2020 . . . what a year. For my family, God has been ever present during the roller coaster ride of 2020. He has provided for our needs. He has comforted us through losses. He has shown us glimpses of what He is working on for 2021. A new year is almost here. Are you praying for God to use you in the year 2021? The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon on the topic of prayer. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Prayer
With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints,19 and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. - Ephesians 6:18-20
In verse 18 above, we see many "alls." Pray at ALL times. Be alert with ALL perseverance and every request for ALL the saints.
1. Pray at all times.
Do you feel awkward when you pray? Do you struggle for words?
Prayer is more about a condition of the heart than an articulation of words. Be aware of all things going on around you. Commit to praying for the needs of others.
2. Pray with all the power in the Spirit.
Pray in the name of Jesus. Pray like a prayer warrior.
Keep alert. Continue to make requests to the Lord, rather than praying for someone once and then forgetting about them. On social media, we are quick to tell someone we will pray over something they have posted, but do we really pray over that situation? How often do we type in the reply thread, "Praying" or "Prayers" or a prayer emoji or something similar but then keep scrolling? If we tell someone we will pray for them, then we need to be sure that we actually pray for them. I have stopped commenting that I will pray over a situation unless I can stop and pray over the situation immediately. Then, I'll let them know I have just prayed for them. That is just one way to solve this problem.
5. Pray for all the saints.
Pray for one another. Do life together. Worship together. Isolation is dangerous.
6. Pray now.
When something comes up, pray. Stop right then and pray.
You can't be a prayer warrior without a relationship with Jesus. Learn more about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus here.
Do you have a relationship with Jesus? Are you ready to be a prayer warrior?
Prayer causes change in the heart, in the community, and in the world.
We are still in Ephesians at my church. Today's sermon title is Walk Like a Warrior. The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Our scripture passage for today is Ephesians 6:10-17.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace;16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. - Ephesians 6:10-17
The walk of the believer leads to war of the believer. Christianity is not a playground. It is a battlefield. We are at war with the devil.
Walk Like a Warrior
1. A warrior knows his or her enemy.
With a supernatural life comes a supernatural enemy. Sometimes we misidentify the enemy. Who is our enemy? Our enemy is the devil.
Sometimes we think the people around us are our enemies. This is not true. The real enemy, the devil, works to steal, kill, and destroy us.
Our struggle is with the flesh. (Ephesians 6:12)
Satan is after your mind. If he gets your mind, he can get your life. He can get your marriage, your family, your church, etc.
Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;3 but
from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God
has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!5 For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.”6 When
the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a
delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings. - Genesis 3:1-7
To get your mind, Satan will make you question God's Word, God's character, and God's goodness. Satan wants you to view your life apart from God's Word as he did Eve in the garden.
Take up God's army, not your own. We don't need to fight on social media posts. We fight with God's Word through the power of Christ Jesus. We fight with prayer. We fight on our knees.
This post is written from my personal Bible study notes taken during my pastor's sermon.
We are still in our Ephesians series at my church. Today's message gives advice about how to not ruin your life. Our scripture passage for today is Ephesians 5:15-21. We learn today that if we do not want to ruin our lives, we should not act foolishly. We should choose friends wisely. We shouldn't be lazy. We absolutely do not deny the existence of God.
You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
First, let's read Ephesians 5:15-21.
So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise,16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.18 And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord;20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father;21 and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ. - Ephesians 5:15-21
Walk carefully because you will influence those who walk behind you.
How to Not Ruin Your Life
1. Don't be a fool.
Fools are full of pride, but wise people are humble.
When pride comes, then comes dishonor; but with the humble there is wisdom. - Proverbs 11:2
2. Choose friends wisely.
Fools are influenced by other fools, but wise people choose friends wisely.
One who walks with wise people will be wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm. - Proverbs 13:20
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. - Proverbs 21:5
4. Don't deny the existence of God.
Are you being a fool?
Redeem your time.
As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is only trouble and tragedy; For it quickly passes, and we disappear. 11 Who understands the power of Your anger And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? 12 So teach us to number our days, That we may present toYou a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:10-12
As we continue in our series in the book of Ephesians, we've been talking about our walk with the Lord. Today we are talking about walking in love. The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Walking in Love
We are in Ephesians 5 where Paul talks to us about walking in love. Before we walk in love, we need to know that we are loved and that we need a model, an example to follow.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. - Ephesians 5:1-2
1. You are loved by God.
We are to have to nothing to do with impurity. (Ephesians 5:3) When we look for satisfaction in impurity, we will fall into impurity's entrapment. Real satisfaction is only found in God's love.
