have trusted Jesus? Read Ephesians 4:8 Paul is referencing Psalm 68 in this verse. What is his main point? What does this verse tell us about Jesus and his ascension? What imagery does Paul draw upon to make his point? What are the gifts that he gives to his people? Read Ephesians 4:9-10. These two verses are a parenthetical explanation on the previous verse. What does it mean that Jesus descended? What was accomplished as a result of Jesus' incarnation? What does it mean that Jesus “ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe”? What does this suggest in terms of Jesus' victory? What implications does this have for our lives? By God's grace what is one thing you can do to apply what you have learned this week? How has your understanding of God's love, grace, and salvation changed or deepened?

"Work out vour own salvation...for it is God who works in you... to will and to do...His goodpleasure." Php 2:12-13 NKJVThe Bible says, "Work out your own salvation…for it is God who works in you..to will and to do..His good pleasure." This Scripture almost sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? But instead, it is a paradox. And G. K. Chesterton described a paradox as "truth standing on its head to get attention." The key to understanding this particular paradox lies in the littleword out. Notice that the Bible doesn't say, "Work for your salvation." To work for something means to earn it, deserve it, merit it. And the Bible plainly teaches that salvation isn't something we have to work for or earn. It's a free gift of God's grace (See Eph 2:8-9).When Paul says, "Work out your salvation," he is talking about a "spiritual workout." What do you do during a physical workout? You develop and tone the muscles God has already provided you. To "work out" means to grow and make the most of what you have been given. What Paul is saying here is this: Develop vour spiritual life! God has a part in our spiritualgrowth, and we, too, have a part. He provides the power, but we must access it, flip the switch, and let it flow through our lives to fulfill His will for us. Practically speaking, how do we do that? By spending time praying and reading God's Word each day. By sharpening and strengthening one another through fellowship. By exercising the gifts God has given usThe fact is, He has already done His part; now it's up to you to do yours.A "spiritual workout"Support the show (https://rccgvtchantilly.buzzsprout.com/)

GLORIOUS MYSTERIES today.  May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to his call. (See Eph 1:17-18)

Every Christian Testifies Now Acts 2:1-21 Acts chapter 2 is one of the key chapters in the Bible. It records the fulfillment of the words of the Jesus and the Old Testament prophets about the beginning of the _________ ________________, when God the Holy Spirit will indwell believers! The Appointed Day ___________________ V. 1 And then _________ came! V. 2-4 The Difference between the baptism of the Spirit and the Filling of the Spirit: Baptism of the Spirit happens ______________ when a person is born again: God the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside them! See John 7:38-39 See I Corinthians 12:13 See Eph. 1:13-14 The Filling of the Spirit is something that can take place more than once as a believer lives out their faith. A Christian can grieve the Holy Spirit as they make _____________ decisions and not live in the power He came to provide. See Luke 11:13 See Ephesians 5:18 The key to being filled with the Holy Spirit is to __________________ yourself of the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. A person filled with the Holy Spirit will bear the fruit of the Spirit. -Gal. 5:22-25 And then THEY ______________! V. 5-13 Every Christian Testifies Now V. 14-21 A person filled with the Holy Spirit will ____________________ about Jesus! The Day of the Lord's Judgment is still coming, but EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!

By [wbt_preacher_link preacher=”Sean Finnegan”] The book of Ephesians breaks evenly into two halves: chapters 1-3 are theological, and 4-6 are practical. Today begins our focus on the practical. 4:1-3   We are to walk in a way that is worthy of our calling, yet with humility, gentleness, patience, and love for one another. The best example of what this looks like is Jesus himself. 4:4-6   Although the church is a diverse community, including people with different nationalities, skin colors, political views, careers, and passions, we are still unified in that we are part of the same body with the same spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, and God. 4:7-10   The NRSV translates v8 “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive.” Paul is not talking about freeing souls from the underworld here but the abstract idea of captivity, which he himself captured in his death, resurrection, and ascension. At his death, Christ descended into the earth, and at his exaltation, he ascended far above the heavens. (See Eph 1:20-21.) 4:7-13   The role of pastors, teachers, evangelists is to equip you for the work of ministry.  Together we are a team who seeks to mature over time until we are like Christ. 4:14   As Christ-followers, we are to be careful to detect fraudulent beliefs and practices. Probably the number one way to strengthen yourself against counterfeits is to spend time in the Scriptures every day. 4:15-16   I love the phrase “speaking the truth in love!” It's such a foreign concept in our time when truth is a weapon with which we can beat others, and love means we must compromise what we believe is right. Both are critical for us in this time.  We must have truth and love.The post Ephesians 4:1-16 first appeared on Living Hope.

Have you ever wondered why prayers are taking so long to be answered? Ever wondered why you can't sense the presence of the LORD? David did. He asked 4 times in Ps.13:1-2 “How long?” But by the end of this short psalm, in vv.5-6 he ends on a brighter note: “But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” If David could say that under the Old Covenant, how much more should we be able to sing and rejoice in the great mercy that has been shown us (See Eph.2:4-7; Titus 3:4-7. Again, if you'd like to watch the video of this sermon on Youtube, just click this link! The post Psalm-13 – Trust in The Salvation of The Lord! appeared first on Living Rock Church.

SORROWFUL MYSTERIES today.  May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to his call. (See EPH 1:17-18)

