Ephesians 1:3–14, Part 3 Whether you are the kid at recess who gets chosen last for the kickball team, or whether you are the adult who doesn’t get chosen for a promotion, a job, a contest, it can be very difficult emotionally when we are not chosen. When I submitted book proposals, I experienced theContinue reading “Who and how God chooses”
Tag Archives: Ephesians 1
We know where the heavenly realms are
Ephesians 1:3–14, Part 2 After a greeting, Paul begins his letter titled “Ephesians” with a grand eulogy of God. As I noted in the previous post, while we give eulogies praising people who have passed away, Paul’s eulogy praises God who is very much alive. After saying, “Praise God,” Paul lists numerous reasons why heContinue reading “We know where the heavenly realms are”
A surprising eulogy for God
Ephesians 1:3–14, Part 1 Here’s some insider pastoral info for you: when we counsel the family of the deceased, and when we officiate their funerals, we pastors sometimes straight up lie, talking about how great they were and how for sure they are in heaven. In reality pastors do not know that for a fact,Continue reading “A surprising eulogy for God”
It was 57 degrees in our house, and I was…
Ephesians 1:3–14, Preview As I type this, I’m sitting on the sofa in my living room. It’s 11:30am Friday morning. Why am I not sitting in my office? Normally I would be. I’m at home because this morning we woke up to the feeling of cold air inside our house. Nothing was wrong. Last nightContinue reading “It was 57 degrees in our house, and I was…”
The healing energy of grace
Ephesians intro, Part 3 Paul’s greeting in his letter titled “Ephesians” uses two words that he starts 13 of 13 letters with. These are two exceedingly important concepts for Christians. We read the two words of this greeting in Ephesians 1, verse 2. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the LordContinue reading “The healing energy of grace”
The church is a model
Ephesians intro, Part 1 In my previous post, I talked about the joy of Legos. The imagination, the seeking, the finding, the designing, the building. Using persistent creativity to make models. I’m starting a blog series through the New Testament epistle titled “Ephesians,” which scholar N. T. Wright says is about the church as aContinue reading “The church is a model”
Who we really are in Christ – Our Identity: In Christ, Part 2
Think about how you see yourself. Is it the same as who you are? Is it possible that your self-identity is different from who you really are? I think it is very possible. Consider people that think they are losers, failures, or many other negative words. Perhaps other people told them that. Perhaps they didContinue reading “Who we really are in Christ – Our Identity: In Christ, Part 2”
Engaging Scripture 