Hi, and welcome to Wednesday’s podcast – half way through the working week, it’s all downhill from here! We hope you are enjoying the Podcasts and the reflections on Ephesians are informing and inspiring you. It gets better – we have now arrived at Ephesians chapter 3, a great passage.

REFLECTION

Ephesians 3:1-7 is our reading today; our focus is v7 from The Message Bible: This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. V7 MSG

Question: Do you want to be used by God? Do you want to make a difference – in your family, with your friends, in your school, university or workplace? Do you want to play your part in bringing the goodness and kindness of Jesus to those around you. It is always encouraging to know that as we follow Jesus in our everyday lives that our simple actions can have repercussions into eternity.

The Bible says that ‘The kindness of God leads to repentance’ . In other words, our kind actions can be a catalyst in the lives of those around us, calling them to ask … ‘Why?’ ‘Why are you doing this?’ I first became really aware of the reality and relevance of the Christian faith many years ago when a Christian colleague I worked with showed me kindness at a time I needed help. This colleague who became my friend, put Paul’s words into action as he ‘helped me understand and respond to this message.’ Kindness really does work!

Today’s Bible passage not only reveals the mystery of Christ, but it also shows us how, as a result, we can be used by God to make an difference. There is Power in the message of the gospel. Power does not come from your circumstances or position in life. Paul himself was a prisoner (v.1). It doesn’t come from human greatness. Paul writes, ‘I am less than the least of all God’s people’ (v.8). Power doesn’t come from lording over people. Paul writes, ‘I became a servant’ (v.7). Real power comes from the message of the gospel of love put into practice every day by our simple acts of kindness, generosity and a willingness to speak to others when asked about our faith in Jesus.

This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. V7 MSG

This was Paul’s calling. This is our calling today and everyday. Be kind, be generous, be ready; God will handle the details. To be available for him, to let Jesus work in us today to enable us to play our small part in asking others to Join Us in Building Godly Communities. Exciting!

PRAYER

Lord, I am ready to be used by you today and the days to come. Help me to help others understand your message of forgiveness, love and new beginnings. I am ready Lord, use me. Amen.

READING: EPHESIANS 3:1-7

This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you’re familiar with the part I was given in God’s plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief.

As you read over what I have written to you, you’ll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God’s Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I’ve been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board.

This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details.