S - 6 Ways to Deal with Stress   1. Worldly Ideas (not all bad provided not in conflict with Bible).   Recently read this:   Stress can best be described as emotional, physical or mental tension. We feel it in our bodies and brains. Others may notice changes in how we act. Stress is a healthy part of the human experience but can get out of hand. Difficulties that overwhelm us at work, school, family life, finances, relationships, or our own health issues can trigger an unpleasant stress response.   Changes related to COVID, economics, travel restrictions, increasing product demand, quarantining, friends and family being sick, school, work, routine, and health in the past year have resulted in high stress levels for many in our communities.    Common signs of stress include irritability, anxiety, headaches, insomnia, fatigue, body aches, lack of goals, and poor decision making. Long term stress without adequate relief can cause health difficulties, including high blood pressure or exacerbation of preexisting concerns. Substance use and disordered eating patterns can increase during times of stress.  Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help. .. When you notice signs of stress, practice deep breathing. An easy and effective technique is 4/4/4/4- breathe in, hold with lungs full, breathe out, hold with lungs empty- do each to a count of 4.  Another technique is visualization. Visualize a calming scene. You may have a place picked out, or you can use a variety found online. Imagine as much detail as you can.  Exercise creates brain chemicals that lift our mood and lower stress levels. While a run is nice, don't forget that even a short stroll or a 3 min stretch is more helpful than nothing.  Talk with others- even if you don't want to spill the tea, simply making small talk can be soothing. Connection keeps us out of fight/flight mode.  Research has shown being outside has a positive effect on mental health. Even 5 mins is beneficial- spend as much as you can. Take a break outside. 2. Honor the Sabbath Scriptures related to this Ex 16:26 "Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”"   Ex 20:8 "“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."   Ex 20:10-11 - "but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it" Ex 31:16-17 NKJV - “Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is  a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.” Lev 16:31 "It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever." Lev 25:4 "but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard." Lev 25:8 Year or Jubilee "And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years." 155 results on search term "sabbath" in NKJV Jesus corrected some abuses by the Pharisees who had lost the spirit of the law, He said that He was lord of the Sabbath, and that it was OK to do good on the Sabbath, like healing.  He also said that the Sabbath was for man, man was not for the Sabbath. In Romans Paul spoke of Gentiles being grafted in. Since God said this command to honor the sabbath was a perpetual covenant, a statute forever, and we are grafted in, I believe God is commanding us today to honor the sabbath.  I personally don't agree with the change from Saturday to Sunday and don't see a justification for that in scripture, but my main point here is that one way, God's way, to handle stress and the pressures of work is to honor the Sabbath and take one day a week where you do no work.   3. Primarily think on God and His Word.  Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."   Psalm 1:1-3 "Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the [a]ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he [b]meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the [c]rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper." 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 - NKJV For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, Col 3:2 NKJV Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Phil 4:8 NKJV “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are  noble, whatever things are  just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are  lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Meditate - I understand the meaning is similar to the action of a cow chewing the cud.  a cow has 4 stomachs. They chew grass, swallow, spit it back up, chew, swallow, spit it back up, etc.   4. Trust in Him (Snuggling up to God) Matt 11:28-30 NKJV "28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [f]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”" Prov 3:5-6 NKJV "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall [a]direct your paths." Ex 33:17 -  So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” John 10:11 "“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." John 10:2-4 "But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice" Luke 12:6 " “Are not five sparrows sold for two [b]copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Rev 2:17 "“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” " Deut 31:8 "And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”" 1 Peter 5:7 "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."   5. Do Battle with What You Don't See Eph 6:12 "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." from “Liberating the Bruised” by Dr Joe Albright Morning prayer “Lord, I submit to you my will; my rights; my life; my family; my ministry; my finances; my needs; my desires; my direction; and my flesh. ‘Lord, search me, try me, see if there be any wicked way in me.’ Remove those things that need to be removed from my life and bring into my life those things that need to be brought in. For, I confess to you that you are all I have and all I want and all I need. For men, think about idolatry and sexual sin Read about Josiah in 2 Kings, and how he cleaned the house P92-be an iconoclast "a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions"-if they don't align with God's word, not only is that displeasing to God, but it can be a huge source of stress for you that you weren't even aware of   6. Connect with friends and mentors - avoid isolation Proverbs 11;14 "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety." Prov 27:10 "Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away." Virtual "watercooler" Call someone up     E   Steve paying a refund personally rather than wait for Onpassive   L Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart. Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 A No longer a part of OnPassive or encouraging others to join   H   We make time for the things that are important to us

James: Forging a Faith That Cuts It Lesson #4: Forging a Faith That Cuts It When It Really Counts Lesson #1: When Trials Come Ø The PURPOSE for Pain = MATURITY Ø The PROVISION for Pain = WISDOM Ø The PERSPECTIVE Toward Pain = ETERNITY Lesson #2: When Testing Comes Ø Trial = Testing or Temptation Ø Who’s responsible? Ø In order for sin to give birth there must be an inward desire and an outward lure. When these two connect, sin is born. Ø It usually starts with good desires, given by God: • Security • Significance Ø What do you fear most? Suffering or sin??? Lesson #3: When the Word Comes Ø 19,20 – The principle is set forth. ! Quick to listen ! Slow to speak ! Slow to be angry Ø 21,22 – The principle is interpreted. Ø 23-25 – The principle is illustrated. Ø 26,27 – The principle is applied. Lesson #4: When It Really Counts ü 2:1-13 Answers the question, “What happens if you don’t welcome the Word?” ü Ch. 3 Asks the question, “Who controls your tongue?” ü Chs. 4,5 Asks the question, “Who controls your life?” ü All of these questions are rooted in the verses we’ll study today, 2:14-26. But first… “An Epistle of Straw” Dr. Martin Luther ü Always at issue with St. James is the supposed contradiction with St. Paul. n James 2:24 n Ephesians 2:8-9 ü What’s the deal? Two ways of understanding and illustrating the very same thing. ü Does Paul believe there is no connection between faith and works? See Eph. 2:10. Faith Without Works is Dead ü James presents his argument in two cycles: 2:14-17 and then 2:18-26 ü Each cycle has three components: 1. States the argument in question form, 2. Illustrates the argument in question form, and 3. Summarizes the argument in statement form. The First Cycle 2:14-17 ü Read James 2:14. What is the argument? ü Remember that James is talking to believers (my brothers, and 2:1 “as believers) so the salvation talked about is not salvation from hell and damnation but salvation from living a life that is wasted. ü Our eternal life with God is secure, but the life we live on this planet until we go to be with Him is at risk. ü Read verses 15 and 16 for James illustration of the argument. ü Underline the word says… ü Why is it useless to act this way? Because words do not clothe cold backs and words do not fill empty stomachs – deeds do! ü Read verse 17 and note the words, “In the same way …” ü Faith and works are in essence inseparable. One without the other is dead. ü Does this contradict Paul? No! The Second Cycle 2:18-26 Ø Read verses 18-19. What’s the argument? Ø Suppose we claim to have faith? How can you prove what you cannot see? Ø Check out Jesus words in Mark 2 n “Jesus saw their faith” n “Which is easier to say…” Ø How do we know Jesus can forgive sins? Because He allows us to see what He can do. Ø How do we know you have faith? We see it in what you do. Ø Read verses 21-23 for James’ first illustration of the argument. Ø James talks of Father Abraham from Genesis 22 then Genesis 15. Ø Sacrifice your son n The tense of the Hebrew verb means Abraham completed the action! n How could he do that? See Heb. 11:17-19. Ø Notice how James uses this example in verse 22. Ø Read verse 25 for James’ second illustration of the argument. Ø Is it an accident that James chooses Rahab the prostitute to illustrate his point? What’s the significance? Ø James conclusion? Read verse 26. Ø OK, let’s apply this to our lives. Many times we say the words but do we follow through with our deeds? Ø Faith is based on what God says (does) not on what we see, but faith is built not on what we say but on what others see. What Does This Mean? ! Where are the needs in the body of Christ that God wants me to respond to? ! Where is the direction and God’s will in my life that I need to respond to? ! Where are the messengers God has put in my life that I need to respond to? ! What have I learned _______________.

