If you are in Christ, you are made new and have received a new nature. But that doesn't free you from the need to CHOOSE to follow God's Word and His Spirit. Living intentionally to please God is essential. This is where the spiritual meets the practical. Paul provides some simple (but not easy) ways to live according to our calling as saints. 

Paul wants us to do something with everything he's shared with us in the first three chapters of Ephesians. He wants us to live in a way that reflects our calling in Christ. He doesn't begin with rules; he starts with relationships. The first relationship he emphasizes is with the local church. It is more than an event we attend; it's a body we're connected to. Believers are part of it and have something to contribute. 

What would you do if you were in prison? Paul prayed! Even though Paul was in a Roman prison, he considered himself only a prisoner of Jesus Christ. As he shifts from what we need to know to what we need to do, Paul prays that we would experience, understand, and have the power to live the life we've been called to live!

We've all felt like outsiders at some point in our lives. At the same time, we may have contributed to others feeling like outsiders. The Gospel message is the most unifying message there is. Christ has brought down all the walls of hostility between us and brought us together in peace. 

We are more than just lost without Christ. We are spiritually dead. Apart from Him, we are depraved and deserving of His wrath. BUT GOD - in His goodness and grace — has brought us to life through Christ. Understanding our original condition and our new position in Him is more than encouraging because this is not something we can do ourselves. We are saved by faith through grace.

Paul was a persecutor of Christians who became an apostle, church planter, and author of much of the New Testament. His letter to the church in Ephesus is a highlight in helping us understand the new life we have in Christ and how we should live as a result. 

When life becomes difficult, we can overlook the goodness of God or doubt His presence in our lives. We can even see our situations as unfair or undeserved. There is more to life than we see know, but it can only be experienced in Christ. 

What comes to mind when you think about certain people in your life? Your spouse, ex-spouse, co-workers, anyone that you would consider not "for us, with us, or like us?" What comes to mind when we think about others reveals how much of Christ is in us." This one cuts so get ready!

When you look at yourself in the mirror, what thoughts come to mind? What are those thoughts based on? We are often our harshest critics, and the lie we believe the most about ourselves is "I'm NOT good enough." This lie is mass-produced by a couple of more subtle lies. Find out how to take back the power this has over you.

Have you ever been disappointed in God? Feeling like you have to act right to earn His love? Do your prayers feel unanswered, like He's holding out on you? Do you find it hard to trust God? If you said yes, you are believing the lie "that God is not good. " The truth is God is always good! Even when things don't feel good!