A few years ago, Helga and I enjoyed a long bike ride with friends. We started in Munich Germany and ended in Venice, Italy. It was an epic journey for which we spent time studying maps to prepare. I don't think I need to tell you that the experience of the ride itself was the hope and the joy and the thrill. The map was useful, but could never be a substitute for the ride itself.
To this point, in Ephesians 1, Paul has given us a map of healthy relationship with God. Being chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, forgiven, and secure have been points on that map. Great stuff, right? Yes, but it is still a map! What do I mean?
Starting in verse 15, we read Paul's prayer for the believers in Ephesus. The prayer is filled with Paul's desire for these precious Jesus' followers. The gist of his prayer? I would love to tell you, but you will need to tune in. I promise it will be worth it. Just like the map is no substitute for the experience of the ride, so the study of doctrine and intellectual knowledge of God are not the end in themselves.
This remarkable passage of scripture is sure to stretch your imagination (hint hint).
View and see!
Steve
Ephesians 1:15-23
December 9, 2020 • Pastor Steve Feden
Ephesians 1:1-6
November 18, 2020 • Pastor Steve Feden
Ephesians has only six chapters and is not written to address a specific issue or problem among the Ephesians believers. Rather, Paul knows that in order for them to have future ability to live as children of God in the middle of Ephesian culture, they will have to gain a deeper and deeper experience of God's love! This is what he is addressing. We will dive right in and watch as the great, methodical, theological mind of the Apostle Paul is overcome with impassioned gratitude over the deep ways God has touched his -- and our -- lives! WARNING: Anyone who actually reads and believes the things we will talk about is likely to experience greater depth of transformed relationship with God and the people in your life! View and see! Steve
Ephesians 1:7-14
December 2, 2020 • Pastor Steve Feden
What does "relationship with God" really look like? I mean, we talk about the fact that Christianity is a "relationship" and not "religion", but what is the real difference? Doesn't Christianity often feel like religion? Obey the commands, do this, don't do that, and so on. I am fully convinced that Ephesians is a "relationship guide". The first chapter is filled with the foundational blocks of relationship with God as HE designed it to be. If we can comprehend Ephesians 1, it will forever impact our understanding of what relationships are supposed to be, and what the basic building blocks of healthy relationships are! Last week we saw the Father's plan. This week we will how the Son (Jesus) participates and how the Spirit participates! View and see! Steve
Ephesians 2:1-10
December 30, 2020 • Pastor Steve Feden
Hey Everyone! All the talk I hear reflects a a general sigh of relief that 2020 will be ending. With the turn of the page of the calendar, we get a fresh start and a new http://beginning....or do we? I don't want to be a "Debbie downer", but nothing miraculous happens at midnight on Thursday. Little virus molecules don't know it's a new year. Satan doesn't say, "Oh, it's a new year! Maybe I'll give the world a break this year." Let's be honest. Does anything really change other than remembering to write 2021 on the checks we write, for those of us dinosaurs that even use checks anymore! Do you want to learn why things are the way they are in life and the world? Do you want to see what keeps things going in the same direction? Are you interested in change that can start anytime and last longer than your New Years' resolution? We will crack open Ephesians 2 and work our way through some of the most psychologically powerful truth ever recorded. I am not very excited about the calendar. Circumstances may change a bit, but people will generally do the same things they did last year with the same results. http://however.....change is possible, and for many people it is urgent! I am very excited about see people become the functionally beautiful human beings they were meant to be!! "http://pastor.....how does that happen? What does it look like?" You know I am not going to tell you now. You will have to..... http://view.....and.....see! Steve