In last week's post, we started to look at the essential why of church, and came to the conclusion that the key purpose of a local congregation lies beyond itself—in the cosmic, heavenly, spiritual congregation that Jesus Christ is building. This is the primary reality of church in the New Testament, and the local, immediate purposes that we pursue in our churches lives stem from this larger, heavenly reality. But how exactly? How does the big, primary reality of the heavenly church provide an essential why (and how) for our church life now? With the possible exception of Colossians, no epistle answers this question more profoundly than Ephesians. And so as good apprentices to Scripture, in this post we're going to learn from the Apostle how the big why of Jesus' heavenly church connects with the everyday why and how of earthly church life. [A quick note: So as not to get bogged down too much along the way in the wonderful but intricate details of Ephesians, I've provided some endnotes for those who want to chase up some of the intricacies; they are referred to along the way like this (#1).]In heaven and on earthYou can tell how massive and mind-blowing the opening chapter of Ephesians is, because half way through Paul pauses to pray for his readers' comprehension—that God would open the eyes of their hearts to grasp how extraordinary it all is (and he prays much the same again in 3:16-19). According to Ephesians 1, God's plan is to shower spiritual blessings in the heavenly places upon the adopted, blood-bought people that he has chosen from all eternity to be the inheritance of his Son.(#1) The risen Jesus Christ is the One in whom everything is brought together, “the things in heaven and the things on earth” (1:10). This introduces one of the major ideas of the letter: that the work of God in Christ creates a new reality that spans heaven and earth. Through hearing the gospel and responding to it in faith, all God's people (both Jews and Gentiles) are united in the risen Lord Jesus Christ, who sits now in the heavenly places far above all rule and authority (1:20-21). We are all now there, spiritually speaking, blessed in the heavenly places ‘in him'—or as 2:5-6 puts it, as Jews and Gentiles, we have all now together been made alive and raised up and seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.(#2) This is the body of Christ, his heavenly gathering or church, the fullness of him who fills all in all.This cosmic, heavenly reality keeps re-emerging throughout the letter, described in various ways—for example, it's the holy temple in the Lord in which both Jews and Gentiles are being built together (2:19-22); and it's the heavenly assembly that Gentiles are now also members of through Christ—thus revealing God's extraordinary wisdom to the powers that be in the heavenly places (3:1-12; #3).However, very importantly, this heavenly gathering has an earthly existence too. It's ‘the whole family in heaven and on earth' (3:15; #4). In fact, the agenda of what we do here and now on earth is determined by our membership of that heavenly church and family. This comes out in multiple ways throughout the letter, especially as Paul urges his readers in the second half of the letter to ‘walk' in a manner worthy of their calling. In light of the heavenly reality, we are called to act in a certain way now; to think cosmic, and act local.The various aspects of this worthy local walk provide us with the agenda that should direct our everyday lives and our local earthly churches. Let me tease out three of these essentials that are prominent in Ephesians, with one eye on our current unusual covid circumstances (and also leave one as a cliffhanger for next time). 1. Building the body through apostolic ministryThe first essential item is to build the heavenly church by taking part in ‘apostolic ministry'. ‘Apostolic ministry' is my catchy summary (!) of the earthly work that builds and grows the heavenly church. It's the divine work that Paul himself has been commissioned to participate in as a go-between (or minister) of the gospel.(#5) Like the rest of the apostles, he has been entrusted by God with the gospel of Jesus and sent off like a courier to deliver it everywhere, to see it take root and grow, so that all who believe its promises might be included in the body of Christ (3:6).But the apostolic ministry doesn't stop with the apostles. By Christ's gracious gift, it spreads out to a much larger web of gospel activists—starting with the apostles and prophets and evangelists, and cascading out through pastor-teachers and ‘the saints', and to every single member of the body, all of whom speak the truth of Christ in love to grow and build the body (that's a quick summary of 4:8-16; #6). What Paul himself is doing as a courier of the word of Christ, he wants the Ephesians to be doing with each other in all sorts of ways (whether in daily conversation in 4:29, or in singing to one another in 5:19, or in fathers teaching their children in 6:4). As we find ourselves rethinking our local church ministries post-covid, this agenda item must be at the very top. Our purpose is to build and grow the heavenly body of Christ by seeing its earthly members gathered in through evangelism and conversion, and then grown through the same apostolic ministry of the word—a word that is preached and spoken and shared in a multitude of ways by all the members of the body. For ministry leaders, this can be expressed in a simple (and essential) question: how can I create, foster, equip and organize as many effective contexts and opportunities as possible in which the word of truth is being spoken by the members of the body for the building of the body? 2. Growing and fortifying members in a threatening worldThis building purpose takes place in the context of an ongoing triple threat, traditionally summarized as the world, the flesh and the devil. These were the forces that rendered us spiritually dead in 2:1-3, and they remain as oppositional forces in our earthly lives. In chapters 4-6, Paul speaks of putting off the old corrupt desires and practices of our former lives, and leading a new life of love (4:17-5:2); he speaks of the deceptive, malignant influence of the ‘sons of disobedience', the darkened, foolish, worldly culture in which we walk every day (5:3-18); and he urges us to be strong and well-armed for our fight against the spiritual schemes and attacks of the devil (6:10-20). The earthly reality in which we live as members of the heavenly church is full of spiritual warfare. This too generates a key purpose for all our earthly action: to resist, persevere and stand strong in the face of the various earthly threats and powers we face, and to express more and more in our lives the character of the ‘new humanity' that has been created in Christ.