Every single fear and anxiety would disappear if we could fully grasp God's love for us. You are deeply loved by God. God's love for us is unconditional and unfailing.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. - John 1:12
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love5 He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. - Ephesians 1:3-5
We have no reason to live like orphans. We are not orphans. You are, as a saved believer, adopted into the family of God.
We have His acceptance.
We have access to Him. We can go to Him at any time.
We have His protection.
We have an inheritance.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace. - Ephesians 1:7
Because God loves us, we can walk in love.
Love serves.
Love is kind.
Love forgives.
Love gives.
Love shows. Love is more than words. Love is action.
In our Ephesians series at church today, we are talking about walking out our faith effectively. The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Do you walk out your faith effectively?
Our scripture passage is is Ephesians 4:25-32.
Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are parts of one another.26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.28 The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor, producing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need.29 Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear.30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.31 All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.32 Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. - Ephesians 4:25-32
We are to no longer walk in ignorance. We are to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. We are told in Ephesians 4:30 that we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit. He is not an "it." He is a person. He is God.
Put away lies and speak truth. Believers are to be clothed in honesty. Relationships can only be maintained in unity in honesty. Be truthful. Living in truth is living Christ-like. Living in lies is living like the enemy, the devil. Satan is a master at deception. Be honest about yourself. We are all broken. We all need accountability.
2. Walk in serenity.
The word "serenity" means "peace and calm." It is OK to be angry. The emotion of anger is not a sin but emotions can result in sin. Righteous anger is good. It becomes wrong when it is self-centered. That type of anger moves into your heart and it lingers. It doesn't go away until you evict it. Bad things can come into our lives due to selfish anger.
Don't go to bed angry. (Ephesians 4:26)
3. Walk cautiously.
Do not give the devil any opportunity to trip up your walk.
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. - 1 Peter 5:8
Guard your internet! Lock every door of your heart and home. If Satan is giving any opportunity to enter, he will walk in and rule.
4. Live generously. (Ephesians 4:28)
5. Speak graciously.
Don't allow nasty stuff to come out of your mouth. Whatever comes out of your mouth reflects the condition of your heart. We get desensitized due to our constant exposure to worldly words and behavior.
Don't let Hollywood script your speech.
People can be mean with words. Jesus was both tough and tender. Speak truth in love. Love difficult people because you are one too.
At my church, we have been walking through Ephesians for the past few weeks. Today, we are talking about walking in unity. We are looking at Ephesians 4:1-6. The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Walking in the will of God doesn't mean walking in sunshine and roses all the time.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling;one Lord, one faith, one baptism,one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. - Ephesians 4:1-6
The Holy Spirit has the power to transcend differences within the body of Christ. He doesn't necessarily do this in the secular world, but He does within the church. (Ephesians 4:3)
Don't be a fault finder in regard to others. Whatever you are looking for, good or bad, you will find.
3. We have been told why we need to walk in unity.
We are one body and one hope in Jesus.
Unity is our most powerful witness to the world.
That they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. - John 17:21
All we need in this life, we have in Jesus. When living out God's truth, hearing is good. Doing is better.
The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Let's take a look at Ephesians 1:3 and 3:14-21.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. - Ephesians 1:3
For this reason I bend my knees before the Father,from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self,so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. - Ephesians 3:14-21
Prayers for All the Saints
1. Pray for the strength of the Holy Spirit.
Our inner beings will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 3:16)
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. - 2 Corinthians 4:16
When we surrender to the Holy Spirit, we are empowered.
2. Pray for the closeness of Christ in our hearts.
In moments of pain and insecurity, Christ comes close to us. We shouldn't invite Christ in as a visitor. Invite Him in to dwell (to live) in your heart.
3. Pray to be rooted and grounded in Christ's love. (Ephesians 3:17-18)
God's love is wide, long, high, and low. (Ephesians 3:18)
The love of God is unmeasurable. You will never run out of the grace and love of God. The love and fullness of God will pour over into our communities. Pray these words over your loved ones.
Making our way through Ephesians, one of our church pastors asks the question, "Are you dead or alive?" Today we are taking a look at Ephesians 1:1-10. The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
Are you dead or alive?
