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RESIDENCE: Christ in Us (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Ephesians 3:14-21 FIRST THOUGHTS What reveals a person’s priorities? Credit card statements, calendars, interactions, and interruptions all provide a glimpse into what’s important to people. Prayers reveal priorities. The content, frequency, and intensity of prayers indicate what matters most to us. We learn a great deal about Paul’s priorities, and consequently God’s priorities, from his… Continue reading
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REVEALED: The Mystery of the Church (Ephesians 3:1–13)
Ephesians 3:1–13 FIRST THOUGHTS Who doesn’t like a good mystery. Hollywood spends millions if not billions each year producing mystery movies and shows. Americans spend millions on mystery books. Everyone likes a good mystery. We cannot wait until the end when the mystery is revealed. The religions of the ancient world were cloaked in mystery. … Continue reading
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RECONCILED: To God (Ephesians 2:11-22)
Ephesians 2:11-22 FIRST THOUGHTS Being the Son of an Air Force Sergeant, we moved around a lot. When I was 16 my father retired from the Air Force. We move back home to Florida. It was a big adjustment for me. I had grown up in a community that moved every 3 to 4 years.… Continue reading
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RESURRECTED: Saved by Grace (Ephesians 2:1-10)
Ephesians 2:1-10 FIRST THOUGHTS A case can be made that virtually every advertisement and marketing message comes to us in a form of the “before and after” approach. At the very least it can be said that most cosmetic and fitness ads use this approach in which they show a person prior to using the… Continue reading
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REMEMBER: Your Resources (Ephesians 1:15-23)
Ephesians 1:15-23 FIRST THOUGHTS How often do we not take advantage of the resources that we have in Christ? I heard a story not too long ago about an elderly couple who died of starvation. When the authorities entered the home, they found a large sum of money hidden under the mattress in the couples… Continue reading
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The Seven Churches of Revelation (Revelation 2-3)
Introduction The letter to the seven churches of Asia Minor is found in the 2nd and 3rd chapters of the book of Revelation. The section of the book is “The things which are.” This indicates that the letters were sent to seven literal churches. These seven churches are only a representation of possibly 100 separate… Continue reading
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Rejoicing in Christ the Prize of Life (Philippians 3)
Philippians Chapter Three Introduction After Commanding the Philippians to rejoice and all that they go through, Paul turns to the next major theme in the letter, the importance of staying focused and true to the Gospel of Jesus. One of the true marks of a believer is the ability to discern what is true and… Continue reading
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REJOICE: in Your Salvation (Ephesians 1:1-14)
Ephesians 1:1-14 Introduction What are you more likely to do each morning: list everything you’ve got to do, review your problems, or count your blessings? Why? We should stop and count our blessings each morning. As believers we are the most blessed individuals on the planet. Paul wrote to the Ephesians to give them specific… Continue reading
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The Legacy of Decisions (Matthew 7:13-14)
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 In the Sermon on the… Continue reading
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Rejoicing in Christ as the Pattern for Life (Philippians 2)
Introduction In the first chapter of Philippians we can see that “Rejoicing being a Principle for the Christian life” is summed up in “For to me live is Christ, and to die is gain”(Phil 1:21). Christ was the center of Paul’s life, and it has to be the center of every believer’s life. Now in… Continue reading
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