(#7)This, too, is what the ‘building' work of church life is aiming at—to grow and fortify the members of Christ's body as they face spiritual threat. This is partly why the past few months of isolation have been so unsettling, and so potentially dangerous. We rightly worry about the spiritual effects of people being deprived of many of the usual avenues for fortifying apostolic ministry. We have all done our best to pull together online opportunities to address that need, but as things start to thaw out, we will need to face the reality that months away from the usual strengthening effect of fellowship will have taken its toll. Some may be slow to return, or not return at all. Others may have found themselves caught up in sinful, selfish attitudes or behaviours that they hadn't struggled with before (or for some time). As we think about our priorities in re-establishing the normal means of apostolic ministry, this should drive a sense of sober urgency—not only for doing so as soon as reasonably possible, but about the spiritual difficulties we may need to address as we do so. 3. Constancy and boldness in prayerThe other striking implication of the heavenly church is that by being members of it we have a bold and confident access to our heavenly Father, which leads to prayer (3:12-14; cf. 2:8). Paul twice reveals the nature of his prayers for the Ephesians (in 1:15f and 3:14f), and on both occasions he is pleading for God to open the hearts and minds of his readers to grasp and respond to the unfathomable riches of the gospel. He likewise urges the Ephesians themselves to be constant, alert and persevering in prayer and supplication (6:18-19), including for the success of the apostolic ministry. To be a go-between for the word of Christ, and to bow our knees before the Father to ask him to give comprehension, faith, love and hope to those who hear—this two-fold strategy is as simple a summary of apostolic ministry as could be found (cf. Acts 6:1-4). I wonder if we could draw a circle around the strategic approach of our churches and summarize them so powerfully? This too is a challenge for us as we retool, reboot, relaunch, restart, and all the other re-'s that are facing us at present. Are the basic purposes of our ministries reflected in the various strategies, approaches and actions that we are taking? If not, it is an ideal to time rethink. But what about church…  Of course the really significant thing that we are waiting for Paul to address in Ephesians (or failing that, for me to address in this post) is the prime importance of the members of the heavenly assembly actually physically gathering together in local earthly churches. Surely the heavenly church has something to say to us about that?! It's a tricky question, with a somewhat surprising answer. And given how long this post already is, it's one that will have to wait till next week. PS. Many ongoing thanks for the encouraging and thoughtful interaction on recent posts (via comments and direct via email). Keep it coming! For those who are wondering, I am planning to open up the ‘paying partners' option for subscribers in two weeks time on Tuesday 14 July. From that date onwards, you'll be able to chip in something each month to support my writing ministry (both here at The Payneful Truth and further afield in the other books and resources I'm currently developing). I'll explain the process and all the details next week. NotesApologies, but one of the few limitations of this newsletter format is that I can't do footnotes properly:(#1) Most translations obscure this, but the ‘inheritance' (or ‘heritage') of 1:11 and 18 is the inheritance that belongs to God in his Son, not the inheritance that his people will receive (which is referred to in 1:14). His saints (that is, the ‘us' of 1:11-12, the Jewish believers like Paul), along with those Gentiles who heard the gospel through Paul (the ‘you' of 1:13-14), are the people that God has chosen to be his glorious inheritance (cf. Deut 32:8-9; Ps 33:12). (#2) I've always been curious about the three sun-'s of Eph 2:5-6—made alive together, raised up together, seated together. We normally translate this ‘together with Christ', but in context I strongly suspect that it refers to the ‘you and us' of 1:11-14 and 2:1-4—to the Jews and the Gentiles who are united in sin, and in being made alive, raised and seated in Christ. Paul goes on to explain at more length in the rest of chapter 2 how Christ in his death unites ‘you Gentiles in the flesh' with Israel ‘in one body' (2:16), creating ‘one new man/humanity' instead of the two. This of course is another major theme of Ephesians—the ‘new humanity' of Jews and Gentiles that has been created in Christ. It is often flagged in the language of ‘the saints' (i.e. God's holy people, the Jews, who now believe in Christ). We are all now ‘saints' in Christ, but when ‘the saints' are mentioned in Ephesians, it refers in every case to the Jewish Christians, who were the first to believe in Christ, and through whom the gospel of Christ was taken to the Gentiles. In fact, it's my own quirky opinion that the opening address of Ephesians (‘to the saints who are in Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus') flags this theme at the outset—it's written to ‘the saints' (Jewish Christians) and to those Gentiles who are now also believers in Jesus Christ. See Eph 1:1, 15, 18; 2:19; 3:8, 18; 4:12; 6:18. (#3) Eph 3:10 is often used these days to say that the churches (that is, earthly churches) are a demonstration of God's wisdom; that churches function almost as an apologetic for the gospel, displaying before the world the glory of God's salvation. Whether that is true or not (and I am doubtful that churches per se are ever given this function in the NT), it's not what Eph 3:10 is saying. The manifesting of God's wisdom occurs in the heavenly places, to the rulers and authorities, not to onlookers in the world. Given this, and the flow of thought from chapter 1 through to chapter 3, I think it's likely that Paul is referring to the heavenly church in 3:10, not earthly congregations.(#4) The strange phrase in 3:15 has always puzzled me: ‘from whom every (or all or the whole) fatherhood (or family) in heaven and upon earth is named'. I think the best option in context is that Paul is referring to the whole shebang (that's a technical theology term; don't let it worry you)—to the new household that God has created for himself (2:19), made up of both Jews and Gentiles, now bearing the one family name, gathered in heaven and here on earth as well. (#5) We're used to translating diakonos as ‘servant', but as the most recent version of the standard Greek dictionary (BDAG) now acknowledges, the word ‘minister' more fundamentally means ‘intermediary' or ‘go-between': ‘1. one who serves as an intermediary in a transaction, agent, intermediary, courier; 2. one who gets something done, at the behest of a superior, assistant to someone'. (#6) The passage in chapter 4:8-13, which is often taken as a description of what happens in a local congregation where the pastor-teachers equip the saints for the work of ministry, I think actually describes the historical sequence by which the Christ gifted and launched the apostolic ministry, beginning at Pentecost and among ‘the saints', and unfolding from there. Lionel Windsor has argued for this position persuasively; see Lionel J. Windsor, ‘The Work of Ministry in Ephesians 4:12', in ‘Tend My Sheep': The Word of God and Pastoral Ministry (ed. Keith G. Condie; London: Latimer Publications, 2016).(#7) The ‘new man' in 4:24 that is ‘created after the likeness of God' is a reference back to the ‘new man' that was created in Christ on the cross in 2:15. Paul is urging them to embrace or clothe themselves in the new redeemed identity that they have now in Christ—a whole new humanity of both Jew and Gentile, brought near to God together, with a new mind and a new way of living (which is spelled out in 4:25f.). I also suspect that the reference to the ‘body of Christ' and the ‘full-grown man' in 4:12-13 is pointing to the same reality. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.twoways.news/subscribe

