Ephesians: In Christ We Are...
Ephesians 6:18-24
February 18, 2018 • Bruce Zachary
This week we are learned about the Spirit-filled prayer life. There is much that we can learn about a proper theology of prayer, but perhaps the most important need is to be people of prayer. Knowing about prayer without praying is as ineffective as praying passionately to a false god. Join us as we discover the elements of a Spirit-filled prayer life.
Ephesians 6:10-17
February 11, 2018 • Bruce Zachary
The Christian Life is a battleground, not a playground. If you try to live for Jesus, you will have struggles with your flesh, conflict with the culture opposed to God, and spiritual battles. There is a danger in blaming all of your responses to temptation on the devil (e.g. "The devil made me do it"), and there is an equal or greater danger to neglecting or ignoring the reality of spiritual forces aligned with God for good and those opposed to God for evil. How can you be aware of the existence of this battle, and how can you experience victory?
Ephesians 6:5-9
February 4, 2018
The problem with work has less to do with our ability to save money for retirement, paying off debt, benefits, feeling under appreciated by our employer, but has everything to do with a wrong perspective and understanding. Paul wants us to see that there is a greater purpose and motivation at work underneath an employee and employer’s relationship. In this section, we discover what a Spirit-filled perspective on work looks like and how we can find true purpose and meaning in our work. What does Christ-centered work look like?
Ephesians 6:1-4
January 28, 2018 • Bruce Zachary
Parents want their children to enjoy a better life. They hope to provide love, a comfortable home, good education, safe environment, nice clothes and stuff, extra-curricular activities, and more. Yet, the most important thing that parents can do for our children is to prepare them to follow Jesus well. That should be the priority, because it will have the greatest impact on their lives on earth and for eternity. And more than simply understanding values or a plan, we need the Holy Spirit to empower us to reflect Jesus in family. Let’s discover how …
Ephesians 5:21-33
January 21, 2018 • Bruce Zachary
The largest problems impacting marriage include: unreasonable expectations, inadequate spiritual and emotional preparation pre-marriage, and lack of meaningful spiritual and emotional support once married. God has made abundant resources available so that we can enjoy thriving marriages. These include the Bible, prayer, pastors, counselors, and godly examples. Yet, the most significant resource for a Christ-like marriage is the Holy Spirit. We simply cannot walk-worthy of Jesus without the Holy Spirit. In this section, we discover what a Spirit-filled life looks like in the context of marriage. It is a life that brings true contentment to a couple and glory to God. So, what does a Spirit-filled marriage look like?
Ephesians 5:18-21
January 14, 2018
The key to following Jesus, obeying God, and living as the Lord has called us to live is to be filled with the Spirit. This is a critical truth all believers need to understand. If we don’t recognize this fact, we’ll be tempted to try to live for God in our own strength, and we’ll experience frustration, discouragement, and failure. The Spirit is a Person who lives in us and is at work in us to make us more like Jesus. We’re filled with Him as we surrender to His authority and control in our lives. Allowing ourselves to be under the control of other influences inhibits the Spirit’s work in and through us. Being filled with the Spirit transforms our relationships with God and others.
Ephesians 5:1-17
December 17, 2017 • Bruce Zachary
Where can you find contentment? This is the great philosophical quest of the ages. The world’s two primary paths are: The pursuit of sensual pleasure (e.g. food, drink, sex) or indifference to pleasure and pain. Neither way provides contentment, but there is a way to experience true contentment that we’ll discover…
Ephesians 4:17-23
December 10, 2017 • Bruce Zachary
Following Jesus changes everything. You are a new person in Christ [2 Cor. 5:17]. As soon as you receive Jesus, your position with God changes. Yet, in practice it takes time to stop living like unbelievers and start living like followers of Jesus. Today we learn what that looks like, and how to do it.
Ephesians 3:14-21
November 26, 2017 • Bruce Zachary
Followers of Jesus need to grow in their appreciation for their position in Christ which will impact how they live for Christ. This appreciation is related to experiencing the love of Christ. In this study, we discover how to experience the love of Christ.
Ephesians 3:1-13
November 19, 2017 • Bruce Zachary
Followers of Christ are part of the most amazing entity ever imagined – The Church, and are to experience Jesus together. When that position is experienced in practice, the love displayed by God’s people for God, other believers, and neighbors generally is incredibly attractive.
Ephesians 2:11-22
November 12, 2017 • Bruce Zachary
Spiritual life is to be lived in community. God created us for community with Him and others. We are hard-wired for community, but our culture is disconnected from God and others. Jesus removes barriers between you and God, and you and others so that you can experience community with God and others. Today we’ll discover how and why to experience true community in Christ.
Ephesians 2:1-10
November 5, 2017
God’s Word reveals there are two different kinds of life: physical and spiritual. Because of sin, every human being is born with physical life, but comes into this world spiritually dead. Only God can make a spiritually dead person alive, and the only way to spiritual life is through faith in Jesus Christ. God has a plan for those He makes alive in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3-14
October 22, 2017 • Bruce Zachary
This week we focus on the blessings of being in Christ. We are reminded that it is God’s nature to bless His people so that they will be content. There are many people who aren’t content, or are only content when their material circumstances appear favorable. This study help us to appropriate and appreciate our blessings in Christ, and be content despite circumstances.