Death is our enemy. Everything bad about life is rooted in death. Are you spiritually dead or alive? There are only two spiritual camps, dead or alive.
1. You were dead.
The difference between one sinner and another is the state of decay.
Death's Place
And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings. - Colossians 2:13
The unsaved person is controlled by the world. He or she walks with the world. They feel no conviction. They go with the crowd.
In which you previously walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. - Ephesians 2:2
But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. - Ephesians 2:13-14
Death's Passions
We take things that God intended for our good, and we use them in an ungodly way.
Among them we too all previously lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest. - Ephesians 2:3
Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. - Romans 1:24
We are all guilty of sin.
Death's Future
Wrath is the future for spiritually dead people. Physical death is a reality for all of us.
2. God made you alive.
We are alone, addicted, deep in sin, etc . . . but God is rich in mercy. He is filled with great love for us.
What is love? Love is an act of will accompanied with emotion on behalf of a person or thing.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. - John 3:16
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9
What is mercy? Mercy is not getting something you deserve.
What is grace? Grace is getting something you don't deserve.
What are appropriate responses to mercy and grace?
*Overwhelming gratitude
*Explainable humility
*Radical obedience
*A desire to tell others what God has done for you.
Do you want to transform from spiritually dead to spiritually alive? Learn more about how to do that here.
We are in a new Bible study series at my church. Our pastor is calling today's sermon "What You Have." We are studying from the book of Ephesians. The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon. You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.
In the opening of the book of Ephesians, Christ followers are called saints. Jesus made us saints. Every Christian is a saint and every saint is a Christian. If you are a saint (Christ follower), you are going to learn what you have today. If you are not a Christ follower, learn more about how to have a relationship with Jesus here.
Let's begin by reading Ephesians 1:3-14.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In loveHe predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved.In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His gracewhich He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him,regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will,to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory.In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise,who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. - Ephesians 1:3-14
If you have ever visited The Varsity in Atlanta, then you know that when you approach the counter, the counter worker will yell at you with a quick "What'll ya have?!" They take this job very seriously, and if you don't order fast enough, they'll yell at you again. At least this has been my experience when I visited the popular Atlanta fast food chain.
In the video above, our pastor shares his own experience which was similar to mine. Then he mentions that the apostle Paul takes us to the "buffet" of salvation in Ephesians 1. He says the table is full. There are many dishes, and they are filled with every spiritual blessing. According to my pastor, this is Paul's version of "What'll ya have?!"
What we have is our position. Feasting on what we have should be our condition.
Truth: You don't need what you already have. You already have all that you need.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all have spiritual wealth to give us. Believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing.
What You Have
1. What We Have in the Father (verses 4-6)
We are chosen. God chose us before the foundation of the world. You are not an afterthought. Before anything existed, we (YOU) were on His mind.
We are adopted. God calls us sons and daughters.
We are accepted.
2. What We Have in the Son (verses 7-12)
We are redeemed. Jesus paid the price for our sin with His blood. We were slaves to sin but in Jesus, we are now free, redeemed.
We are forgiven. There is good and bad to learn here. The bad news is that we are all guilty and there is a penalty to be paid. The good news is that Jesus took our blame and our guilt. He has completely forgiven us.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our wrongdoings from us. - Psalm 103:12
I have wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud and your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. - Isaiah 44:22
They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.” - Jeremiah 31:34
I will endure the rage of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, and I will look at His righteousness. - Micah 7:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9
God's grace does not end. Your sin will never outweigh His grace. Don't let the devil bring up your past!
We have insight. We are chosen and adopted. We are not victims of the age. The cancer of sin is spreading all over the world but history is His story.
We have an inheritance. We are valuable to Jesus.
When Jesus Christ wrote His last will and testament for His church, He made it possible for us to share His spiritual riches. Instead of spending it all, Jesus paid it all. His death on the cross and His resurrection make possible our salvation. He wrote us into His will, then He died so the will would be in force. Then He rose again that He might become our advocate to make sure the terms of the will were correctly followed. - Warren Wiersbe
We have been sealed. To seal something is to make it secure. This speaks of authenticity and permanence. Everything is secure. It can never be lost.
We have been guaranteed.
God blessed us immensely. He chose us unconditionally. He adopted us adoringly. He redeemed us graciously. He forgave us completely. He gave grace lavishly. He revealed His mystery wisely. He granted us inheritance eternally. He sealed us permanently. He guaranteed our position personally.