Note: The time signatures [00:00] below indicate the start of a question if you'd like to skip to a particular one of interest in the audio file.[00:21] - Q: Why was Zechariah “punished” for questioning God, but others- Gideon- were not?[01:58] - Q: How old do you believe the earth is? If man has been here since the first week, did we coexist with dinosaurs?A: Based on the genealogies recorded, 6-10K years old. Yes, according to Gen 1:24-31 God created dinosaurs and man on the same day living together. A fossil record also supports both man and dinosaur living together.[08:58] - Q: Where do animals go when they die?A: See Eccl 3:21 which alludes to the concept of the spirit of man and beast. Rev 21:6 notes that we will be fully satisfied in heaven. Book suggestion by Randy Alcorn “Heaven”[12:01] - Q: Do you have any suggestions on Bible reading programs for the start of the new year? What works, what doesn't, etc? And how do you guard against this discipline becoming just a mechanical exercise?A: Read what you’re in the mood for from the bible to keep yourself engaged.[14:29] - LIVE AUDIENCE Q: Why is demon possession primarily mentioned in the New Testament versus the Old Testament?[15:20] - LIVE AUDIENCE Q: Do you think there is anything the church has failed to do with our societal confusion with sexuality and gender confusion situation?A: See the excellent sermon from Pastor Jeremiah on homosexuality and how we’re to respond as Christians. [22:01] - Q: Short-term vs long-term missions work, what the right balance between the 2 should be, when does helping sometimes hurt (in the case of short-term trips being more about the people going than the ones being served, a team coming in with their own agenda rather than local partnership... etc).[25:50] - Q: After a spouse dies, does the surviving spouse love in the same way again? If there is another love, will it be the same or will it be a different love?[27:51] - Q: Why do you think church people struggle with those who might not be led by the same life choices? Ex (view-meaning) married people to singles: When are you going to settle down and marry? or Parents to Newlyweds: When are the babies coming? Maybe that isn't where the Lord is leading.[29:10] - Q: When I'm struggling with a life situation where God doesn't seem to be answering, why do people tell me, "you just need to have more faith"? It just makes my pain worse.A: It’s not about the amount of faith you have, but whom you have your faith in. See Matt 17:21[31:24] - Q: In Job 38:7 the Bible says the morning stars sang together. Jesus and Lucifer are both referred to as "the morning star" in Revelation and Isaiah, so who is being mentioned here?A: The morning star in this context refers to God’s angels in a general sense, no specific angel or person. Job 38:7 specifically is a reminder to Job that He is God and we are not![32:51] - Q: What is the church's response on protecting kids from sexual immorality NOW in this sex driven culture? Some possible ideas; promote early marriage to avoid temptation? Also what can parents do to help?A: Parents are the disciple-makers of their children. The source of authority is always God’s Word and it’s the parents’ responsibility to sow God’s Word into their own children’s hearts.[35:45] - Q: Do you think today’s church has replaced Israel?"A: No, see Romans 11[37:01] - Q: What was the reason/symbolism/significance of baptism when JTB was baptising? Was baptism a new thing? How did the aspect/act of getting baptized help? Repentance of sins was encouraged. What did the priests/sanhedrin/pharisees think about JTB doing this? How did JTB create baptism? Was he the first or was this a new thing?A: John’s baptism was for repentance and to prepare the way for the Messiah, see Acts 19:4 and Luke 3.[39:52] - LIVE TXT Q: When we pray, are we only to address God the Father, or can we also pray to Jesus and the Holy Spirit?A: We are praying to God the Father in Jesus’ name while the Holy Spirit also prays with us.[40:36] - LIVE TXT Q: Who / what are angels?A: Eternal beings that God created for His glory.[41:35] - LIVE TXT Q: What are your thoughts about people who claim to cast out demons or perform exorcisms?A: See Eph 6[42:44] - LIVE TXT Q: Luke 11:12-14 tells of Jesus cursing the fig tree for not having figs. However, it was not fig season. Why would Jesus do this? How is this different from Christians not having a specific spiritual gift, such as teaching? Are we still expected to teach?A: The Holy Spirit gives gifts as God provides them. See the sermon on the fig tree from Pastor Jeff as we studied the book of Mark.See James 3 on a warning to teachers and a fantastic sermon on this topic by Michael Wolski.[44:36] - LIVE TXT Q: Due to abortion being a so controversial, and in my opinion a human rights issue, ...1. what does the Bible say about pre-born life? (Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1:5). 2. The church does need to speak truth in love, but is this an instance, like slavery, where we need to get more involved directly?A: This is a modern day version of child sacrifice to demons as outlined in the Old TestamentAny question that was missed due to time constraints during the service Pastor Jeff will address the answer on the blog.Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group Questions (Whole Group):Review the questions submitted above. Discuss any of these that stuck out to you, or that maybe your group finds particularly interesting.Breakout Questions:Pray for one another!

