… be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Summary: Patience, long-suffering, and perseverance are all words that describe what Paul is trying to tell us in this passage.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:2b – The Old Country”Ephesians 4:2a – Horse and Rider
Be completely humble and gentle;
Summary: To be humble and gentle is asking a lot. Paul is really asking us to step outside of our emotional selves and take control. Fortunately, he also prays that God gives us the power to do just that.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:2a – Horse and Rider”Ephesians 4:1c – Called by Jesus
… of the calling you have received.
Summary: Paul talks about “the” calling we have received, but in his letter, he talks about three different aspects of this calling.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:1c – Called by Jesus”Ephesians 4:1b – The Power to be Worthy
… then, I urge you to live a life worthy …
Summary: Living a life worthy of our Lord is a full-time job. It is also a job that requires us to wear many hats.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:1b – The Power to be Worthy”Ephesians 4:1a – What Jesus Wants
As a prisoner for the Lord,
Summary: As Paul begins the fourth chapter of his letter, he reminds us that he is a prisoner “for the Lord.” To put this in perspective, it is helpful to reflect on Paul’s life and what it might have been like had he not met Jesus.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:1a – What Jesus Wants”Ephesians 3:21 – Glory Church
… to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Summary: Understanding the word “glory” is important if we are to understand the Scriptures. Paul gives us a clue to what the Lord’s church looks like in this passage about glory.
Continue reading “Ephesians 3:21 – Glory Church”Ephesians 3:20b – Lame Excuse
… according to his power that is at work within us,
Summary: When it comes to acts of God, everything depends on how much of God’s power is at work. How we can get that power and what it can do are fascinating topics of conversation.
Continue reading “Ephesians 3:20b – Lame Excuse”Ephesians 3:20a – More
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
Summary: How much can you imagine? More importantly, what would you ask of God? Is your desire for material wealth and security, or for something more substantial and long-lasting?
Continue reading “Ephesians 3:20a – More”Ephesians 3:19b – Making Room
— that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Summary: This meditation takes an unusual turn. When Paul talks about us being “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God,” we have to wonder, “What does that leave room for?”
Continue reading “Ephesians 3:19b – Making Room”Ephesians 3:19a – A Surpassing Love
… and to know this love that surpasses knowledge …
Summary: To question what we know is to question the foundation of our ability to reason. When we discover that we are both flesh and spirit, we find that knowing the love of God is a spiritual experience far beyond what the flesh and understand.
Continue reading “Ephesians 3:19a – A Surpassing Love”