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Journey Through Ephesians – Unity Through Diversity

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And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherdst and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,t to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.  Ephesians 4:11-16

God has given us each gifts.  God has given us each something unique.  A person to be, a part to play in the bigger story.  But, I’m just one part of the story.  We’re each just one part.  Unique.  Different.  Diverse.

Somehow, God pulls all of us together as one organism.  We are one force working together to accomplish His purposes. We grow and mature along side one another so that we won’t be shaken when storms come.  Together.  Unified.  Strong.

The purpose of diversity is for unity. ( <— click to Tweet)

What’s your gift?  Where do you fit?  How does your uniqueness build up and unify the body of Christ?

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Journey Through Ephesians – More Than I Can Imagine

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Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21

God is all-powerful.  God is all-capable.

He is always at work.  He’s doing things I cannot fully understand.  He’s doing things that I cannot even imagine.

This is the amazing God I serve.  To Him be the glory!

Journey Through Ephesians – Faithful Stewards of the Message

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the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you -Ephesians 3:2b

God gave Paul a mission – take the Gospel to the Gentiles.  Despite being beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, put under house arrest, and dealing with an unknown physical ailment, Paul was faithful to deliver that message to the Gentiles.  He was a good steward of the message that God entrusted with him.

Are you being a faithful steward of the message that God has entrusted with you?

Lately, God has been reminding me of the power of the story.  My story can impact someone else’s life in a way that nothing else can.  My story personal has several big elements: losing my mom when I was 13, being a child of divorce and a blended family, pursuing good girl perfection, and living with depression.  (Today, by the way, would have been my mom’s 57 birthday.)

There are things that I’ve experienced in my life that God can use to comfort others.  Right now, God has me focusing on depression.  I’ve run kicking and screaming the other direction quite a few times on this one.  I’m not exactly Paul the faithful steward, now am I?  But, I must embrace my story.  I’m in the process of taking a bold step by sharing my story in Finding Joy in Depression, an ebook that releases on March 12.

I must be a faithful steward of the message that God has entrusted with me.  {<— Click to Tweet This}

What’s your story?  What message pointing to salvation and freedom through Christ are you meant to share?  Are you being a faithful steward of that message that God has entrusted with you?

Journey Through Ephesians – Joined Together as the Holy Temple

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The “Church” is not a physical building.  You’ve probably heard that said over and over again.  The Church is the body or collection of believers.

In the reading from the past week, the Church is ironically compared to a building; a very special building, a holy temple.

In the Old Testament, God dwelt among His people first in the tabernacle and then later in the temple.  The Spirit would come upon individuals for a period of time, but did not dwell in them.

For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,t but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God byt the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:18-22

According to this passage, we as believers are joined together as the holy temple of God.  God doesn’t need a building any more.  He has chosen to dwell in His people.

Isn’t it amazing first of all that God chooses us as His home and second that we are joined together with such wonderful Christ-followers who have gone before us?

What were your insights from Ephesians this week?  Leave a comment or join the link up!

 

Journey Through Ephesians – God Loves Even You

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Do you ever think that God can’t love you?  I’ve done to much wrong for him to rescue me?  I’m too bad?  I’m not good enough.  He just can’t love me.

I’m happy to report, that’s not true.  God can and does love you.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved…
Ephesians 2:4-5

Even while you are in the middle of your worst sins, God loves you.  It is from the middle of that sin that God can save you.

But, you can’t save yourself.  No matter how hard you try, no matter how many good works you try to do.  You can’t earn salvation.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

Stop believing the lie that God can’t love you.  He says right here in His Word that He does love you.  Stop believing that you can save yourself.  God tells you in His Word that you can’t do it on your own, rather it is a gift from God.

What were your insights from Ephesians this week?  Leave a comment or join the link up!

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