Too often Christians use terms like Being Born Again to describe the whole of their Christian experience, not realising that this experience is only one part in the whole process of Salvation. In fact maybe we don’t fully understand just exactly what happens the moment we are raised from spiritual death to spiritual life (See Eph.2:1-3). Maybe you have never yet experienced the Regeneration that Jesus spoke about. Maybe you will as you listen to this message. The post Regeneration / Being Born Again – The Order of Salvation Part 3 appeared first on Living Rock Church.

Sermon Notes1. Jesus the Preacher is willing to heal, 40-422. Jesus the Preacher has power to heal, 43-463. Jesus the Preacher is not THAT Kind of Faith Healer, 47-48FILL IN BLANKS3A. Lack of healing does not equal ________ faith, ________ faith – Mark 9:24; Luke 8:52-533B. There are different ________ of healing - physical, spiritual, temporary, permanent – Ps 103:2-53C. Everyone who believes in Jesus will ________ be healed. – John 3:16, Phil. 3:20-21; I John 3:23D. To receive ________, ________ healing, you must believe – John 3:16-183E. The ________ of our faith, not the ________ of our faith, is what matters – Mark 9:24; Luke 8:52-53; John 10:27-303F. Faith is a ________ – Eph 2:8-94. Sometimes, Jesus the Preacher heals to overcome unbelief, 49-56## Reflection questions1. If faith is a gift, then how should respond to God for the gift that He has given? See Eph 2:8-10, especially v.10. Romans 11:33-36; Romans 12:1. Also, 2 Cor. 9:152. Read Luke 11:11-13. How do you view God – as the father who gives his children a serpent or a scorpion? Or as the father who loves to give good gifts to His children? See also Rom 8:31-32.3. Have you ever said or thought something like what Jairus’s friend says in v.49 – That Jesus could heal while she was still alive, but He can’t heal the little girl after she died? What unbiblical limits have you put on God’s power to save?

Intro…Welcome to the Cornerstone Baptist church podcast. My name is Justin Wheeler, I am the preaching pastor for Cornerstone and today we are in week 27 of our journey through the Heidelberg Catechism. Today, I will be talking to you about questions 72-74.Transition…This week, we are still on the subject of baptism and this will be the week when we have to take a major detour from what Heidelberg has to say. As we have worked through the catechism over this year, we have hit a few questions that made us scratch our heads, but on the whole, it has been really helpful, which is why we are working through it as a church.However, from day one I knew we were going to reach a few points along the way where our understanding of certain doctrines would be quite different from what the Heidelberg teaches and today we have finally come to that point. Question 74 asks,Question 74: Are infants also to be baptized?Answer: Yes.But I, and my fellow credobaptist brothers and sisters would answer that question with a clear and resounding, no. It is not newborn babies that we see being baptized in the NT, but only newborn believers in Christ. So, today we are going to briefly address the differences between our position and the paedobaptist position. I am also going to reword question 74 and ask, “Who can be baptized?” But let’s also not skip over questions 72 & 73.Lord’s Day Focus...Question 72: Is then the outward washing with water itself the washing away of sins?Answer: No; for only the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sin.Part of the reason this question is necessary is because we often have difficulty with understanding spiritual realities and their connection to physical realities. A few weeks ago I quoted Matthew Henry when he said,“We live in a world of sense, not yet in a world of spirits; and because we therefore find it hard to look above the things that are seen, we are directed in a sacrament to look through them, to those things not seen, which the sacraments represent.” –Matthew Henry[1]I find this idea very compelling because it brings some clarity on why it is hard for us to understand the connection between the physical world and the spiritual world, but it also shows how God has given us these ordinances in order to help us see those connections more clearly.The water of baptism, a physical experience, does not actually wash away and cleanse our hearts from the effects of sin, our spiritual need. Baptism is a sign and symbol of that cleansing but it doesn’t actually work that way.When a person is baptized they are declaring themselves to be united with Jesus. The picture of baptism is one of the individual identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In this way baptism saves us not because there is magical sin cleansing power in the water but because we are trusting in the work of Christ to cleanse us from sin. Our baptism is an appeal to God that we are trusting in what He has provided to save us from judgment.“The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection (Schreiner).”[2]Baptism is not an exercise of us trusting in the water to cleanse us and save us; it is an exercise of displaying our trust in the Jesus and the Spirit of God to save us and cleanse us.Question 73: Why then does the Holy Spirit call baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins?Answer: God speaks this way for good reason. He wants to teach us that the blood and Spirit of Christ wash away our sins just as water washes away dirt from our bodies. But more important, He wants to assure us, by this divine pledge and sign, that the washing away of our sins spiritual is as real as physical washing with water.This question and answer are addressing the language that Paul uses in Titus 3 when he writes,Titus 3:4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy SpiritOne of the interesting things to point out from this verse is that water baptism is not mentioned in it. The reason it is so often associated with baptism is the use of the term washing and the general context of the passage. But the main point of this text is not the physical washing of regeneration (new birth) but the work of the Holy Spirit to bring about that new birth in our hearts.The catechism does a great job answering this question and showing the connection between the physical and the spiritual. “The blood and Spirit of Christ wash away our sins just as water washes away dirt from our bodies.”Now, let’s look at the final question of the week and the one that is going to give us a few problems.Question 74: Are infants also to be baptized?Answer: Yes. Infants as well as adults are in God’s covenant and are His people. They, no less than adults, are promised the forgiveness of sin through Christ’s blood and the Holy Spirit who produces faith. Therefore, by baptism, the mark of the covenant, infants should be received into the Christian church and should be distinguished from the children of unbelievers. This was done in the Old Testament by circumcision, which was replaced in the New Testament by baptism.Now, I not only think the question is the wrong question, but I also disagree with the answer itself. Those who hold to a paedobaptist view, do so, because of their understanding of the continuity between the covenant that God made with His people in the Old Testament and the covenant that God has made with His people in the New Testament. They would agree that there are some significant differences between the two covenants and their signs, but they see them as being a continuum.Let me give you a couple of quotes from Stephen Wellum where he works to explain what I’m talking about.The Reformed paedobaptist conception of “the covenant of grace” may be defined in a number of ways, but at its heart it is understood as God’s sovereign gracious choice by which he chooses to save a people for himself by providing sinners life and salvation through the last Adam, the covenantal head of his people, the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as all that is necessary to bring the elect to saving faith by the effectual work of the Holy Spirit.Given that the “covenant of grace” is an organic unity across the ages, this entails—so the argument goes—that the people of God (Israel and the church) are essentially one (in nature and structure), and that the covenant signs (circumcision and baptism) are also essentially one, especially in regard to the spiritual significance of those signs. Furthermore, Reformed paedobaptists argue that since one cannot find any repeal in the NT of the OT command to place the sign of “the covenant of grace” upon covenant children, so the same practice should continue today in the church, given the underlying unity of the covenant across the ages. In a nutshell that is the Reformed covenantal argument for infant baptism.This is a modest framework of support that gives rise to much paedobaptist thinking and if you were to go back and read question 74 again, you would be able to spot some of this in the answer.Reformed covenant theology is very helpful and true in many of its points, but I think it gets this wrong. I think there are significant differences between the Old and New Covenants and that paedobaptists are wrong to see the two on such a strict continuum. This podcast is going to be really long if I go through all the points of disagreement so ill just stick with one and it is one that we have already been talking about; the difference between the spiritual and the physical.The members of the old covenant were distinguished by their physical connection to Abraham. They were descendants, blood relatives, and as such they received the sign of being part of the covenant that God made with Abraham. Circumcision was that sign and oddly enough, only the male children were to receive that sign.But when we come to the new covenant we see that its members are distinguished not by our physical connection but by our spiritual rebirth (John 3).John 3:3“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.Those who are members of the New Covenant, those who are to receive the sign of the New Covenant, are those who have been born again by the Holy Spirit. And that is what we see throughout and exclusively in the New Testament. The gospel is proclaimed, men and women believe in Christ and turn from their sin, and then they are baptized and brought into fellowship with the community of faith.What we are going to see is that at no point is there any deviation from this pattern of baptizing disciples only and from this we must conclude that baptism was only administered to those who gave a credible profession of faith in Christ.A. Acts 2 - The first sermon that was preached after the ascension of Christ is recorded for us in Acts 2. Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit and he stands with boldness to proclaim the gospel of Christ and after his sermon we read, “Those who received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41). They heard the message of Christ, they received/accepted this message for themselves and then they were baptized.B. Acts 8 – The next time we see a group of people being baptized comes in Acts 8:12. In this passage Philip is preaching the gospel in Samaria and this is what we read,But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.When they believed they were baptized. So once again faith precedes baptism.C. Acts 10 – Here we see Peter preaching the gospel to those of Cornelius’ household and while he is preaching, the Scriptures say “that the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.” So everyone who was present and heard the word was filled with the Holy Spirit and they began speaking in tongues, praising God and Peter declares, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”The household of Cornelius heard the gospel, they received the Holy Spirit, which was evidence of their conversion[3], and then they were baptized. (See Ephesians 1:13)D. Acts 16 – In this chapter we see two instances of believer’s baptism. The first involves Lydia and the second involves the Philippian jailer. In Lydia’s case we read that Paul came and preached the good news to her and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Him…and after this she was baptized and her household as well.Next comes the jailer (vv. 32-33) who asks Paul what must I do to be saved?Acts 16:31-33 And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family.Now there is a phrase in here that I want to address because it has been used by paedobaptists over the years to support the baptizing of infants and it is where we read that Lydia and the jailer’s household was baptized. Paedobaptists argue that it is possible to infer from this phrase that unbelieving children were part of these households and therefore it is safe to assume that the early church practiced infant baptism. The problem with this is that there is no Biblical evidence to support the claim.There is no text in the gospels, the book of Acts, or the epistles which give me warrant to believe that the baptism of anyone other than a converted believer in Christ was the common practice of the early church. Furthermore, if we are to make sense out of these household baptisms then we must let Scripture interpret scripture and we can expect that if an entire household is baptized it is because the entire household believed the gospel, because that is the consistent witness of the NT.[4]And just so we are clear on this issue, Baptists and Presbyterians agree that there is no express command or clear example of infant baptism in the Bible.John Murray (paedobaptist) wrote…One of the most persuasive objections and one which closes the argument for a great many people is that there is no express command to baptize infants and no record in the New Testament of a clear case of infant baptism…The evidence for infant baptism falls into the category of good and necessary inference, and it is therefore quite indefensible to demand that the evidence required must be in the category of express command or explicit instance.[5]I applaud men like Murray for their honesty, but I must question their final conclusion. If the Bible gives us no warrant to believe a proposed doctrine, that doctrine has no credibility. So for me it’s a matter of my conscience being bound to the plain teaching of God’s Word. The consistent witness of the New Testament and the command of Christ is that baptism is only intended for the individual who has received by faith the saving benefits of Christ’s atoning work and become His disciple.So, if I could take the liberty to rephrase question 74, I would ask it this way;Question 74: Who then should be baptized?Answer: Those who, having been born of God’s Spirit, repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. In other words, only believers should be baptized.There is plenty more that could be said but I hope that this conversation has been helpful to you.Next week we will continue our study of the ordinances and I hope that you will join me again next week as we look at Lord’s Day 28 and questions 75-77.Conclusion…If you want to learn more about Cornerstone Baptist church, you can find us online at Cornerstonewylie.org. You can follow us on Twitter or Instagram @cbcwylie. You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/cornerstonewylie. You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or google play to stay up to date on all the new content.Thanks for listening.[1] Matthew Henry A Puritan Theology pg. 748.[2] Schreiner, Tom NAC Commentary on 1 Peter (Pg. 194)[3] See Eph 1:13[4] It is important to note that those who hold this view of infant baptism do so with a clear conscience and I would not want to have them go against conscience unless they are convicted otherwise by Scripture. But I must do the same and my conscience is clear that the position of Believer’s Baptism is the consistent and plain teaching of the NT.[5] John Murray, Christian Baptism pg. 72 as quoted from Fred Malone, The Baptism of Disciples Alone.

Day 1 - Joshua 10:1-8  God knows your shortfalls, and though you think you have it all together, you don’t. None of us do. And one of our greatest failings is loving others. This is where our Gibeons are so helpful. We likely don’t need them for friendship or protection, but to keep us humble. To teach us how to love sacrificially and selflessly. Who is your Gibeon? What can you do this week to reflect the love of Christ to him or her? Day 2 - Joshua 10:9-15 Likewise, “but God” is the key to our victories, both internal and external. “But God” is what takes hold of our sour attitude and gives us love in its place. “But God” is what gives us the courage to stand on the gospel when the culture around us pushes back. “But God” is what enables us to cling to our faith even in the darkest nights of pain and suffering. “But God” is the power of God working the gospel in us and through us. (See Eph. 2:1-10.) What is your “but God” testimony? Who have you shared it with recently? Day 3 - Joshua 10:16-43 Yes, God had been the One delivering victory after victory. And yes, there was still work to be done—the northern cities had to be defeated so that all of the land would be Israel’s possession. But God’s people needed rest. Just as God established Sabbath rest in the creation account and just as Israel abstained from collecting manna on the Sabbath, we see here a reminder of our limits as people. Even while doing the Lord’s work, we need to find time to rest. How do you guard time to rest as a rhythm of life? Do you tend to fall more toward working too much or resting too much? Why? Day 4 - Joshua 11:1-23 In verse 15, we see how Joshua and the next generation were wise not to repeat the same mistake of faithlessness. At the conclusion of the conquest, we read that Joshua was faithful to obey all God had commanded which led to the successful conquest of the land. God was not just after a portion of faithful obedience, He was after full faithful obedience. Each battle and each step in each battle was a step of faith for Joshua and the Israelites. They could not have picked and chosen which steps to take and which not to take. They had to walk fully in faith, and when they did, they were successful. God was not after their obedience in isolation—just as He is not after ours. Instead, He is after our faith, which is made known through our obedience. In what areas of your life are you struggling to walk fully in faith? Why? What steps can you take toward more faithfulness? Day 5 - Joshua 12:1-24 God had won each one of them through Israel and for Israel. This is what God wanted the people to remember. He wanted them to be able to look back on the conquest and not remember one convoluted victory. He wanted them to remember precisely what He had done to give them the victory—what He had done thirty-one times. Each fallen king was a testament to God’s power and a reminder of His provision for His people. That is what they would need to remember. What have you done to record and remember the many victories God has won for you? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/head-above-water/support

Recap: Jesus encouraged his disciples by promising to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples. The Spirit would be their Paraclete - "one called along side" - to help them, strengthen them and encourage them. The Holy Spirit is fully God. He is eternal, omniscient and omnipresent. The Holy Spirit is a distinct person of our triune God. The work of the Holy Spirit A. The Spirit inspired the Word of God. (1 Peter 1:11; 2 Timothy 3:16) For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬) B. The Spirit empowers the Gospel message 1. He enabled disciples to "speak the word of God with boldness" (Acts 4:31, 4:8, 6:10, 7:51; 1 Peter 1:12). 2. He empowered miracles to accompany the teaching of the word of God a. After Jesus' baptism and temptation, he "returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee" (Lk 4:14), taught (v. 15), cast out demons (vv. 33-36), and healed the sick (v. 40). 3. Paul said his ministry of the gospel was carried out "by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God. " (Rom 15:18b-19) Application: The Holy Spirit's power is necessary for any effective ministry today. C. The Spirit regenerates sinners. He imparts new spiritual life to those who were dead in sin (See Eph 2:5; John 6:63) Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ (‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭5-7‬) D. The Spirit sanctifies (or purifies) believers. (See 1 Pet 1:2; 2 Thess 2:13) 1. He helps them grow in obedience to God. (See Rom 8:13) 2. He produces Christ-like character in the lives of believers. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22-23‬a) Application: The fruit of the Spirit produces Christ-likeness in us; helping us grow in obedience to God and glorifying Christ by reflecting his character. E. The Spirit guides believers 1. He leads them to follow God's moral standards. (Rom 8:4, 12-13; Gal 5:18) 2. He leads them in very specific ways. (Acts 8:29; 10:19-20;13:2; 15:28; 16:6-7) 3. He helps them pray and intercedes for them Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭26-27‬) F. The Spirit gives spiritual gifts for ministry in building up the church. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭7, 11‬) G. The Spirit unifies believers. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭14‬) Application: We need the Spirit for personal spiritual life and in the church for the body to minister and flourish. Let us ask the Father for the Spirit's help. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭13‬)

The Holy Spirit will Dwell in You   “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (fleshly) but mighty through God to the pulling down of  strongholds: casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,” II Cor.10:4.    [The weapons of our warfare] The apostle often uses the metaphor of warfare to represent  the life and trials of a Christian minister. See Eph 6:10-17; 1 Tim 1:18; 2 Tim 2:3-5. 

Series: The Book of Ephesians-- Sermon Questions – 12/06/2015 “Is Real Peace Possible?” 1. As you look at the world and most people, do you see peace? Why or why not? 2. If you had lived 3,000 years ago and you were not a Jew, what probably would have been your view of the world? (See Eph. 2:11-13) 3. What more than likely is the reason pagans worshiped false gods? 4. Why did the Jews have an advantage over the gentiles? What was the result of this advantage? 5. Read Eph. 2:14-18 and Is. 9:6. Why can Jesus create peace? 6. Where does peace need to start? (See Eph. 2:1-10 and Psalm 2:1-3 and John 3:16) 7. Why is the cross so powerful? 8. Do you have peace? Why or why not? 9. How are your relationships? What is keeping them from being better? The Bethlehem Community Church Office Team “Love God, Love Others. Make Disciples!”

Series: The Book of Ephesians-- Sermon Questions -- 11/29/2015 “From Death to Life” 1. What does Paul mean when he says, “we were all dead” in Eph. 2:1? 2. What exactly is sin? How do we try to downplay sin? 3. Why do we sin? (See Eph. 2:2-3) Is man basically good or evil? 4. How does Satan affect this world? (See Eph. 2:2) In what ways do you see Satan’s fingerprints on this world? 5. After you are saved, does your sin nature cease to exist? (See 1 Tim. 1:15) 6. Read John 16:5-8. Why is the Holy Spirit so important to us and this world? 7. Read Eph. 2:4-10. What is grace? Why do we all need God’s grace? (Think not only in terms of justification but also sanctification. See Gal. 5:22-23) The Bethlehem Community Church Office Team “Love God, Love Others. Make Disciples!”